Delaware Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - October 29, 2025

The Historic Preservation Commission met at 6:34 p.m. on October 29, 2025, in City Hall Council Chambers. The commission welcomed a new member, approved the July 23, 2025 motion summary, acted on a Certificate of Appropriateness for 4 North Sandusky Street, and began review of a proposal for 59 East William Street.

Roll Call and Welcome

• Present: Lou Crognale, Mr. Fagan, Councilman Ryder, and Chair Riviera. Mr. Bolton and Vice Chair Smiles were excused; Crognale abstained on the motion to excuse them.
• The commission welcomed new member Louis (Lou) Crognale, a North Liberty Street resident who said he has a vested interest in preserving the city's historic character.

Consent Calendar

• The July 23, 2025 motion summary/minutes were approved unanimously by the voting members present: Crognale, Fagan, Ryder, and Chair Riviera all voted yes.

Discussion Item: 2025-3405 - 4 North Sandusky Street

• Staff presented a request by Stephen P. Hartman LLC for a Certificate of Appropriateness for storefront renovations at 4 North Sandusky Street. The building, constructed in 1882, is in the Downtown Core of the Downtown Historic District Overlay. The agenda lists the zoning as B-2 (Central Business District); staff referred to the newer C DC/downtown commercial district designation.
• The proposal includes cleaning and mortar work, reconfiguring the storefront entrance from the current central inset entrance to a right-side entrance, wood-framed windows, painting, exposed transoms, gooseneck lighting, and no immediate awning. Staff recommended approval with standard conditions, with future work (rear deck, south elevation side windows) deferred to a later application.
• Applicant Stephen Hartman said some paint colors (Golden Gate green, Seal Skin, and possibly Iron Ore) are already on the building; he also discussed installing vintage-style tile and rebuilding stairways to upper floors that were removed around 1920. He said an awning would be left to a future tenant.
• Commissioners asked about the scope of review and the 'significant revisions' condition. Staff clarified that moving the entrance door, for example, would require commission review, whereas minor changes such as paint color or light fixture style could be approved administratively by the HPC chair unless the chair decided to send it back to the full commission. A commissioner requested updated architectural drawings be reviewed with the building department for current code and accessibility requirements.
• Motion to approve with staff conditions carried unanimously: Crognale yes, Fagan yes, Ryder yes, and Chair Riviera yes.

Discussion Item: 2025-3655 - 59 East William Street

• Staff began presenting a request by Regan Flinn for a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior renovations at 59 East William Street, zoned R-NX (Neighborhood Mixed Residential District) in the Residential Subdistrict of the Downtown Historic District Overlay.
• The building is Italianate, associated with the Bixby family and Sarah Moore, subdivided into apartments in the 1950s, and purchased by the applicant in September 2025 with plans to return it to a single-family home. The transcript is cut off during the staff presentation, and no commission discussion, public comment, or vote for this item is recorded in the provided source.

Staff Comments

• Agenda item: The commission noted a Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant Application submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office/Ohio History Connection for a proposed Architectural Standards Update. No discussion of this item appears in the available transcript.

Key Outcomes

• The July 23, 2025 motion summary was approved.
• COA 2025-3405 was approved with staff conditions; the certificate was to be issued in about a week, allowing permit work to proceed.
• No decision is recorded for COA 2025-3655 in the provided transcript.
• The next meeting was scheduled for November 19, 2025.