HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 13, 2017 Historic • •n Commission
MINUTES
The Jeffersonville Historic Preservation Commission met for a regular meeting at 6 p.m.on Monday,February 13,
2017 in the Mayor's Conference Room of Jeffersonville City Hall.
ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order by Vice President Jill Schimpff with roll call.
Members present include:Johnna Anderson,Ed Siewert,Jill Schimpff,Melanie Yates and Lisa Green.Member Jan Pad-
docks was not present at the meeting.Advisor Laura Renwick and Staff Larry Wallace were also in attendance.
Jill Schimpff told Commission members and a large crowd of members of the public gathered at the meeting that
she was going to deviate from the meeting's agenda as presented.She introduced City Attorney Les Merkley,who had
requested to address the Commission in reference to property(the former Jeffersonville Masonic Temple)located at 509
Spring Street,which was on the Commission's agenda to consider for a Certificate of Appropriateness.Property owner Pin-
nacle Properties Development Group and its representative,owner Chris Nolan,were present at the meeting to present the
application for the C of A requesting demolition of property.NolaiA attorney,Alan Applegate,was also present.
"I wanted to address the Commission in reference to the Masonic Temple on Spring Street ... I believe that's the
reason we have a larger than usual crowd here tonight;'Merkley said.
"Pursuant to ordinance,the historic board has to act on an application for(Certificate of Appropriateness)within 60 days
or(the C of A)is deemed granted;'Merkley said."However,the board may extend acting on the application for another 60
days with cause'
Merkley explained the Commission's options regarding Pinnacle Properties'application."Basically,the historic board can
grant the certificate for demolition,deny the application or third,they could table it'
Merkley further clarified procedures outlined in the city's ordinance regarding the demolition of structures in the
historic district,saying that the ordinance allows the city's Building Commissioner to issue permits for demolition of a
property within the historic district without the Commission's approval under two circumstances-if the building in ques-
tion is deemed a threat or danger to public safety or if the property owner could illustrate they had taken a laundry list of
steps/actions to save,sell or restore the property in question with no success.
"That is a lengthy list outlined in the ordinance,but that process has not began with this property—as far as I know—so
that option is not before the board at this time;'Merkley said.He added that the city was not prepared to make a determi-
nation about the safety of the structure in question at the time-"without some independent review by an engineer of the
structure'
"I think the board should be thoughtful and deliberate in following the ordinance with this decision;'Merkley said.
"It's not an easy task they've been given ... To preserve a historic building-but balance that with an individual's property
rights:"
"We need an unbiased opinion on whether it poses a public safety hazard;'Merkley said,adding the city also felt it impor-
tant to determine how much it would cost to stabilize/restore the building and if that was even a viable option.
The property owner had already hired its own engineer,the Commission was informed,to assess the property.The recom-
mendation from that engineer supported Pinnacle Properties'request for demolition.
"The city wants to hire —at its cost—an engineer to obtain those things,Merkley said.We think it will help guide this
board and help the city in making a decision on this matter.
Therefore,it's my opinion this be tabled.Hopefullly we can have a report back(from an engineer)before the next meeting'
Jill Schimpff called for vote to table the application as Merkley requested.
Member Johnna Anderson made a motion to table the Certificate of Appropriateness for 509 Spring Street.
Member Melanie Yates seconded the motion to table the C of A.
The Commission unanimously agreed to table the C of A until next meeting to get more information from the engineers.
AGENDA
After the vote was taken,Schimpff returned to business of the meeting as it appeared on the agenda,with the first
order of business being to approve the agenda.
Member Lisa Green made the motion to approve the agenda and member Melanie Yates seconded the motion.
MINUTES
Schimpff asked members to review the minutes from the January 9,2017 meeting. After a brief review,Jill Schimpff
called for a vote on the approval of minutes.
Member Ed Siewert made a motion to approve the minutes and member Lisa Green seconded the motion.The min-
utes for the Jan.9 meeting were unanimously approved.
CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS:
•JERRY RUSK,the new owner of a residential property at 409 E Riverside Drive,was on hand to present the Commis-
sion with a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior renovations to the home.
Rusk told the Commission he had purchased the home within the last month.
"It's a single family home with a carriage house in the back;'Rusk told the Commission."The home itself is in really,in
surprisingly good shape.There's not a lot of exterior updates that are needed:'
Referencing photos in a slideshow,Rusk explained that the brick steps and brick patio/covered porch area needed some
minor repairs to the masonry and the porch.
"I don't intend to change the porch;'Rusk said."It's just some minor repairs:'
Rusk told the Commission that the carriage house-primarily brick exterior with some siding-had been"neglected'
"There are several windows that will need to be replaced... Some are boarded up,some-as I mentioned-they're just
storm windows sitting in there;'Rusk said.
"I will remove the cover over back door and replace it with something similar and will replace door,gutters and down-
spouts,"he said."There won't be a lot of changes to the exterior .."
"I would like to be able to make it a little more uniform to the other windows on that level itself..:'Rusk said,pointing
out in the photos the different,mismatched window sizes. "Since I'm reframing that portion of the building itself to make repairs,
Id like to be able to make that change."
Member Ed Siewert told Rusk"we would like to see something besides vinyl(for the siding)If there's another material
you could use,that's what we would prefer."
Siewert suggested shake shingle or concerte board as more acceptable options than vinyl siding for the window surround.
Laura Renwick also suggested that when windows were replaced,Rusk use paned-style windows like the ones currently
on the back,center of the house because it is a style original to the home.
Jill Schimpff asked if there was a motion regarding the request for Certificate of Appropriateness to exterior improve-
ments at 409 E.Riverside Drive.
Ed Siewert made a motion to approve the C of A,with the recommendations of the Commission in regards to using an
alternate to vinyl siding and using vertical style windows during replacement.
Lisa Green seconded the motion to approve the C of A and the Commissionvoted unanimously to approve the applica-
tion.
OTHER BUSINESS:
•ADVISOR LAURA RENWICK updated members on the status of two Coke machines that had been placed in two
locations within the historic district by local realtor and property owner Robert Sherrill.
Sherrill had previously received approval to place one of the machines outside his business on Spring Street,with the
agreement that he was going to altar the physical appearance of the machine by covering it in a way-finding map or otherwise
historical image.That imagery,however,had not yet been applied to the machine when the Commission met in January.It was
requested that Renwick contact Sherrill to ask about the project.
"I checked with him and he says hes waiting for the commission to give him a map to cover one machine and he agreed
to get rid of the other machine soon;'Renwick said.
After some discussion,members Lisa Green and Melanie Yates said they would consider options for finding acceptable
imagery to apply to the remaining machine.
•Renwick also told the Commission that,upon their request,she had come up with some specific areas that might be
included if the Commission decided it wanted to continue with the possibility of expanding the historic district.She presented dif-
ferent areas downtown she thought could be targeted with the expansion.
"The West Market Street corridor definitely has great houses that could be taken down in the way of certain development...that's
in the(city's overlay disctrict);'Renwick said.`And once you get past the edge of the overlay district,there are some other houses
further down Market street that are currently outside the historic district...The Pearl Street corridor has some houses-some of
them are a little more modest;and the West Maple corridor-you've got the Carden's house which is nice and historic and then
some of the others across the street are a bit more altered'
Renwick continued And then you've got all the rest of the national register....-they're outside the overlay district,though,so
they may not necessarily be in as much danger as some of these other areas may be"
"I would suggest we talk to some of the people down in the Market Street corridor-in that area-and see how they feel about
becoming part of the district-about having some protection;'Renwick said."I would think the neighborhood association in that
area-given the way they feel about the overlay district-would be supportive of this.I plan to talk to them to get their ideas about
what their boundaries are and what they're comfortable with.
"I think there's a little bit less of an immediate threat on Pearl Street;Renwick said.
Lisa Green said she thinks it might be best to go on and take in everything at once-Pearl Street along with Market Street.
Renwick said suggested using the plans for expanding the historic district as an"opportunity to talk to some of these people in the
eastern end of the register about the district and see how they feel about possibly being included in that at some point.' She told
the Commission she would"be happy to open the dialogue with those neighborhoods if that's what you guys want to do."
Lisa Green made a motion to have Renwick start talking with the neighborhoods to see if they have an interest in becoming part
of the historic district-staring with Rose Hill and then moving on to others.
Melanie Yates seconded the motion.
The Commission voted unanimously to move forward with plans to expand the current historic district.
Robert Sherrill,did not live up to the conditions the board gave him when they approved placement of the machine-which in-
cluded installing some type of"cover up"on the front of the machine.
Member Lisa Green said she,too,had been thinking about the machine and agreed the board should revisit the matter.
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an Paddocks,President,Jeffersonville Historic Preservation Commission DATE