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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2014 02 03 BAR Work Session Minutes�� p" L EFT rRull����P LEESBURG BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES Monday, 03 February 2014 Town Hall, 25 West Market Street Town Council Chamber MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Richard Koochagian, Vice Chairman Minchew, Parliamentarian Edward Kiley, Dale Goodson, Mark Malloy, Dieter Meyer (arrived at 7:04pm), Paul Reimers, Planning Commission Representative Doris Kidder and Town Council Representative Tom Dunn, II MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF: Zoning Administrator Christopher Murphy, Deputy Town Attorney Barbara Notar, Senior Planner Irish Grandfield and Planning & Zoning Assistant Deborah Parry Call to Order and Roll Call Chairman Koochagian called the meeting to order at 7:00pm, noted attendance and determined that a quorum was present. Adoption of Meeting Agenda The meeting agenda was adopted on a motion by Mr. Reimers, seconded by Vice Chairman Minchew, and approved by a 6 -0 -1 vote (Meyer absent). Approval of Meeting Minutes a. Minutes of the January 4, 2014 Site Visit On a motion by Mr. Goodson, seconded by Vice Chairman Minchew, the minutes were approved by a 4 -0 -1 -1 vote (Mr. Kiley and Mr. Malloy abstained and Mr. Meyer absent) BAR Member Disclosure There were no disclosures. Public Hearings on New Cases in the H -1 Overlay District a. TLHP - 2013 -0178, 2C Loudoun Street SW (B -1/H -1 Overlay District), Applicant: Mike Carroll, Leesburg Beer Company. Project: Installation of a sign at rear entrance (facing Pearson's Walk) Chairman Koochagian opened the public hearings for this case and TLHP- 2013 -0179 at 7:02pm. Mr. Murphy noted the applicant was not in attendance. Mr. Kiley moved to recess TLHP- 2013 -0178 and TLHP- 2012 -0179 to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Minchew and approved by a 7 -0 vote. BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 2 of 10 b. TLHP- 2012 -0179, 2C Loudoun Street SW (B -1/1-1-1 Overlay District), Applicant: Mike Carroll, Leesburg Beer Company. Project: Installation of a sign at rear entrance (facing Town garage) Please see discussion above. c. TLHP- 2013 -0173, (R- HD /H -1 Overlay District), Applicant: Roger Piskulich, C &P Construction. Project: Replacement of front porch railings, columns, trim and metal on roof at Sunrise Senior Center. Chairman Koochagian opened the public hearing at 7:24pm. Mr. Murphy outlined the application to approve work already done to replace wooden porch railings, columns, trim, standing seam metal roof and shutters. He stated the property is a circa 1900 colonial revival structure which is contributing to the Old and Historic District. He stated the applicant submitted an application in November for "trim and roof to match existing front porch lower" and it appears the former preservation planner took this to mean that only these elements would be replaced in -kind. On December 19th a citizen called to report what appeared to be a wholesale replacement of the front porch railings, columns, trim, and roof. He stated staff confirmed through a site visit and correspondence with the contractor that the entire railing and all columns were replaced on the front porch; however, no information was provided to staff explaining the extent of damage which necessitated complete replacement versus repair. He stated new vertical elements were added in the porch railing at the mid -point between the columns, and the width of the new top rail appears to be narrower. Further, he stated the dentil trim was replaced with Fypon, the columns were replaced with fiberglass composite columns of a different profile which are less ornate than the original and the porch roof was replaced with standing seam metal with factory bake on color. Mr. Murphy stated information describing the full extent of what has been repaired and or replaced on the fagade of the property needs to be provided and assessed by the Board. He stated by the information currently available, the work performed violates provisions of the Zoning Ordinance as well as various provisions of the Old and Historic District Guidelines. Further, if the Board were to approve the application, the following conditions of approval are recommended: 1. An application for COA must be completed providing all requisite information as indicated on the form. 2. Evidence of extent of damage to elements that have been replaced thus justifying said replacement must be provided for review. 3. Information demonstrating the replacement material matches the original in material, texture, dimension and design, and /or it is impracticable to match the original in materials, texture, dimensions and design. The applicant, Roger Piskulich, C &P Construction, stated the shutters were removed to be repainted and will not be replaced. He stated the other elements were replaced with non - rotting materials, such as Fypon for the dentil molding. He stated the railings were replaced because of rotting issues and the new material is a special treated wood guaranteed to last 25 years. Further, he stated there was significant rotting of the columns, some of which were no longer supporting. Mr. Goodson confirmed the original shutter hardware will still be used. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 3 of 10 Vice Chairman Minchew stated she was under the impression that the former Preservation Planner was lead to believe this would be repair work in -kind and then when the extent of the work was discovered, the applicant was to cease work and retain original materials which were in the front yard. Mr. Piskulich stated he met with staff before the work began and provided material specifications for the roof and columns to be used. He stated at the meeting he completed the application and staff provided authorization for the work to begin. Further, when the work was almost completed, he was asked to stop the work; however, he was almost done so the materials that were replaced were painted. Vice Chairman Minchew stated she was under the impression that the original materials were to be retained. Mr. Piskulich stated he told staff that small parts of the materials could be retained. He stated he does have a couple of larger sections at his office. Mr. Meyer stated the application indicates that trim and roof will match existing front porch lower and asked if that was approved by staff. Mr. Murphy stated he has been going back through emails to piece the information together. He stated it appears this was thought to be repair only, so no COA was issued. In December, when the work was underway the complaint was received. Mr. Piskulich stated he also brought in material samples and material specifications for staff to review. Mr. Meyer asked the applicant if his impression of this work was repair or replacement. Mr. Piskulich stated he informed staff that the columns, roof and trim would be replaced and that other elements would be repaired or replaced. Chairman Koochagian asked when the check for the application fee was received by staff, given there would have been no fee if the application was just repair. Mr. Murphy stated the check was received on January 14 and not associated with the original application. There was further discussion regarding the timeline of the original meeting with staff, the citizen complaint and subsequent contact from staff. Council Member Dunn left the meeting at 8:13pm. Mr. Kiley confirmed the applicant has not undertaken a project such as this in Leesburg previously and did not request a copy of the Old and Historic District Guidelines when he met with staff to submit his original application. Further he confirmed that the applicant understood that he was to match the general design of the elements, but did not have to match exactly. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 The petitioner's section opened at 8:19m. Page 4 of 10 Eric von Schilgen, 306 W. Market Street, stated he lives close to this location and had previously noticed the rot in the various elements of the front porch. He stated since the improvements have been made, he has walked by the site and to him it looks as it did before and is acceptable to him and his neighbors. Further, he stated the applicant does work in other parts of Loudoun County. There were no further petitioners and the public hearing was closed at 8:24pm. Ms. Notar stated there was obviously some miscommunication in this case noting that emails are considered hearsay and not admissible. She stated the applicant must be given the benefit of the doubt and even though a violation has not been issued, this case should be treated similar to a violation case where the applicant is seeking compliance. Vice Chairman Minchew stated what we have the removal of historic material on a prominent and important building without convincing evidence presented to warrant the replacement. She stated if the Board was to determine that the materials need to be replaced, are the non - matching materials acceptable. She stated most elements do not significantly match the historic materials to be acceptable. Mr. Meyer stated to him match means to be the same, but there is nothing we can do about that since the materials are gone. He stated the lay person may not see a huge change, but the change in the defining features of columns and railings take away from the overall historic feel of the structure. Mr. Reimers stated he is probably the least upset with the roof; however, the columns, if approved, could've been replaced with tapered fiberglass columns with the band to match the look of what was there. He stated he does not like the new railing, but at least it was replaced with wood. Mr. Malloy also commented on the loss of character with the replacement of the tapered columns with tapered columns. He stated the Board is charged with historic preservation, not environmental issues. He stated the replacement is egregious and railings could be improved by shaving off the top of the newel posts. Chairman Koochagian stated the photos of the rot on the columns do not demonstrate the need to replace the columns. He sated he had similar rot on his home and was able to repair the columns by rebuilding the bases and capitals. He stated the old growth wood, if properly ventilated will last forever. He stated much of the historic significance of this building was thrown away with the porch. Mr. Kiley stated there is no further point in discussing the historic materials that are gone. He stated the need to preserve historic materials is entirely clear if you pay attention and read the guidelines; however, the problem is in that too many people do not do either one. Chairman Koochagian stated this needs to be said. He stated in the architectural world, matching is matching, not approximate. He sated the elements replaced do not match and do look different. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 5 of 10 Vice Chairman Minchew stated even though the work has been done, it is important that the Board go through the same process of determination as though the work had not been done because this is a contributing property. She stated she does not recall the Board previously approving the replacement of wood columns with fiberglass so the Board needs to go through the process of viewing the columns to determine if they sufficiently retain the qualities that the wood would retain. She stated the guidelines state elements such as the columns, railing and dentil molding should be repaired or replaced with the same material unless the applicant can demonstrate that those materials can no longer be obtained. Further, she stated it could cause major problems if we simply accept synthetic materials because they have already been installed. Mr. Goodson stated a detailed application to address all of these issues needs to be submitted. After further discussion it was the determination of the board it is necessary to ask the applicant to submit a revised application to address the comments given tonight view the current materials and to schedule a site visit to view the current materials. Vice Chairman Minchew clarified the application needs to address each aspect of each alteration which differs from what was there previously. Chairman Koochagian asked that staff provide the applicant with a copy of the Old and Historic District Guidelines. Mr. Piskulich stated that he has worked on historic structures previously and does not want to cut corners, which is why he met with staff prior to beginning work on the structure. He stated he will work to address the Board's concerns. Chairman Koochagian asked that the revised application also include information regarding the porch decking that was replaced and the decking that was previously replaced with synthetic materials as stated by the applicant. Mr. Meyer stated the applicant has stated he received verbal approval from staff for the work to be undertaken and asked how that should be addressed in this process. Ms. Notar stated that should be taken into consideration and there is no information to contradict the applicant's statement. Mr. Kiley moved that the case be recessed tentatively to the March work session and that staff work with the applicant to determine dates for a site visit. The motion was seconded by Mr. Reimers and passed 7 -0. Old Business: a. Morven Park Discussion Mr. Murphy stated the Planning commission is reviewing a proposed zoning district for Morven Park should the Town Council decide to move forward with the proposed boundary line adjustment. He stated the proposed Zoning District would not include adding the property to the H -1 Overlay District. He stated 636 acres of the 996 acres of the property is under a conservation easement DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 6 of 10 through the Virginia Outdoors Foundation which would review any new construction or modifications to existing structures within the easement. Further, he stated any modifications to the Manor House would include review by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Mr. Murphy clarified both the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources use the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, which are also the basis for Leesburg's guidelines. He stated given the similarities in review, there was concern that there could be overlap if the Board is involved in review. Further, he stated the goal tonight is to receive feedback from the Board that can be provided to the Planning Commission for their consideration. Mr. Reimers disclosed that he has been asked to serve on the Property Committee for Morven Park; however, he as not accepted as of yet. Mr. Reimers stated he uses the facility quite often and does not understand why it should not be brought into the Town. Mr. Meyer concurred with Mr. Reimers' comments. Vice Chairman Minchew stated she also agrees with the proposal to bring the property into the Town. She expressed concern with how oversight would continue in the unlikely event that the easement were not to remain with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Mr. Murphy stated the process for review is clearly called out in the easements and any transfer of the property to another foundation would also include that review language. Mr. Reimers stated he had a client who tried to change the existing easement on their property and were unsuccessful despite the substantial resources available to them. Mr. Murphy stated during the public comments at the Planning Commission public hearing it was acknowledged that the Virginia Outdoors Foundations acknowledges the easement for this property to be one of their more stringent easements that they have in the United States. Mr. Goodson asked why the Town wouldn't want to have its one body charged with historic preservation to have oversight of this important property. He stated rather than overlap in their reviews, the Board and Virginia Outdoors Foundation would complement each other. Further, he asked what oversight will be in place for the remainder of the property outside the easement. Mr. Murphy stated the property adjacent to Tutt Lane and the portion fronting Route 15 where most of the festivals are held is not eased. He stated the Master Plan does include renovation of the barns and equestrian facilities and there is language in the proposed zoning district for the property that no new facilities will be constructed within 300 feet of Route 15. Further, he stated there are currently no historic structures within the non -eased portion of the property. Mr. Kiley confirmed the Council is considering a boundary line adjustment for the entire property. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 7 of 10 Chairman Koochagian stated if the historic resources are to be brought into the Town that the Board should have some oversight given it is the Board's role to apply the historic guidelines to the resources of the Town. There was discussion regarding the location of the property and the current Town boundary. Chairman Koochagian asked if H -2 would be extended to cover portion of this property once brought into the Town. Mr. Murphy stated the Town Council resolution initiating this process did not discuss the expansion of the H -1 or H -2 districts to this property. He stated if an historic overlay were to come over this property, it would be an H -1 landmark designation similar to Paxton and Greenway. He stated if this were to occur, the Leesburg design guidelines would need to be modified to fit the manor house and large estate of Morven Park as they are currently tailored to the more urban historic downtown. Mr. Meyer stated if brought into the Town, this property would differ from other historic properties in Leesburg in that the eased portion is already subject to the stringent conditions of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation review in consultation with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. He stated the portion of the property outside the easement does not contain any historic structures and therefore would not be appropriate for the H -1; however, there should be consideration as to whether it should have oversight similar to the H -2 or even the creation of the H -3 to ensure that any development that does take place is in keeping with the character of the overall property. Chairman Koochagian stated the H -2 was put into place to protect the gateways into Town if the boundary is expanded we need ensure there is some protection in place. Further, he stated he is not comfortable with having the large portion of property outside of the easement unprotected. Vice Chairman Minchew stated she would be concerned with adding property to the gateway to the Town without some level of review to protect the entrance into the Town. Further, she stated she has some discomfort regarding the eased portion of the property in that the Town would not have any oversight or recourse should something go wrong with the review under the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. She stated any future changes to Virginia Department of Historic Resources or their review process could be fine for the property on its own; however, she would be concerned with any potential impacts on the rest of the Town. Mr. Reimers confirmed the draft zoning district states there would be no construction within 300 feet of Route 15. Mr. Malloy confirmed the Equine Center and O'Connor properties are not proposed for inclusion in the boundary line adjustment. New Business: a. Referral: TLZM- 2013 -0005 — MacDowell Brew Kitchen rezoning of property in H -1 Overlay District Irish Grandfield outlined the rezoning application for Gordon MacDowell on parcels at 204 South Street SE and 203 Royal Street SE, neither of which are the parcel where the MacDowell brew DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 8 of 10 kitchen is located. He stated the purpose of this discussion to receive referral comments from the Board regarding items that should be addressed in the rezoning phase. Mr. Grandfield stated the property at 203 Royal Street contains a parking lot which is the subject of a previous proffer to have no nighttime parking; however, the lot is currently used in the evening by patrons of the business. He stated the property at 204 South Street is the location of the "beach" outdoor area associated with the brew kitchen business; however, it is currently zoned as residential. Further, he outlined the proposal for an asphalt walk to connect the parking lot and establishment to meet ADA requirements, a 42" wall along South and Harrison Streets to provide a barrier between the use and public right -of -way, an 8' wooden fence or solid masonry wall behind the property and outdoor bathrooms behind an existing shed. Mr. Murphy clarified the applicant is seeking a modification of the required 25' S -3 screen buffer at the proposed location of the 8' fence. He stated one requirement of the buffer modification is to replace the feature with a brick or stone wall. Further, he stated per the Zoning Ordinance, a wooden fence would not meet the requirements for the requested buffer waiver and the same requirement applies to the proposed wall along Harrison and South Streets. Mr. Reimers confirmed the proposed outdoor bathrooms will be hooked to plumbing and will not be port -a- johns. Mr. Kiley verified the wall along Harrison Street will be solid and not allow for ingress /egress. Mr. Murphy stated a solid wall in this location is required to separate the outdoor dining area and alcohol consumption from the public right -of -way. Mr. Grandfield stated the Town Council has determined a certain amount of public right -of -way in this location to be surplus and staff is working with the applicant on a lease agreement for this property. He stated the Department of Public Works has stated that 9.5 feet of right -of -way from the edge of the curb needs to be maintained. Mr. Malloy stated the proposed height of the wall may impact the type of material to be used. There was further discussion regarding the types of materials the Board might find to be appropriate for a fence or wall in this location and asked that staff consider the Board's need to maintain as much flexibility as possible for the Certificate of Appropriateness application process to come once the rezoning is completed. Mr. Grandfield stated the approval can include language gives the Board some flexibility in the height and placement of the fence or wall. Mr. Grandfield requested comments on the proposed location of the buffer along South Street. Mr. Kiley stated the location of the buffer would depend on the type of material chosen. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Page 9 of 10 Mr. Grandfield stated the Board is not required to comment on this element, he simply wanted to bring it forward to the Board's attention to allow flexibility as the location of the buffer along South Street will need to be determined during the rezoning process. There was further discussion regarding the buffer mitigation request from the applicant as previously addressed by Mr. Murphy. Vice Chairman Minchew stated given the buffer mitigation request, she would be more comfortable with a masonry wall versus a wood fence. Mr. Goodson asked if there has been any outreach to the neighbors regarding these proposals. Mr. Murphy stated there has been no outreach as of yet because the public hearing date has not been set. He stated once the public hearing is scheduled, the adjoining property owners will be notified by mail, notices will be placed in the newspaper and public hearing notices will be posted on the property. There was further discussion regarding the proposed buffer wall at the rear of the property. Vice Chairman Minchew stated the proposed asphalt walkway could be fine; however, she would like for the Board to be given the opportunity at the appropriate time to address the material if necessary. Chairman Koochagian asked when the shed connected to the proposed bathrooms was constructed. Mr. Grandfield stated the existing frame shed has been there quite some time and was a complimentary structure to the residence at that location. Bob Sevila, attorney for the applicant, stated if the buffer it seems the buffer modification request will be addressed by the Zoning Administrator and therefore, the may not need to be addressed by the Board. Mr. Murphy stated the Board will have the final decision as to the material for wall. b. Appointing a JARB Representative for 2014 and discussion of potential projects for nomination. Mr. Kiley proposed a motion to nominate Vice Chairman Minchew as the Board's representative to the Joint Architectural Review Board. The motion was seconded by Mr. Malloy. Vice Chairman Minchew stated Mr. Meyer has done a wonderful job in this capacity over the past few years and she had planned to nominate him again for this year if he wishes to continue. Mr. Kiley withdrew his motion. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning BOARD OFARCHITECTURAL REVIEW WORK SESSION MINUTES 03 February 2014 Vice Chairman Minchew proposed a motion to nominate Mr. Meyer as the Board's representative to the Joint Architectural Review Board. The motion was seconded by Mr. Kiley and approved by a 7 -0 vote. It was the consensus of the Board to consider St. John the Apostle Catholic Church for nomination in this year's program and to bring forward other potential projects for consideration at the next meeting. c. Election of BAR Officers Mr. Goodson moved the following slate of officers forward for consideration: Edward Kiley, Chairman Paul Reimers, Vice Chairman Dale Goodson, Parliamentarian The motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Minchew and approved by a 7 -0 vote. Page 10 of 10 d. Old and Historic District 50th Anniversary Panel Discussion — May Ms. Parry stated that staff is working to plan a panel discussion to incorporate previous BAR members in May as a culmination of the yearlong Old and Historic District 501h Anniversary celebration. She stated staff would welcome any suggestions or assistance from the Board. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:29pm. NEXT REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at 7pm Council Chamber 25 West Market Street Leesburg, Virginia Richard Koochagian, Chair Deborah Parry, Planning & Zoning Assistant DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING • 25 WEST MARKET STREET • LEESBURG, VIRGINIA 20176 Telephone 703.771.2765 • Fax 703.771.2724 • www.leesburgva.gov /planning