Frederick City Historic Preservation Commission Hearing - May 13, 2025
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Frederick City Historic Preservation Commission Hearing - May 13, 2025
The Frederick City Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) held a hearing on May 13, 2025, to address administrative approvals, historic preservation tax credits, demolition reviews, and several rehabilitation applications. The meeting began with announcements including a symposium on the city's history of slavery on May 12, 2025. Commissioners approved minutes from the April 24, 2025 meeting with a correction.
Commission Business
- Administrative Approval Report: Staff reported that 36 applications were approved administratively in April.
- Historic Preservation Tax Credits: The commission certified the third batch of 2024 Historic Preservation Property Tax Credit applications, comprising 11 applications with a total investment of $751,064 and a recommended credit of $41,445.50. Commissioner Fitzgerald abstained from voting as a recipient of one of the credits. The motion passed unanimously (3-0-1).
- Demolition Review – 2 Monroe Avenue (HPC 25-145 DR): Staff recommended that the property, a circa 1949 dwelling, is not individually eligible for historic designation due to lack of architectural significance or association with significant persons or events. The commission voted unanimously to not pursue a designation application.
- Demolition Review – 5740 Butterfly Lane (HPC 25-155 DR): This application involved partial demolition of a deck on a 1954 dwelling. Staff found the property not eligible for designation. The commission voted unanimously to not pursue a designation application.
Cases Heard
- HPC 25-67 – Partial Demolition at 200 East Patrick Street: The applicant proposed partial demolition of an areaway, concrete stoop, roof, and chimney, based on a structural engineer's report. Staff found that the changes, when considered with the replacement plan, would not alter the building's contributing status. The commission approved the partial demolition contingent upon approval of the replacement plan and associated permit. Unanimous.
- HPC 25-68 – Rehabilitation at 200 East Patrick Street: The replacement plan included a new roof structure, new concrete stair, masonry repair, paint removal using chemical stripper, and modifications to previously approved east elevation openings. Staff recommended approval with conditions requiring a test patch for paint removal and limitations on water washing (max 300 PSI). The commission approved unanimously.
- HPC 25-71 – Rehabilitation at 301 West Patrick Street: The application included signage, paint removal (with test patch condition), installation of metal railings at three locations, and replacement of two vinyl windows with wood windows. Staff found the proposals consistent with guidelines. The commission approved with the same paint removal conditions. Unanimous.
- HPC 25-90 – Rehabilitation at 104 East Fourth Street: Proposed replacement of standing seam metal roof in bone white color and installation of three Velux skylights on the rear gable. Staff noted that white is inconsistent with guidelines (approved colors: green, red, galvanized). The commission approved the application with the condition that the roof color be green, red, or galvanized, acknowledging that the rear L roof is less visible. Skylights were accepted as low visibility. Unanimous.
Public Comments & Testimony
No members of the public spoke during the hearing.
Key Outcomes
- Administrative approvals for 36 applications in April.
- Certified 11 historic preservation tax credit applications totaling $751,064 in investment.
- Denied historic designation for two properties (2 Monroe Ave and 5740 Butterfly Lane), allowing demolition.
- Approved partial demolition and rehabilitation for 200 East Patrick Street with conditions.
- Approved rehabilitation for 301 West Patrick Street with paint removal conditions.
- Approved rehabilitation for 104 East Fourth Street with condition that roof color be limited to green, red, or galvanized.
Note: The transcript indicates the meeting date as May 8, 2025, but per the instruction, the date used is May 13, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, and welcome to the May eighth, twenty twenty-five Frederick City Historic Preservation Hearing, and I guess we don't actually have a workshop tonight. So the technical qualifications of the Commission and staff are on file with the City of Frederick and are made a part of each and every case before the Commission. And these guidelines are made a part of each and every case. If so, answer I do. Thank you very much. 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 such site 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 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? Mr. Chairman, I have one statement. All right, thank you for noting that. Moving on, are there any uh any announcements this evening? Yes, two announce two announcements. First is if anybody parked in the parking garage tonight, uh whether you're a commission member or uh member of the public, uh please see Tansi on your way out for parking validation. Um second, just a final reminder that on Monday, May 12th, uh the City of Frederick is hosting our sites of enslavement symposium at Visit Frederick on East Street. Um this is um like the big final event to uh summarize our the research findings of uh historical context report into the history of slavery on the local level. We did find some really interesting um information and and definitely want to share that information with the public. And this is just one step of a multi-step uh effort to research, document, interpret, and educate the public on this interesting history. Um that is it for now. Thank you. All right, thank you. Moving on to approval of minutes. The minutes from the April 24th, 2025 hearing and workshop. Commissioners, any questions regarding those minutes? Anything you'd like to see added or corrected? Yes, sir. I have one correction for the workshop minutes. Item one, HPC 25-72 at 173 West All Saint Street. First bullet, second paragraph. The applicant clarified that there is a ramp at the side of the building, and the railing will be attached to the building along the ramp. And with that, I will move that we approve the both the hearing and workshop minutes for April 24th, 2025. All right. Any anything else? I second the motion. All right, thank you. All in favor, please raise your hand. And that passes unanimously. Thank you very much. Moving on to HBC business, uh, administrative approval report. Yes, I want to enter the entire administrative approval report into the record and just note that staff uh reviewed and approved 36 applications administratively in the month of April. All right, thank you very much. And then we have the certification of the 2024 report on historic preservation property tax credits and recommendation to the director of finance, group three. Yes, uh a lot. Excuse me. Uh staff will be submitting the 2024 Historic Preservation Property Tax Credit Applications to the Historic Preservation Commission for certification and multiple groups. The Commission previously approved nine applications at their April 10th meeting and seven applications at their April 24th meeting in accordance with Section 810 of City Code. This third batch of applications is comprised of 11 applications and includes an investment amount of 751,000 dollars and sixty-four dollars with a recommended credit of 41,445.50 cents. A detailed summary and photographs are attached.
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