OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board Meeting - August 7, 2025

Public MeetingsThursday, August 7, 2025
BodySyracuse, New York
SessionPublic Meetings
DateThursday, August 7, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record

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Transcript — Verbatim
8:50

This is the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board meeting of August seventh, two thousand twenty-five.

8:56

Present at today's meeting are Chris.

9:03

And Kate Awitter.

9:15

Excellent.

9:16

Thank you very much.

9:24

Is there a second?

9:32

Any modifications to the minutes?

9:35

All in favor.

9:37

Aye.

9:38

All pose.

9:43

The board will now conduct the public hearings and today's agenda.

9:47

First, the applicant or the applicant's representative will be invited to describe the proposed scope of work and present any material or documentation regarding the proposal to the board.

10:00

Next, persons wishing to speak in favor of the proposal will be given the opportunity to address the board.

10:03

Then persons wishing to speak in opposition to the proposal will be allowed to address the board.

10:08

Finally, the applicant and rep or the representative will be given the opportunity to make closing comments to the board.

10:15

Following the public comment, the board may vote to approve, approve the conditions, or deny the application just heard.

10:21

The board may also decide to hold its decision until the next public hearing.

10:25

If the hearing is closed, no additional information will be allowed into the record for the information that except for the information the board may request.

10:34

That information will be available for public review with staff uh with board staff.

10:39

Excuse me.

10:40

Uh Kate, will you introduce the first application, please?

10:43

This this is a continuation of uh CA-25-17, which is a certificate of appropriateness for 350 Montgomery Street, which is Ms.

10:53

Batower.

10:54

Um this was or is a window replacement um project.

11:00

Uh and the property is in Columbus Circle Preservation District.

11:05

Um and at the previous meeting, the public comment was closed.

11:10

So I would invite Mr.

11:13

Forsina up again to answer any of your questions, and you can deliberate.

11:20

Okay, thank you.

11:21

Please introduce yourself for the record.

11:22

Michael Forsino.

11:24

Address?

11:25

4531 Holly Shower Way.

11:28

Thank you very much.

11:29

As Kate just stated, this uh is a continuation from last month.

11:33

I assume everyone had a chance to go out and take a look at this window replacement project, and I'm open for comments.

11:40

Uh what we saw, and so we can move forward and um make a decision.

11:46

So I think it looked great.

11:49

I think it's the best possible option.

11:51

Um didn't have an original one.

11:53

Yeah, okay.

12:00

Is there a motion on the board here on the table to uh approve?

12:05

I'll make a motion to second approve.

12:09

I'll make a motion to approve the project as submitted.

12:13

Is there a second?

12:15

Second, second.

12:16

Any discussion?

12:18

Modifications hearing none.

12:24

Vote in the positive.

12:28

Take your vote.

12:28

Take your vote.

12:29

Yeah, or all in favor.

12:35

Any opposed?

12:37

Motion passes.

12:38

I have to vote on that as well because uh tiebreaker.

12:40

So motion passes.

12:42

Great project.

12:43

Thank you very much.

12:44

Appreciate your time.

12:45

Board due diligence.

12:46

Yeah, yeah.

12:47

Thank you.

12:51

Okay.

12:52

Um moving right along.

12:54

Um, our uh the second application is uh another public hearing, CA-25-19.

13:01

It is an application for a certificate of appropriateness at 108 Circle Drive.

13:06

It's um a new color scheme painting the exterior of the house.

13:10

Uh the house is the property is located in the Berkeley Park Preservation District.

13:16

So if you'd like to step up.

13:20

Good morning.

13:21

If you could introduce yourselves and your address, please.

13:23

Good morning.

13:24

Jody Upton, 108 Circle Road.

13:26

Matt Kisling, 108 Circle Road.

13:29

Great.

13:29

Thank you very much.

13:30

Welcome.

13:32

Um, our project is to paint the house with the body of dark blue and the trim.

13:38

That is our inspiration that is not our house.

13:41

Um but basically looking more or less like that.

13:46

Uh it would include the body, the trim, um, the shutters, um, the windows, everything would be in that scheme.

13:59

All right.

14:00

Um this is a public hearing.

14:03

There's a public.

14:04

So do we have any questions to the applicant before we continue with the public hearing?

14:11

Any any clarifications from the board?

14:15

Uh the um I think he said they were back to white as well.

14:24

The the which shadows.

14:26

Yes.

14:29

So what we have before us is a blue body, white trim, white shutters, and uh bird's eye maple for the door you have called out here in the application.

14:39

Um treatment to any chimneys or uh any stone work?

14:44

No, no painting of brick or stone or anything.

14:51

All right.

14:52

Uh if there's anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this project, please come forward at this time.

15:05

Let the record show no one here to speak in favor.

15:08

Is there anyone here wishing to speak against the project?

15:13

Please come forward at this time.

15:16

Let the record show that there is no one here to speak against.

15:20

Um we can close the public comment period.

15:26

Okay.

15:27

Board, do we have any further questions or comments on this project?

15:31

Love your house.

15:33

Thank you.

15:34

Like that porch.

15:35

Oh, that color is gonna look great.

15:37

It's uh it is a beautiful structure.

15:39

Uh all right.

15:40

Uh hearing anything.

15:42

Can I have a motion to accept?

15:44

We should do accept.

15:47

Do we have a second?

15:49

Did you second?

15:50

Okay.

15:51

Any changes or modifications?

15:55

Hearing none.

15:56

Um in favor, thank you.

16:02

Aye.

16:02

Aye.

16:03

Okay.

16:03

Motion passes.

16:04

Great job, folks.

16:06

Wonderful house.

16:07

Good luck.

16:08

Thank you.

16:12

All right.

16:14

Okay, anything left in uh the only thing I have left is something that's coming up just to give you a um a heads up.

16:24

That uh I got a call from contractor at uh for 330 DeWitt Street.

16:29

Um this is a while ago, so in Sedgwick.

16:32

Um there's a project that's brewing.

16:35

Uh they want to replace the siding on the house.

16:39

And um I thought it might be worth going in having uh some eyeballs on the siding to understand what the condition is.

16:46

It's uh clabbered side sided house.

16:49

Um and it's a wood, it's wood siding.

16:54

Wood clabbered they're just changing it to uh uh they're not saying yet what they're just saying that the collabs can't be repaired or repainted.

17:06

Oh so the condition is is bad enough.

17:09

There uh just before Park Street.

17:12

I believe so.

17:13

Yes, it's on the on the corner.

17:17

330.

17:19

But um, so I will or at least I can I'm happy to go make a site visit if there's anyone else interested to go just take a look at the condition to understand why um the clavards can't be repaired and or um yeah, why why a full you know full scale removal is necessary.

17:46

So would you set up a time for board to go take a look?

17:49

Absolutely.

17:50

I will do that.

17:50

I just want to.

17:51

And so it's either gonna be on a Monday or Friday.

17:53

Um, just to let you know.

17:56

Yeah, it's uh but it's November 2020.

17:58

Yeah, it's still we we did a um they did an ADA ramp up front.

18:02

That's right.

18:03

Did they okay?

18:04

Yeah, it's uh six or eight inch cedar collapse siding.

18:11

So um that's coming, so just to keep an eye on your email, and otherwise I have nothing else.

18:18

All right, so quick.

18:21

Yes, it took you longer to get here.

18:23

Yeah, thanks everyone for for coming.

18:26

I know summer is the summer.

18:29

So can I have a motion to adjourn?

18:32

Motion to adjourn.

18:33

Second.

18:34

All in favor?

18:35

Aye.

18:35

Aye.

18:36

All right.

18:38

Thank you, everybody.

18:39

Thank you.

18:39

Enjoy the day.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████70%
Procedural███████████████████30%
Summary of Proceedings

Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board Meeting - August 7, 2025

The Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board met on August 7, 2025, to consider two certificates of appropriateness: a window replacement project at 350 Montgomery Street (continuation from a previous meeting) and a new exterior color scheme at 108 Circle Drive. Both applications were approved unanimously. The board also discussed an upcoming project at 330 DeWitt Street.

Discussion Items

  • 350 Montgomery Street – Window Replacement (CA-25-17): Michael Forsino, the applicant’s representative, presented the project. The board had previously closed public comment. After deliberation, the board noted the work appeared to be the best possible option and praised the outcome. A motion to approve as submitted was made and seconded, and passed unanimously.
  • 108 Circle Drive – Exterior Color Scheme (CA-25-19): Jody Upton and Matt Kisling, the homeowners, proposed painting the house body dark blue with white trim, shutters, and windows, and a bird’s-eye maple door. No painting of brick or stone. No public comments were offered in favor or opposition. The board praised the house and the color choice. A motion to approve was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.
  • Future Project – 330 DeWitt Street: Board member Kate Awitter reported that a contractor had contacted her about replacing wood siding (clapboard) on a house in the Sedgwick district. The board discussed the need to inspect the existing siding condition to determine if full replacement is necessary. Awitter will arrange a site visit for interested board members on a Monday or Friday.

Key Outcomes

  • Approval of CA-25-17 (350 Montgomery Street): Certificate of appropriateness granted for window replacement. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Approval of CA-25-19 (108 Circle Drive): Certificate of appropriateness granted for the new paint scheme. Motion passed unanimously.
  • Site Visit Planned: Board will conduct a site visit at 330 DeWitt Street to assess siding condition before a formal application is submitted.

Meeting Transcript

This is the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board meeting of August seventh, two thousand twenty-five. Present at today's meeting are Chris. And Kate Awitter. Excellent. Thank you very much. Is there a second? Any modifications to the minutes? All in favor. Aye. All pose. The board will now conduct the public hearings and today's agenda. First, the applicant or the applicant's representative will be invited to describe the proposed scope of work and present any material or documentation regarding the proposal to the board. Next, persons wishing to speak in favor of the proposal will be given the opportunity to address the board. Then persons wishing to speak in opposition to the proposal will be allowed to address the board. Finally, the applicant and rep or the representative will be given the opportunity to make closing comments to the board. Following the public comment, the board may vote to approve, approve the conditions, or deny the application just heard. The board may also decide to hold its decision until the next public hearing. If the hearing is closed, no additional information will be allowed into the record for the information that except for the information the board may request. That information will be available for public review with staff uh with board staff. Excuse me. Uh Kate, will you introduce the first application, please? This this is a continuation of uh CA-25-17, which is a certificate of appropriateness for 350 Montgomery Street, which is Ms. Batower. Um this was or is a window replacement um project. Uh and the property is in Columbus Circle Preservation District. Um and at the previous meeting, the public comment was closed. So I would invite Mr. Forsina up again to answer any of your questions, and you can deliberate. Okay, thank you. Please introduce yourself for the record. Michael Forsino. Address? 4531 Holly Shower Way. Thank you very much. As Kate just stated, this uh is a continuation from last month. I assume everyone had a chance to go out and take a look at this window replacement project, and I'm open for comments. Uh what we saw, and so we can move forward and um make a decision. So I think it looked great. I think it's the best possible option. Um didn't have an original one. Yeah, okay. Is there a motion on the board here on the table to uh approve? I'll make a motion to second approve. I'll make a motion to approve the project as submitted. Is there a second? Second, second. Any discussion? Modifications hearing none. Vote in the positive. Take your vote.

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