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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistoric Preservation Commission January 12, 2026 Historic Preservation Commission MINUTES January 12, 2026 President Ed Siewert called to order the January 12, 2026 Historic Preservation Commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Building Commission Conference Room at City Hall, 500 Quartermaster Court. Roll Call Members present were Johnna Anderson, Jourdan Ford, Lisa Green, Maggie Moore, Jason Schlatter, and Paul Torp. Also present were Laura Renwick, Historic Preservation staff advisor, and Administrative Assistant Shane Shaughnessy. Approval of the Agenda Ed Siewart made a motion to move Agenda Item 5 to before Item 4 in deference to the applicant's time. The motion was seconded by Lisa Green and approved unanimously, 7-0. Jourdan Ford made a motion to approve the agenda for the January 12, 2026 regular meeting, seconded by Lisa Green and approved unanimously, 7-0. Approval of Previous Minutes Maggie Moore made a motion to approve the November 10, 2025 minutes, seconded by Lisa Green and approved unanimously, 7-0. Certificates of Appropriateness 1. 437 Spring Street Ed introduced the next item on the agenda- a certificate of appropriateness for 437 Spring Street and asked the applicant,James Thornton, to describe the project. James said that he is the general contractor for Poppin Flavors and that they are requesting to do repairs to the building façade, repainting the building, replacing some windows, and placing signage on the existing awning. James said that while the staff comments stated that the lower portion of the lintel is unpainted, it actually is painted a stone color and the rest of the building has been painted as well and that these areas need to be repainted. He said that some of the trim around the windows had rotted and that the frame and windows would be removed and replaced. Paul asked about the materials of the windows which James said they are currently wood and would be replaced with pre-painted wood. Laura said that a wood or wood-clad window would meet the standards of the guideline. Jason asked if James is planning on keeping the pilaster trim near the windows which James said that it was requested to do so by Staff. Laura said that she suspects they're not original,but could not find any photos that would support that. Ed asked if they were ok with them removing the pilaster which Laura said she would be fine with it. Paul asked that even if the pilaster wasn't original, it could still be historic given how old it is. He also said the pilaster would also provide detail and articulation to the windows that wouldn't exist if they were removed. Laura said that without 1 a definite evidence that it wasn't original that she recommended that they remain and that similar details are found in historic buildings in the area. James said that he is fine with keeping the trim and that he's planning on painting it. Ed asked about the windows on the side of the building which James said that they are currently focused on the front of the building and that they were planning on replacing the windows and painting them. Jason said that the staff report mentioned that they are proposing to scrape the existing paint off the brick and repaint it. He said that they should be careful when scraping the side of the building as opposed to the front as the brick may have different glazing and would need different treatment. Maggie asked if the awning is going to be replaced which James said that the existing awning will remain. Paul asked if he will painting the awning which James said that he would be. Paul asked about the proposed sign which James said that he wants to use the same concept as the historic sign with signage being placed on top of the awning. He said that they are still working out the details with the sign shop and that he would return to the Board once those details are figured out. Paul asked what the face of the awning was made of which James said that he wasn't certain but that he would be going into the awning to tap into the electric and light up the sign. Lisa made a motion to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the façade repairs including tuckpointing and mortar joints, prepping and repainting, and window replacements as discussed with the sign details deferred to a later meeting, seconded by Paul. Roll call vote. The motion was approved unanimously. Election of Officers Ed introduced the next item, the election of officers. Lisa said she wanted to nominate Ed as President which Ed said that he would be fine with but would want to have a discussion about having someone else being President. Lisa made a motion to nominate Ed as President, seconded by Paul and approved unanimously. Lisa made a motion to nominate Jason as Vice-President, seconded by Maggie and approved unanimously. Other Business Ed introduced the next item on the agenda- Discussion of Historic District expansion. Laura said that she had not heard from the last known Vice President of Rose Hill and she would reach back out. She said that she would be meeting with the Port Fulton Neighborhood Association on January 20t. Paul said that there are a couple churches for sale and asked if they were in the jurisdiction of the Board which Laura said they weren't under the current District's boundaries. Paul said that as part of expanding the boundaries they should look at the age of the buildings. Laura said that if a specific building would be designated a landmark, it would have to have a report done on it and have it approved by the City Council. She said that there was a house in New Albany that had been designated as a landmark and that there was also one in Jeffersonville on Jackson Street. Shane said that the City's Code Enforcement division has been dealing with the building at 416 Spring Street that is in the Historic District. They noticed a tarp on the roof of the building and have been trying to work with the property owner about it. The City Fire Department sent up a drone on an unrelated issue and saw that the back half of the building's roof had collapsed in on 2 itself. He said the Building Commissioner has discussed declaring the building unsafe and may require its demolition and that they will be presenting this case at a future Board of Public Works meeting. He said that he wasn't sure what the Board's jurisdiction on preventing demolition which Laura said that the Building Commission could force a demolition without a COA if the structure was deemed unsafe but would hope that they would look at other options. Jourdan asked what the building's Historic rating was which Laura said that it was considered a"Notable"building. Laura said that she did not see any deflection on the façade of the building which could mean the issue is contained to the rear section of the building. Jason said that the taller front portion was likely load bearing but that the rear section could be independently bearing which would be an issue if it's laterally supporting the buildings on either side of it as it could cause further collapsing of the building's walls. He suggested that the lateral loads on the other buildings need to be investigated before any demolition occurs as the walls may need to be supported. Shane said the Board of Public Works try to work with property owners to repair the buildings and that the meeting is a public one and that the members could attend to voice their opinions about the building's future. Paul asked how long the roof has been like this which Shane said that he thinks Code Enforcement has been trying to work with the property owner for around six months without much success. Laura said that Indiana Landmarks has grant funding for feasibility studies which should be considered before anything drastic occurs to the building. Jason said that as the open section of the building gets more water in it,the walls would begin to deteriorate which could lead to the walls collapsing. Paul said there could be some beams that are providing supportive bracing but someone would have to look closer at the building to confirm that. Ed asked what they could do to inform the owner of the building about funding which Laura said that they could let them know about grant funding and tax rebates but that Jeff Main Street has already let the owner know about state and local funding and that he hasn't taken them up on it. Jason asked if the buildings on either side of this building were occupied which Maggie said that the store fronts were occupied but wasn't appears if the rear portions of those building had anything in them. Jason said that there to be significant safety concerns and thinks that the City should work to insure the safety of the building which Shane agreed with but said that there should be a way to mitigate the safety issues while also preserving as much of the building as possible. Lisa Green made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Maggie Moore. The meeting was adjourned at 6:22pm. Minutes Approved. _ Submitted by: 3