Board of Architectural Review

Town of Vienna 127 Center Street South Vienna, Virginia 22180 p: 703.255.6341 TTY 7111 Meeting Minutes Board of Architectural Review Thursday, October 20, 2022 7:30 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS-VIENNA TOWN HALL Roll Call The Board of Architectural Review met in a regular session on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 7:30 pm in the Vienna Town Hall at 127 Center St. S Council Chambers. Chair Mr. Baldwin called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Roll Call: Mr. Layer, Ms. van Doorn, Ms. Hanley, and Mr. Cheselka were all present. Staff present: Director David Levy, Planner Sharmaine Abaied, and Board Clerk Yaska Camacho Castillo. Approval of Minutes The meeting minutes for September 15, 2022, were accepted as submitted. Glyndon Park - 300 Glyndon Park St NE - Exterior Modification Item No. 1: Request for approval of exterior modification revision for Glyndon Park Bathrooms, located at 300 Glyndon St NE, Docket No. PF-804263-BAR, in the RS-16/PR, Residential and Park and Recreational zoning district, filed by Leslie Herman, Director of Parks and Recreation, project contact. Applicants: Leslie Herman and Tommy Staats – Vienna Community Center 120 Cherry St SE & 320 Glyndon St - were present on behalf of the application. Ms. Herman stated they are replacing the slate roof with the standing seam roof for the Glyndon Park bathrooms. She noted that the dugouts have a similar standing seam roof in a different color. Since the roof has aged with color throughout the year, they decided on the stark bronze color. Mr. Baldwin asked what the difference was between the stark bronze color and the color on the dugout after a year of aging. Mr. Staats responded it would probably take two-four years to age out from the acid rain. He said he believes it will blend close enough. Mr. Staats clarified the pitch has not changed. Mr. Layer made a motion to approve the request for exterior modification revision for Glyndon Park Bathrooms, located at 300 Glyndon St NE, Docket No. PF-804263-BAR as submitted. Motion: Mr. Layer Second: Mr. Cheselka Ayes 5 Nays 0 Motion Carried Town of Vienna Page 1 Printed on 11/28/2022 Board of Architectural Review Meeting Minutes October 20, 2022 Courthouse Cottages - 117 Courthouse Rd SW - Exterior Modification Item No. 2: Request for revision to approved plans for new construction, 12 duplex units & clubhouse, for the Cottage Court development, located at 117 Courthouse Road, No. PF-652604-BAR, in the RM-2 zoning district; filed by Dennis Rice, of JDA Custom Homes, Inc & 117 Courthouse LLC. Applicant: Jordan Rice- 112 Pleasant St NE- was present on behalf of the application. Ms. Hanley recused herself from this item. Ms. Rice stated they are submitting a revision to the divisive wall, which is the material being used between the neighbor at 125 Courthouse Rd NW and the side of the project (units 9 to 12). Ms. Rice noted there is no requirement for a brick wall to be there. They have been working with the neighbor on their request for a privacy fence instead, which gives it a residential feel. Ms. van Doorn asked if the maintenance fee for the fence would be included in the condo agreement, to which Ms. Rice responded that the condo association takes care of all the exterior maintenance. Mr. Layer commented that he thought there was a requirement between transitional and residential of a Mansory wall which would require a site review. Ms. Abaied replied that there is a wall requirement for commercial zones, not transitional. Mr. Cheselka commented he liked the fence and groove look about it. Mr. Cheselka made a motion to approve the request for revision to approved plans for new construction, 12 duplex units & clubhouse, for the Cottage Court development, located at 117 Courthouse Road, No. PF-652604-BAR, in the RM-2 zoning district, with the provision that the fence will be the Estate Series fencing in white. Motion: Cheselka Second: Mr. Layer Ayes 4 Nays 0 Recuse 1 Motion Carried Vienna Police Station - 215 Center St S - Sign Item No. 3: Request for approval of signs Town of Vienna Police Station, located at 215 Center St. S., Docket No. PF-865907-BAR, in the RM-2, Multi-family, Low Density, zoning district, filed by Roderick Williams of Dewberry Engineers, Inc., Project Contact. Applicant: Roderick Williams – 8401 Arlington Blvd Fairfax, VA – was present on behalf of the application. Mr. William described his request. He stated the monument sign is brick, and they are proposing to clad it with a fiber cement panel used on the Plaza side of the building. He noted they would be using pin-mount lettering on the building signage. Ms. van Doorn asked where would the disc material be used. Mr. Williams pointed to the aluminum coping color and stated that’s the same color on the roof of the police station. He also noted that the lettering would be anecdote and that the fiber cement panel matches the Town of Vienna Page 2 Printed on 11/28/2022 Board of Architectural Review Meeting Minutes October 20, 2022 police station plaza area. Mr. Layer commented the sign looked fine but that the pin letters could be challenging as they are susceptible to theft. Mr. Baldwin asked if it was possible at this stage of the project to consider using the same badge that is on the building signs on the monument sign as well. He believes it would make it distinctive. The board discussed the option. Mr. Layer made a motion to approve the Request for approval of signs Town of Vienna Police Station, located at 215 Center St. S., Docket No. PF-865907-BAR as submitted. Motion: Mr. Layer Second: Mr. Cheselka Ayes 5 Nays 0 Motion Carried 419 Maple Ave E -Retaining Wall - Exterior Modification Item No. 4: Request Exterior Modifications for Maple Avenue Shopping Center located at 419 Maple Ave E., Docket No. PF-869379-BAR, in the C-1, Local Commercial Zone zoning district; filed by Kelly Dubyak of MTR Earth Consulting, LLC, project contact. Applicants: Margara Towns & Michael Roche – 1945 Old Gallows Rd & 20369 Hacienda Ct Boca Raton, FL – were present on behalf of the application. Ms. Towns stated they are proposing to replace the existing retaining wall with a stone retaining wall that would be long-lasting. Mr. Baldwin asked what was planned for the replacement. Ms. Towns replied that they are going to install the chiseled granite retaining wall. Mr. Baldwin asked what it was made of. Mr. Roche said it was like a precast concrete block system. He gave a brief description of the system. Mr. Layer commented the change was a substantial improvement that will serve well for many years. Mr. Cheselka inquired about the granite not being on both sides of the block. Mr. Roche said the top block would be exposed at being used as a curve instead of pouring a concrete curve which would have more differential displacement. The discussion continued. Ms. Hanley asked if the wall was on the property line. Ms. Town responded it was. She noted they briefly discussed being in coordination if the owners temporarily lost parking spaces. Mr. Baldwin asked about the railing. Ms. Towns replied that they would duplicate what is in current existence. Mr. Baldwin asked the applicants to submit a document that shows what they are proposing for the rail, like a spec sheet with the elevation. Ms. van Doorn asked if the rail would be aluminum powder coated, to which the applicant responded yes. Mr. Roche also noted that it would be pre-finished in black. Mr. Baldwin inquired about drainage holes, to which it was pointed out that there was a perforated pipe at the bottom. Mr. Layer made a motion to approve the Request for Exterior Modifications for Maple Avenue Shopping Center located at 419 Maple Ave E., Docket No. PF-869379-BAR with the following stipulation: •The rail engineered for this product will be aluminum with a powder-coated finish, and after a review by Fairfax, the Board will have a record of the final approval. •Black color Town of Vienna Page 3 Printed on 11/28/2022 Board of Architectural Review Meeting Minutes October 20, 2022 Motion: Mr. Layer Second: Ms. Hanley Ayes 5 Nays 0 Motion Carried Vienna Bridge - 131 Church St NE - Exterior Modification Item No. 5: Request for exterior modifications for the Freeman Store pedestrian bridge located at 131 Church St NE, Docket No. PF-873927-BAR, in the C-1B, Pedestrian Commercial Zone zoning district; filed by Andrew Jinks, Transportation Engineer for the Department of Public Works, project contact. Applicant: John Jay Sergent – Town Hall Engineer – was present on behalf of the application. Mr. Sergent stated the bridge has been down for a while and they are prepared to restore it as close to the original look as possible. They will use VDOT spec materials for the structural members of it sitting on concrete piers. Mr. Cheselka stated that this was a good plan. Ms. Hanley commented it was a well-engineered project. Mr. Layer voiced his concern about the wood. He said that lumber is not being treated like it used to. They’ve eliminated a specific product (cyanide), and it does not hold up the way it used to, to insects, rot, and mold. Mr. Sergent stated that the project was done to help match what was previously there, and it got specked out through VDOT specs. Mr. Layer inquired about the lumber treatment and warranty period, if any. The board discussed the matter. Ms. Hanley commented on having the proper department keep track of the maintenance for the wood. Mr. Sergent replied that he believed it would fall under the Parks and Recreation Department. Ms. van Doorn asked if, within the VDOT specs, other options besides the wood would be more durable. Mr. Sergent responded yes, but they wanted to keep the originality of the bridge. Ms. van Doorn made a motion to approve the request for exterior modifications for the Freeman Store pedestrian bridge located at 131 Church St NE, Docket No. PF-873927-BAR, in the C-1B, Pedestrian Commercial Zone, with the following stipulation: • A maintenance program based on the recommendation from VDOT specification to preserve the wood. Motion: Ms. van Doorn Second: Mr. Cheselka Ayes 5 Nays 0 Motion Carried Vienna Market - 245 Maple Ave W - Exterior Modification Item No. 6: Request for revisions to the previously approved plans for Vienna Market located at 245 Maple Avenue W., Docket No. 21-19-BAR, in the MAC Maple Avenue Commercial Zone zoning district; filed by Gregory O'Neill of Northfield Construction and Town of Vienna Page 4 Printed on 11/28/2022 Board of Architectural Review Meeting Minutes October 20, 2022 Development. Applicants: Greg O’Neill and Adam Nelson -5101 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC – were present on behalf of the application. Ms. Abaeid pointed out a few deviations (on the retail side) from the last meeting’s approval, such as the brick color, the railing that was supposed to be powder coated was painted steel, the canopy was supposed to be bronze to match the door and window trim, and it currently looks like the original steel color. The circle in the corner park was not supposed to be concrete, and it is now concrete. Ms. Abaeid continued to discuss the changes. Mr. Layer asked if the canopies were finished, and Mr. O’Neill stated they were not. He said he is proposing to paint them and place metal on top. Mr. Layer asked the applicants to provide the board with a section and specifications to help them understand what the finished product should look like. Mr. O’Neill responded they have a section they can provide showing the metal roof slope and how it adheres to the building. The board continued to discuss the canopies. Mr. O’Neill described the changes made on sheet E1 Maple Ave view. The first item mentioned was the installation of a precast band on units 3 and 4 falling along the top of the windows that was not on the initial rendering. The applicant stated the changes were not intentional. It was a discrepancy from the initial rendering to the architectural plans. The board discussed the precast band. The additional modifications shown on sheet E1 were the canopy and the addition of lights for all the front doors. Mr. O’Neill described the changes made on sheet E3 Pleasant Street View. Item number 1 of the modifications is the two windows on the 4th floor. The windows are as built and have precast sills underneath each window, which does not show on the rendering. Item number 2 is a false window- in that location, there is a third-floor bathroom that does not allow space for an actual window. Item number 3 is a precast banned installed on the fireplace to continue the line that does not show on the rendering. Item number 4 is the precast header, like all other windows, but it was missed on the rendering. Item number 5 related to the canopy being raised above the louvers, and item number 6 was a sample of the steel railing. The board discussed the modifications. The applicant explained the modifications on sheet E4 Bank of America view. He stated the changes were similar to the Pleasant Street View, same issues with the windows up top with the precast sills, the fireplace, the pho window, the missing header, and some mechanical work underneath the mess level. Mr. Nelson addressed the retaining wall. He stated that he had to put a geogrid on the block wall. When the geogrid went in, based on the height of the wall, it ranged from 8 to 13 feet back, which didn’t give him room to move the wall back; putting him right on the property line, there was no room to create a column. He stated there were options, such as adding a faux column. Mr.Nelson also mentioned that he couldn’t place the railing with the block wall and the capstones because it would start to deteriorate the block; therefore, the railing would have to go in a Sleeve-it system behind the wall. Mr.Layer asked Ms. Abaied if the removal of the columns was approved, to which she confirmed it was approved back in the June 2021 revision. Mr. Layer commented he believes the rail system is very peculiar. The Board continued to discuss the railing. Mr. Nelson discussed the issues in the corner park revision sheet. He stated that they informed the contractor not to fill in the circle, and they filled it in. Mr. Layer noted how Town of Vienna Page 5 Printed on 11/28/2022 Board of Architectural Review Meeting Minutes October 20, 2022 the shape did not reflect the form of a circle but more of a weird oval shape. The discussion continued. The applicant spoke about an issue with the transformer. He said Dominion stated that the transformer that was being proposed would not allow for the secondary to come out and service the retail building, plus all 38 townhomes. He explained that is why they ended up with a more oversized transformer away from the building due to its size, which is why they had to change the alignment of the park. Mr. Nelson commented that no one from the outside should be walking by that area. The board discussed how that area was open to the public. The board discussed the issues with the planter boxes, pavers, and utilities. Mr. Layer suggested taking it back to the original landscape architect to address the issues that have changed the initial presentation context. Mr. Nelson agreed. Ms. van Doorn made a motion to approve the request for revisions to the previously approved plans for Vienna Market located at 245 Maple Avenue W., Docket No. 21-19-BAR, in the MAC Maple Avenue Commercial Zone zoning district as presented on sheets E1, E3, and E4. Motion: Ms. van Doorn Second: Mr. Cheselka Ayes 5 Nays 0 Motion Carried Mr. Layer made a motion that the request for revisions to the previously approved plans for Vienna Market located at 245 Maple Avenue W., Docket No. 21-19-BAR, in the MAC Maple Avenue Commercial Zone zoning district be deferred with the recommendation that the plaza be redesigned to bring it back to the level that had existed in the conceptual drawings taking the following into account: • The screening of the transformer and meters • Change the pavement of the interior • Removing the concrete circle to allow for artwork • A presentation of the artwork • Reinstatement of the planter boxes • A lusher development of the landscaping Motion: Mr. Layer Second: Ms. van Doorn Ayes 5 Nays 0 Motion Carried Ms. Hanley informed the applicants that work sessions are available. Mr. Nelson agreed to get it redesigned and have a work session (for the plaza area) before the next Board of Architectural Review meeting. Regular Meeting The Board discussed the following: • Treatment of lumber • Enforcement for BAR items Town of Vienna Page 6 Printed on 11/28/2022 Board of Architectural Review Meeting Minutes October 20, 2022 Meeting Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:25 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Yaska Camacho Castillo Board Clerk THE TOWN OF VIENNA IS COMMITTED TO FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STANDARDS. TRANSLATION SERVICES, ASSISTANCE OR ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS FROM PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE TO BE REQUESTED NOT LESS THAN 3 WORKING DAYS BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EVENT. PLEASE CALL (703) 255-6304, OR 711 VIRGINIA RELAY SERVICE FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED. Town of Vienna Page 7 Printed on 11/28/2022