Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board Meeting - June 25, 2026
Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board Meeting - June 25, 2026
The Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board met on June 25, 2026, to review a major site plan modification for exterior color changes at 311 Gannett Drive, conduct a public hearing on a door replacement at 310 Highland Avenue, and acknowledge the departure of board member Julia Marshall. The meeting included unanimous approval of the June 4, 2026 minutes and a discussion of board member transitions.
Consent Calendar
- The board unanimously approved the minutes of the June 4, 2026 meeting as submitted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- For the public hearing on CA-2611 (310 Highland Avenue), the applicant, Mary Ann Hussein, testified that the door replacement was necessitated by a lead hazard and a safety risk to her three-year-old son, who had a blood lead level of 5. She stated that the lead paint and broken glass around the door led to the removal of the original leaded glass and door. One letter of opposition to the replacement door was received by the board and reviewed.
Discussion Items
- Major Site Plan Review – 311 Gannett Drive (Exterior Color Change): The applicant presented revised color schemes for the building, moving from blue accents to various gray and off-white colors. The board noted that the renderings appeared different across screens and requested the applicant provide paint color samples (Sherwin-Williams) to staff. The board also discussed the need to consider the color of coping and metal panels at the penthouse level. The board commented that the colors were compatible and thanked the applicant for returning with revisions. No vote was taken as this was a review item.
- Public Hearing – CA-2611 for 310 Highland Avenue (Door Replacement): The applicant described replacing the original wooden door and leaded glass sidelights/transom with a steel or fiberglass six-panel door and solid white panels due to lead paint and broken glass. The board expressed concern that the work removed distinctive historic materials (leaded glass, wood door) and did not follow preservation standards. Board members noted that the proper protocol would have been to encapsulate the lead paint and repair or replace in kind. The board determined the changes were incompatible with the James Street Preservation District.
Key Outcomes
- Denial of CA-2611: The board voted to deny the application as submitted, based on Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation numbers 2, 5, 6, and 9. The denial was without prejudice, allowing the applicant to return with a revised design that is more compatible with the historic character of the house. Staff will work with the applicant to develop a compliant proposal.
- Board Member Transition: Julia Marshall attended her last meeting. Members thanked her for 17 years of service, including her work on the preservation ordinance rezoning. The board will need to elect a new chair (vice chair will serve as interim) and fill the architect seat. Recommendations for a preservation architect living in the city are requested.
Meeting Transcript
I don't know if she wants to do that. So it's not we have an option there. Do you want to click it? So I won't go through the whole not yet. Right. Not until good morning. This is the Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board of June 25th, 2026. Present at the meeting R. Our Trish. Nicole Fragnito. Julia Marshall. Jeff Romano. Hilary Donahue. Count of work. And Kate Oweter and Bob Searing is uh excused. Thank you. Um may I have a motion to accept the minutes of June fourth, two thousand twenty-six. So moved. Is there a second? Any modifications to the minutes? All in favor? Uh the minutes as submitted. I any opposition, any abstentions? Minutes are adopted. Um Kate, would you we're gonna move to new business before we move to the public hearing? Hearing, that's right. Since you're here. We're we're gonna start with you then. Um yeah, this is uh major site plan review, uh modification to major site plan review. Uh MA SPR twenty-five twelve for three eleven Gennant drive. And it's for an exterior color change and the board has seen this before and uh because the colors changed again. You're back. Yeah, you're back. Yeah, as requested, we're back. You're back. Yes, thank you. And Grazie, the the building owner developer. Um so we sent you um uh the latest. I know you had some comments about the verticals. We've re we've reviewed some of the verticals. Uh in general, we want we're looking at some uh various gray and off white colors. Um appreciate that the renderings all look different no matter what screen you're looking at or what you're using. So uh we do have some paint colors that we can kind of distribute here if you'd be great. Uh the back of the building, I think when you flip through here you'll see there's some uh as you go along, there's images of the building as we go along. Uh note that that plaza has been modified, it's not the final plaza out there. It's it's uh similar but a little smaller, a little different a little different configuration, but there still will be an entrance plaza out there as well. And again, printer and um software. Now that looks a little more brown. Those would just be on the primary facades? So this is the Clinton Street side.
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