City of Elgin Heritage Commission Design Review Subcommittee met April 27.
Here is the agenda provided by the council:
The meeting of the Design Review Subcommittee was called to order at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers (Located on the 2nd floor of City Hall) by Chairman Wiedmeyer.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Joey Crist, Rebecca Hunter, Dennis Roxworthy, Scott Savel, Krissy Palermo and John Wiedmeyer.
MEMBERS ABSENT:
None
CITY STAFF PRESENT:
Christen Sundquist, Historic Preservation
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
No minutes were presented
RECOGNIZE OTHER PERSONS PRESENT:
None
PROPERTIES ON AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION:
Old Business
None
New Business
521 Villa Street – Pigeon Loft
413 North Street – Front Porch Reconstruction
570 Park Street – Front Stairs Reconstruction
510 Douglas Avenue – Restoration of Original Siding and Missing Architectural Features
ITEMS TABLED:
819 N. Grove Avenue - Pergola
NEW BUSINESS:
521 Villa Street – Pigeon Lofts
The applicant has submitted an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to construct a wood pigeon loft at their rear yard.
The pigeon loft will be 8’x4’x6’ to match closely to the submitted design.
Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications:
Secondary Buildings: Garages, Sheds, Other Outbuildings
A. Should be smaller in scale than the dwelling; clearly secondary in nature.
B. Should be simple in design but reflecting the general character of the associated dwelling. For example, use gable roof forms if the dwelling has a gable roof, hipped roof forms if the dwelling has a hipped roof etc.
C. Should be built at traditional locations for outbuildings in the locally designated districts. These include at rear lot lines, adjacent to alleys, and at the back side of a dwelling;
D. Should be compatible in design, shape, materials, and roof shape to the associated d welling;
E. Should be of an exterior material to match the associated dwelling such as clapboard , stucco, or brick. However, if not readily visible from the street, secondary buildings may have exterior substitute siding materials such as cement fiber board with appropriate trim and exposure and cementitious materials.
F. Should be of traditional materials if readily visible. For garages, wood paneled doors are more appropriate than paneled doors of vinyl, aluminum, or steel . Wood paneled overhead rollup doors are widely available and are appropriate for n ew garages. For two car garages the use of two single doors instead of one larger double door is more appropriate for use in a historic district. However, one double is unacceptable for garages of less than twenty‐ two feet.
G. Should have windows in the garage doors are recommended, but windows may not be appropriate in every case for garage doors.
H. Should have raised panel steel doors are acceptable and should be painted to match the house and set off the relief of the panels.
I. Should be in designs that are more appropriate for use with traditionally designed structures, if prefabricated sheds are proposed to be used.
J. Should not be constructed of rough sawn cedar with knots.
Staff Recommendation:
Since there are no specific guidelines for pigeon lofts, staff has evaluated the proposal with past approved chicken coops and under the “Outbuilding” section of the Historic District and Landmark Guidelines. Staff recommends approval as submitted with the following recommendations:
1. The design matches as closely as possible to the submitted design with 5/4x4 cornerboards, 5/4x4 trim, 6” flat fascia and a shed roof out of architectural asphalt shingles.
2. All elements to use rot resistant wood and be primed and painted.
Nancy Cruz (tenant) was present for tonight’s discussion.
Motion made by Committee Member Savel to approve the COA with staff’s comments. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Roxworthy.
The motion passed unanimously (6-0).
413 North Street – Front Porch Reconstruction
The applicant has submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) as a corrective action of performing work without a COA/Building Permit. The owner was doing work at the driveway and removed a portion of the retaining wall and removed the front porch stairs.
Additional work was performed by removing the concrete/wood stairs leading up to the house and removal of the retaining wall. A stop work order was issued on April 13, 2021.
Staff informed the property owner that front porch stairs will need to be out of wood and match the staff recommended design that is included in this packet. In addition, the retaining wall with curved walls flanking three steps will need to be recreated. 413 North Street is a sister to 409 North Street which went before DRSC in October 2020 for the reconstruction of their stairs and retaining wall.
Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications:
PORCHES
Porch design, materials, and placement are key defining characteristics of an historic dwelling. Original porches should be maintained and repaired where needed. Porches on the fronts of dwellings should not be enclosed with wood or glass for additional living space. The screening of porches on the fronts of buildings is appropriate as long as the open appearance of the porch is maintained. If replacement of porch features is required, use materials to closely match the original. If the original porch is missing, a new porch should be constructed based upon photographic or physical evidence. If such evidence does not exist, base the design upon historic porches of similar dwellings from the same time period and architectural style. In some cases turn of the century dwellings had their original porches removed and replaced with “modern” porches in the 1920s and 1930s which do not necessarily match the original style of the house. If desired, these porches may be replaced with porches in keeping with the original design; however, some of these porches have acquired significance in their own right and can be preserved.
Enclosing porches on the front of a house or where readily visible is not appropriate or recommended. Front porches should not be enclosed with glass, wood siding, or other materials. Porches on the rear or sides of dwellings may be enclosed when not readily visible from the street and if the height and shape of the porch roof is maintained.
Guidelines
A. should be maintained in their original design with original materials and detailing.
B. should be repaired or replaced to match the original in design, materials, scale, and placement.
C. should be screened only if the structural framework for the screen panels is minimal and the open appearance of the porch is maintained. Screen panels should be placed behind the original features such as columns or railings and should not hide decorative details or result in the removal of original porch materials.
D. should have steps of the same material as the porch floor (e.g. porches with wood floors should also have steps made of wood, not concrete or brick).
E. should have poured concrete steps if the porch, patio or terrace floor is made of concrete (see section on Porch Steps).
F. should have wood tongue and groove flooring running perpendicular to the façade, if the porch floor is made of wood.
G. should have trellises made of wood, if trellises are appropriate.
H. should be filled in as traditional for the type and style of the house, or with decorative wood framed skirting, vertical slats, or lattice panels, if open areas in the foundation exist.
I. should not be removed if original to the dwelling.
J. should not be enclosed with wood, glass, or other materials which would alter the porch's open appearance.
PORCH COLUMNS AND RAILING
Original porch columns and railings should be retained and repaired with materials to match the original. If the original porch columns and railings are missing, replacement porch columns and railings should be appropriate for the dwelling's architectural style and period; handrail height and style should be determined by photographs, paint outlines, paint shadows, or similar homes in the area.
Porch columns often deteriorate first at the bottom next to the porch floor. If this is the case, consider sawing off the deteriorated area and replacing this section rather than replacing the entire column.
A note on porch railing height: Traditionally, the height of porch railing was based on the height of window sills within the porch, and ranged anywhere from 24 to 30 inches. This was done to provide a clear view from the inside of the house.
However, modern building codes require that railing heights be no less than 36 inches, with an exception for historic properties if the lower height of the porch railing is judged by the building official to not constitute a distinct life safety hazard in accordance with the requirements of Section 3406 of the 2000 International Building Code – “Historic Buildings.”
Drawings should be provided that properly integrate the porch features with the design of the house.
Railing height less than 36 inches high will need to be reviewed by the building official so as not to constitute a life safety hazard.
Guidelines
A. should be preserved and maintained. Where repair is required, use materials to match the original in dimensions and detailing.
B. should be rebuilt in historic designs if the original columns and railings have been removed or replaced.
C. should have new balusters for the railing, if required. Porch balusters (also called spindles) should be appropriate for the building's style and period. The height of the railing should be in line with the window sill level, if present, and no greater than 30 inches in height.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the application as submitted with the following recommendations:
Porch Stairs
1. The handrail shall have a 2x6 ripped down to 4” width, beveled, minimum 10 degrees, ¾” cove or ¾” coved subrail, 2x2 (1 ½” x 1 ½” actual) turned balusters with sharp edges, with a maximum of 2” spacing. That the bottom rail is a 2x6 ripped down to 4” width with chamfered edges, installed 3” above finished floor.
2. The concrete stairs shall be removed and wood framing installed.
3. That the stair treads shall 5/4” x 12 (recommended) or 2x12 and bull-nosed on 3 sides and overhang the risers a minimum of 1 ¼”. Installation of a ¾” PVC cove or treated wood cove to be installed under stair tread overhang around all 3 sides and coped at the ends. Pressure treated wood or composite material is acceptable for the treads. Rot resistant wood shall be used for the remaining stair construction.
4. The porch decking shall be 1x4 tongue and groove decking installed perpendicular to the home and extend past the top rimboard 1 ¼”.
5. The clear landing width shall be 3’-0”, not including the 6x6 newel posts.
6. The skirting shall consist of 1x8 cornerboards, 1x4 vertical frame board against the porch, 1x8 top rimboard and a 1x4 bottom rimboard all to be flush with the stair stringer. The skirting boards shall match the design that is found at the front porch, straight lattice.
7. Newel posts shall be 6x6 newel and be capped with a hipped cap. Round ball caps that were on the porch newels could be reinstalled on top of the hipped cap, if owner desires.
8. All other details shall match the submitted sketch.
9. All materials shall be of rot resistant wood.
10. All new porch elements to be primed and painted.
Retaining Wall
1. The retaining wall shall be of poured concrete to match the design and size as close as possible found at 409 North Street.
Juan Flores (owner) was present for tonight’s discussion.
The only comments the Commissioners had was that the sketch should not have the newel post against the house.
Motion made by Committee Member Savel to approve the COA as follows:
1) the newel post against the house in the sketch shall be removed.
The motion was seconded by Committee Member Crist.
The motion passed unanimously (6-0).
570 Park Street – Front Stair Reconstruction
The applicant has submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to reconstruct the front porch stairs in wood and new handrails.
The current stairs at the front porch are concrete and in disrepair. The owner is requesting to remove the concrete stairs and construction wood stairs that meet historic district specifications. In addition, a black metal pipe rail will be installed.
To note, the porch was altered after the 1950s to be a full width-front porch. Historically it had a partial width front porch according to the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.
Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications:
PORCHES
Porch design, materials, and placement are key defining characteristics of an historic dwelling. Original porches should be maintained and repaired where needed. Porches on the fronts of dwellings should not be enclosed with wood or glass for additional living space. The screening of porches on the fronts of buildings is appropriate as long as the open appearance of the porch is maintained. If replacement of porch features is required, use materials to closely match the original. If the original porch is missing, a new porch should be constructed based upon photographic or physical evidence. If such evidence does not exist, base the design upon historic porches of similar dwellings from the same time period and architectural style. In some cases turn of the century dwellings had their original porches removed and replaced with “modern” porches in the 1920s and 1930s which do not necessarily match the original style of the house. If desired, these porches may be replaced with porches in keeping with the original design; however, some of these porches have acquired significance in their own right and can be preserved.
Enclosing porches on the front of a house or where readily visible is not appropriate or recommended. Front porches should not be enclosed with glass, wood siding, or other materials. Porches on the rear or sides of dwellings may be enclosed when not readily visible from the street and if the height and shape of the porch roof is maintained.
Guidelines
K. should be maintained in their original design with original materials and detailing.
L. should be repaired or replaced to match the original in design, materials, scale, and placement.
M. should be screened only if the structural framework for the screen panels is minimal and the open appearance of the porch is maintained. Screen panels should be placed behind the original features such as columns or railings and should not hide decorative details or result in the removal of original porch materials.
N. should have steps of the same material as the porch floor (e.g. porches with wood floors should also have steps made of wood, not concrete or brick).
O. should have poured concrete steps if the porch, patio or terrace floor is made of concrete (see section on Porch Steps).
P. should have wood tongue and groove flooring running perpendicular to the façade, if the porch floor is made of wood.
Q. should have trellises made of wood, if trellises are appropriate.
R. should be filled in as traditional for the type and style of the house, or with decorative wood framed skirting, vertical slats, or lattice panels, if open areas in the foundation exist.
S. should not be removed if original to the dwelling.
T. should not be enclosed with wood, glass, or other materials which would alter the porch's open appearance.
PORCH COLUMNS AND RAILING
Original porch columns and railings should be retained and repaired with materials to match the original. If the original porch columns and railings are missing, replacement porch columns and railings should be appropriate for the dwelling's architectural style and period; handrail height and style should be determined by photographs, paint outlines, paint shadows, or similar homes in the area.
Porch columns often deteriorate first at the bottom next to the porch floor. If this is the case, consider sawing off the deteriorated area and replacing this section rather than replacing the entire column.
A note on porch railing height: Traditionally, the height of porch railing was based on the height of window sills within the porch, and ranged anywhere from 24 to 30 inches. This was done to provide a clear view from the inside of the house.
However, modern building codes require that railing heights be no less than 36 inches, with an exception for historic properties if the lower height of the porch railing is judged by the building official to not constitute a distinct life safety hazard in accordance with the requirements of Section 3406 of the 2000 International Building Code – “Historic Buildings.”
Drawings should be provided that properly integrate the porch features with the design of the house.
Railing height less than 36 inches high will need to be reviewed by the building official so as not to constitute a life safety hazard.
Guidelines
D. should be preserved and maintained. Where repair is required, use materials to match the original in dimensions and detailing.
E. should be rebuilt in historic designs if the original columns and railings have been removed or replaced.
F. should have new balusters for the railing, if required. Porch balusters (also called spindles) should be appropriate for the building's style and period. The height of the railing should be in line with the window sill level, if present, and no greater than 30 inches in height.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff would not recommend approval as submitted as the design is not appropriate for the age and style of the house.
Staff would recommend approval with the following conditions:
11. The handrail shall be a 1 ½” black metal pipe rail installed on either side of the stairs, centrally located on the newel post and column.
12. The handrail height shall be 30 inches from the nosing of the stairs to the top of the handrail.
13. The skirting at the stairs shall match the design found at the porch.
14. That the stair treads shall be 5/4” x 12 (recommended) or 2x12 and bull-nosed on 3 sides and overhang the risers 1 1/2”. Installation of a ¾” PVC cove or treated wood cove to be installed under stair overhang/lip overhang around all 3 sides and coped at the ends. Pressure treated wood (not white pine) or composite material is acceptable for the treads. Rot resistant wood shall be used for the remaining stair construction.
15. All materials shall be of rot resistant wood.
16. All materials shall be primed and painted.
17. All other details shall match staff’s recommended sketch.
James Carrigan (contractor) was present for tonight’s discussion.
Motion made by Committee Member Crist to approve the COA with staff’s recommendations. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Roxworthy.
The motion passed unanimously (6-0).
510 Douglas Avenue – Restoration of Original Siding and Missing Architectural Features
The applicant has submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to restore the cedar clapboard siding on the house and replace any missing architectural features. The house was formerly clad with aluminum siding.
Staff conducted a site assessment on April 16, 2021. At that time the substitute siding was removed. It was found that the existing cedar clapboards were in good condition with select areas in need of replacement. Other missing elements include a shortened and widened first floor north elevation window; shortened and widened rear, west elevation window; missing drip edge at water table; some missing cornerboards with tear drop molding; missing bedmolding at freizeboard; missing crown molding above windows with window trim that were altered; and shortened entrance door trim at south porch.
The existing second story egress exit at the NE corner of the property is to remain. Powerwashing or any other abrasive cleaning and removal process is not permitted.
Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications:
Wood Siding
A. Should be repaired rather than replaced, if original. If replacement is necessary, wood siding and shingles should be replaced with new cement board or shingles to match the original in size, placement, and design. Wood that has been concealed beneath synthetic sidings such as aluminum, asbestos, or vinyl should be repaired and the synthetic sidings removed. Following the removal of synthetic sidings the original siding should be repaired to match the original, caulked and painted. If the "ghosts" or outlines of decorative missing features are revealed, these should generally be replicated and reinstalled. If these features are not replaced they should be recorded through photographs or drawings for future replication.
B. Should be insulated if the addition of the insulation does not result in alterations to the siding. The creation of plugs or holes for blown-in insulation is not acceptable.
C. Should have original asbestos shingles kept stained or painted. If asbestos shingle siding is deteriorated or poses a health hazard, it may be removed and replaced with wood or other substitute siding. Removal of asbestos siding should follow hazardous material guidelines.
D. Should not be concealed beneath synthetic materials such as vinyl, masonite, or aluminum, if original. Original siding should also not be concealed beneath wood based materials such as particle board, gyp board, or press board. These materials generally do not possess textures or designs which closely match original wood siding. However, if more than 50% of the original siding material is damaged beyond repair, or missing, substitute materials may be applied if the following conditions are met:
a. the existing damaged siding materials are removed prior to the installation of substitute materials;
b. Vinyl material is not permissible. Rather, cement board is and should be smooth without knots and be accented with trim
c. Finger jointed board stock is acceptable, however, natural continuous board stock is preferable for use as siding.
The application of these materials must not result in the concealment of or removal of original decorative detailing or trim including window and door surrounds. However, if no trim or surrounds exist then new wood trim in the form of fascia, corner boards, base boards, molding and windows should be installed.
Substitute materials should match the dimensions of the original wood siding as closely as possible. The cement board should abut the wood trim and be caulked to prevent moisture damage.
Paint Removal and Surface Preparation
A. Should be performed by manual scraping or by using appropriate chemical removers. A paint shaver may be used, but with caution so as to avoid removal of wood siding.
B. Should be performed cautiously when removing paint through heat plates or heat guns to avoid unnecessary damage to the wood through charring or fire.
C. Should not be removed by abrasive techniques such as sand or water blasting since this can damage the wood and introduce moisture into the building.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness as submitted and with the following conditions:
Siding and Spot Replacement of Architectural Elements
1. Damaged siding shall be repaired, epoxy preferred
2. Nail holes must be patched with putty, epoxy preferred.
3. New siding shall be installed only as necessary, weaved into existing siding, with replacements-in-kind (no. 1 cedar) to match the original clapboards in profile, size, design and exposure.
4. Areas where blown in installation caused holes in the siding shall be plugged and wood filler/epoxy used to smooth out the cut areas so that the holes are not noticeable.
5. All replacement wood material for trim shall be no. 2 or better, cedar and installed smooth side out.
6. All deteriorated or missing trim boards, drip edge, sills, crown molding, cornerboards that are beyond repair/missing shall match the existing in kind (size, profile, design) or match the profiles of ghost lines, if missing.
7. The aluminum shall be removed from all windows.
8. Entire home shall be prepped, primed and painted.
Windows
1. The first floor windows at the north elevation shall be removed. A new single, double hung window installed in the original window opening shall be installed with design, trim and details to match 2nd floor north window as close as possible.
2. The new window shall be wood or aluminum-clad wood windows with the approved sash dimensions: 3” bottom rail, 2” stiles, 2” top rail and 1” meeting rail.
3. The trim shall match the trim at the 2nd floor north elevation window.
4. Sills that need to be replaced shall have a minimum of a 5 degree slope; 7 degree slope is preferred as long as the exterior appearance of the sill remains as close as possible to the original sills. Sills to be of treated wood (kiln dry wood preferred) or cedar.
5. Wood windows shall be restored including new ropes, weather stripping, locks if needed, and use of wood epoxy and filler if needed.
6. All windows to be prepped, primed and painted.
1. All other specifications shall match call outs in the included photographs.
Filemon and Maria Velazquez (owners), Filemon Velazques, Jr. (owner’s son), Derek Skubisz (contactor) were present for tonight’s discussion.
Despite reviewing staff’s comments ahead of the meeting, the owners requested the commission to remove the entirety of the existing siding and install fiber cement board siding. Staff noted that when she assessed the siding on April 16, 2021, that there was not enough damaged wood to constitute 50% and therefore, the existing wood siding would need to be spot replace and repaired. The owners stated that the siding was more than 50% damaged.
The Commission noted that this request needs to be tabled so that two commissioners can visit the property along with staff to assess the siding with the property owners. They asked staff to organize the meeting.
Motion made by Committee Member Hunter to table the COA application, due to additional information needed.
The motion was seconded by Committee Member Crist.
The motion passed unanimously (6-0).
OTHER
None
Tabled Items
819 N. Grove Avenue - Pergola
Staff Comments
2021 Mayor’s Awards will be held on Tuesday, May 4th and can be seen live on the City’s Facebook page.
ADJOURNMENT:
Motion to adjourn was made by Committee Member Savel.
The motion was seconded by Committee Member Crist.
The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting of the Design Review Subcommittee was adjourned at 6:42p.m.
https://www.cityofelgin.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7314
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