Historic Preservation Commission Hearing and Workshop - April 10, 2025
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Historic Preservation Commission Hearing and Workshop - April 10, 2025
The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) met on April 10, 2025, at 6:00 PM in City Hall, Frederick, Maryland, to conduct a public hearing and workshop. Commissioners Paul Fitzgerald (acting chair), Alyssa Fortune, and Ann Hart were present, along with staff from the Division of Historic Preservation. The meeting covered minutes approval, administrative reports, tax credit certification, and five hearing cases, followed by a workshop on two cases for a property at 200 E. Patrick Street. Key topics included partial demolition, additions, rehabilitation, and a pergola installation.
Announcements
- Staff announced a special event, "Digging Local," exploring local archaeological investigations, to be held on April 28, 2025, at 7:30 PM in the community room at the C. Burr Artz Library, in partnership with the Maryland Room.
Approval of Minutes
- The minutes from the March 27, 2025, hearing and workshop were approved as amended (3-0). Amendments included correcting a speaker name (Paul Fitzgerald, not Paul Hart) in the hearing minutes, and several textual corrections in the workshop minutes: changing "one tenth square foot" to "110 square feet," modifying bullet eight to clarify the original footprint, and adding a statement about the basement area way railing in bullet 15.
HPC Business
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Administrative Approval Report: Staff reviewed and approved 18 applications administratively during the past month. Commissioner Hart requested clarification on line 11 (HPC25-58, a pergola and yard modifications at 32 E. Third Street), confirming that the pergola was being added, not removed. The report was accepted.
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Certification of 2024 Historic Preservation Property Tax Credits (Group I): Staff presented the first batch of nine tax credit applications, representing an investment of $139,406.10 and a recommended credit of $28,592.78. The commission certified the batch (3-0), forwarding it to the Director of Finance. Remaining applications will be submitted in subsequent groups.
Hearing Cases
HPC25-53: 203A W. South Street – Partial Demolition
- Applicant/Agent: Jon Schoeller, represented by Brian Bradfield.
- Proposal: Demolition of approximately 110 square feet of exterior brick wall on the first-floor rear elevation and the 1940s second-floor addition, to allow for a new addition.
- Staff Recommendation: Approve demolition of the 1940s addition (non-contributing), but not support demolition of the first-story rear elevation, citing guidelines requiring access to additions via existing doors. The demolition would require a deviation.
- Commission Discussion: Commissioner Fitzgerald expressed concern about the loss of historic fabric, referencing a prior case with a smaller opening. Commissioners Hart and Fortune supported the deviation, noting the retained corner walls and foundation preserve the original footprint, and the demolition does not compromise the streetscape or surrounding properties.
- Vote: Motion to approve the demolition (including second-floor addition and first-floor wall opening) with the condition that demolition only proceed upon approval of a replacement plan. Passed 2-1 (Commissioners Fortune and Hart in favor; Commissioner Fitzgerald opposed).
HPC25-55: 203A W. South Street – Addition (Replacement Plan)
- Proposal: A two-story rear addition (approx. 14 ft wide x 16 ft deep) as the replacement plan for the demolition.
- Staff Recommendation: Approve with conditions, noting the design is sympathetic, materials (HardiePlank, Pella wood windows, metal railing) are appropriate, and the balcony now includes a roof overhang.
- Commission Decision: Approved (3-0) with a condition to update product literature for the transom dimensions (D331-2025) for staff review.
HPC25-56: 111 E. Second Street – Rehabilitation
- Applicant: Daniel Cassidy (homeowner).
- Proposal: Remove an existing retaining wall and reinstall with salvaged stone from the primary dwelling; replace concrete steps with granite and concrete walkway with brick. The iron fence was removed from the scope.
- Staff Recommendation: Approve; the project improves material quality and aesthetic connection to the house.
- Commission Decision: Approved (3-0).
HPC25-60: 426 N. Maxwell Avenue – Pergola Installation
- Applicant: Doug Keeports (homeowner).
- Proposal: Install a 13 ft x 13 ft white aluminum pergola on a flat roof behind a penthouse/stairwell, minimally visible from the street. The property is a non-contributing resource (built 2024).
- Staff Recommendation: Approve; structure is minimally visible and consistent with guidelines.
- Commission Decision: Approved (3-0).
HPC25-64: 420 N. Market Street – Siding Replacement
- Applicant: David Schulman, represented by Zachary Lord (contractor).
- Proposal: Replace deteriorating siding on a 2005 non-contributing garage with smooth HardiePlank lap siding and trim.
- Staff Recommendation: Approve; the product is an acceptable alternative for non-historic structures.
- Commission Decision: Approved (3-0).
Workshop Agenda (No Final Votes)
HPC25-67 & HPC25-68: 200 E. Patrick Street – Partial Demolition and Rehabilitation
- Applicant/Agent: 200 E. Patrick St, LLC, represented by Clifford Bates and Garrett Sheefer (Bates Architects).
- Proposal: Partial demolition includes removal of an interior chimney (likely non-original), roof structure (poorly designed drainage causing damage), existing areaway stairs, and paint removal on the south elevation via chemical stripper. Rehabilitation includes new concrete areaway stairs and metal door, new roof structure with drainage and roof hatch, masonry repair, and lintel installation for previously approved storefronts.
- Discussion: The commission discussed the chimney's lack of significance, the roof's structural issues (documented in an engineer's report), the areaway widening for code compliance, and the paint removal test patch (to be confirmed by staff). For the rehabilitation, the roof hatch and railing are set back and likely not visible; masonry repair needs a detailed scope for major areas. The applicant will provide additional product literature and masonry repair details.
- Next Steps: The demolition portion (HPC25-67) will be reviewed at the April 24, 2025, hearing, with the goal of a final vote. Rehabilitation (HPC25-68) will be considered at the May 8, 2025, hearing. Updates are due by April 21, 2025.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes from March 27, 2025, as amended (3-0).
- Accepted administrative approval report for 18 applications.
- Certified Group I (9 applications) of the 2024 Historic Preservation Property Tax Credits, totaling $28,592.78 in recommended credits (3-0).
- Approved HPC25-53 (partial demolition at 203A W. South Street) with conditions (2-1).
- Approved HPC25-55 (addition at 203A W. South Street) with conditions (3-0).
- Approved HPC25-56 (rehabilitation at 111 E. Second Street) (3-0).
- Approved HPC25-60 (pergola at 426 N. Maxwell Avenue) (3-0).
- Approved HPC25-64 (siding at 420 N. Market Street) (3-0).
- Workshop cases HPC25-67 and HPC25-68 continued to April 24 and May 8, 2025, respectively, with additional documentation required.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the April 10th hearing of the City Historic Preservation Commission. There are I believe some agendas over on the table and maybe a sign-in sheet if you plan to speak tonight. If you want to put your name down, you don't have to, but it can help with making sure we get your name spelled right. The technical qualifications of the commission. I feel like I got a lot of feedback here. Uh 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 Secretary of 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. For introductions tonight, I'm Commissioner Paul Fitzgerald serving tonight with Commissioners Alyssa Fortune and Ann Hart from the city staff. We have the department manager for historic preservation planning, Miss Christina Markovski, historic preservation planner. And assistant city attorney Iris Arnan and Administrative Assistant Tanzi Craden. All applicants and authorized agents and members of the public who wish to speak tonight must be sworn in. If you would please stand as you're able. Thanks. In order to be eligible to vote on the application, the commissioner must first have made the required site visit and attended any and all meetings at which such an application was discussed. In the event a commissioner is absent from any such meeting, a commissioner may satisfy the attendance requirement by reviewing a record of that meeting. That being said, are there any commissioners with statements of eligibility? All right, we'll begin with announcements. Any announcements. Yes. At the end of this month, the City of Frederick and the Historic Preservation Commission in partnership with the Cebur Arts Library, Maryland Room, will be hosting a special event uh digging local, where we'll be exploring local archaeological investigations. Um that's going to be held on April 28th at 7:30 in the community room at the CIBAR Arts Library. Thank you. Thanks. Moving on to approval of the minutes. Any changes? Yes, sir. I have a couple of notes, please. On the hearing minutes, we'll start there. Section 7, cases to be heard. Item 7, HPC 25-53. The motion was made by Paul Fitzgerald. Yeah. I don't know who Paul Hart is, but I missed that one myself. Thank you. And then if I may go on to the workshop minutes. Items to be discussed. Items two and three, which were heard together. We work them together. And then under comments for those under the first bullet. Second sentence or first sentence where it says one tenth square foot, it should read 110 square feet. Under bullet two. On to the next page, bullet eight. A commissioner stated that with the replacement design or replacement plan design, the original footprint will not be lost. So that we clarify that it is also defined in bullet four, where there was originally 14 and a half feet, and the new opening will be 12 feet approximately. So that statement on bullet eight needs to be modified. And then on bullet 15, staff asked for clarification around the railing. Given the bullets just previous that it's difficult to discern, so we somehow need to add a statement there.
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