Historic Resource Commission

Schenectady Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021 I. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Yager called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. II. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Patricia Yager, Chair; Christopher Marney, Vice Chair; Dr. Dean Bennett; Shaun Andriano; Richard Unger; Matt Smith, Senior Planner ABSENT: Frank Gilmore III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST None. IV. ADOPTION OF MEETING MINUTES Motion by Commissioner Andriano, seconded by Commissioner Unger, to approve the Minutes of the October 28, 2021 meeting. Motion carried unanimously. V. CALL FOR MEMBERS OF PUBLIC TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS None. VI. APPLICATIONS A. Consideration for approval submitted by Rafael Epstein to repair the porch. The premises is located at 1296 Lowell Rd. in the GE Realty Plot Historic District. Rafael Epstein presented the application in person. He explained that the porch is severely deteriorated due to its high exposure to the elements, presented four solutions to address the problem and is seeking the commission’s input on how to remedy the issue. He stated that his first preference is to replace the flooring with Azek, which is a composite material. He explained that he realizes that it isn’t the best option with respect to preservation, but he otherwise will have to plan on replacing the deck with wood every 20 years due to its unique construction and exposure to rain and Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021 –Page 1 of 5 snow. Mr. Epstein stated that he just found out that the Azek will cost five times as much as wood replacement, when he initially was told that the costs were comparable. He stated that he wanted to run by some options to address the cost issue with the commission, but would first explain the other three possible solutions to the deck problem. Mr. Epstein stated that the second preference would be to replace the deck with the same wood. The third option would be to drill holes in the decking to allow rainwater to drain through the deck surface. This option however would not address the issue of snow piling up on the deck. The fourth option would be to space the boards apart so that water could drain. This option he stated, however, would not be faithful to the original design. The applicant stated that to cut down on cost of installing the synthetic decking he proposed to replace only the decking that is uncovered. He stated that only 270 square feet of the 460 square feet of porch would then need to be replaced. Commissioner Yager asked if the structure under the decking needs to be replaced or if it is in good shape. Mr. Epstein stated that it does not need to be replaced. Mr. Epstein stated that another complication in replacing the deck with wood, is that he was told that you can’t get tongue and groove decking anymore. Commissioner Andriano stated that you wouldn’t want to install tongue and groove decking because it would prevent the water from draining through the porch. Commissioner Marney stated that he would have liked to see more photos in the application because it’s hard to get a good sense of the porch from the few photos provided, and it’s difficult to see the entire porch from the street. He explained that the Secretary’s standards would allow for composite materials if the situation warrants it based off of the original design of the structure or weather conditions. However, he stated that he doesn’t feel comfortable making that determination based upon the limited photos provided. Commissioner Bennett stated that he is comfortable based upon the limited view of the porch from the street and the information provided in the application with approving the synthetic boards. Commissioner Yager stated that she would be comfortable as well. Commissioner Unger stated that he would like more detail on the specific request and proposal of the applicant. RESOLUTION Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021 –Page 2 of 5  Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Unger, to table the application pending the submission of additional photographs and more details on the specific proposal for repairing the porch. Motion carried unanimously. B. Consideration submitted by C.E. Biscuit to partially demolish a wall and install a gate. The premises is located at 17 Front St. in the Stockade Historic District. Chris LaFlamme presented the application. He explained that after purchasing the property, he was sent a letter from his insurer that he had to remove the pool or risk having his insurance policy dropped. He stated that there is no sufficient access to the backyard to remove the pool and therefore necessitated expanding an existing gate opening from the current four feet or so, to approximately 14 feet. He explained that a saw mark was put into the wall, prior to coming before the commission for input on what should replace the existing opening. Commissioner Unger stated that he was thinking about this application in two parts. The first part he stated is a no-brainer, that the wall will have to be removed to gain access to the rear yard to remove the pool. The second part he explained will take a bit more time and thought, and that is the question of what, if anything, replaces the existing gate. He stated that the second part will require a revisit to the commission, but the first part is pretty simple, and that is, the owner needs permission to remove the wall to be able to remove the pool. Mr.LaFlamme agreed that he views the application the same, and that he would return in the future to address whatever gets placed back in the newly created opening. Commissioner Marney stated that he is fine with the proposal and that there is enough evidence in the standards to justify the removal since it will increase the utility of the parcel, and the wall is not a part of the structure itself. Mr. LaFlamme stated that there would be a temporary fence installed, likely a stockade fence, while he awaits approval for the final gate design. RESOLUTION Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Unger, to approve as submitted the application to remove a portion of the wall, with the following conditions: 1. The project will be completed within one year. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021 –Page 3 of 5  2. The brick will be saved for future use. 3. The applicant will return by February 2022 with a proposal for the gate design. 4. A temporary fence will be installed in the interim And with the following finding of fact: 1. This is a Type II SEQRA. 2. The Commissioners cited Preservation Standard #9 as the guidelines for their decision. Motion carried unanimously. VII. MISCELLANEOUS A. Letter from Chair Yager to Laura Burns Commissioner Yager read into the record an e-mailed letter that she wrote and sent to Laura Burns, CEO of the Greater Capital Area Realtors, regarding a request for realtors in the area to ensure buyers are made aware whether a home listed for sale is in an historic district and therefore subject to review by the Historic District Commission on changes to the exterior. B. 423 Union St. Matt Smith stated that he was contacted by an architect who was working with a client to rehab Jo-Jo’s Auto Service and was looking for some information and guidance on what types of treatments would be acceptable on the exterior. Mr. Smith asked the commission how they would like to handle it, since he didn’t feel comfortable giving them advice without first gaining an understanding of from the commission as to whether synthetic materials would be acceptable, or if the blocking in of existing windows would be appropriate. Several commissioners explained that they should come in with some very preliminary plans and plenty of details on the history of the building so they could make those determinations. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Andriano, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021 –Page 4 of 5 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021 –Page 5 of 5