Good evening everyone.

Welcome to the July 8th meeting of the City of New Rochelle Department of Development Historical Landmark Review Board.

We have a somewhat shortened agenda because we have some uh adjourned uh items.

Uh but uh tonight uh we uh have a couple of items beforehand.

Um I think is probably first.

Sure.

Um Rose Bofamante here.

Lucia Elliott is out.

Jim Fleming here.

Leanne Merchant here.

Belkis Rees CUNY here.

Don Richards is out, and staff members with us today, Soraya Bahabib, deputy building official, Kevin Kane, Director of Planning Sustainability, and myself, Benito Sahas, senior project manager.

Okay.

Uh that means we do have a form a quorum tonight.

Uh so we can uh vote if necessary.

Uh we're gonna just gonna jump into the uh approval of minutes.

We have none tonight, so we can go right over item one, one point one nine.

Uh then we'll go into the public hearings.

I'll read out the adjourned ones just so they're they're on the uh television record.

Uh public hearing item number two, public hearing 2.1 application HLRB 4-2026 by Mario Canteros for a certificate of appropriateness to legalize existing improvements, including a porch enclosure pool, outdoor kitchen detached open porch, fire pit, pizza oven generator, HVAC unit for foot IPE driveway gates, and a four-foot cable rail fence along the side yard, as well as to construct a new garage, install pavers, and add new front steps and a walkway at nine the court block eight two eight, lot fourteen in an R1 Historic Zone District.

We are adjourned to the September meeting.

Uh we can jump to 2.2 HLRB 5-2026 by Nishelle Arjuni for a certificate of appropriateness to construct a raised patio and detached garage in the front yard for an existing one family dwelling at 14 the boulevard, block 827, lot 42, and in R1 Historic Zone District adjourned until further notice.

Uh and uh 2.3 application HLRB 7-2026 by Josh Lucina Picardo for a certificate of appropriateness to legalize a wooden enclosed fence at the side and rear yard at 40 Earl Place, block 879, lot 35, and in R1 Historic Zone District adjourned to the September meeting.

Uh those are all adjourned, so we can go right to 2.4.

Uh anybody's here for it.

Okay, let me just read it.

Uh application HLRB 909-2026 by Cameron Christensen, Momentum Solar for a certificate of appropriateness to install solar panels at 250 the Boulevard East, block 878, lot 45, and in R1 Historic Zones District.

Please come up.

Thank you.

Good evening, Lord.

My name is Kate Weisberg.

I'll be presenting the project for 250 Boulevard E.

Um.

Apologies.

This is my first time attending one of your historic meetings, so I'll just navigate us through the plans.

So we'll approximately have four rays.

An array is a panel set.

We have three arrays in the front, one large in the back.

Sorry, didn't mean to go so fast.

That's a front of the house.

Apologies.

Just click off.

Up so I'm doing the house.

This is what the view looks like.

And um this will also show the distance where the houses approximately 50 feet away from the sidewalk.

The back of the yard.

This is what the street view looks like.

And the surrounding properties.

And then we also have what it would look like if we removed um the front.

I apologize.

We have three rays in the back, uh, the one large one in the front.

Um this would be this is what would happen.

The production would basically cut in half if we uh get rid of the array in the front.

But this is what it these are the two hypotheticals.

It would be it would decrease by like 56.76%.

Yeah.

What was the reduction?

Oh, the reduction, 56.76%.

If we get rid of uh the front panels.

Yeah, I think I mean I can tell why we may just want to point out I see the north arrow there.

So the the exposure and I think it's pretty obvious, but for anyone hasn't seen it.

You know, the southern facing is on the front, right?

So that's why you gotta put the panels in.

No, we we try to make sure it's as aesthetic as possible.

And we do try to make sure if panels can go solely in the back, we do aim for that.

But unfortunately, with this system and the amount of power they use, this is um what was designed.

That is it.

Okay, can you go back to the the the roof picture with both both roofs?

Yeah, yes, here you go.

Right.

Um obviously that's what they want and what you would recommend as getting the power that you want.

Yes, it would meet it would meet their production.

Um it best suit um their utility usage.

In New York State, you can't go over 110% of their of your annual usage.

So it's also nothing egregious of like it's not like they're they're putting panels on so they can get a bunch of money on the grid.

Okay, and and can we see the front elevation again?

Of course.

Straight on photo.

Here you go.

Oh, no, no, just go one more actual photo.

Oh, the actual photo, okay.

Right, oh back one.

Sorry.

That's the back.

There, right there.

Awesome.

Uh okay.

Um it's one of those houses with the uh lower pitched upper roof because of the gable.

And we've looked at them before.

Uh and I think I think what we've decided, I mean that's what I remember is that the lower pitch takes the uh channels out of your view a little bit better than a steep pitched roof.

Uh and that that's what I would relate it to past approvals like that.

Um it's symmetrical about that roof that we we see right there.

Is that uh on the plan?

Yes.

I can go back to the plan if you'd like.

Right.

And yeah, if you can, I you know, just uh Yeah.

So you see right from the corner of the hip valley, I should say.

Uh and um since it is that length uh I um what I'm aiming at was is it related to the just the window arrangement below?

I don't think it is, but it's just a straightforward uh required walkway and then open.

Yeah, those are the fire access points just in case God forbid um any fire there there's fire access points.

Any comments from the board no uh can I open it up to the field here?

Anybody have any comments on the proposal?

Any neighbors or anybody here?

Uh if that's the case and no with that.

Uh would someone like to make a motion that it be approved or denied.

I'll make a motion uh because of its similarity to uh other uh low-pitched roofs and the distance from the street, which is pretty good for front yards.

Um I would say that we uh uh uh may I may I make the motion that we approve this one as presented.

Do we have the second I'll second it?

Just one quick question.

Yes, of course.

Oh uh it's it it's black, right?

Yes, of course.

It matches the roof.

Okay, I'll second on black.

Any opposed?

Sorry, all in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion passes.

Great.

Awesome.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you so much, guys.

Have a very good evening.

Okay, uh our uh 2.5 application, HLRB 10 uh-2026 by Trinity Episcopal Church for a certificate of appropriateness for installation of clear glass panel in front of the exterior side of existing glass clear story windows at 311 Nugenot Street block 417, lot 24, and a DB zone district, although it is a historic building, it's here.

So hello board, my name is Thomas Monarski, architect for the church.

So we're proposing to uh replace deteriorated clear story window units and glazing above the nave.

Um the existing wood frames and glazing are damaged deteriorated and no longer performing.

Um the proposed replacement will improve the weather resilience durability and energy performance of uh the church, and we hope um we'll address some of the concerns from uh our last presentation about the um uh cathedral glass.

So uh the scope of the work is to uh uh install clear glazing on the clear story of the the nave and uh install the existing cathedral glass behind the new glazing um thereby improving the energy performance of the building.

So this is uh some of the existing windows.

Uh and our intent here just so um while I have these pictures up is to uh to maintain the existing profiles of uh uh of this facade.

Um the plane at which the cathedral glass is that would be the plane where the new clear glass would go, and the cathedral glass would then sit back about an inch and a half behind that clear glazing.

Uh this is the plan and again the elevation showing the two bands that we intend to work on, and a um schematic detail showing how we intend to do this.

So the um the existing windows, uh the frames will be rebuilt uh completely because they're too deteriorated to reuse.

We would uh insert that new clear glazing at that plane of the existing cathedral glass, and then the um the cathedral glass would sit behind there, and there'd be like uh uh a double rabbit on the frame so that the cathedral glass uh can be installed from the back.

And this is important because one of our one of the things uh I asked the board is that uh we get some kind of accommodation for how long this is gonna take.

We would like to um install the clear glazing um and we can install at least partially some of the cathedral glass, but uh the church is not financially able to restore all the cathedral glass at this time to at you know to to what it needs to be.

Um a lot of the um I would say half of the uh work that is being done is being funded by NYCERTA as part of uh clean energy incentives that we're we're getting uh because the church did um transition off of uh I think it was either gas or oil and is now completely electric.

So that's important to note, I think, just um and um so the all the the new window units will be custom fabricated wood, uh all the exterior profiles are gonna match.

Uh we will maintain the the same um glass size and everything.

Um intend to match the exterior at exactly paint and everything.

Um and just a quick note on the um the glazing units we intend to use, so they'll be uh uh point thirty two to point thirty six uh U value um and uh uh let's see sorry.

Yeah and solar uh heat gain um value as well.

Sorry.

Um just a summary um okay, additionally a summary of the the window performance and um our ask is um to allow us to continue with the work.

All right, um just to just to clarify it, uh your detail, you have the the new window and then the the uh vintage, so to speak windows.

How what's the distance between that?

It didn't look like it was great, but um it's gonna be about an inch to an inch and a half.

Very close, okay.

Yes, yes.

Um it looks like it's it's a large gap there, but that's um just the scale you're drawing at.

Yeah.

Um just a yes.

Yeah.

So I'm 100% clear.

So what what we're saying is the existing stained glass is remaining.

Um being reinstalled.

Reinstalled.

But as you can see, the the existing cathedral glasses in in really bad shape.

Totally understood.

Yeah.

But I just want to know the scope of this project, all the stained glass that's there now, the intent is eventually for it all to do.

The intent is eventually for it.

Slightly moved back.

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, so so you could actually, I'm I'm sure you could see it with the uh new glazing in front of it.

Uh yes, that's the intent.

And then on the person on the inside will get the effect of the old uh, yeah, on the inside, yes.

Yes.

And then uh also on the outside, I think um uh you see a lot of churches installed.

I've seen this happen before where the uh insulating piece goes on the outside to protect specifically to protect the the um the leaded glass.

That's right.

But it also has the benefits you see.

Now just just in one thing you mentioned because you mentioned it, um the uh the energy code, the building department will look at that.

But uh and whatever qualifications you have to do to meet the uh the glazing, as you know.

Uh just I just wanted to because you mentioned it, I thought I'd just bring it on the HLRB table that way.

Okay.

Um then uh the other question I have is uh uh you you mentioned timing, which obviously is an important aspect with your with your finances, the church's finances.

Uh I think probably because uh sometimes projects uh I'm just anecdotals projects can drift on into years and then everybody forgets what's supposed to happen.

Uh I'm sh I'm hoping the church would be amenable to some kind of agreement in the permit if that's legally possible uh or or a condition.

I think that the permit would not be closed out.

Right.

Okay, there's some mechanism to make sure that the the project keeps going on, especially with putting the old glass back in, which is the most important part of the proposal.

Um so that I just want to bring that up.

It's gonna be under a permit, so they're gonna be watching it.

Yes.

Yes.

I think uh that's reasonable.

I just want to say one thing about the permit on the microphone, sorry.

Like people leave their permit open for 30 years, you know.

So that's what I think.

That's not really an enforcement of a condition if you want the condition.

Uh however, it can happen, that's all I'm saying.

And Kevin brought up a good point.

It's under a permit.

So it's under a permit, right?

Doesn't force them to finish the work.

Um just quick, so in relation to what Zaria said and and the fact that we know a permit will be open.

Is there any way that we can um stipulate like a timeline?

I'm not saying three months, but you know a year, and then we re-evaluate to see where they're at.

Yeah, yeah, time check.

Okay.

Yeah.

So okay, that's what I'd like to do.

Yeah, we're happy to come back and in front of the board.

I would imagine when the the first phase of the project is done, at least some of these would be uh installed as a mock-up for the board to look at uh because I'm sure at least some of them we haven't been able to really get up there properly without scaffolding, but um uh we should be able to reuse at least some of them.

Um you know, I I definitely appreciate the fact that that you're taking um this step versus initially I believe it was just removing removing them all.

So we definitely appreciate maintaining the historic aspects of the church.

Um so in re-evaluating, let's just say in a year's time, like the status, how it's going.

The only other thing that I would ask is if for some reason if you find that any of the current stained glass is not it cannot be put back, that you let us know or contact um uh the department so that we can evaluate what's what's happening, you know, before the year's time, you know, as you go along.

Yeah, I I I think that's good.

I think that should be noted.

And however, in fairness, I think to the applicant, and then following what you know we typically do, like say with the planning board, um, you know, usually you have a year to pull the building permit to to do the work.

Um, and then from that point you have a year uh to finalize the work.

So I think I think maybe we should just keep that in mind that um they haven't been this prep.

They haven't been given the permit yet.

We're deciding, and then they would get the permit.

So let's just say they got the permit in September.

So what I was suggesting, and I don't exactly know exactly how the planning board, you know, what you're saying.

So if they get it in September, I'm looking to see them to come back to us next September and let us know where how they're doing.

Okay.

So one year from the issuance of building permit.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

What happens with the rotted wood that's exposed now?

What are you taking care of that?

Uh I it's fair to say that all of the rotted wood that is uh comprising the existing window frames is too far gone to use.

So we would replace that in kind.

The um uh the soffit trim, that big ground piece, that's still not determined exactly what we can do.

Uh we want to see if we can use consolidants to stabilize that and possibly keep it in place and refinish it, but that might need to be replaced as well.

We don't quite know how badly uh deteriorated it is.

Because the church in general also needs a new roof.

That's kind of like the next thing down the road.

Um but is it copper towards the bottom there?

Or just yes, I think uh a lot of it is copper, some of it seems like it was yeah, it's all copper.

I'm trying to see if maybe some of it was replaced with uh aluminum along the years, but probably not.

But anyway, we would come back with copper.

Anything that goes back, we'd go back with copper.

Can I ask a question?

Um, just for clarification.

So we're saying on that picture you've got the plywood, that's actually in place of where the stain.

So there's some stained glasses.

Yeah, some of it just fell out, yeah.

So in that case, I know you're going to repair the um the lead and the existing stain, or will those be re is there gonna be a replic replica of the uh yeah, uh uh eventually if when these get uh um I guess uh uh restored, because you'd have to restore the panels of leaded glass before you put them in.

Um you can um fabricate a new piece.

Uh that will be very similar to what they are around.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That that this type of glass um we we've done it on a previous project, and surprisingly enough, it's fairly easy for them to get good matches with what you see there, this kind of um, you know.

I I don't know how you describe that ocean colored glass or something.

Yeah.

Uh well described and uh uh I I think it's a good solution because I've I've seen similar things like that done.

And I'm so glad that you're keeping that stained glass in there in proximity to the other glass so you can see it.

Thank you.

Uh with this whole thing.

Um I love the way it looks all beat up like that, except for the damaged piece, but it's uh I'm glad you're doing it the way you are personally.

Uh thank you.

Uh any comments from the board further.

Okay.

Any comments from the audience.

We just want our roof there.

That's good enough.

Thank you.

I don't know.

I'm sorry.

I think they'd like to see it done.

Uh anybody want to make a a motion on this one?

Uh we close the uh public hearing and and uh make a motion.

Jim, before we do that, I think we started to craft a couple.

Yes.

Oh, of course.

I think it's a since your mention.

My name is uh the Reverend Eliza Davies have the priest uh uh at Trinity Church.

We've been going back and forth on this for a very long time.

And we have a small fund raised for this, and we uh uh trying to hold on to the fund that we may lose if we don't proceed with this uh as soon as possible.

And we really appreciate if you could look into this uh a little bit more uh in our favor.

Not only that, because if this thing is is if it's left alone, it will go worse than it is.

So thank you very much.

Yeah, I think we're we're there as quickly as we can tonight.

So let's see if we can go even faster.

Thank you.

Uh everyone wanted to say something.

Yes.

Uh yeah, I think we had a couple conditions.

Um maybe I'll kind of go through what I have and then uh Benito can correct me and keep me correct.

Um year from the issuance of a building permit, the applicant shall return to the board for a review of the timing of completion of the project as necessary.

The applicant shall request an extension subsequent to any extensions that may be granted.

If the scope of work is not complete, the applicant shall be in violation of this approval.

Uh additionally.

Uh updates on any issues uh with the removal and storage of windows during the course of the work shall be provided to the board as necessary.

That speaks to the comment earlier that if there's any issues with the removal, any damage, any any issues that come up.

Um you need to update the board so it's not uh uh given to us you know last minute.

Um that's all I had, Benito.

Do you have anything else?

Okay.

So we are drafting those conditions, they may be modified a little bit, but are those acceptable to you?

Uh yes.

Okay.

Perfect.

Are we back to do we have a motion?

So moved.

I'd like to uh move that we uh approve the Trinity Episcopal Church for certificate of appropriateness for the installation of the clear glass panel in the front of the exterior side of the existing clear story uh glass clear story windows at 311 Huguenot Street, and then subject to the timeline specifications that we will Do we have a second?

I second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed motion passes.

Thank you very much.

Thanks for bringing it back.

Thank you.

We have no other business this evening.

Unless there's anything else, is there a motion to adjourn?

So moved.

Second.

I motion to council.

I say okay.

Meetings adjourned.

Thank you, everyone.