Delaware Historic Preservation Commission Meeting – October 21, 2026

The Delaware Historic Preservation Commission met on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Chair Riviera called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers; the agenda listed a 6:30 p.m. start. Present were Chair Riviera and Commissioners Smiles, Crognell, Watts, and Cole. The commission excused two councilmen by unanimous roll-call vote, approved the June 24, 2026 motion summary, and then considered two Certificate of Appropriateness requests.

Consent Calendar

• Motion Summary of the June 24, 2026 Historic Preservation Commission meeting: approved unanimously by roll-call vote.

Discussion Items

• Case 2026-3465 – 18 North Sandusky Street (October Ventures LLC): Staff reported that the mid-1800s building is a contributing structure in the downtown historic district, zoned downtown commercial, with prior Certificates of Appropriateness for front facade work in 2023 and rear facade work in 2024. The applicant proposed repainting the 1968 addition's painted cement block walls Roycroft bronze green to match the front; installing horizontal wood panels in American oak; installing two 60-inch-diameter externally illuminated acrylic signs and a rear door/window decal; and constructing a metal dumpster enclosure matching the building. Staff stated the proposed signs are smaller than the existing signs and would replace cabinet signs, which are not permitted downtown. Staff recommended approval with conditions, including an easement agreement with the adjacent property owner before installing the dumpster enclosure. Applicant representatives Liz Household Collins and Christopher Collins answered commissioner questions about paint coverage and sign visibility from the adjacent parking lot. The commission approved the request with staff conditions unanimously (5-0).

• Case 2026-3719 – 6 North Sandusky Street (6 North Sandusky St LLC): Staff presented a request to replace six front (west elevation) windows and five rear (east elevation) windows, plus two alternates: replacing two additional front windows, and replacing one existing window and one second-floor door on the east elevation. The mid-1800s building is a contributing structure in the downtown historic district. Existing windows are deteriorated and some have been boarded up. The proposed replacements are Pella Traditional aluminum-clad wood windows in matte gray, preserving the limestone sills, headers, and masonry. Staff noted the alternates depend on agreements with adjacent property owners because of shared ownership, and recommended approval of all three requests with conditions, including coordination with the building official to ensure code compliance. Applicant representatives Tom Batcher and Matt Toddy answered questions, including confirming the door is aluminum clad and that one shortened window would keep its current rough opening. The commission approved the primary request and both alternates with the recommended conditions unanimously (5-0).

Staff Comments & Discussion

• Staff distributed the newest draft of the architectural standards and said the project consultant will appear at the November 18, 2026 meeting. Commissioner comments are due by Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Final adoption of the standards and updates to zoning code Chapter 1115 is planned after the consultant engagement ends in late November.
• In response to commissioner questions, staff explained that the architectural standards had not been fully updated since the late 1990s, were not user-friendly or specifically numbered, and the city had just completed an 18-month zoning code update. A $25,000 Certified Local Governments grant from the State Historic Preservation Office is funding the consultant. Staff also said the state must sign off on the design guidelines, the city recertifies every two years, there is no current centralized case tracking, and the grant was extended until mid-2027.

Key Outcomes

• 2026-3465: Approved unanimously (5-0) with staff conditions; the dumpster enclosure easement agreement must be in place before installation.
• 2026-3719: Approved unanimously (5-0) for the primary window replacement and both alternates, with conditions requiring property-owner agreements before proceeding with the alternates.
• Staff will issue the official Certificates of Appropriateness before the end of the week or early the following week.
• Next regular meeting: November 18, 2026. The meeting was adjourned unanimously.