Historic Landmarks Commission Packets

City of Suffolk HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION September 12, 2019 THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION WILL BE HELD AT 9:00 A.M. IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CITY HALL BUILDING Note: If You Cannot Attend This Meeting, Please Notify the Planning Division by 12:00 Noon, Wednesday, September 11, 2019 (757) 514-4060 PREPARED BY THE CITY OF SUFFOLK DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF PLANNING  AGENDA Historic Landmarks Commission Meeting Thursday, September 12, 2019 9:00 a.m. I. Call to Order: Chairman II. Roll Call III. Approval of the Minutes IV. New Business 1. Request for Certificate of Appropriateness HLC2019-00032, submitted by Amanda M. Short, applicant and property owner, for a new exterior opening at 152 S. Main Street. The property is further identified as Zoning Map 34G18, Block A, Parcel 287A, Suffolk Voting Borough, zoned CBD, Central Business District, and HC, Historic Conservation Overlay District. V. Old Business VI. Staff Reports 1. Enforcement Updates a. Property Maintenance b. Zoning 2. Administrative Approvals VII. Adjournment  MINUTES HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION August 8, 2019 9:00 A.M. The regular meeting of the Historic Landmarks Commission was held on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at 9:00 a.m., in the Council Chambers of Suffolk City Hall, 442 W. Washington Street, Suffolk, Virginia, with the following persons present: MEMBERS PRESENT: STAFF: George Bailey Claire Jones, Secretary William Bissell Karla Carter, Assistant City Attorney Susan Coley Kevin Wyne, Principal Planner Mary Austin Darden Grace Braziel, Planner I Oliver Hobbs Connie Blair, Planning Technician Edward King MEMBERS ABSENT: Merritt Draper Larry Riddick Vivian Turner The meeting was called to order by Chairman Hobbs. The roll was called by Ms. Jones and the Chairman was informed that a quorum was present. Chairman Hobbs recognized Karla Carter who introduced Sean Dolan, Assistant City Attorney, who will be serving as legal counsel for the HLC meetings. Mr. Dolan introduced himself and was welcomed by the HLC. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as presented. NEW BUSINESS: REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HLC2019-00029, submitted by Gina Gillis, applicant and property owner, for fencing at property located at 114 S. Broad Street. The property is further identified as Zoning Map 34G16(6), Block A, Parcels 9A*10, Suffolk Voting Borough, zoned RM, Residential Medium zoning district, and HC, Historic Conservation Overlay District. The public hearing item was introduced by Chairman Hobbs, followed by a staff report from Grace Braziel, Planner I. Ms. Braziel stated that the subject property is a part of the West End Historic District (2002) of the Suffolk Historic Conservation Overlay District. The architectural styles in the area include Vernacular, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Tudor Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, and American foursquare. The subject property is located on the east side of the street, which contains many of these styles and is largely intact historically. The property was constructed circa 1900 in the Colonial Revival style and features a wood weatherboard structural system with a hipped asphalt shingle roof and a wraparound porch with Ionic columns. Ms. Braziel noted that the property has an existing 6-foot wooden fence located in the rear yard along the northern and eastern property line. The applicant proposes to construct a 6-foot privacy fence that will replace the existing fence along the eastern property line and extend across the southern property line to enclose the rear yard. The applicant is also proposing a 5-foot wrought iron drive through gate that would connect to a previously approved 3 foot tall wrought iron front yard fence. Mrs. Braziel added that the applicant is proposing to stain the new rear yard fence with an opaque color from the approved color palette. Chapter 5 of the Historic District Design Guidelines outlines the criteria for determining the appropriateness of decorative fences and tall screen fencing that is usually used for side and rear yards. Ms. Braziel noted that privacy fencing may be appropriate in the rear yard where visual impact is minimized. The proposed location of the 6-foot fence would be partially visible from South Broad Street; however, the property has narrow side yards that visually limit what can be seen of the rear yard, thus minimizing the visual impact to the Historic District. The proposed 5-foot wrought iron gate will be more visible but is consistent with past approvals and is proposed to match the 3-foot fence that was approved. As such, staff recommends approval with the conditions noted in the staff report. The public hearing was opened and Mr. Daniel Gillis, property owner, spoke in favor of the application. There being no other speakers, the public hearing was closed. The Commission briefly discussed the location of the iron fencing and the general appropriateness of fencing at the property. Following this discussion, a motion was made by Commissioner Darden to approve staff’s recommendations as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Bailey and approved by a recorded vote of 6-0. REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HLC2019-00031, submitted by Donald Bennett, Property Maintenance Official, City of Suffolk, for demolition of a rear addition at 321 E. Washington Street, Zoning Map 34G24(A)*32. The affected area is further identified as being located in the Suffolk Voting Borough, zoned FRRD, Fairgrounds Revitalization and Redevelopment District, and HC, Historic Conservation Overlay District. The public hearing item was introduced by Chairman Hobbs, followed by a staff report from Kevin Wyne, Principal Planner. Mr. Wyne stated that the application is a request to demolish a contributing one story building addition at 321 E. Washington Street. The subject property is part of the East Washington Street Expansion of the Suffolk Historic District and is located in an area of early 20th century commercial buildings just east of the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks, which includes the Phoenix Bank and East 2 Point Lofts. The subject property is a contributing Italianate structure built between 1895 and 1910. The building appears to be in poor condition with sheet metal covering the west side and boarded up windows. At the rear of the structure is a one story brick and cinder block addition of unknown date. It has brick side walls matching the main structure, a cinder block rear wall, and a metal shed roof, but no other architectural details. Mr. Wyne explained that this request is to approve removal of the addition, which is partially collapsed after being hit by a falling tree. He noted that the Property Maintenance Official has secured the collapsed portion and determined it to be a potential hazard to the public. To address the hazard, the City proposes to demolish only the rear addition. The principal structure will then be secured with wood studs and sheathing to prevent entry. Staff recommends that the wood be painted to match the building. Mr. Wyne noted that the demolition of structures in the Historic District requires careful consideration of a list of factors including historic and architectural significance, the condition of the structure, and other options besides demolition. This addition is simple in design and contains little architectural detail. It has no known historic significance and is dependent on the principal structure; therefore, relocation is impractical. Due to the extent of the damage and the relative insignificance of the structure, demolition is the preferred. After reviewing the criteria for demolishing buildings and because the demolition of the addition would have little to no impact on the character of the District, staff recommends approval with the conditions noted in the staff report. The public hearing was opened and Mr. Donald Bennett, Property Maintenance Official, spoke in favor of the application. He stated the building addition is hazardous and needs to be removed. There being no other speakers, the public hearing was closed. The Commission discussed retention of the footprint and the nature of the connection to the main building. Following this discussion, a motion was made by Commissioner Darden to approve staff’s recommendations as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Bailey and approved by a recorded vote of 6-0. OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business to discuss. STAFF REPORTS: Enforcement Update: Donald Bennett, Property Maintenance Official, reported on the following properties:  118 Wellons Street – Court case scheduled to be heard on 10-3-19  122 W. Washington Street – Court case dismissed on 7-11-19  113 S. Saratoga Street – Court case dismissed on 7-11-19 3   179 E. Washington Street – Court case heard on 8-1-19; no disposition on results of case  131 Clay Street – NOV issued; new property owner in process of submitting application for COA  321 E. Washington Street – Case heard at today’s HLC meeting  342 N. Main Street – Court case scheduled to be heard 10-3-19 Zoning Update: Matthew Levy, Zoning Inspector II, reported on the following properties:  178 E. Washington Street – Court case heard last week; continued until November  131 Clay Street – NOV issued 7-18-19 Administrative Approvals: Ms. Jones provided a brief report on the four administrative COAs approved since the last HLC meeting in July. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. 4  HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION Motion: To approve with Motion: To approve with staff’s recommendations staff’s recommendations as presented as presented 1st: Darden 1st: Darden August 8, 2019 2nd: Bailey 2nd: Bailey HLC2019-00029 HLC2019-00031 ATTENDANCE 6-0 6-0 COMMISSIONERS PRESENT ABSENT YES NO YES NO Bailey, George X X X Bissell, William N. X X X Coley, Susan X X X Darden, Mary Austin, Vice X X X Chairman Draper, Merritt X Hobbs, Oliver, Chairman X X X King, Edward L. X X X Riddick, Larry X Turner, Vivian X  CITY OF SUFFOLK 442 W. WASHINGTON STREET, P.O. BOX 1858, SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA 23439-1858 PHONE: (757) 514-4060 FAX: (757) 514-4099 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Division of Planning To: Historic Landmarks Commission From: Grace Braziel, Planner I Date: September 12, 2019 Subject: REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HLC2019- 00032, submitted by Amanda M. Short, applicant and property owner, for the creation of a new exterior opening at property located at 152 S. Main Street. The property is further identified as Zoning Map 34G18, Block A, Parcels 287A, zoned CBD, Central Business District and HC, Historic Conservation Overlay District. STAFF REPORT Overview of the Subject Property and Surrounding Area The subject property is located at 152 S. Main Street within the East Washington Street District (2002) of the Suffolk Historic Conservation Overlay District. According to the National Register of Historic Places-Inventory Nomination Form, the 2002 boundary expansion to the Suffolk Historic District is a continuous area encompassing a large number of commercial buildings dating from the early 20th Century, small enclaves of residential buildings, several warehouses, banks, service stations, two depots, and one courthouse. Commercial, industrial, and transportation-related buildings surround the residential neighborhoods. The most common building form noted in this area is brick-fronted Italianate or Vernacular style commercial structures. According to the National Register of Historic Places-Inventory Nomination Form, the subject property features a contributing commercial structure built between 1914 and 1920. The commercial structure is noted as an example of a brick-front commercial building with a flat roof featuring a stepped parapet. The building consists of a solid brick foundation and has a 7-Course American Bond Brick structural system. HLC2019-00034 September 12, 2019 Page 2 Case History The subject property received a Certificate of Appropriateness in 2018 for exterior improvements relating to the painting of the building, the replacement of the non-contributing wooden storefront materials, the replacement of the storefront windows with safety glass, the replacement of a rear entry door, and the installation of a new shed. Public Notice Public notice of this meeting was published in the newspaper and notices were mailed to adjacent property owners. Proposed Action The applicant’s request consists of the following actions: 1. Install a thirty-six (36) inch by eighty (80) inch fire door 79 feet from the front entrance on the southern elevation of the building. 2. Paint the new fire door utilizing the color Roycroft Mist Gray (SW2844) to match the building color. Condition Statement A condition statement was not submitted for this request. Surrounding Characteristics A detailed description of adjacent and nearby properties is provided below. 136 S. Main Street - Contributing 3-story commercial building, circa 1900-1915. 162 S. Main Street- Contributing 2-story commercial building, circa 1932. 166 S. Main Street- Contributing 1-story service station, circa 1926-1940. 169 S. Main Street- Contributing 2-story commercial building, circa 1910-1925. Applicable Regulations and Analysis A. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) 1. Section 31-413(g)(7), Approval of Major Action by the HLC (v) Any alteration to exterior materials or color of materials. C. Suffolk Historic District Design Guidelines 1. Chapter 4, Section D.2. Guidelines for Doors, Maintain Historic Door Arrangements: HLC2019-00034 September 12, 2019 Page 3 Avoid changing the number, location, or size of doors by enlarging or reducing the original door openings or installing replacement doors that do not fit the original openings. Staff Analysis The structure in question is a one story commercial style building that is 4,994 square feet in size. The building is approximately 145 feet in length with one door at the front of the building and one located at the rear. The size of the building can accommodate a higher occupancy but currently has only one door that meets the 2015 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code for an egress door. This limits the building to 49 occupants. To increase the occupancy load in the building, two means of egress must be provided in accordance with the Building Code, which requires one exit door for every 75 feet of travel distance. The applicant is requesting to create a new doorway and install a new fire door along the southern elevation of the building, 79 feet from the front of the building, to provide a second means of egress to reduce the travel distance and to increase the occupancy load. As stated above, changing the number, location, or size of doors by enlarging or reducing the original door openings or installing replacement doors that do not fit the original openings should be avoided. In addition, the design of new doors should normally be compatible with existing doors or others in the District. In this case, the proposed location of the fire door is partially visible from S. Main Street, but will be set back 79 feet from the street. Fire doors like the one proposed are used elsewhere in the District but are typically found on rear elevations. Because of internal separation, this wall is the only option to provide additional access in a low visibility location. To install this door, only the necessary masonry will be removed. The new door would then be painted to match the wall to minimize its visual impact. Painting the fire door to match the wall and setting it back from the street will serve to visually conceal it from the public way and minimize the visual impact to the Historic District. Overall, the proposed location of the new door opening and fire door would have little to no impact on the structure or the Historic District and would meet the requirements for the District as proposed. Summary and Recommendations After evaluation, staff believes that the criteria of the Historic District Design Guidelines can be met based on the above findings-of-fact and the conditions outlined below. Therefore, staff recommends approval of the following actions and conditions in regard to HLC2019-00032: 1. Install a thirty-six (36) inch by eighty (80) inch fire door 79 feet from the front entrance on the southern elevation of the building. The brick surrounding the door shall be patched, and mortared to match the remainder of the wall. 2. Paint the new fire door utilizing the color Roycroft Mist Gray (SW2844), or equivalent from the approved Williamsburg Color Collection, to match the building color. 3. Any additional improvements shall require a separate Certificate of Appropriateness.  Suffolk EL EY S T DR RIVER Historic R VI EW Conservation ST NANSEMOND AD ST MAI JO N ES MEADE E RIV E Overlay District & N BRO N ST LAKE FO RT ST PI TC W DR R AV E AL LE N VE N CE RD National Register ST TA IE Historic Districts NS BU T LE IL L E A HK CO V V ER E KI ET E AV RI NG Legend DU MV ND T LE R D W KA SB LA TH OR HI GH ! ( HLC2019-00032 Address Point selection W ESTERN ER O AVE ST Type of Overlay CHU IN ST E S Historic Overlay District FO R E L CR E RCH ST T DISTRICT HI L S ER NN CEDAR HILL DISTRICT (2006) ST PI E EAST WASHINGTON STREET DISTRICT (2002) W CONSTA ST NCE RD AN M AH Historic Overlay NORTH MAIN STREET DISTRICT EXTENSION (1998) PRE N T IS S T VE ORIGINAL SUFFOLK DISTRICT (1987) TH I R D A VE RE A SUFFOLK DISTRICT EXPANSION (2004) E RD MOO T WEST END DISTRICT (2004) BU T E S E D ER A V R WEST END DISTRICT EXPANSION (2004) KETTL E HC2019-00032 E ST R ST C E AD ST N V A BR EW ST PI N PE N DE A PI T CH N MARKET S Y T O N BRO T E C Y S ST ST N F I T NER N CLA Disclaimer. TH E CITY OF SUFFOLK MAKES NO WARR ANTY, REPR ESEN TATION, A IN Y S OR GU ARANTEE OF ANY KIN D REGARD ING EITHER ANY MAPS OR OTH ER INFORMATION PROVID ED HEREIN OR THE SOUR CES OF SUCH MAPS OR OTHER INFORMATION. THE CITY OF SU FFOLK SPEC IFICAL LY DISC LAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, PI N DA N M EXPRESS OR IMPL IED, INCLU DING, WITHOUT LIMITATION , THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERC HANTABIL ITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTIC ULAR PUR POSE. W W AS L LA RD HI NGTON GITTI The City of Suffolk assumes no liability either for an y errors, omissions, M ILI TA R Y RD NGS S ST or ina ccu racies in the information provid ed regard le ss of the cause of such T or for any de cision made, action taken , or action not taken by the user in VE HO reliance upon an y maps o r information provid ed h erein. R A VE BA N K A K S EN A Parcel a nd Zon in g information h as been developed to pro vide a g raphic JA CK S T representation of the Real Esta te Property Tax Maps. The bound aries of an y ON S P parce l may have be en a djusted to provide a more visually pleasin g presen tation. AD ST T User should refer to instrument o f transfer (dee d or plat) fo r leg al bou ndary J AM ES locatio n a nd p erime ter or area measurements. LI ND D Aerial Ph otog raphy captured March 199 9. A limite d area of th e C ity was reflow n in March of 2001. The most up-to-date pho tography available w as use d to capture R S BR O E pla nimetric informatio n. A EY AV SM IT H SA IN T ST N ! ( AVE I T MARY L ¹ LA N D LL HA RO H S CAU S AV E ST E W AS EC A WI LS O ST HI N ST NG K Y S C BE T TO OA VIRG EN N S I N IA T T A VE LO D O NS S NT CUL COU D AD T WE LL R AM T S Y S S S T A A OR G L IN O T A CT JE F R T FER M ASON A V E RO 1:12,500 A K S FA MA SO S ST N S D IS S T CA YO R ON 1 inch = 1,042 feet S M AR GRA AVE NBY A IN AS HL E Y AV E ST CED ST City of Suffolk Department of BA T T ER Y AV E Planning & Community Development Updated : 8/6/2019 User Name: bsmith Date: 8/6/2019  ZONING / LAND USE MAP HLC2019-00032 COMME RCE S T EW AS HIN GT ON S T RD NA LI RD R O CA NA LI R O CA E ST MERC AIN ST 34G18(A)*287A COM SM ap ea ke City o f Ch e s AVE HALL s T AR S CED JOHN SO N AV E T AN S JOHN MOR G S ON AVE User Name: bsmith Date: 8/6/2019 Street view of the front facade of the commercial building from S. Main Street. Street view of the northern elevation of the commercial building from S. Main Street. Street view of the southern elevation of the commercial building from S. Main Street where the new proposed door opening and door will be. Zoning Case Activity Report September 2019 PROPERTY OWNER(S) LOCATION VIOLATION(S) JUDGEMENT INSPECTOR Court Jeffrey Townsend 178 E. Washington St Covered patio without COA pending, Matt Nov. 1, 2019 Doing work without an NOV sent Andres Evelio 131 Clay St Matt approved COA 7/18/2019