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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6-14-21 HLC Minutes * M I N U T E S * HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION June 14, 2021 City Hall, 801 Main Street, Beaumont, Texas … A Regular Meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission was held on June 14, 2021 and called to order at 3:34 p.m. with the following members present: Vice-Chairman Dohn LaBiche Commissioner Hester Bell Commissioner Marty Craig Commissioner Christina Crawford Commissioner Theresa Goodness Commissioner Lynda Kay Makin Commissioner Thomas Sigee Commission Members absent : Chairman Paula Blazek Commissioner Janelle Templeton Also present: Demi Laney, Senior Planner Adina Josey, Senior Planner Carl Westbrook, Oaks Historic Code Enforcement Officer Elayna Luckey, Zoning Technician Catherine Allen, Recording Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Craig moved to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on April 12, 2021. Commissioner Makin seconded the motion. The motion to approve carried 7:0. REGULAR MEETING 1) PZ2021-142: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new construction Applicant: Alberto Arellano Location: 70 Guffy Street Ms. Laney presented the staff report. Alberto Arellano is seeking permission to build a new house on his vacant lot located at 70 Guffy Street. The proposed home will be 2,200 square feet in size, have three (3) bedrooms and two (2) bathrooms. The construction methods employed would dictate that the house is to be constructed with a slab on grade foundation. Mr. Arellano would like the outcome of the house to have a red brick façade, red or brown architectural shingles, 3’ x 6’ windstorm-rated windows, and wood columns. The door will be a wood stained Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 in color, with a decorative window, and two (2) sidelights. Most of the previous houses constructed in the district were constructed with 24" finished floor elevation. This floor elevation has been used as a historic element to make the new construction blend in more with the existing structures in the Historic District. Slides of the subject property, building plans and pictures of examples of the proposed brick and doors were shown. Staff recommended approval of the request with the following conditions: 1. The finished floor elevation shall be 24”. 2. Roof overhang minimum shall be 12”. 3. Final submitted plans must indicate the roof pitch will not be less than a four and one-half (4-1/2) inch rise in any twelve (12) inch horizontal distance. 4. The windows shall be 6 over 1 in appearance. Brief discussion followed concerning the specifics of the windows. The applicant was present. Alberto Arellano, 2205 Angelina Street, addressed the Commission. Adina Josey, Senior Planner, assisted Mr. Arellano with Spanish translation as needed. Mr. Arellano stated that he was before the Commission to seek approval for the request. Vice Chairman LaBiche asked the applicant if he owned the adjacent house or just the empty lot and Mr. Arellano replied that he only owns the lot. Brief discussion followed to clarify the location of the lot. Vice Chairman LaBiche asked if the applicant accepted the proposed conditions. Mr. Arellano replied that he has been in the area for twenty (20) years and understands the recommendations. Commissioner Sigee moved to approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new construction, for the property at 70 Guffy Street, as requested in file PZ2021-142 with the following conditions: 1. The finished floor elevation shall be 24”above the existing grade. 2. Roof overhang minimum shall be 12”. 3. Final submitted plans must indicate the roof pitch will not be less than a four and one-half (4-1/2) inch rise in any twelve (12) inch horizontal distance. 4. The windows shall be 6 over 1 in appearance. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. The motion to approve the request carried 7:0. The Commissioners congratulated Mr. Arellano and encouraged him on his project. 2) PZ2021-146: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new construction Applicant: Jeremy Wilson Location: 2331 Angelina Street 2 Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 Ms. Laney presented the staff report. Jeremy Wilson is seeking permission to build a new house on his vacant lot located at 2331 Angelina Street. The proposed home will be approximately 1,100 square feet in size and will contain three (3) bedrooms, one bathroom, dining room, kitchen and living room. The construction methods employed would dictate that the house is to be constructed with a slab on grade foundation, vertical LP smart panels siding, composition shingles, a 4x4 wood post on the front porch, and louvered shutters on the front windows. Windows will have a one over one appearance. The hipped roof will have a 4/12 pitch. The siding will be SW703 Anew Gray and the trim will be SW9168 Elephant Ear. The color of the shutters and exterior doors were not specified. Most of the previous houses constructed in the district were constructed with 24" finished floor elevation. This floor elevation has been used as a historic element to make the new construction blend in more with the existing structures in the Historic District. Slides of the subject property and elevation plan were shown. Staff recommended approval of the request subject to the following conditions: 1. The finished floor elevation shall be 24”. 2. Roof overhang minimum shall be 12”. 3. Final submitted plans must indicate the roof pitch will not be less than a four and one-half (4-1/2) inch rise in any twelve (12) inch horizontal distance. 4. The windows shall be 6 over 1 in appearance. 5. The column on the front porch shall be a Craftsman style tapered column. Ms. Laney informed the Commission that the applicant was not present due to an unexpected personal matter. Brief discussion followed to confirm that the applicant understood the proposed conditions. Commissioner Craig mentioned that most of the historic homes had a pier and beam style rather than a slab foundation. Ms. Laney stated that the Commission could add that as a condition. Commissioner Bell asked about the proposed siding material and color. Ms. Laney stated that it will be vinyl siding in a vertical direction and showed slides of the proposed colors. She added that the colors of the front door and shutters were not specified, but could be approved by staff when selected. Commissioner Craig stated that she supports new construction in the District, but that the Commission has been very adamant about keeping with the pier and beam style with other homes in the past and should stay consistent with their recommendations. Vice Chairman LaBiche discussed the current high price of wood and the added expense and maintenance of pier and beam style homes, but suggested the Commission request false piers. He explained the features of false piers and sketched an example. A consensus of the Commission was reached that they prefer new homes to vacant lots and that false pier suggestion would preserve the historic look while providing cost efficiency. They also requested this be a recommendation for similar situations in the future. 3 Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 Commissioner Sigee moved to approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new construction, for the property at 2331 Angelina Street, as requested in file PZ2021-146 with the following conditions: 1. The finished floor elevation shall be 24”above the existing grade. 2. Roof overhang minimum shall be 12”. 3. Final submitted plans must indicate the roof pitch will not be less than a four and one- half (4-1/2) inch rise in any twelve (12) inch horizontal distance. 4. The windows shall be 6 over 1 in appearance. 5. The column on the front porch shall be a Craftsman style tapered column. 6. Across the front of the house there must be bricked false pier and beams installed. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. The motion to approve the request carried 7:0. 3) PZ2021-154: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new construction Applicant: Jeremy Wilson Location: 2214 Angelina Street Ms. Laney presented the staff report. Jeremy Wilson is seeking permission to build a new house on his vacant lot located at 2214 Angelina Street. The proposed home will be approximately 1,100 square feet in size and will contain three (3) bedrooms, one bathroom, dining room, kitchen and living room. The construction methods employed would dictate that the house is to be constructed with a slab on grade foundation, vertical LP smart panels siding, composition shingles, a 4x4 wood post on the front porch, and louvered shutters on the front windows. Windows will have a one over one appearance. The hipped roof will have a 4/12 pitch. The siding will be SW7647 Crushed Ice and the trim will be SW7506 Loggia. The color of the shutters and exterior doors were not specified. Most of the previous houses constructed in the district were constructed with 24" finished floor elevation. This floor elevation has been used as a historic element to make the new construction blend in more with the existing structures in the Historic District. Slides of the subject property, elevation plan and proposed paint colors were shown. Staff recommended approval of the request subject to the following conditions: 1. The finished floor elevation shall be 24”. 2. Roof overhang minimum shall be 12”. 3. Final submitted plans must indicate the roof pitch will not be less than a four and one-half (4-1/2) inch rise in any twelve (12) inch horizontal distance. 4. The windows shall be 6 over 1 in appearance. 5. The column on the front porch shall be a Craftsman style tapered column. Brief discussion followed concerning the paint colors. 4 Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 Vice Chairman LaBiche stated that the words “above the existing grade” needed to be added to the first condition for clarity. The Commission and staff agreed to amend all similarly worded conditions as such. Brief discussion followed concerning the addition of false piers as in the previous request. Commissioner Sigee moved to approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new construction, for the property at 2214 Angelina Street, as requested in file PZ2021-154 with the following conditions: 1. The finished floor elevation shall be 24”above the existing grade. 2. Roof overhang minimum shall be 12”. 3. Final submitted plans must indicate the roof pitch will not be less than a four and one- half (4-1/2) inch rise in any twelve (12) inch horizontal distance. 4. The windows shall be 6 over 1 in appearance. 5. The column on the front porch shall be a Craftsman style tapered column. 6. Across the front of the house there must be bricked false pier and beams installed. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. The motion to approve the request carried 7:0. 4) PZ2021-158: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace windows and to reduce the siding profile of the house Applicant: Pawan Kumar Location: 1812 Hazel Street Ms. Laney presented the staff report. Pawan Kumar, property owner, is seeking permission to replace the two (2) front windows and reduce the profile of siding to the house located at 1812 Hazel Avenue. Replacement of the windows, including extensive interior work, has been completed without the benefit of a Certificate of Appropriateness (CA) or building permits. Originally, the windows varied in appearance and now Mr. Kumar is requesting to have the windows be consistent. The applicant would like to reduce the size of the pressboard siding from a larger width to 1x8 wood siding. This work was stopped in time and has not yet been completed without permission. A stop work order (SWO) was posted on May 25, 2021 by the Building Codes inspector. The SWO remained in effect until Mr. Kumar came in and obtained the appropriate permits for the interior work. The exterior changes remain at a standstill until they receive permission from the HLC to then obtain necessary building permits; such permits will be determined by what is deemed appropriate for the Oaks Historic District. This home is categorized as a Vernacular Craftsman house. Examples for this style of home are located in A Field Guide to American Houses (McAlester et al., pgs. 457-458, 460). The request to reduce size of the siding seems appropriate for a home within this era. The request to have 6 over 6 pane windows does not seem appropriate because it is typical for a home within this era to have multi panes over one style window. 5 Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 This house is in in the 1990 SPARE Beaumont Survey. SPARE states the house was built c. 1925. The property was listed as typical of middle class housing built to accommodate the growing population in Beaumont in the 1920’s. Slides of the subject property were shown. Staff recommended approval of the 1x8 wood siding and denial of the windows with the recommendation that the applicant brings to staff an example of a multi-pane over one pane window for approval. Vice Chairman LaBiche asked about the existing windows. Discussion followed concerning the current windows, recommended changes and historical window examples. The Commission referred A Field Guide to American Houses for further examples. The applicant was present. Pawan Kumar, 3080 W Lakeside Drive, addressed the Commission. He stated that this was his first time working with a home in the District and that he had been unaware of the restrictions. He stated that the windows in the home were in terrible shape so he changed them and was then made aware of the restrictions by the City. He stated that he just wants to fix the home and make it nicer to rent out. He added that this has been a learning experience for him. Vice Chairman LaBiche asked Mr. Kumar if he agreed to the staff’s recommendations. He replied that he is not in agreement with the denial of the window changes because it is not cost effective for him and will cause a long delay during the current material shortage. Commissioner Craig explained the role of the Commission in maintaining the historical character of the District and their intention to hold all property owners in the District to the same standards. Discussion followed concerning what windows would be allowed and how to correct the current windows to comply. Commissioners discussed that when a home is purchased in the District, paperwork is signed by the purchaser explaining the requirements of the District. Mr. Kumar stated that he should have read all of the paperwork and that he has learned from this experience. The Commissioners encouraged the applicant to consider future projects to improve the District. Commissioner Craig moved to approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for 1 by 8 ship lap siding and 6 over 1 pane windows and deny the request for 6 over 6 pane windows, for the property at 1812 Hazel Street, as requested in file PZ2021-158. Commissioner Bell seconded the motion. The motion carried 7:0. 5) PZ2021-165: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to remove dormers from a house Applicant: Eric Hellberg Location: 2429 Broadway Street Ms. Laney presented the staff report. Eric Hellberg requests permission to remove a dormer from the house located at 2429 Broadway Street. The applicant began work without the benefit 6 Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 of a Certificate of Appropriateness or building permits. A stop work order (SWO) was posted on May 27, 2021 by our Building Codes inspector. Mr. Hellberg has explained that the dormer, as it exists, is not tied properly into a supportive beam and that it essentially is floating. He also stated that he will need to remove the front fascia to then reconstruct the front wall in order to properly secure the dormer to the roof/front porch. If allowed to remove the dormer, he will tie into the existing roof line and use architectural shingles to match the existing shingles. This home is categorized as a Craftsman style house. Dormers appear to be a prominent architectural feature for a Craftsman style home (McAlester et al., pg. 461). Therefore the removal of the dormer would hinder the historic preservation of this structure. Slides of the subject property were shown. Staff recommended denial of this request. Commissioner Makin asked about the age of the house. Ms. Laney and Mrs. Luckey reported that they are unsure because the property is not in the SPARE survey and the Jefferson Central Appraisal District listing is not accurate due to the home being older than the earliest appraisal district records. The applicant was present. Eric Hellberg, 1779 Moore Road, addressed the Commission. He stated that his intent in changing the home was not malicious. He added that he owns fifteen (15) properties in Old Town, that many had damage from recent tropical storms and ice storm and that he has just been trying to make the needed repairs. He stated that the tenants he has in this house have been there for fifteen (15) years and are eager to return to the home. Mr. Hellberg added that when repairing the attic, they found that the dormer had caved in. He added that he thinks the dormer was not original to the home and that a windstorm engineer recommended its removal for structural integrity. He complimented the City staff for their helpfulness in the situation. Finally, he stated that if this request is denied, it will cost him more time and money, especially as materials are currently hard to find. Commissioner Makin stated that she had to agree with the staff’s recommendation for denial and added that as an owner of multiple properties in the District, the applicant should have known the requirements. Commissioner Makin moved to deny the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to remove dormers from a house, for the property at 2429 Broadway Street, as requested in file PZ2021- 165. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. The motion to deny the request carried 7:0. 6) Historic District Code Enforcement Report Ms. Laney introduced and welcomed Carl Westbrook, the new Oaks Historic Code Enforcement Officer. Officer Westbrook presented the Historic District Code Enforcement Report, including information about current violations, inspections, Certificates of Appropriateness and stop work 7 Historic Landmark Commission June 14, 2021 orders. Ms. Laney and Mrs. Luckey complimented Officer Westbrook on his work in his new position. OTHER BUSINESS Commissioner Crawford asked about some issues with some particular properties in the District and Mrs. Luckey updated the Commission on the status of those cases. THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 4:22 P.M. 8