All right, that's uh good morning everybody.

This is the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board meeting of July the 16th, 2026.

Present at today's meeting are our trish.

Robert Searing, Kyle Gregory, Jeff Romano.

And Kate Oweter.

Thank you.

Excuse absence for Nicole.

Nicole.

Nicole Fragnito.

Thank you.

May I have a motion to accept the minutes of June the 25th, 2026?

I move to accept the minutes.

Do I have any do I have a second to the motion?

Second.

Do I have any modifications?

Hearing none.

All in favor of the minutes as submitted.

Aye.

Opposed?

Stay.

Minutes are adopted.

Thank you.

The board will now conduct a public hearing on 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 and documentation regarding the proposal to the board.

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

Then persons who wish to speak in opposition will be allowed to address the board.

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

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

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

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

Staff, can you introduce the first application, please?

Sure.

So the first uh first actually and only public hearing today is uh certificate of appropriateness CA-26-14.

It's 812 North Salinas Street, uh St.

Francis Friary.

Um this is a local protected site.

Um and uh brother Moore is here to tell us about the project.

Good morning, and please introduce yourself for the record.

Yes, my name is Brother Jim Moore.

I'm a conventional Franciscan brother and the superior of St.

Francis Friary uh here in Syracuse 812 North Salina Street, and uh we have been planning for about a year now to do a replacement windows for the whole front of the friary building.

Uh they were done years ago, and right now excuse me.

Right now, um we have they've warped some of the windows we can't open, some have cracked, some are fogged over.

Uh some have uh warped so much that we've had to put tape or towels to keep the the window down, uh the wind out of the building.

And so we have uh done a fundraiser for it.

We have the funds available.

I did three different uh bids on it and came up with the best bid that we thought would be appropriate for that building with comfort windows and doors, and uh all of that material I think has been sent to you all for your perusal images if you want you know uh they're in your packet as well, but yeah, so we have all the windows here, and they are uh vinyl replacement windows.

They are okay, and the current windows are vinyl.

The current windows except for the basement, except for the base, which are pictured here.

I think it was like two out of the five basement windows if I'm two out of the five, I think, or three out of the five.

There were five, and this is their general condition.

I've only been in here as a superior for four years.

I believe it's about 20 to 25 years ago, they were done.

Uh the basement windows, as you can see, were never done.

Except for that one.

Yeah, this here there is one replacement.

So these windows would I'm sorry, these windows are gonna be white vinyl.

No, no, no.

No, bronze.

I'm sorry, thank you.

They're white on the inside.

White on the inside.

Okay, that's how we reverse.

And and this form here with the fixed transom and the double hung below.

That's correct.

And so this is as is, and you're replacing in kind basically.

Exactly.

Do we have any historic photos of the exact?

Unfortunately, not in our records.

No, um I'm sure that I probably uh well, I imagine uh the OHA does.

We could probably find some.

Yeah, okay.

Well, the great building.

Here before us is this one.

So replacing vinyl with vinyl and just one over ones.

There's no grills, or do we have the grills?

On the basement.

Just on the basement.

Okay, so basically replacing in kind.

Any comments or questions from the board?

Are you looking at any other materials besides the vinyl for your placement?

No, we have not.

I saw that it sounds like Comfort will be providing new trim or stops as part of the installation as well for you all too.

Is that I'm assuming matching the profile of whatever's existing there, they're going to be removing.

I believe so in kind.

And then you'll be painting all the moles and everything in between them as well.

So they don't have a uniform appearance.

Anyone remember?

It looks like it's just wood.

Any other questions before we okay?

Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this proposal?

Please step forward.

Hearing none, seeing none.

Are there any is there anyone here speaking wishing to speak uh in opposition to the proposal?

Please come forward.

Hearing none seeing none.

Um we will now close the public comment.

Yep.

Uh board discussion on the proposal here.

We have the information in front of us.

How would we like to proceed?

Do we need additional information?

I guess my my only comment is I um I would like if you could retain one of the original wood windows as a record if you have somewhere to potentially store that when you were.

I'm sorry, I can't hear you.

If you could potentially retain one of the extant wood windows just for record, if you have somewhere that you could store that so that they're lacking other information, we have some sort of historical artifact to point back to the original configuration of the windows.

So someplace to store one of them?

I'm sure we could.

That's I understand that obviously the rest of them have been removed and they're definitely at a basement level maintenance and security concerns.

So I I totally appreciate that, but um having no other documentation of that, I think that would be important to retain.

I I can't hear what you're saying.

Just um to yeah, we're looking to keep any extant window, the basement windows, if we can keep one sash or both the sash for that one unit, so we have a historical record on site.

Yeah.

We can do that.

That's not that's not a problem.

Okay.

Um any other comments, questions?

If not, if there's a motion on the floor, please make one.

I'll motion to approve the project as submitted.

Second.

Second.

Any comments or alterations to that?

Oh, do you want the conditions?

The conditions add the condition of keeping one of the windows on site for historic artifact.

Motion to approve as submitted with the condition of keeping one window on site as a historic artifact.

All right.

Second.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Congratulations.

Good luck with your window project.

Thank you very much.

Fantastic building.

Keep it great.

Keep it going.

Thank you.

We appreciate it.

Thank you.

Yes, absolutely.

Yep.

All right, let me thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Our next, I need to find it.

Okay.

Um there is uh no old business.

We'll move directly on to new business and uh minor site plan review at uh 136 Walton Street.

It's minor site plan review 2026 45.

Uh, this is for rooftop edition uh to the building.

The building is part of the National Register listed Armory Square Historic District, and the role of the board is to provide uh comments um on potential impacts to the building itself as well as the surrounding district.

So the building here is in white.

And if there the applicant could get and I do have the plans as well.

Um just introduce yourself for the record, please.

Sure.

Good morning, everyone.

Um my name is Diana Germillo, and I'm the architect of record for this project with King Studio representing uh the client here.

So uh this project we're looking to create uh renovate uh the second floor uh in the rear portion of the building, different project that way.

And we're also looking to add uh rooftop deck uh to this building.

So we will be providing access uh and railings around the top.

Um so as far as additions to the building, it would be the railings on the roof and um the little access point that comes out of the top of the building.

So we're proposing uh brick exterior for the um penthouse access and um metal railings, they will be power coated black.

And right now we have a shed roof uh proposed that could either be a metal roof, preferably.

I know right now the the roofing material is showing us shingles, but we'll probably actually do a metal roof.

So the renovations in the interiors is just the back of the second floor.

Uh it was currently being used as uh like hair salon stations, and we're gonna turn it into an apartment.

Uh but there's no uh replacing windows or anything of that sort, it's just the access to the rooftop.

So we're adding a new stair that brings you up to the roof.

Sorry.

Yeah, let me know if there are particular sheets that you'd like to look at.

Yeah.

Actually, if you could cook go back up so we can just talk about their roof plan a little bit.

Keep going up.

Uh or up to the very top.

Yeah, right there.

Right.

That's right.

Uh right there.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's that one.

Okay.

So for the rooftop, we're only using the front part of the building for access, so we're actually closing off uh part of the roof at the back.

So we're just using the front of the roof here.

So you see the roof access, uh the adding some furniture and uh like a movable sauna, it's not a permanent structure, and then you just see some of the roofing equipment.

That's it.

Right, thank you very much.

Yeah.

Comments, questions from the board.

This is just strictly comments on this project.

We're not voting on it, so questions, clarifications.

Have you considered providing a flat roof as opposed to a shed roof?

Just you mean flat.

Did you say a flat roof?

I mean a flat roof.

Yeah, on the roof.

On the on the stair access.

Um actually originally we had a hip roof, and then based on the comments, we changed it to a shed roof.

Um we could, but we're right now we're just trying to keep it simple and not put another EPDM roof on it.

Okay.

I was just thinking that because then we would have to deal with like the roof drainage and all that.

So it's still shed to one side.

Yeah.

It's I mean, based on the footprint of that, I was just thinking the profile seems a little out of character with the the other structures around there.

We could change the slope to it be a little bit less.

Okay.

Yeah.

If you go to the elevation, um 300, I think it helps.

Okay.

Right here.

Yeah, right there.

Yeah.

Yes, that one right there.

Yeah.

Yeah, so this is this is the front facade.

Yeah, it's the proposal.

And so it's actually set back at least 10 feet.

So unless you're like probably from the core and they're looking at the building, you might see a little bit, but it's not like directly in front of it.

Um, we could also adjust the the pitch to be a little bit less.

So do you need that volume as you ascend the stairs?

Uh yeah.

So like this front uh elevation.

Do you need all that volume on that front wall of the of your stairs, stair shed riser there?

Yes.

Yeah, actually, let's go to the other elevation, might be easier to see the side elevation.

A300, I think that brings up your question, right?

Because it looks like there's almost two feet above the head of the door.

Yeah.

So you always think I'm going to do it.

I I I guess the other I think what my colleague is trying to get at is potentially modify the.

Yeah.

Yeah, could you mimic the stair slope with your your new structure which would visually reduce the impact from the street?

Right.

And then if that's a metal roof, it's a metal roof.

I don't have any qualms with that.

But if you just mimic the staircase in the roof, you lower that profile on the front elevation.

Yep.

And then that reduces the visibility.

Visibility of the addition on the building from our purview.

Okay, we could do that.

Excuse me, the brick is fine.

And the metal roof is fine.

But if we could lower that profile, being closer to the front of the front elevation, it's it's more prevalent.

So if we could reduce that profile.

I think it looks good.

The railings are fine, everything.

I I just think that's that's the uh our biggest comment on here would be is to reduce that profile.

Agreed.

Sounds good.

Anybody else?

Sounds good to me.

No?

Okay.

All right.

You got that comment?

I do.

Okay.

Great.

Great project.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Have a great day.

Thank you.

All right.

And uh the next application is a special use permit.

Uh special use permit 2026 48.

It's for 108 Dell Street, which is also 7 Eleven Beach.

Um this is a renovation of a garage for a new commercial use.

Uh the property um is in the National Register listed Westcott University Neighborhood Historic District.

And again, the the role of the board is to to comment.

So morning.

Uh we have an existing garage.

Uh can't you introduce yourself, please?

William Pitcher, uh WJP architecture, um Syracuse, New York.

Um we have an existing garage on the property.

Uh the lower level is being used for storage of equipment.

Uh and the upper level is an existing apartment.

And if we go to the rendering, uh this was the door manufacturer's idea of what a glass front would look like.

Um what we're doing is slightly different.

We're putting in an actual door, man door, and an actual overhead door rather than a combination unit.

Uh and we took this concept uh and we've added a patio area in front of the door for outdoor dining.

Uh we can open the garage door uh for that kind of activity during the summer, uh, so that the inside and the outside are both usable.

Uh we're adding a new sidewalk to the west side of the building, the right hand side, uh, which is this uh existing sidewalk to the apartment, and it will also be uh inclined sidewalk.

It won't be um a handicapped ramp.

There will be no railings because it's less slope than required by 88.

So basically we have a switchback uh for the wheelchair access, and we're putting a planting bed between the two uh rows of the sidewalk.

Uh so that's the site plan.

We're putting some uh small plants between in the right-of-way between uh the patio area and the public sidewalk to soften that juncture.

Uh and we're putting in one bicycle rack there uh for the use.

The rest of the site is not being modified in the front of it.

Um I guess if you want to go to the next page.

There's uh there you can see more detail what the site plan is.

Uh so we're doing the sidewalk, yeah.

Next page.

So this is uh the interior, it's basically uh a bathroom, uh service bar, some seating, and in the front here we have steps going up to the door uh on the right of the entrance of the garage door, and we have the sidewalk further to the right.

We're providing a fence at the back of it to screen the um garbage cans from view.

Um we're adding just small sign there and some uh gooseneck lights above the sign.

It's just going to be a painted sign, not a backlit sign.

Uh and some um lantern residential quality style lanterns either side on there.

Um the next I guess you can go to the next page.

And this is uh the electrical and the plumbing.

And this is the service counter.

Yeah, and these are the uh site photographs of the building.

We're gonna maintain the same colors.

We're not going to change the colors of the exterior.

So the only real change is that garage door as far as the front facade is concerned.

Uh the rest of it is all landscaping.

And I think it blends in with a neighborhood.

Now, in terms of history, uh, if you think about it, the houses on this block are 19th century, Queen Anne, Victorian.

Um, if there were if this building was built uh at the beginning of the century, 1920s to 1940s, it would have been a single garage door, a single wide car.

So this building is somewhere probably after World War II when you're looking at a double double wide door of that style.

Um as far as we know, the garage door itself is I think only like 1980s vintage.

Uh so it's not it's not even a protected age yet.

Yes.

Okay.

Um that's pretty much it.

Does the garage go with this house?

Or is it just the standard?

It's connected.

I'll show you.

It's on the same property.

It's on the same property with this house.

Yeah.

The other thing that it leads me to believe it sits tight to the property line.

There's no four foot setback, which kind of suggests that the building itself was before the Syracuse zoning code.

Um, so I think that puts it somewhere after World War II and before 1970.

Howard, I was gonna say the if I'm not mistaken, that the house that belongs to this garage faces Beach Street.

If it it faces beach.

So um it's not the house that's next door to it.

It's it's behind it.

It's behind it.

Oh, it's in the back of the it's in the back.

Yeah, so this is in the back of the property.

I can probably show you the side street.

It's the uh blue if on that last image.

It's the blue house is on the same lot as the garage.

The right hand side house.

Oh, I'm sorry.

My mistake.

Yep.

All right.

Like daily, I love this.

I love this window.

So it's this it's this house that belongs to.

Okay, got it.

Is that a leaded glass window up in the second story?

It looks like fantastic.

It's gonna pop that garage door.

People are putting that shingling, it's pretty much it's a it's amazing.

There's an apartment in there, someone's living in this thing.

It's a studio.

I drive by it every day, Howard.

I had no idea they were humans in that project.

You're sucking the opening.

Uh you're not doing any infill.

We we're keeping it open.

The uh the main image here is a little this evening.

So what you have is a three-foot man door on the western side, some sort of style, and then an overhead garage door that is metal and a bronze color.

Yeah, it's basically a store front frame for the door and the trim around the overhead door with the overhead door being a standard garage door behind the wall on a rail.

The only difference is that the garage door has glazing is fully glazed.

And it's aluminum bronze color, it matches the door, clear glazing and you're retaining all materials on the building.

There's no other changes.

We're just just additions, just the addition, a little site work to make it work and be compliant for commercial use.

Um I think what you're hearing are all comments in the positive for for this conversion.

Yep.

So we'll relay that through.

Is that every yeah, everyone good?

Cool project.

Yeah.

Good luck with that.

Thank you.

Great addition to the neighborhood.

Okay.

Coffee can pop it off.

Diner fantastic.

additions just the addition a little sight work to make it work and be compliant for commercial use I think what you're hearing are all comments in the positive for for this conversion yep so we'll relay that through is that every yeah everyone good cool project yeah good luck with it thank you great addition to the neighborhood okay coffee pop it off there's a delay coming in there and diner fantastic thank you very much good luck all right um any additional discussion or correspondence um the only uh thing I just wanted to check and I will do double check with everyone um is that in three weeks time so our next meeting is the sixth um at the yeah the next board meeting is the sixth and I just want to make sure we have we'll we will have a quorum that's also um I'll shoot out an email to everybody and just the sixth sixth August 6th will you be in town as far as you know oh no I have a surgery coming up but I think it's the seventh so I think we're good so we'll I'll send I'll send out a an email just to make sure um and other from that I also sent out an email saying that we are looking for an uh an architect with some preservation experience or expertise and or expertise and definitely interest um to fill the big shoes that that uh julia has has left but we do appreciate uh jeff stepping in um and you know for the for the time so there there are current there there's supposed to be seven seven board members currently we're at six the quorum is still four um so the it just gets uh it gets a little tighter so um anyway that's it uh any um recommendations that you want to send to me that would be great so or talk to me after the meeting so thank you that's it all right thank you for the updates uh can I get a motion to adjourn motion to adjourn second I second all favor aye oppose motion carries thank you that was quite a very clear like