Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - May 25, 2023
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Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - May 25, 2023
The City of Frederick Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) convened on May 25, 2023, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The commission considered a consent item, two regular cases, and a zoning map amendment for a historic preservation overlay. All votes were unanimous. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner Carrie Alby, though the agenda lists Robert Van Rens as Chair.
Consent Calendar
- HPC23-425: 212 E. 5th Street – Synthetic slate roof (applicant Derek Jubach, agent Mitch Earle). Approved unanimously without objection.
Cases to Be Heard
HPC23-81: 17 S. Carroll Street – Painted Sign
- Staff (Christina Martinkosky) reported the application sought approval to paint a commercial sign on a brick masonry wall. The guidelines generally prohibit painted signs on masonry, but staff recommended a deviation because the building has historic and non-historic painted signs, and the sign would not affect the streetscape. The applicant, Alison Hegamyer, noted a similar sign was approved in 2018. Public comment was none. Commissioners supported the deviation, citing the industrial history and the sign's low visibility. Motion to approve as proposed was unanimous.
HPC23-253: 17 W. 2nd Street – Repointing with Mechanical Equipment
- Applicant Gareth Frank, owner, sought to use a mechanical grinder for repointing. Staff recommended approval with conditions: use lime-based mortar (with optional Portland cement up to 1:1:3 ratio), hand tools only on the front elevation, mechanical grinder limited to chimney and roof line on the side, and mortar must match existing in color, texture, and tooling. Applicant accepted conditions. No public comments. Motion to approve with conditions was unanimous.
HPC23-437ZMA: 401 Rosemont Avenue – Strawn Cottage Historic Preservation Overlay
- This was an HPC-initiated application for a historic preservation overlay zoning map amendment on Strawn Cottage, a building on Hood College campus. The HPC had voted to initiate the application at an April 27, 2023 hearing following a demolition request. Staff (Lisa Mroszczyk Murphy) presented extensive research, arguing the property meets designation criteria 1 and 4A as a purpose-built domestic science practice house, the first in Maryland, and retains sufficient integrity. The proposed boundary was 0.47 acres.
- Owner representatives (Ian Rollins, attorney, with Hood College officials) opposed the overlay, arguing the building has been substantially altered (enclosed porches, rear addition), suffered $105,000+ water damage, and no longer retains historical integrity. They also cited the college's financial constraints and argued the college is a good steward.
- Public comment: Brian Slagle, a neighbor, spoke in favor of designation, expressing concerns about future campus plans and piecemeal changes.
- Discussion: Commissioners debated the boundary. Commissioner Hart suggested including the extant lawn on the west and south sides. Commissioner Fitzgerald suggested reducing the southern boundary from 60 to 45 feet, but later withdrew. The commission voted unanimously to send a positive recommendation to the Planning Commission and Board of Aldermen, with the boundary revised to incorporate the extant lawn on the west and south sides.
Key Outcomes
- Approved HPC23-425 (consent) unanimously.
- Approved HPC23-81 with deviation, unanimous.
- Approved HPC23-253 with conditions, unanimous.
- Recommended approval of HPC23-437ZMA with revised boundary (incorporating west and south lawn) to the Planning Commission and Board of Aldermen, unanimous.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I would like to call to order the May 11th hearing of uh not the 11th, the May 25th hearing of the City of Frederick Historic Preservation Commission. Should you require a listening device, please see Ms. Piles to your right. The technical qualifications of the Commission and the staff are on file with the City of Frederick and are made a part of each and every case before the Commission. The Frederick City Historic Preservation Commission uses the guidelines adopted by the mayor and the board of aldermen and the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation, published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and these guidelines are made a part of each and every case. All cases were duly advertised in the Frederick News Post in accordance with Section 301 of the Land Management Code. At this time, I would like to introduce the Commissioners and City staff. And I'm noting Miss Piles is not here, so I'm guessing Mr. Mark, will you be standing in? Excellent. Brandon Mark, Division Manager of Community Planning and Urban Design to your right. Then we have Commissioners Eva Sower, Paul Fitzgerald, myself Carrie Alby, Rob Van Rens, and Ann Hart, and City Staff, Historic Preservation Planners, Lisa Morazick Murphy, Christina Martin Koskey, and Assistant City Attorney, Mr. Michael Frye. All applicants and authorized agents and members of the public who wish to speak tonight must be sworn in. Please stand if you are able. Thank you. It is the purpose of the Historic Preservation Commission to safeguard the historical and cultural heritage of the City of Frederick by preserving sites, structures, or districts that reflect elements of cultural, social, economic, political, archaeological, or architectural history, to stabilize and improve property values of such sites, structures or districts, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy, and to promote the preservation and appreciation of such sites, structures, and districts for the education and welfare of the residents of the City of Frederick. In order to be eligible to vote on an application, a commissioner must have made the required site visit and attended any and all meetings at which that application was discussed. In the event that a commissioner is absent from any such meeting, the commissioner may satisfy the attendance requirement by reviewing the record of that meeting. In the absence of a statement of eligibility from a commissioner, it will be assumed that they have met the requirements to vote. That being said, are there any commissioners with statements of eligibility? Okay. Seeing none, we'll move on to our agenda. Ums Morozick Murphy, do we have any announcements today? Okay, no announcements. All right. Um then we will move on to the approval of the May 11th, 2023 hearing and workshop minutes. Uh Commissioners, are there any revisions or um would someone like to make a motion? Okay. I will move that the commission approve the May 11th, 2023 hearing and workshop minutes. Is there a second? I'll second. Seconded by Commissioner Hart. Any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, please raise your hand. And that is unanimous. Moving on to HPC business. Uh Ms. Morozick Murphy, any business this evening? No business items. Excellent. Moving on to consent items. Um, beginning with HPC 23-425 regarding the property at 212 East Fifth Street. Um, are there any commissioners or members of the public that wish for this item to be removed from the consent agenda this evening? I'll start with commissioners. Okay, seeing none, any members of the public. Okay. Um with that, I will move that um the commission approve the consent agenda um primarily HPC 23 425, the property at 212 East Fifth Street.
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