Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission Hearing – July 2, 2025
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Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission Hearing – July 2, 2025
The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC) held its regular monthly hearing on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building. The meeting covered approval of previous minutes, a status update on an approved variance, one continuance, four expedited cases (approved by consent), one continued application for new construction, and one case involving work completed without prior approval. No public testimony was offered on any agenda item.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The June 4, 2025 IHPC hearing minutes were approved unanimously by voice vote.
Discussion Items
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Old Business – Check-in (420 North East Street): Attorney Misha Rabinowitz, representing the owner of a vacant parcel south of the Athenaeum, reported no development progress due to unfavorable market conditions. The gravel parking lot variance approved in June 2024 (temporary through December 31, 2026) remains in effect; the owner noted the property is well-maintained. No commission action was required.
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Continued Application – 1306 East Saint Clair Street (Cottage Home): Josh Smith of Rivera Group presented plans for a two-story single-family house (approx. 2,500 sq. ft.) with a detached carriage house (approx. 500 sq. ft. living above garage). Staff recommended approval after two years of design refinement and neighborhood land‑use committee concurrence. Commissioner David Baker suggested the front facade windows and door appear too short and recommended taller windows or a transom. The applicant agreed to work with staff to adjust window heights. The commission approved the certificate of appropriateness with eight stipulations and one note.
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Work Started Without Approval – 5814 Beechwood Avenue (Irvington): Applicant Darryl Gunyon described a negotiated resolution with staff for violations including a rear addition, replacement windows and siding, and other unapproved alterations. He proposed two options for the addition’s base: a brick water table (using salvaged brick from a future garage demolition) or a wood wainscot. Staff deferred to the commission. Commissioners expressed preference for the brick option, noting it would match the existing house. Regarding rough‑textured siding elsewhere on the house, Mr. Gunyon requested leaving the rear dormer’s siding untouched due to limited visibility. The commission accepted that request, with a note that a certificate of authorization (rather than a certificate of appropriateness) would be used to avoid setting a precedent. The applicant committed to replacing front‑first‑floor windows with historically appropriate aluminum‑clad wood casements and to removing the greenhouse addition.
Key Outcomes
- Continuance Granted: Application 2025‑COA‑149 / 2025‑VHP‑004 (2064 North Alabama Street) was continued to the August 6, 2025 hearing on a motion by Commissioner Jeanette Sivlich, seconded by Commissioner Michael Bivens. Unanimous.
- Expedited Cases Approved (Two Motions):
- Certificates of appropriateness for four cases: 2025‑COA‑135 (11605 East Washington Street), 2025‑COA‑185 (156 South Downey Avenue), 2025‑COA‑195 (120 South Wayburn Street), and 2025‑COA‑196 (1015 Broadway Street) were approved unanimously. Commissioner Susan Williams noted for the pocket park case at 1015 Broadway that a public safety review of lighting and security should be conducted.
- The associated variances (2025‑VHP‑003, 2025‑VHP‑006 for Wayburn Street) were approved separately by voice vote.
- Continued Application Approved: 2025‑COA‑083 (1306 East Saint Clair Street) was approved with eight stipulations and a note to work with staff on window proportions. Unanimous.
- Work‑Without‑Approval Case Approved: 2024‑COA‑356 (5814 Beechwood Avenue) was approved as a certificate of authorization, subject to four stipulations and two notes, including a September 15, 2025 deadline for completion of required corrections (addition, front windows, siding). Failure to comply will result in enforcement referral to the city prosecutor. Unanimous.
No other business was conducted; the meeting adjourned shortly after the final vote.
Meeting Transcript
I know I'm looking at the joke. No, I don't think we can hear the question. All right, good evening. I'll call the July 2025 Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission meeting to order. The first order of business this evening is approval of the June uh minutes that were in your packet. Are there any corrections or comments? If not, I'll take a motion for their approval. Thanks, Annie. Any final comments? All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, thank you. We have one old business item this evening, uh case 2024 COA 055 Lockerby Square, and 2024 VHP 004 variants, address 420 North East Street. Misha Rubinowitz is at the podium. Uh name and address, present your case to us. Good afternoon. We'll make it brief. Uh I'm an attorney representing the owner of this parcel, which is um, if you'll recall it's the parcel south of the Athenaeum South and East. Um it has been vacant and used as a parking lot for some time. Uh in June of la at your June meeting last year, you approved a uh variance to permit the gravel parking lot to remain there on a temporary basis through December 31 of 2026. Um and the agreement was that we would come back and try to report to you on any uh development progress that has occurred because the long-term hope is that that property would be developed. Um unfortunately I don't have a lot to report. The market conditions as we reported last year really aren't conducive to a development on that size of a of a a parcel. We're hoping to um uh combine that with other uh uh potential development opportunities, so there's there's nothing in the hopper at this point, just to be completely frank with you. Um we have had a lot of conversation with this group about the landscaping on the on the property. I did um connect with the property management group and they before I came here and they tell me that it's uh well kept and uh maintained the way it's supposed to be. So that's what we have to report. Uh Megan Kiger, I should have mentioned from um Gershman Partners on behalf of the owner is here. She might be able to answer more than I can. Uh that's where we are. Okay, all right, thanks. Uh questions for me show. Okay, Emily, any comments from you. No comments. Okay. All right. I think that's it. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. All right. We have uh no new business, so we'll move to the public hearing portion of the meeting, and before doing so, let me introduce the commission members and the staff and read the rules of procedure this evening. Uh to my right, Anson Keller, Commissioner, uh, myself, Bill Brown President, to my left, David Baker, Vice President, Susan Williams, Secretary, and uh Annie Lear, Commissioner, and Jeanette Silvilich, uh Commissioner, and Michael Bibbins, uh Commissioner. The staff with us this evening is Meg Bush, our administrator, Chris Steinmetz, our legal counsel, Emily Jarrison, our principal architectural reviewer, Shelby Lung, our senior architectural reviewer, Grace Gedecker, our preservation planner and recorder, and Morgan Marlejo, our architectural reviewer, and Caroline Emmaker, our architectural reviewer. The Commission has copies of IC 36-7-11.1, the Marion County zoning ordinances, the historic preservation zoning ordinance, and all historic area plans for Marion County on file, which will be incorporated by reference into the record of each case heard by the Commission this evening. This evening's hearing will be governed by the Commission's rules of procedure, which are also incorporated into the record of this proceeding. Anyone wanted to get notice that a decision made by this commission has been appealed, they may fill out a notification form within five days of the decision. The forms are available and may be obtained from the commission staff. The commission strongly recommends against submitting new written materials at the hearing.
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