Historic Resource Commission

Schenectady Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes December 7, 2023 I. Call to Order Commissioner Yager called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. II. Roll Call PRESENT: Patricia Yager, Chair; Richard Unger, Zakhar Berkovich, Shaun Andriano, Michael Barron, Jack Connelly; Development Staff, Christopher Marney; City Counsel EXCUSED: III.Conflicts of Interest None IV. Adoption of Prior Meeting's Minutes A. October 26th B. Amendment to July 27th Mr. Connelly informed the Commission that there was a typographical error on the July 27th meeting minutes regarding the 1280 Stratford application. The audio recording clearly stated that the applicant was only allowed to use concrete for the walkway to his house, but the minutes stated that asphalt could be used as an alternative. The amendment would be to change this so the minutes stated that concrete was the only acceptable material for the walkway. Meeting minutes for both meetings were approved unanimously, contingent on minor changes to the October minutes that would be made by City staff. V. Call for Members of Public to Speak on Agenda Items VI. Old Applications VII. New Business A. Consideration for approval submitted by Gwendolyn Bucci to repave the apron of the shared driveway between 1196 Wendell Avenue and 1186 Wendell Avenue, located in the GE Realty Plot. Ms. Gwendolyn Bucci appeared before the Commission, detailing the level of disrepair that the apron of the shared driveway is in. Ms. Bucci is not proposing to enlarge the area or change the material, just pave it so the entry to the driveway is smooth. Ms. Bucci discussed the bricks that go through the street on Wendell Avenue, to see if they would be impacted by the paving. Commissioner Barron said that he had previous discussions with the City Engineering Department and it was concluded that the bricks would not have any impact on the repaving. Counsel Marney told the applicant that although Historic approval could be given now without the other neighbors who share the driveway present, they would need to sign for any paving permits given by the Building Department as the apron goes across both property lines. RESOLUTION Commissioner Andriano made a motion to approve the application. Commissioner Unger seconded the motion with the following conditions:  The apron would not be enlarged and asphalt would continue to be the material in use  All proper permitting would be obtained prior to the work being started  All work to be completed within one year Motion carried unanimously. This is in coordination with standards 2, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR B. Consideration for approval submitted by Stacey Drake to repave the driveway and replace the sidewalk. The premises is located in the GE Realty Plot at 8 Douglas Road. Mr. Landon Drake came before the Commission to discuss the application. Mr. Drake explained that the driveway had been in serious disrepair, and the work had already been completed on the driveway, although the sidewalk portion of the application was yet to be done. The Commission noted that although the driveway was not enlarged and the material was appropriate, the asphalt used extended over the sidewalk, and that would need to be remedied when the sidewalk work is underway. Mr. Drake said that the work would likely be completed in March or April, whenever the weather was most compliant for work. The Commission mentioned that the sidewalk seemed too narrow for ADA compliance, and recommended moving slate stone lining the yard near the sidewalk to allow for the sidewalk to be widened. It was further noted that the sidewalk should match the original in both material and color. RESOLUTION Commissioner Berkovich made a motion to approve the application. Commissioner Andriano seconded the motion with the following conditions:  The sidewalk would be widened to 5 feet for ADA compliance  Sidewalk material would match original  Asphalt over the sidewalk would be removed and replaced with sidewalk concrete  All work to be completed within one year Motion carried unanimously. This is in coordination with standards 2, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR C. Consideration for approval submitted by Terry Aldrich to remortar stone and brick on the building, replace broken or missing windows and replace the under sill. The premises is located in the Union Street Corridor at 417 Union Street. Mr. Mike Phillips came to discuss the project at hand. Mr. Phillips is the contractor for the site. Mr. Phillips said that the changes at hand were to satisfy the code violations cited against the project. Mr. Phillips further detailed that more comprehensive façade changes would be proposed in the future as part of Phase II for 417 Union Street, as there are many more issues that will need to be addressed with the property. Commissioner Yager stated that the plexiglass windows proposed were appropriate according to SHPO, however stressed that whatever specific material was used should not be one that would become discolored over time. The Commission emphasized the importance of matching the new mortar with what is existing. Mr. Phillips informed the Commission that the mortar in this proposal was only temporary and would be redone during Phase II with the more comprehensive façade changes. The fascia was also brought up as a concern, as it appears to be deteriorating, however Mr. Phillips said that is something that would also be addressed in Phase II. Commissioner Andriano said that the proposed cast stone is a good product that resembles limestone and would be appropriate for the under sill. Although getting true blue stone would be unreasonable to ask of the applicant, the Commission would prefer the cast stone be tinted to look similar to the original blue stone. RESOLUTION Commissioner Unger made a motion to approve the application. Commissioner Andriano seconded the application with the following conditions:  Replacement mortar to match the existing  The plexiglass used for the curved windows would have a UV coating to prohibit discoloration  The cast stone used for the under sill would match the texture and look of the original blue stone  All exterior changes in Phase II would need further Historic Commission approval  All proper building permits would be obtained  All work would be completed within one year Motion carried unanimously. This is in coordination with standards 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR. D. Consideration for approval submitted by John and Elizabeth Coppola to replace the existing sign with a new freestanding sign. The premises is located in the Union Street Corridor at 1336 Union Street. Mr. Carl Wheeler of AJ Signs came forward to discuss the proposed sign. Mr. Wheeler detailed that the new sign was created to reflect the new Labcorp logo, but would be the same size and dimensions as the current sign. The same synthetic wood material used in the old sign would also be used in the new. Commissioner Unger mentioned that the property is located in an R-2 district, where 6 square feet is the maximum allowance for signs. Commissioner Yager spoke on the temporary hours sign that was placed on the wall of the building, expressing disapproval for the material and look of the sign. Commissioner Yager believed that a few minor tweaks could make the sign smaller and less noticeable. RESOLUTION Commissioner Unger made a motion to approve the free standing sign and deny the wall sign. This was seconded by Commissioner Berkovich with the following conditions:  Freestanding sign was approved as is, with 6 square feet being the maximum allowed by the Commission  Wall sign proposal was denied, and the applicant would need to return with a new proposal in the future Motion carried unanimously. This is in coordination with standards 2, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR. E. Consideration for approval submitted by Asad Dawoodani to add signage to the exterior of the building and remove brick to expose entry/exit point. The premises is located in the Union Street Corridor at 602 Union Street. Mr. Asad Dawoodani came forward to discuss his project for 417 Union Street. Mr. Dawoodani’s proposal to put a deli on the site had been approved by the Planning Commission, contingent on approvals granted by the Historic Commission. Mr. Dawoodani told the Commission that the sign would be of similar material and style to the Steve Becker State Farm sign across the street. The sign would be a 2x1 foot rectangle using LED lights for illumination. The sign would need to be reviewed by Department of Development staff for Planning Commission purposes, so some of the specifics (such as brackets to be used and the exact location of the signs) could be reviewed and approved later after Historic Commission approvals were granted. When discussing the door, Commissioner Yager emphasized the importance of maintaining the arch that was existing, as it was viewed as an important architectural feature of the building. The remainder of the Commission agreed with this and wanted to see the arch incorporated in the door. The Commission said that in order to approve the door there would be more specifics needed on exact materials and colors to be used, but recommended that the door has some glass in it to allow for better visibility. Counsel Marney said that the door would need to swing outwards onto the sidewalk and would therefore require a revocable permit. The signs would need a revocable permit as well as they will hang over the public sidewalk in the right-of-way. RESOLUTION Commissioner Unger made a motion to approve the sign and table discussion on the door. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Berkovich, with the following conditions.  The applicant could put up 2 signs per city code- one facing Union Street and the other facing Clinton Street, as the building is on a corner lot  The signs would be no bigger than a 2 foot by 1 foot rectangle, and would project from the building  Durawood would be the material used for the signs  Brackets and the final sign package would need to be approved by Department of Development staff  LED lights for illumination would not exceed 3000Kelvin   All permits would be obtained prior to any work being done  Discussion on the door would be tabled until more information was provided Motion carried unanimously This is in coordination with standards 2, 5, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR F. Consideration for approval submitted by David Whitbeck to replace the roof. The premises is located in the GE Realty Plot at 1424 Wendell Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. David and Nancy Whitbeck appeared to discuss 1424 Wendell Avenue with the Historic Commission. Mrs. Whitbeck said she researched what the original roof on the house was made of, and while she thought it would be slate it actually appeared to be some sort of wood material. The applicants said that they would prefer the application gets tabled so they had time to speak with their roofer more to find the most appropriate material for the roof RESOLUTION Commissioner Berkovich made a motion to table the application as is. Seconded by Commissioner Barron. Motion carried unanimously. This is in coordination with standards 6, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR G. Consideration for approval submitted by First Presbyterian Church to replace windows and trim paintings. The premises is located in the Stockade at 215 Union Street. Mr. Jim Nally appeared before the Commission, hoping to address some of the concerns that were brought forward at the last meeting. While Mr. Nally brought more close up shots of the windows in question, there was still questions from the Commission on which specific windows needed to be replaced, and which could be repaired. In order to get a final answer on this, Mr. Connelly recommended meeting Mr. Nally at the site with Commissioner Andriano in order to get a first hand view of the site and discover which windows were in a state of disrepair. Mr. Nally agreed with this idea, and it was decided that a time and date would be decided upon after the meeting. With no further action being possible until this site visit occurred, Mr. Nally and the Commissioners all agreed that it would be best to table the application again, and pick it up next month. RESOLUTION Commissioner Berkovich made a motion to table the application. Seconded by Commissioner Barron. Motion carried unanimously H. Consideration for approval submitted by Eun-sil Lee to replace the porch light fixture, add handrails to the front stairs and replace a portion of the roof. The premises is located in the GE Realty Plot at 1203 Wendell Avenue. Ms. Eun-sil Lee came forward and told the Commission that her application for 1203 Wendell Avenue had not changed since the original submission. Ms. Lee said that some of these changes, such as the roof and handrails, were necessary for insurance reasons as they were deemed hazardous and needed to be fixed. The paint was being proposed as it had not been done in a while and was chipping off naturally. Commissioner Andriano said the proposed light fixture was acceptable and a clear improvement from the current fixture, but recommended that it not exceed 3000 Kelvin for the light temperature. The Commission thought that the proposed shingles would fit nicely with the existing roof, and thought a new paint job would improve the stairs and porch area. While the Commission noted that the addition of the handrail was important, they thought a black metal one would be more appropriate, and decided to table the handrail discussion for a later date. RESOLUTION Commissioner Berkovich made a motion to approve the application. Seconded by Commissioner Andriano with the following conditions:  The light fixture would be less than 3000 Kelvin and would be either bronze or black  The handrail would be tabled until further information was presented Motion carried unanimously This is in coordination with standards 2, 9 and 10. Type II SEQR. I. Consideration for approval submitted by Nicholas Plowman for split heat pumps on the side of the house. The premises is located in the Stockade at 6 Washington Avenue. Although there was no one present on behalf of the applicant for this agenda item, Counsel Marney told the Commission that they still had the right to both discuss and vote on the proposal. The Commission agreed that the application provided was highly insufficient and did not provide any detail on the changes made. There were questions on whether the unit encroached on the neighboring property line, and Counsel Marney said that was unknown as the applicant had not pulled any permits prior to installing the pumps. The Commission cited the proposal for 56 Washington Avenue, which had appeared at the previous month’s meeting where the applicant was told that he needed to revisit the application and provide full mock ups of the proposal and a much more detailed application. It would be unfair to approve this application that was far less sufficient, and would set a bad precedent for future property owners seeking Commission approval for split heat pumps. A motion was made by Commissioner Berkovich to deny the application. Seconded by Commissioner Andriano. Motion carried unanimously. VII. Miscellaneous Mr. Connelly detailed Section 274-78(B) of the City Code which details how the Historic Commission has the authority to judge on properties being in a serious state of disrepair, which could be expressed in a letter and sent to the City Zoning Enforcement Officer. There were three properties on the agenda for discussion at this meeting: 1131 Adams Road, 1166 Avon Road and 206 Union Street. The Commission first discussed 1131 Adams Road, stated that the serious concerns regarding this property were a deteriorating façade, an open and/or broken window in the front of the house, the broken front railing, the disrepair of the shutters and significant rot on the porch roof. Commissioner Unger made a motion to approve the letter. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Berkovich. Motion carried unanimously. 1166 Avon Road was discussed next by the Commission. The Commission found the following items as reasons to believe the property was in a serious state of disrepair: the house is currently without a roof, the walkway is severely damaged, although the property has Historic Commission approval to begin construction on the roof there has been no progress in doing so. These factors led the Commission to believe that the house was at risk of being a total loss Commissioner Andriano made a motion to approve the letter. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Unger. Motion carried unanimously. The final property for discussion was 206 Union Street. The Commission noted that the serious disrepair of the sidewalk was among the reasons for citing Section 274-78(B) along with the removal of the downspout which has led to a deterioration of the masonry, the replacement of the upper right cornice which was done without Historic Commission approval, the deteriorating mortar on the upper left bricks and the top parapet appearing to be in serious disrepair. Commissioner Andriano made the motion to approve the letter. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Unger Motion carried unanimously VIII. A d j o u r n Motion to adjourn made by Commissioner Unger. Seconded by Commissioner Andriano. Meeting adjourned at 9:08 PM