OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board Meeting – April 23, 2026

Public MeetingsThursday, April 23, 2026
BodySyracuse, New York
SessionPublic Meetings
DateThursday, April 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 32:13

Transcript — Verbatim
5:45

Okay, we can start.

5:48

And today's the okay.

5:53

Good morning.

5:55

Um this is the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board meeting of April 23rd, 2026.

6:02

Present at the meeting are Trish.

6:06

Julia Marshall, Jeff Romano, Hilary Donahue, and Kate Oweter.

6:12

May I have a motion to accept the minutes of February 19th of April.

6:19

April.

6:20

April 3rd.

6:21

Which I was not at.

6:23

I saw a move.

6:24

Any modifications to the minutes.

6:28

I thought I had a second.

6:29

I'll second.

6:30

Sorry.

6:32

Any modifications to the minutes?

6:34

All in favor?

6:37

Any opposition?

6:38

Any abstentions?

6:39

The minutes are adopted.

6:43

Board will now conduct.

6:46

It is open to a public meeting.

6:49

And staff Kate will introduce Yeah, if the we do have a public hearing on the on the agenda.

7:00

So and it was advertised the uh applicants have asked to uh delay their presentation because it was advertised we uh the board should open um the public hearing.

7:16

Um and if there's anyone here uh wishing to speak, they can do so.

7:21

Uh uh but um uh then if it's the pleasure of the board just to hold the hold the public hearing open until the next meeting.

7:32

Um and I will say that the uh applicant has requested uh this hold uh because they're looking to do some outreach to the neighborhood in regard to the in regard to the the expansion of their property.

7:47

And I would like to hold until the next meeting for the applicant.

7:52

Um I would like to also state that um I will recuse myself for that applicant because it's a project within our office.

8:06

Not my project, but it's a project in our office.

8:08

Okay.

8:09

So the the public hearing has been opened but is now being held.

8:14

Okay.

8:15

All right, thank you.

8:18

Um so uh moving right along.

8:21

Um we've uh so uh uh under old business we uh on the agenda is there's a minor site plan review.

8:31

Um for 713 715 East Genesee Street.

8:36

Um this one the applicant has also asked for an additional hold on on this uh pending uh some additional research that they need to do in into the window selection.

8:50

Um so I so they will uh they intend to be here at the next meeting also, which will be May 14th.

9:04

Um and that leads us to new business.

9:08

Um this is a major site plan review uh for 333 East Genesee Street.

9:18

You are correct.

9:19

On and Dogas Street.

9:21

Um I'm reading the old agenda that I uh so sorry, major site plan review uh number uh uh 20 26 17 uh for 333 east on and Daga Street.

9:36

Um there are facade alterations and site work proposed for this building that is located in the uh Columbus Circle Montgomery Street uh historic district, the expanded area.

9:49

Um the role of the board is to provide comment zoning uh on this project.

9:58

The applicant up.

10:00

Good morning.

10:01

Morning, morning.

10:02

Um I'm Joe Perino with uh Principal Adana Architects.

10:06

Um we're right here at uh 230 uh 9 Eastwater Street, and um this project is the we Monroe building um and it's at 333 East Onadaga Street.

10:20

It's a mid-20th century commercial office building that was constructed in 1968 by local architect Gordon Schaefer for the Monroe Abstract and Title Corporation.

10:32

Um it's a modernist style, has an irregular shape footprint as we all walk by there and see that see the uh it's a very iconic building for this area.

10:42

Um the Monroe Building is um a contributing resource within the Montgomery Street and Columbus Circle Historic Districts, as Kate has just said the project um is the change of use of the building from an office building to an apartment building.

10:59

Um we plan to put in 46 uh units, uh 12 one bedrooms and 20 and 34 studios.

11:08

Uh we plan to keep the front two bays of the first floor commercial, um, but the remainder uh behind that we're going today uh to get a use variance for that back area.

11:24

Uh but the first two bays you could, you know, based on those two uh sawtooths there in the front, the that'll all be commercial uh the office uh tenant, and then in the back, uh which is well off the street will be planned to be uh if we get the if we get the variance.

11:43

So the basement will be amenity spaces, laundry room, storage room, fitness center, dog wash, mechanical room will remain down there, and the existing roof uh is a green, it's a green roof, and that is it's unoccupied, it's gonna stay a green roof.

12:00

Um the building rises six uh stories to a flat roof with wide projecting concrete fascia and tall parapet wall.

12:09

Uh the exterior of the of the steel frame structure is clad in brown brick with precast concrete accents.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████55%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████24%
Procedural████████10%
Zoning Regulation█████6%
Public Engagement████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board Meeting – April 23, 2026

The Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board met on April 23, 2026, to consider several agenda items, including a public hearing held open and a major site plan review for the Monroe Building at 333 East Genesee Street. The board also addressed other administrative matters.

Agenda and Minutes

  • The board approved the minutes of a previous meeting (date unclear; referenced as "February 19th of April. April. April 3rd.") without modification.

Public Hearing Held Open

  • The board opened a public hearing for an unidentified applicant (project within a board member's office, prompting recusal). The applicant requested a delay to conduct neighborhood outreach regarding a property expansion. The board voted to hold the public hearing open until the next meeting on May 14, 2026.

Old Business – 713-715 East Genesee Street

  • A minor site plan review for this property was continued to the next meeting (May 14, 2026) at the applicant's request, pending additional research on window selection.

New Business – Major Site Plan Review for 333 East Genesee Street (Monroe Building)

  • Applicant Presentation: Joe Perino of Principal Adana Architects and Nathan Lopier of Keplinger Freeman Associates presented plans to convert the mid-20th century commercial office building into 46 residential units (12 one-bedrooms and 34 studios). The building is a contributing resource in the Columbus Circle Montgomery Street Historic District.
  • Proposed Changes:
    • Retaining and locking existing pivoting single-pane windows; adding nine new fixed windows on the rear CMU facade to match existing awning windows.
    • Replacing PTAC units with modern units.
    • Cleaning the facade (brick and precast concrete) with low-pressure washing.
    • Replacing the existing sign with a similar vertical design.
    • Site work: new gas line, one tree pit, and an ornamental black steel fence (changed from cedar board-on-board after board input) to secure the property.
    • No changes to the basketball mural on the north elevation.
  • Board Discussion: Board members asked about window operability, fence design, and cleaning methods. The applicant clarified that new windows would be fixed except for some existing awning windows on the rear. The board requested that the applicant submit final window specifications for the record.

Key Outcomes

  • The board voted to recommend approval of the major site plan review to the zoning authority as submitted, with the revised ornamental fence design. The recommendation is conditional on the applicant providing window specifications to the board.
  • The board noted that the applicant is not pursuing historic tax credits for the project.

Other Business

  • Training Update: Board member Hilary Donahue announced that the board was awarded a grant for training from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. Online training options will be circulated to the board for selection.
  • New Attorney: The board welcomed Connor Rourke as the new assistant corporation counsel for zoning and land use, who will attend future meetings.
  • Conference Report: Board members who attended the statewide preservation conference in Cooperstown reported positively on seminars about preservation experiences in other cities.

The meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, we can start. And today's the okay. Good morning. Um this is the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board meeting of April 23rd, 2026. Present at the meeting are Trish. Julia Marshall, Jeff Romano, Hilary Donahue, and Kate Oweter. May I have a motion to accept the minutes of February 19th of April. April. April 3rd. Which I was not at. I saw a move. Any modifications to the minutes. I thought I had a second. I'll second. Sorry. Any modifications to the minutes? All in favor? Any opposition? Any abstentions? The minutes are adopted. Board will now conduct. It is open to a public meeting. And staff Kate will introduce Yeah, if the we do have a public hearing on the on the agenda. So and it was advertised the uh applicants have asked to uh delay their presentation because it was advertised we uh the board should open um the public hearing. Um and if there's anyone here uh wishing to speak, they can do so. Uh uh but um uh then if it's the pleasure of the board just to hold the hold the public hearing open until the next meeting. Um and I will say that the uh applicant has requested uh this hold uh because they're looking to do some outreach to the neighborhood in regard to the in regard to the the expansion of their property. And I would like to hold until the next meeting for the applicant. Um I would like to also state that um I will recuse myself for that applicant because it's a project within our office. Not my project, but it's a project in our office. Okay. So the the public hearing has been opened but is now being held. Okay. All right, thank you. Um so uh moving right along. Um we've uh so uh uh under old business we uh on the agenda is there's a minor site plan review. Um for 713 715 East Genesee Street. Um this one the applicant has also asked for an additional hold on on this uh pending uh some additional research that they need to do in into the window selection. Um so I so they will uh they intend to be here at the next meeting also, which will be May 14th. Um and that leads us to new business. Um this is a major site plan review uh for 333 East Genesee Street. You are correct. On and Dogas Street. Um I'm reading the old agenda that I uh so sorry, major site plan review uh number uh uh 20 26 17 uh for 333 east on and Daga Street. Um there are facade alterations and site work proposed for this building that is located in the uh Columbus Circle Montgomery Street uh historic district, the expanded area. Um the role of the board is to provide comment zoning uh on this project. The applicant up. Good morning. Morning, morning. Um I'm Joe Perino with uh Principal Adana Architects.

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