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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2-8-16 HLC Minutes * M I N U T E S * HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION February 8, 2016 City Hall, 801 Main Street, Beaumont, Texas A Special Meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission was held on February 8, 2016 and called to order at 3:34 p.m. with the following members present: Chairwoman Paula Blazek Commissioner Judy Linsley Commissioner Marty Craig Commissioner Ramona Hutchinson Commissioner Don LaBiche Commissioner B. Eliot New Commissioner Jason Cansler Commissioner Marie Broussard Commission Members absent: Commissioner Thomas Sigee Councilmembers present: Councilmember-at-Large Gethrel Wright Councilman Mike Getz Councilman Claude F. Guidroz Councilmembers absent: None Also present: Adina Ward, Planner II; Raymond Rowzee, Planner I, Fran Malvo, Recording Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Craig made a motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on December 14, 2015. Commissioner Linsley seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 6:0. REGULAR MEETING 1) CA-2581: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to eliminate six windows. Location: 2628 North Street Applicant: Wade Davis Ms. Ward presented the staff report. Sam P. Davis is requesting permission to eliminate six windows from his home located at 2628 North Street. Mr. Davis claims the activity next door, to the west, is disturbing and the removal of the windows is necessary for privacy. The windows flanking the fireplace, on the east, were damaged in a previous remodel and replacement windows would create a mismatch with the two windows in the same room, facing the front of the property. The house is listed in the 1991 SPARE Beaumont Survey. SPARE states that the house was built c. 1935. The house is listed as an example of middle class housing built in Beaumont in the 1930’s. Staff recommended approval of the request. Slides of the subject property were shown. The applicant, Wade Davis was present. Mr. Davis addressed the Commissioners. Mr. Davis stated that his goal is to maintain the exact frontal of the house. Mr. Davis stated that one of the reasons he enclosed the windows is because he wanted to put a bed against the wall. The front bedroom had five windows and had no wall to place a dresser or bed. He also stated that nothing else will be changed on the house; he just wants to eliminate the windows. Chairman Blazek stated that one of the easiest ways to destroy the integrity of the home is to enclose the windows. She attended a presentation by a Houston Architect with the Oaks Historic District Neighborhood Association about the different styles and defining characteristics of the historic homes and the windows are one of the most important things for the exterior of the home. Chairman Blazek also stated that one of the things that could be done to preserve the integrity of the home is to sheetrock the inside of the window for wall space and no one will ever know that the window is inoperable. She also added that she and the Commissioners have a firm position about applying sheetrock on the inside in order to maintain the integrity of the outside of the home. Mr. Davis stated that it is not his intentions to repair or eliminate the sheetrock because it is unstable. He said that if he is not allowed to remove the windows, he would like to be given permission to install a six foot fence within 2 ½ feet off the side of the house. Mr. Davis stated that one of the windows was destroyed when a window unit was installed. He would like to keep the original windows, but two of them aren’t functional and one of them had been knocked out. The front window had been destroyed by a two ton air conditioner that was installed. He wants to keep the front façade of the house. Chairman Blazek suggested that Mr. Davis replace the windows, install a six foot fence or leave the windows and cover them with blinds or screens etc. and sheetrock the wall inside. Chairman LaBiche suggested that Mr. Davis either used a piece of dry wall painted white, use furring strips to maintain something structural and use mini blinds to cover the windows. He also stated that the Commissioners try not to tell the Citizens what kind of window to get but what it should look like. The Commissioners do not have an issue with using a different type of window; they are concerned with what it looks like from the street. Discussion followed. Commissioner New made a motion to deny the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to eliminate six windows as requested in File CA-2581. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. Motion to deny carried 8:0. Commissioner LaBiche and Commissioner Hutchinson came in after the roll was called and the minutes were voted on and approved. 2) CA-2597: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for an attached sign. Location: 2406 North Street Applicant: Hightech Signs Ms. Ward presented the staff report. Hightech Signs installed a sign at 2406 North Street, unaware that the property was located in the Oaks Historic District. The new sign design had not been approved and had not received a Certificate of Appropriateness. The new sign also exceeds the six (6) sq. ft. maximum attached sign requirement. Hightech Signs is seeking approval of the existing design, but proposes to reprint the sign at the required six (6) sq. ft. Staff recommended approval of the request. Slides of the subject property were shown. The applicant was not present. Discussion followed. Chairwoman Blazek made a motion to approve a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for an attached sign as requested in File CA-2597. Commissioner Craig seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. 3) CA-2600: Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow a portable building to be placed in the rear yard. th Location: 35 N. 8 Street Applicant: Tony B. Mack Ms. Ward presented the staff report. Tony B. Mack is requesting to place a 10'x16' portable building at the rear of his property located at 35 N. 8th Street. The proposed portable building would be visible from both 8th Street and Smart Street. The main structure on the property is not a common design, and appears to have originally been the garage and caretaker's quarters for another structure. For this reason, staff feels that repainting the portable building to match the main structure would suffice. The property is not listed in SPARE. Staff recommended approval of the request subject to the following condition: 1. The building is painted to match the main structure. Slides of the subject property were shown. The applicant, Tony B. Mack addressed the Commissioners. Discussion followed. Commissioner Craig made a motion to approve a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow a portable building to be replaced in the rear yard as requested in File CA-2600. Commissioner LaBiche seconded the motion. Motion to approve carried 8:0. 4) Historic District Code Enforcement Report Mrs. Varela was unavailable to discuss the report. Commissioners agreed to table the discussions until March’s meeting. No discussion followed. OTHER BUSINESS None. THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 4:49 P.M.