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Home My Public Portal About20110125 - Design Review Board - Meeting Minutes 1 HOPKINTON DESIGN REVIEW BOARD January 25, 2011 7:30 PM Town Hall, 18 Main St., Hopkinton, MA MINUTES PRESENT: Jeanette Thomson, Chairman, Gail Fallon, Sue-Ellen Stoddard, Claire Wright, Ria McNamara, Fin Perry Elaine Lazarus, Director of Land Use, Planning & Permitting 1. 63 Main Street – Hiller’s Cleaners – Site Plan Review George Vrahliotis, owner, Miguel Linera, architect, and Dave Marquedant, surveyor, appeared before the Board. Mr. Linera described the new design for the building, noting that the residential unit(s) on the second floor had been eliminated because there wasn’t enough space. He stated it is now a one-story building with mezzanine office space in the back of the building. Ms. Wright asked if there is enough space on the second floor for more office space so that more revenue can be gained from the building. Mr. Vrahliotis replied no, that he needs the ceiling height for the dry cleaning business on the first floor. Mr. Linera stated that the shape of the building is due to the setback requirements and the town easement on the property. He noted that the existing building is estimated to be 29.5 feet tall to the ridge, and the proposed building is wider and has a lower pitched roof. He stated the building will have a brick facade on the first floor front and there is a lot of precedent for it in Town. He noted that the shape and style of the building is reminiscent of the existing building and there will be a canopy on the front and sides of the building. He noted that the front canopy will have a 6/12 pitch and will use brackets similar to the existing ones. He stated that on the west side there will be a fabric awning. He stated they are looking for a standing seam metal roof to use for the front canopy roof to match a green fabric awning. He noted that the false second floor facade on the front will hide mechanical equipment, which will consist of a 48” x 48” exhaust fan plus two condensers and smaller equipment. Mr. Linera described the roof plan. He stated that the building will have aluminum windows and doors and that the siding will be brown or taupe, that the brick will be a brown color, and that the corner boards, pilasters and frieze board will be cream color. Ms. Wright asked if the window shown in the front gable will be a real window. Mr. Linera said it would be an actual window but the space behind is inaccessible. He said there might be studs behind it, but from the street it would just appear as a dark space. Ms. Thomson remarked that the height of the front awning seems out of proportion and perhaps it is too high. She suggested lowering it and removing the brick course above the windows. Mr. Linera said the awning can only be lowered 8” before getting into ADA compliance issues. He said he will at least lower it the 8”. Ms. Thomson asked about the color of the windows. Mr. Linera said the front windows 2 will be a cream color and the side windows will be green, aluminum clad. He said he is not sure if the muntins are encased within the glass or are the snap-in type. He said he believes the transom muntins are encased within. Ms. McNamara asked about lighting. Mr. Linera stated there will be three wall-mounted lights on the west elevation, two along the walkway and one under the side of the front canopy. He said the lights under the canopy will be downward shining and will not light up the underside of the canopy. Mr. Marquedant stated there will be a single pole light for the parking lot at the rear of the property, and there will be a lit standing sign on the front corner as well as a sign on the building. He said they plan use the sign from their current business, which is a 4’ x 7’, plastic backlit sign. Ms. Wright commented that the Town has been discouraging the use of plastic backlit signs. Ms. McNamara stated she is concerned about the durability of a fabric awning, especially fading. Ms. Thomson asked about damage to the awning from snow and ice sliding from the roof above. Mr. Linera said there will be gutters to catch the runoff and protect the awning. Ms. Thomson asked about roofing materials, and Mr. Linera stated they will be black or gray architectural shingles. He said he will present color samples of the roofing and siding at a future meeting. Ms. Wright stated she feels the style of the pole light for the parking lot is too modern and not in keeping with the more traditional look that is beginning to be used downtown. She asked the applicant to seek a less obtrusive fixture, particularly one that shields the light source from view and only casts the light downward. She said she feels the light levels in the range of 3 foot- candles along the walkways are too high, and that adequate safe lighting can be achieved with 0.5 to 1.0 foot candles and asked that the light levels be reduced accordingly. Mr. Perry stated that he thinks the building as presented is unattractive and would like to see it redesigned. He said it represents decoration rather than architecture. He pointed out that the gable vent, as one example, is merely a decorative element. He said the use of brick on the façade is out of place. Mr. Linera explained that the building’s design is striving to take some of the proportions and elements from the Hitchings Hardware building. Ms. McNamara concurred that the brick element is a design problem. Mr. Linera said the brick was included because it is durable and will not need frequent repainting or repair. He said it can be changed however, if the Board wants another material. Ms. Wright suggested AZEK as an alternative. Ms. Thomson stated that AZEK or other materials are available that would be more durable than wood. Mr. Linera suggested perhaps removing the soffit across the front gable. Ms. Thomson agreed that this would be an improvement to the front façade and suggested including rake returns in place of the soffit, as well as a wide frieze along the gable. It was also suggested that the false gable vent be eliminated, and instead the double windows in the gable should be somewhat enlarged. Ms. Stoddard stated the front elevation looks traditional but the west elevation looks more contemporary. She suggested continuing the raised seam metal roofing in place of the awning. Mr. Linera replied that it would be too costly. Mr. Linera stated he would like to submit revised plans for the Board to review, and the Board noted that it should complete its review prior to the Planning Board’s public hearing on Feb. 7. 3 Mr. Linera stated he could submit revised plans later this week, and the Board decided to schedule a meeting on Feb. 1 to conduct a review. The Board summarized its recommendations as follows: 1. The soffit on the front elevation should be removed and rake returns added. The Board noted that once the soffit is removed, the location of the window above should be looked at, and possibly moved to achieve a balanced design. The decorative louver above the window should be removed. 2. A gable frieze board should be added to the front elevation. 3. The front elevation drawing should show the anticipated size and placement of the proposed wall sign. 4. The front elevation drawing shows brick below and above the windows near the entrance. The Board understands that brick is proposed because of its durability, but felt that it does not match the building’s design. Other materials that could be used include AZEK, which could look like wood but achieve the durability and design compatibility that is desired. 5. The architect should look at the west side elevation to see if he can come up with a way to reduce the horizontal linear look of the facade. 6. Details on the proposed standing sign for the area in front of the building should be provided, so that the Board can have a complete picture of how the front of the property will look. 2. Minutes The Board voted unanimously to approve the Minutes of the December 28, 2010 meeting. 3. Design Guidelines The Board discussed the need to revise its Design Guidelines, adopted in 1996. It was decided that features to be added could include “green” recommendations, photographs, and guidance on lighting and signage. Examples from other communities will be reviewed by the Board. Mr. Perry noted that it may be necessary to get professional help with the Guidelines. It was decided that members will provide recommendations and suggestions on specific modifications, and that the item will be discussed at future meetings. Adjourned: 9:10 PM Approved: February 1, 2011 4 Documents used at meeting: Site Plan set, 63 Main St., dated Jan. 10, 2011, Jan. 13, 2011 and Jan. 14, 2011, prepared by J.D. Marquedant & Associates and A.I. Architecture, Interior Design December 28, 2010 minutes