Historic and Design Review Commission CTAB Meeting – May 22, 2026
Historic and Design Review Commission CTAB Meeting – May 22, 2026
The Compliance and Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) convened on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM (presumed) under Vice Chair Jason Vosquez. The board considered three cases for certificates of appropriateness in historic districts. One case was approved with stipulations, one was tabled for further staff review, and one was denied per staff recommendation. No public comments were received.
Discussion Items
Case 1: CTAB 2026-128 – 136 Gorman (Front Yard Fence)
- Request: Install a 4‑foot‑tall wrought‑iron front yard fence with a pedestrian gate and two sliding gates.
- Staff Position: Recommended approval subject to stipulations: fence height not to exceed 4 feet and installation of only one driveway gate on the northeast side.
- Applicant Position: Represented by Edward (staff). The applicant had already agreed to both stipulations and submitted a revised site plan showing only one driveway gate.
- Board Action: Approved unanimously (8‑1, with one abstention) accepting staff’s recommendation.
Case 2: CTAB 2026-108 – 626 Nolan Street (Front Door & Columns)
- Request: Replace the existing non‑original front door and replace non‑original Corinthian columns/pilasters with Tuscan‑style columns/pilasters.
- Staff Position: Did not recommend approval. Recommended maintaining and repairing existing elements in kind, finding the proposed changes inconsistent with the historic character.
- Applicant Position: Homeowner Billy Tellas stated the existing door is deteriorating (installed ~2005) and inefficient; the columns are plastic and not original. He provided photographs of similar doors and columns in the neighborhood and argued the changes would restore the house to its earlier Doric‑style appearance.
- Board Discussion: Commissioners noted the columns are not original and the Corinthian style is inappropriate for the house’s architecture. Staff offered to research historic photos and work with the applicant on an appropriate design.
- Board Action: Moved to table the case to continue to the June 26, 2026 hearing, allowing staff to collaborate with the applicant on a design consistent with the historic district guidelines. The applicant agreed to extend the 60‑day review period. Passed unanimously (8‑1 abstention).
Case 3: CTAB 2026-109 – 435 Donaldson Avenue (Retaining Wall)
- Request: Install a 14‑inch‑high retaining wall along the front yard.
- Staff Position: Did not recommend approval; recommended using landscaping for dirt retention instead. The existing berm was noted as a character‑defining feature of the Monticello Park Historic District.
- Applicant Position: The applicant was not present and had been unresponsive to staff communications.
- Board Action: Moved to approve staff’s recommendation (denial). Passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Case 128 Approved: Motion carried 8‑1 (one abstention).
- Case 108 Tabled: Continued to June 26, 2026, with staff to work with applicant.
- Case 109 Denied: Motion carried unanimously.
- Minutes Approved: Minutes from the April 17, 2026 meeting approved with one abstention.
- Schedule Note: The next regular CTAB meeting (third Friday of June) falls on Juneteenth (June 19, 2026, a city holiday); the meeting has been rescheduled to the fourth Friday, June 26, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. I'd like to call to order the Historic and Design Review Commission compliance and technical advisory board meeting for Friday, May 22nd, 2026. Can I have a roll call, please? Davis, present. Garcia. Present. Regard. Present, Virtual. Spiller. Present. Fullerton Pollock? Here. Speeds. Vasquez. Present. And Zipulvada. We have a quorum. Thank you. Translation Services, please. Good morning. Buenos días. Para aquellas personas que requieren interpretacional espanol, estamos disponibles. Thank you. The compliance and technical advisory board is an advisory board appointed by the city council. I'm Jason Vosquez, Vice Chair, and Juanita Sibóveda is a chair. It is the function of the board to advise the city manager and all relevant city departments concerning certain applications for permits for properties in historic districts and landmarks in considering whether to recommend approval or disapproval of an application for certificate of appropriateness. The board shall be guided by the city's Unified Development Code and design guidelines and standards that have been adopted by city council. An appeal of a decision by an administrative official can be filed in accordance with the city's unified development code. If anyone present wishes to speak in favor or in opposition to any item on today's agenda, please sign up on the public comment sheet. It is not necessary to sign up if you are the owner of or representative for a project on the agenda. You'll be called on as the case is called. Case representatives will be given no more than 15 minutes to present their case with an additional two minutes to respond to public comments. Speakers for or opposed to a case will be limited to two minutes each. Speakers may also sign up to yield their two minutes to another speaker who has signed up. Anyone who is yielding their time must be present at the time the speaker is called upon. Speakers will be called upon in the order in which they are signed up. Following public testimony, any commissioner may call upon any speaker to respond to further questions. Approval by the board does not take the place of any type of permit. Permits must be obtained for all work. Certificates of appropriateness for work approved by the board will be emailed to you within 10 days. No work of any type is to be started without obtaining the appropriate city permits after a certificate of appropriateness has been issued by the Office of Historic Preservations. At this time, please silence your cell phones. And we'll move right into approval of meeting minutes from the April 17th, 2025 meeting. Can I have a roll call, please? We need a vote first. We need a motion to approve. I make a motion. We approve the minutes from April 17, 2026. Second. Thank you.
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