HomeMy Public PortalAbout01-11-2023 Minutes HDC Regular Meeting
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Minutes
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
Regular meeting
6:30 p.m. Jan. 11, 2023
Board Meeting Room of Town Hall Annex, 105 E. Corbin St.
Present: Chair Will Senner, Elizabeth Dicker, G. Miller and Bruce Spencer
Absent: Vice Chair Max Dowdle, Mathew Palmer and Hannah Peele
Staff: Planning and Economic Development Manager Shannan Campbell, Planner Joseph Hoffheimer
and Town Attorney Bob Hornik
1. Call to order, roll call, and confirmation of quorum
Chair Will Senner called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Senner called the roll and confirmed the presence
of a quorum.
2. Commission’s mission statement
Senner read the statement.
3. Agenda changes
Senner noted a correction for the date of the meeting, as the year was inadvertently typed as 2022 instead of
2023. There were no other changes.
4. Minutes review and approval
None.
5. New business
Certificate of Appropriateness Application: 409 Mitchell St.
Senner opened the public hearing. Staff was sworn in. Planning and Economic Development Manager
Shannan Campbell introduced the item. Architect David Cates was sworn in and presented the request on
behalf of the applicant, Elizabeth Norman, who was not in attendance.
Cates reviewed the applicant’s plans for the requested changes which included replacing the existing concrete
walkway, brick stoop, metal railings and aluminum columns with a stone walkway, wood decked porch,
Hardie trim skirt board, brick piers, and wood steps. Additionally, the vinyl siding and trim in the front gable
were requested to be replaced with Hardie siding and a Hardie trim board. Cates said the columns to be
replaced are not architecturally correct. He said the capitals sit inside the gable instead of being flush and
visible. He said changes to the gable will remain the same except Hardie plank will replace the vinyl siding. The
new columns also will be shorter because the porch will be raised. The material for the new porch was stated
to be wood.
Campbell noted a paint color for the shutters was included in the application materials but not included in the
scope of work and asked Cates to explain. Cates indicated the applicant wants to paint the shutters eventually
and also wants approval of the paint color as part of this application.
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Senner asked if the columns will be replaced entirely. Cates confirmed. Commission Member Bruce Spencer
pointed out that a portion of the application on Page 4 states there are currently no columns and wood
columns would be added. Cates said this was an error. He said another section of the application states the
existing aluminum columns will be replaced with fiberglass columns, which is correct.
Senner asked about the commonness of brick ranch houses of this vintage having wood porches. Cates said he
was not sure but the porch would be obscured by the shrubbery, which would remain. Senner said the shrubs
could be removed without need for approval by the Historic District Commission as a minor work.
Commission Member Elizabeth Dicker said the compatibility matrix states original flooring should be matched.
Senner said he thought this was a gray area where the decision could be viewed differently since the house is
a non-contributing structure and instead the commission could evaluate what makes sense for a brick ranch
of this time period.
Discussion continued around whether a wood porch is common for this style and period of brick ranch.
Spencer asked if there was any way to avoid the look of wood on the porch while still avoiding the expense of
brick. Cates said he could not think of any but said having the gable end on the front of the house is also
unusual for a brick ranch. He used Google Maps Street View to show other houses in the district with wood
porches. Senner said this house is unusual because the porch is so prominent.
Senner asked members if there was any concern for the materials. Commission Member G. Miller said the
wood porch is compatible with the gable. Senner reminded board members that the application must be
congruent with the district.
Miller asked if the commission could stipulate that the vegetation must be maintained. Town Attorney Bob
Hornik said a condition could be made to that effect. Dicker said since these are acceptable materials she did
not have any reservations with approving the application without the condition and noted it would be difficult
to enforce such a condition. Other members acknowledged the difficulty to enforce but preferred to include
the condition. Spencer also said the project involves building a new porch to replace a stoop rather than
replacing a porch.
At 6:58 p.m., Senner closed the public hearing.
Motion: Dicker moved that the commission find as a fact that the 409 Mitchell St. application is in
keeping with the overall character of the Historic District and complies with all relevant
standards of evaluation, based on the board’s discussion of the application and the Standards of
Evaluation in Section 3.12.3 of the Unified Development Ordinance, because the plans are
consistent with design standards of wood, masonry, paint and exterior colors, exterior walls,
porches, entrances and balconies. Miller seconded.
Vote: 4-0
Motion: Spencer moved to approve the application as submitted with the condition that landscaping be
maintained along the front of the porch at least as tall as the existing shrubs to obscure the
view of the wood porch. Senner seconded.
Vote: 4-0
6. Discussion Items
Recommended Standards Modifications
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Campbell reminded that this item was requested at the last meeting to discuss reviewing aspects from the
standards that need more examination, such as language about garden fences and after-the-fact applications.
Commission members stated items that should be included in the review. Senner said there is a need to clean
up the rules of procedure and gave examples of fencing heights and painting of historic brick. Dicker said she
would like to discuss how to get information out to the public that the district exists and how to check if there
is a certificate of occupancy. She also said she would like to explore how to balance the standards with
requests for more energy-efficient applications. Campbell said there is a need to be able to get stop work
orders within the district and wondered what other jurisdictions do in regard to posting signage.
Senner stated the need to develop one or more subcommittees to review. He discussed the procedure for
formation with Hornik and asked about forming the subcommittees while three members were absent.
Hornik said the board could move forward as long as the subcommittees consisted of no more than three
members so as to not have a quorum of the full board. The members decided to move forward with the
formation of two subcommittees.
Hornik confirmed that absent members could be appointed at this meeting and that they could then state at a
future open meeting if they wished to serve on the subcommittees.
Campbell said any recommendations from the subcommittees would come before the full board for
approvals.
It was noted that Planner Joseph Hoffheimer would be the staff representative for the subcommittees.
Motion: Senner moved to form a subcommittee focused on sustainability related to modifications to
design standards and on community outreach, to include members Dicker and Spencer, and a
second subcommittee focused on other design standards modifications that had been identified
by the board, to include members Senner, Vice Chair Max Dowdle, and Miller. Spencer
seconded.
Vote: 4-0
7. Updates
Campbell updated members that the rules of procedure for all town appointed boards are being updated for
consistency. She expected that changes would be presented to the board in February by the assistant town
manager.
Senner asked if there were any updates on open enforcement cases. Campbell said she will be updating
Hoffheimer on the cases as a new staff member for the sake of moving these forward. She said she has a
meeting with the builder on 212 N. Occoneechee St. and hopes the application will be ready for the February
meeting.
8. Adjournment
Senner adjourned the meeting at 7:16 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Shannan Campbell
Planning and Economic Development Manager
Staff support to the Historic District Commission
Approved: Mar. 1, 2023