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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4-11-22 HLC Minutes * M I N U T E S * HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION April 11, 2022 City Hall, 801 Main Street, Beaumont, Texas … A Regular Meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission was held on April 11, 2022 and called to order at 3:35 p.m. with the following members present: Vice-Chairman Dohn LaBiche Commissioner Yolanda Nan Avery *arrived at 3:36 p.m. Commissioner Hester Bell Commissioner John Berube Commissioner Christina Crawford Commissioner Theresa Goodness Commissioner Hajrah Javed Commissioner Lynda Kay Makin Commissioner Marva Provo Commission Members absent : Commissioner Thomas Sigee Commissioner Janelle Templeton Also present: Demi Engman, Senior Planner Pashae Randle, Oaks Historic Code Enforcement Officer Delancy Wood, Demolition Coordinator Beau Hansen, Deputy Building Official Catherine Allen, Recording Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Makin moved to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on March 14, 2022. Commissioner Bell seconded the motion. The motion to approve carried 8:0. REGULAR MEETING 1) PZ2022-102: A request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install air conditioning units into a previously solid wall of a house. Applicant: Matthew Davis Sr. Location: 2275 Evalon Avenue Mrs. Engman presented the staff report. Matthew Davis Sr., home owner, is seeking permission to install air conditioning units into a previously solid wall of the house located at 2275 Evalon Avenue. The installation of units has been completed without the benefit Historic Landmark Commission April 11, 2022 of an approved Certificate of Appropriateness and charges are pending in court. Originally, the house had a solid wall and now the home has two (2) air conditioning units protruding through the wall of the home visible from the street right-of-way. Mr. Davis Sr. expressed the second story of the home gets too hot in temperature, which is why he needs the units. This house is not in the Beaumont SPARE Survey. Staff recommended denial of the request. Slides of the subject property were shown. Commissioner Makin asked if the air conditioning units had been located on the side of the building if staff would have been able to approve them and Mrs. Engman replied that if they were in a location that was not visible from the street they would have been approved. Mrs. Engman also stated that the case is pending in municipal court and has been given a sixty (60) day extension pending the decision of the Commission. Commissioner Berube asked if this was a single family residence and Mrs. Engman stated that she believed so, but that the applicant may be able to confirm. The applicant was present. Matthew Davis Sr., 2275 Evalon Avenue, addressed the Commission. He stated that he had been bedridden and that his granddaughter, who lives in the apartment attached to his home, had the air conditioning units installed without his knowledge. He added that he was not aware of the regulations that prohibited this from being done. Finally, he added that the apartment gets quite warm and needed the units for the comfort of his granddaughter and her child. Commissioner Berube asked if the home was a single family residence and Mr. Davis replied that it is a home with a separate upstairs apartment. Commissioner Makin asked about how the work of installing the units was done and Mr. Davis stated that he was unsure since he was unaware of the instillation, but assumed his granddaughter had hired someone. Commissioner Makin asked about relocating the units and Mr. Davis replied that he cannot afford to do so and that the current placement would be the ideal placement for the units due to the layout of the apartment. Vice-Chairman LaBiche asked about the apparent red paint around the units and the applicant stated that he was unaware of why that was done. 2 Historic Landmark Commission April 11, 2022 Further discussion followed concerning the possible movement of the units which would be complicated by the layout of the apartment rooms and by large windows being present on the other walls. Commissioner Makin asked about the extension in municipal court and Mrs. Engman confirmed that the extension was given until early June and that the Commission’s decision will be relayed to the municipal court judge. Commissioner Makin moved to deny the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install air conditioning units into a previously solid wall of a house, as requested in file PZ2022-102. Commissioner Goodness seconded the motion. Discussion followed concerning balancing the Commissioners’ empathy for the applicant in this situation with the role and duties of the Commission to uphold the regulations and not set new precedents. The motion to deny the request carried 9:0. Staff members stated that they will work with the applicant to find solutions to remedy the problem. HISTORIC DISTRICT CODE ENFORCEMENT REPORT Officer Randle presented the Historic District Code Enforcement Report, including information about current violations, inspections, and Certificates of Appropriateness. The Commission thanked her for her work in the District, including specific cases. OTHER BUSINESS Mrs. Engman and Mrs. Wood provided an update about the process of properties in the district being referred to the county sheriff’s sale. THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 3:59 P.M. 3