City of Burlington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes: August 5, 2015

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1 City of Burlington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes: August 5, 2015 The City of Burlington Historic Preservation Commission held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 7:00 PM in the City Hall Complex, 525 High Street, Burlington, NJ. 1. Introduction: The meeting was called to order at 7:30. Vice Chairman William Buehrig opened the meeting and Commission Secretary Cindy Crivaro introduced procedures of the Historic Preservation Commission. Vice Chair Buehrig then led the Pledge of Allegiance; Secretary Cindy Crivaro conducted the Roll Call. 2. Roll Call vote: Present: Vice Chairman William Buehrig and Commissioners Elizabeth Baird, Milton Smith and William Stewart. Chairman Chancellor Van Sciver and Commissioners Doris Johnston, Emma Jean Morgan, Ivan Pawlenko and Brian White were absent. Also present: Commission Secretary Cindy Crivaro and Historic Preservation Consultant Margaret Newman. 3. Consideration of Minutes: Vice Chairman William Buehrig asked if the Commissioners had reviewed the minutes from July Because all of the commissioners present had missed the previous meeting, the minutes were tabled for review at the next meeting. 4. Applications: HPC Application : Repaint the exterior trim, windows, front door, side stucco and siding, etc. Owner/Applicant: Denise Hollingsworth Site: 321 E. Union Street, Block 126, Lot 37 Designation: Contributing, Burlington City Municipal Historic District a. Description of the Property: 321 East Union Street is one half of a pair of once identical Italianate houses built between 1874 and The house is three stories tall and three bays wide, with a shallow, side-gabled roof. The double leaf door is in the right-hand bay. The two over two wood windows have shallow arches, stone lintels and sills, etc. The building sits on a raised stone foundation and is set back from the street behind a small front garden. This is protected by an ornate iron fence that then connects with the new decorative wood fence along the side alley leading to the back garden. I visited the site on July 28. b. Documents Submitted: 1

2 A completed application, including a description of the proposed work, photographs of the house, a sketch showing the proposed colors at a typical window, and color samples, was provided on July 21, c. Scope of work proposed by applicant: The applicant proposes to repaint the house (except for the brick walls and stone base) using Sherwin Williams colors. She proposes to use Salute and Dapper Tan and Buff for the front door; Buff for the wood lintels and sills; Peppercorn for the storm windows; Salute for the window sash; Buff for the cornice; and, Buff and Salute for the corbels. The stucco and siding were to be painted Peppercorn. These colors are different from those proposed in the application. d. Discussion/ Public Comment Ms. Hollingsworth was sworn in and introduced the project including the changes in colors as well as the switch from Benjamin Moore colors to Sherwin Williams colors. She began with a description of the door colors, then the window, then the cornice and finally the stucco and siding. With the windows, Commissioner Smith stated that when walking by, he noticed some deterioration of the wood sills and lintels and mentioned wood consolidation as an option for repair. Ms. Hollingsworth said that wood repair was a part of the painter s scope of work. With the siding and stucco, Commissioner Smith expressed concern that the dark color would fade as it is proposed for a southeast elevation. There followed a general discussion of the issues with painting the stucco per the report by the Historic Preservation Consultant Mr. Hatch and the need to ensure that the chemistry of the paint was compatible with the stucco. Ms. Hollingsworth stated that the stucco is stained and looks tired. She wants its appearance improved to match the rest of the house. Commissioner Baird suggested power washing with low pressure water. Smith reiterated the need for low pressure and a gentle detergent. Although Ms. Hollingsworth said she has power washed before and it hasn t really helped, she agreed to try it and to paint the rear siding to match the resulting stucco color, likely Dapper Tan which will look nice with the Buff cornice and Salute at the windows. There followed a discussion of gutters. Ms. Hollingsworth stated that she found out that the half round gutters are twice as expensive as the K style. Commissioners Smith and Buehrig recommended half round in the historic district. e. Commission Decision Commissioner Baird made a motion to approve the application with corrections with the approved Sherwin Williams colors to be: for the door, Salute, Dapper Tan and Buff ; Salute for the window sash; Buff for the wood lintels and sills; Buff for the cornice and Buff and Salute for the corbels. Following power washing and once the stucco is thoroughly dry, the siding will be painted to match it, likely in Dapper Tan or a color on that 2

3 same color strip. Per Commissioner Buehrig, the storm windows are to be Peppercorn. Commissioner Stewart seconded. Vote: 4-0 in favor. f. The Historic Preservation Commission has made its recommendations for the following reasons: The Commission believes that the proposed colors will have a positive impact on the historic character of the Historic District. HPC Application : Repaint the exterior, install new windows, fence and air conditioning units. Owner/ Applicant: Seth Kramer Site: 30 East Union Street, Bock 135, Lot 56. Designation: Contributing, Burlington City Municipal Historic District a. Description of the Property: 30 East Union Street is a three story, three bay, side-gabled, wood frame rowhouse covered with wood siding. There is a rear, two story wing. The front windows are double hung, six over six, wood windows. There are two front doors, and a larger window in the center, previously a storefront. The house is attached on the left side and has a narrow alley on the right. b. Documents Submitted: A completed application, including a description of the proposed work, cut sheets, a sketch of the proposed windows, a site survey and photographs of the house, was provided on July 20, c. Scope of work proposed by applicant: The applicant proposes to repaint the front of the house using Benjamin Moore colors. Bone Black (a relatively light gray) is proposed for the siding. A second color is indicated on the sample sheet ( Gunsmith Gray, a somewhat darker gray), but the application doesn t state where this is proposed. The applicant also intends to install two new windows in the large front opening, install new fencing (presumably at the rear) and install new AC condensing units (presumable also at the rear). d. Discussion/ Public Comment Mr. Kramer was sworn in and explained that he and recently purchased the property, four months ago, and has not yet undertaken any work. The new vinyl windows and siding were installed by the previous owner, answering Question 5 of Mr. Hatch s report. Mr. Kramer then discussed the new windows to be installed in the center opening on the façade. He stated that the current opening is only 18 off the sidewalk. He feels this is dangerous and could lead to broken windows. Because of this, he would like to reduce the opening, raising the bottom an additional 12 off the sidewalk. This is a change from his application. He is proposing 2, 3 by 5 sash with clapboard infill below. The clapboard will 3

4 match the existing, 5 cedar siding. He would be matching the height of other windows on Union Street. A discussion followed about the history of the building and its previous uses. Commissioner Baird suggested Mr. Kramer go to the Historical Society to look at old postcards to get a better idea of how it looked. She believes the current configuration is probably the third. She wondered about the height of the windows on High Street. Mr. Kramer stated that they varied. Commissioner Smith suggested a fixed transom at the top of the opening may look nice. Commissioner Stewart wondered if there were additional approvals required, like from the planning board, to reduce an opening. Mr. Smith suggested that if it is agreed that the current opening size can be reduced, a way of marking its existence would be to trim it out and embed this within the clapboard and thus show the historic evolution of the opening. Commissioner Stewart felt a sympathetic solution could be worked out between Mr. Kramer and Mr. Hatch that is both historically sensitive and provides protection of the windows. Commissioner Baird agreed. Mr. Kramer asked if the new windows need to be all wood or are clad sash acceptable. The Commissioners stated wood was necessary but Commissioner Baird stated that a composite wood sash like those approved by the National Park Service may be acceptable. Mr. Kramer should work with Mr. Hatch on this. Mr. Kramer stated that his Yankee gutters are no longer working. He did not include this in his application. Mr. Kramer stated that the building had been neglected for a long time. Although it now has a new roof, the center of the roof framing has sagged so there is no longer enough pitch in the roof to funnel the water to the gutter. Mr. Buehrig suggested he talk to his contractor who has helped him with his own gutter. Mr. Kramer agreed he would like to repair the gutter if he can but asked for permission to install half rounds if as he fears, the gutter can t be made to work. The Commissioners requested he discuss this further with Mr. Hatch. There were discussions about the color choices which are different from his application. Two choices were proposed for both the door and windows. After much back and forth the colors were decided: Benjamin Moore Storm Cloud Gray for the siding, Benjamin Moore Townsend Harbor Brown for the door, Behr Swiss Coffee for the sash and casing. All agreed. Mr. Kramer said the air conditioner units will be installed on the existing concrete pads at the rear of the property and will be hidden by a stockade fence which will be painted or stained. Commissioner Baird confirmed the need for the fencing to be breathable and lockable. Mr. Kramer stated that the fence was installed jointly by him and his neighbor, the owner of the art gallery. Mr. Kramer stated that ramp will be installed on the existing footings and will be all wood with wood balustrade per the photographs. The included architectural drawings were provided for dimensions and height but it will not be metal; it will be wood per the 4

5 photographs. Commissioner Smith recommended metal plates be installed at both the beginning and end of the ramp to ensure smooth access and egress. e. Commission Decision Commissioner Stewart made a motion to approve the change in colors as discussed, to have Mr. Kramer work with Mr. Hatch to come up with an acceptable solution for the windows, to accept the fence, to approve the installation of the AC units with stockade fence to be painted the same color as the siding, to approve the ramp as shown in the photos and asked Mr. Kramer to work with Mr. Hatch to repair the Yankee gutter. If the gutter cannot be repaired, Mr. Kramer is approved for the installation of a half-round new gutter. Commissioner Baird seconded. Vote: 4-0, all in favor. f. The Historic Preservation Commission has made its recommendations for the following reasons: The Commission believes that the proposed work will not have a negative impact on the historic character of the building and the Historic District. 5. Old Business: a. None. 6. New Business: a. None 7. Correspondence: a. None. 8. Public Comment: a. NA 9. Adjournment: a. Commissioner Stewart made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Commissioner Baird seconded. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM. Respectfully submitted on August 11, 2015 by Margaret Newman, historic preservation consultant to the Burlington City Historic Preservation Commission. 5