Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - November 9, 2023
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Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - November 9, 2023
The City of Frederick Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) met on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 6:00 PM in City Hall. The meeting included a public hearing, approval of minutes, an administrative report, a consent item, and a workshop on a proposed rehabilitation project at 337 S. Market Street. Commissioners unanimously approved the consent agenda and provided extensive guidance on the workshop case.
Consent Calendar
- HPC22-495 – 15 W. Church Street (Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ): Approved unanimously to construct a columbarium. The scope of work, product literature, drawings, and renderings were accepted as submitted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public offered comments or requested removal of items from the consent agenda.
Discussion Items
- Administrative Approval Report: Staff reported that 22 administrative approval applications were processed in October 2023.
- Workshop – HPC23-1136, 337 S. Market Street (Bruce Serio, applicant): The applicant proposed a comprehensive rehabilitation including painting, shutter repair/replacement, masonry repairs, window replacement, front door replacement, rear porch addition, dormer addition, and HVAC installation. The Commission discussed each element:
- Scraping and painting: No HPC approval needed for painting currently painted brick, trim, or metal roof.
- Masonry repairs: Applicant confirmed a mason lined up for tuckpointing and brick repair; staff will review for administrative approval.
- Shutters: Upper shutters to be repaired; lower shutters to be replaced with salvaged matching shutters from Habitat for Humanity. Staff to review administratively.
- Front door: Existing door is not original and appears to be a rear door. Applicant found a 1840s six-panel door with two upper lights as a potential replacement. Commissioners preferred a solid panel or paneled door without glass lights, given the existing transom. The replacement door must fit the opening properly.
- Windows: The three front windows have been altered to one-over-one. Commission supported replacing them with six-over-six simulated divided-light Marvin windows to match the streetscape, as the original windows have been significantly altered. Staff noted that documentation of the windows' condition is still needed.
- Rear porch addition (post-1960 infill): The Commission favored a single door flanked by two windows over a French door option. HardiePlank or LP siding was acceptable for siding replacement. The porch should be reduced in depth (10×12 proposed) and include a roof to mimic a traditional porch. Four-by-four wood posts, a traditional railing detail, and a galvanized standing seam metal roof were recommended. A 10-light door was preferred for the rear entry, and a half-light door without muntins for the basement level.
- Dormer: A shed roof dormer on the rear slope was supported for egress. The Commission requested product information for the casement window (likely Marvin) and details on cheek materials.
- Other items: Antenna removal, new gutters, chimney cap, and ground-mounted HVAC can be approved administratively. A plumbing vent location was noted.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Item Approved: HPC22-495 (columbarium) passed unanimously.
- Workshop Case Scheduled: The applicant will submit revised plans and documentation by December 4, 2023 for the December 14, 2023 hearing. Staff will coordinate administrative approvals for eligible items (scraping, shutters, masonry, chimney, HVAC, antenna removal, etc.).
- No votes were taken on the workshop case; the Commission provided guidance for the applicant to refine the proposal.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Welcome to the Thursday, November 9th, 2023 session of the City of Frederick Historic Preservation Commission. 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 board of Alderman and the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilit 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. I begin with introductions. On my left, the audience is right. We have filling in for our administrative assistant. We um the manager of community planning and urban design, Brandon Mark, and we have Commissioners Blair Wilson, Eva Soller, myself, Commissioner Robert Van Renz, Commissioners Paul Fitzgerald Ann Hart, and then Historic Preservation Planner Christina Martin Koske, Assistant City Attorney Michael Fry, and Aldermanic liaison Donica Zomczek. Anyone who has business before the commission this evening, please rise and be sworn in. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the response is given and statements made in this hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission will be the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If so, answer I do. Thank you. Please be seated. 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 the cultural, social, economic, political, archaeological, or architectural history to stabilize and improve property values of such sites, structures or district, 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 such an 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. It is presumed if a commissioner makes no statement at this time that they have done so and are prepared to vote on the agenda this evening. That being said, are there any commissioners with statements of eligibility? Seeing none, let's move on. I I do have one actually. No, those have been processed based on the commission's findings at the last meeting. All right, thank you. All right. Um let's move on to approval of minutes. Minutes from the October 26th, 2023 hearing. Commissioners, any need for any questions or need for corrections in those minutes. All right, can I get a motion? I'll move that we approve the hearing minutes from the Historic Preservation Commission meeting held on October 26, 2023. I'll second. All right. All in favor, please raise your hand. All right, that passes unanimously. Thank you. All right, moving on to HPC business. Uh the administrative approval report. Ms. Martin Koskey. Yes, uh, at this time I'll just want to note that uh 22 uh administrative approval uh re excuse me, administrative approval applications were processed uh last month. Thank you. All right. And then moving on. Oh, and we so the next item there was withdrawn. So moving on to the consent agenda. HPC 22-495 15 West Church Street. Ms. Martin Koske. So this is um a yes or no yes or no vote uh without need for further disc uh uh discussion. Um and it's to uh seek approval for 15 West Church Street to uh construct a uh column callumbarium um the materials that are uh requested to be approved as the written scope of work, the product literature, drawings and rendering some photographs of existing conditions that was provided to the commission.
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