Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this month's hearing of the Tuscaloosa Historic Preservation Commission.

My name is Kathy Pagani.

I'm the chair of the commission.

And today's date is March 11th, 2026, and the time is 5 o'clock PM.

I would like to invite my fellow commission members to introduce themselves to you, beginning on my right, please.

Jordan Morris.

Carl Elabash.

David Nelson.

David Dyab.

Thank you.

And joining us from city staff this evening, we have Mr.

Chad Hobbs, the senior associate city attorney.

Mr.

Zach Pons, Director of Planning, Mr.

Josh McKinney, Zoning Administrator, and Ms.

Cynthia DeSantiago Planner.

Before we proceed to hear the applications for this evening, I would like to go over the purpose and the procedures for this meeting.

The general purpose of the Tuscaloosa Historic Preservation Commission is that we serve to preserve and protect the buildings, sites, and structures of historic significance in Tuscaloosa's historic neighborhoods.

We are governed by Chapter 20, Article 2 of the Code of Tuscaloosa, which includes design guidelines that are posted on the city's website.

Our decisions are based on these design guidelines and do not consider use or occupancy.

We do consider such factors as architectural style, appropriateness of materials, and how the structure relates to other structures in the immediate neighborhood in determining the appropriateness of the application.

Any approval of an application requires five affirmative votes.

If the certificate is approved, please be aware that there will be a final inspection by city staff of approved applications to ensure compliance with what was approved by the commission.

Our procedures this need this evening are as follows.

This is a public hearing.

Prior to this meeting, notice was sent to adjacent property owners, and the public has been notified of the applications presented tonight.

This hearing is a chance for the applicant to present his or her case, for the public to make their views known about the project, and for the commission members to gather relevant facts about the application before making its decision.

City staff will begin by introducing the application.

The applicant will then have a chance to make any comments.

The commission members will then have an opportunity to ask the applicant questions about the case.

At the close of public comment, the commission will discuss the matter and vote on the application.

A notarized designation of agent form should have been provided to city staff or any representatives of the application that are not the property owner or immediate family member of the owner prior to tonight's hearing.

Immediate family members, we define that as a spouse, a parent, or a child, do not have to provide such written authorization when speaking on behalf of another immediate family member.

And we ask that you please leave the signs in your yard.

City staff will be around in the next couple of days to pick them up.

As the Historic Preservation Commission members have received the synopses of the November 2025 and February 2026 meetings, I move that we dispense with the reading of the minutes of the same unless there are any deletions, additions, or corrections.

That's my motion.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Thank you.

And we shall now vote.

Beginning on my right, please, Mr.

Deeson.

Yes.

I vote yes, Mr.

Morris.

Yes.

Uh Mr.

Ellabash?

Yes.

Dr.

Nelson.

Yes.

Mr.

Diab.

Yes.

And that passes.

Um do I have a motion and a second to approve said synopses?

So moved.

And a second, please.

Okay.

Thank you.

And we shall vote beginning on my left, Mr.

Diab.

Yes.

Dr.

Nelson?

Yes.

Mr.

Ellabash.

Yes.

Dr.

Mr.

Morris.

Yes.

I vote yes, Mr.

Deeson.

Yes.

Thank you.

The commission members have had a chance to review tonight's agenda items.

Do any of the members have a conflict of interest as defined by section six of the commission bylaws with any of these items?

Hearing none, we shall move on.

And I would like to ask staff if proper notification has been provided for each agenda item.

Yes, it has.

Thank you very much.

And let's move to the first case.

So it looks like our first applicant might not be present currently.

Um maybe they're delayed due to the weather.

But if y'all want to move that case to the end of the gym agenda so that it could give them time to come and we can start with that second case if that works for you guys.

That is fine.

So we vote, or we just I don't think a vote's necessary.

All right, that's fine.

So we have we'll present then the second case.

Good evening, Commission.

Our case today is HPC0826, where Jackie Woskoware petitions for a certificate of appropriateness for the addition of an accessory structure on the property located at 16 Buena Vista in the Buena Vista Historic District, Council District 5.

So here we have an aerial view of that property and where it's situated in its historic district for the first homes as you enter Buena Vista.

Here we have a view of that property from the street.

The adjacent property to the north to the east.

So the petitioner is proposing to install a 16 by 10 foot shed with a wooden ramp in the rear yard.

The shed will be about nine and a half to 11 feet tall, depending on the grading of the rear yard, and it'll be placed on leveled concrete blocks with wooden structural supports.

The flooring will be made of plywood and its walls will be made of lumber.

The exterior siding will be made of four by eight vertical panels of L'B smart side, which is a wood composite material made up of 80 to 95% wood.

The roof decking will be constructed of strand board and finished with asphalt shingles to match the roofing material of the primary structure, and then the shed will be painted in a color similar to that of the primary structure.

So here we have a site plan showing where that shed is proposed to be placed in the pink.

It's gonna be about eight feet from that side property line.

Here we have an example of what that proposed shed would look like, and a photo provided by the applicant of the proposed color for that shed.

And the material the siding material you see in the example photo is LP Smart side, that vertical siding.

Here is some other example photos provided by the shed company of LP Smart Side siding for their accessory structures.

Here's the spec sheet for that siding.

As you can see, it's about 80 to 95 percent wood, and the rest is a resin product.

Here are the spec sheets for the shingles, as you can see, it circled in red.

The charcoal color will match closely to the existing shingles on the primary structure.

The materials for this project include wood, concrete blocks, plywood, LP smart side siding, strand board, asphalt shingles, and paint.

Here are the design guidelines for storage and workshed.

We received no public comment on this case.

Are there any questions for staff?

It appears we have none.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let me invite the applicant or the applicant's representative to step forward, please.

And if you both could state your name and address for the record, please.

Okay.

Jackie Weskaware, 16 Buena Vista.

Jasonware 16 Buena Vista.

Is there anything else you'd like the commission to know about your application?

Um, well, I guess I kind of did my research on the companies, and this company was is building on site, was the highest ranked I found of the ones that I found that call me back.

Are there questions for the applicant?

And let the record show that Ms.

Stone has just joined the hearing.

Um just wait for her to come and see if she has any questions for the applicant.

All right.

Well, thank you very much.

If something comes up in discussion, we'll invite you back.

Okay.

We've had no public comment submitted.

Is there anyone here to speak in support of or opposition to this application?

Then let me close the floor to public comment and open the floor to discussion by commission members.

Hearing no discussion, I have a um standing motion to approve HPC 0826.

Jackie Wuskaware petitions for certificate of appropriateness for the addition of an accessory structure on the property located at 16 Buena Vista in the Buena Vista Historic District Council District 5.

And we shall vote.

Let's begin on my left, please, Mr.

Diab.

Yes.

Dr.

Nelson?

Yes.

Mr.

Elbash?

Yes.

Mr.

Morris?

Yes.

I vote yes.

Ms.

Jason.

Yes.

And Ms.

Stone.

Thank you very much.

Your application has been approved this evening.

Should anything change from what was approved tonight?

Please see city staff before you move forward.

And good luck with your project.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Our next case is HPC0926, where Brian Yokley petitions for a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to the primary structure on the property located at 27 University Circle and the University Circle Historic District Council District 4.

So here we have an aerial view of that property.

And where it's situated in its historic district.

To the east, to the south, and to the west.

So the petitioner is proposing to construct a roof over an existing rear patio.

This proposed roof will be standing seam flat metal and be made and will be made of 24 gauge steel.

The proposed roof will be painted to blend in with the existing roof color.

The petitioner proposes to add four new rock columns to the west end of the proposed roof for structural support, and two new 60-inch ceiling fans will be added to the roof to the ceiling of the roof along with an updraft exhaust fan over an existing outdoor grille.

Here are some photos of how that rear patio looks like now.

And the raw columns are shown in that picture on the right.

Some more pictures showing the interior of that patio and the side of it.

And what it looks like facing this the structure from the rear.

And the length and width of the proposed roof addition.

How tall it would be off of those steps to the patio.

And again, here is that existing patio with no roof.

As you'll probably see in your pockets, there are two extra fans shown in the diagram that was originally submitted on the right, but the applicant chose to go with only two 60-inch ceiling fans and then the updraft exhaust fan across or above the metal grill.

Here's a rendering of that 16-inch standing flat sea metal roof.

Materials for this project include steel roofing, rock columns, ceiling fans, and a metal outdoor exhaust fan.

Here are the design guidelines for rehabilitation and alteration.

For ducks, porches, and railings for roofs, and their materials.

We received one written comment in support of this application.

Are there any questions for staff?

I have one question for you.

So in looking at this application, I don't, and I've been on the commission for quite a while.

I don't recall seeing some of that work that was done in the back.

Did that come before the commission in the past?

Yeah, I'll refer to Mr.

Pons for that answer.

All right, I'm just thinking the last 10 years.

Have we did we see did we consider that?

No, I don't see in our records that that was that that had come before the commission or through expedited review.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

I have a question.

Um is this considered two front yards?

This property is considered a through lot, is what we would call it.

So it does have a front yard and then a secondary front yard, which would be that rear yard.

So in relation to zoning, it would be um a two-thirds reduct or a one-third reduction.

Basically, you have a front setback along university circle.

You have a secondary front setback along 14th Avenue, um, which is a front setback reduced by one-third, and then you've got two side setbacks.

So we use that um in zoning to determine the setbacks.

Thank you very much.

Let me invite the applicant or the applicant's representative to step forward, please.

And if you don't mind, um both of you state your name and address for the record.

Okay.

My name is Shane Yokely, 27 University Circle.

Thank you.

I'm Greg Thompson, representing Thompson contractors.

Thank you.

So I do have a question to sort of start things off.

Some of those changes that we've we see right now in that yard were that didn't come before the historic preservation commission.

Do you know when those were done?

I'm thinking about the rock faced columns, that sort of stuff.

In 24 from the spring of 24.

But they didn't come before the commission.

Is that correct?

I I can't say for sure if it's I did not bring the drawings.

I do have some drawings that did come before the commission.

I did not bring those with me.

So this was approved by the commission, the stone columns, and I know they were on the drawings that were that were presented to the commission.

Okay.

Thank you.

Are there other questions?

Who did those drawings?

I think it was uh Centail.

I can't say for sure I'd have to pull the other drawings from when that was done.

I can't say for sure on that one.

I know we have some drawings and stuff now.

So there were some drawings that showed these two rock columns and the piece of metal.

Yes.

Well, the P yes.

Well, the piece of metal maybe not.

That was just a privacy screen.

So, but I know we submitted a drawing that had the rock columns on it.

But city staff, and I did not bring it with me.

Yeah, we're looking.

I it might not be in our GIS, which is where we look.

So let me let me do some digging.

2024, you said was when it came forward.

I think it was on the spring of 2014.

Okay.

I'll come back to you all.

You have a good memory.

Other questions in the meantime.

All right, well, we'll let city staff continue their look there, and um if there are no more questions for you, we'll allow you to sit down for now.

We may bring you back if something else comes up.

Okay.

And we'll just proceed with our discussion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we've had one submitted comment in favor of the application.

Is there anyone here to speak in support of or opposition to this application?

Then let me close the floor to public comment.

Let me check in with city staff and see what we have any additional information.

Not yet.

Sorry.

Understand Dr.

Cardoni.

I heard the clarification of setback given.

Is there any questions about this one in relation to setback or no?

It was more uh I think the the question about the two front yards because it's a through lot, had to do more with the design guidelines and application of design guidelines, um, front yard as opposed to backyard.

I think that's where the thinking was going on that one.

Okay.

Pause just a little bit longer.

Any discussion by commission members in the meantime?

Okay.

I do not think that they are in character with the rest of the neighborhood.

And so if HBC approved them in 2024, that's one thing.

But if they were not approved, and now we're asking for two or three more.

Um I would say no to the columns because I don't think they're in the character of university circle, which is predominantly white brick and smooth.

Thank you for your comments.

And just the petition is shown.

Is the screen gonna be removed?

I don't see it in the so it'll be removed.

The screen is removed.

Yes.

So it's not there now.

It will be removed.

Cynthia, while we wait, can we look at the other adjacent properties on around University Circle?

Because University Circle is the historic neighborhood.

And do we have the front of the property under consideration?

Sorry for the delay.

Um we do have uh it did go to the commission.

It was it was kind of covered in that brick wall.

That's what it was identified as, but there was also the stone arch that is currently existing was approved as part of that application.

So the stone was the stone arch right there was approved.

Okay by the historic preservation commission in 2024.

Thank you.

With the stone columns, yes.

Yep.

All right.

Any further discussion?

We have a standing motion to approve HPC 0926.

Ryan Yokely petitions for certificate of appropriateness for exterior alteration to the primary structure on the property located at 27 University Circle in the University Circle Historic District.

Council District 4.

We shall vote, beginning on my right, please, Ms.

Stone.

Yes.

Mr.

Jason.

Yes.

I vote yes, Mr.

Morris.

Yes.

Mr.

Alabash?

Yes.

Dr.

Nelson?

Yes.

Mr.

Diab.

Yes.

Ms.

Yokley, your application has been approved this evening.

Um, should anything change, please see city staff before you move forward, and good luck with your project.

Our next case is HPC 1026, where Price McGifford Jr.

petitions for a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to the primary structure on the property located at 1400 Caplewood Drive in the Caplewood Historic District, Council District 4.

Here's an aerial view of that property and where it's situated in its historic district.

Here's a view of that property from the street.

The adjacent property to the east, to the west, and to the south.

So the petitioner is proposing to construct a new three by sixteen-foot interior staircase on the right side of the primary structure facing Reed Street.

The exterior alterations to the primary structure include removing and replacing various windows on the northern, eastern, and southern elevations.

So in total, with a staircase addition, there will be nine new windows.

On the eastern elevation, six new windows will be added, two windows with a four over one light pattern to match the existing windows, and four with a three over one light pattern.

On the northern elevation, two windows will be added with a three over one light pattern, and on the south, two new windows will be added, one with a three over one light pattern, and then another one with a four over one light pattern, and all proposed windows are PVC.

The proposed staircase edition will have a brick foundation to match the existing foundation of the primary structure, and the siding will be hardy board to match the look of the existing wood siding.

The roof will be finished with asphalt shingles to match the existing asphalt shingles on the primary structure, and new wood core bills will be added to the extended roof line of the staircase edition in a style that matches the existing ones on the primary structure.

An existing gable vent on the eastern elevation will be removed to accommodate that staircase addition, and that area that will be patched with wood and siding and then painted to match the rest of the exterior.

The petitioner is also proposing to construct a new 16 by 13-foot wooden deck at the rear of the primary structure with columns and stairs.

It'll be made of treated wood and not painted.

The railing for the deck will be three feet tall, and a new fiberglass door is proposed to replace an existing window on the rear elevation to access the deck.

The proposed fiberglass door will be white and include a centered nine-pane fiberglass window.

So here we have that elevation where their staircase will be added.

And here is the proposed elevation for the cable wood drive.

And then the dimensions of the addition.

And for the new rear door, circled there in red.

Materials for this project include PVC windows, a fiberglass door, wood, white paint, asphalt shingles, hardy board siding, and hardy board panels, and brick.

Here are the design guidelines for rehabilitation and alteration for additions.

For trim and ornament and for ducks, porches, and railings for foundations and their materials for roofs and their materials, and for windows and their materials.

We received no public comment on this case.

Are there any questions for staff?

It appears we have none.

Thank you.

Let me invite the applicant or the applicant's representative to come forward.

And would you state your name and address for the record, please?

Yeah.

I'm Price McGifford Senior, 1313 Indian Hill Circle Tusclose.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell the commission about this project?

There's two things that we're trying to do.

One is to we totally changed the look last summer by painting it and uh roof and so forth.

And um raised the deck up where it settled and all the stuff, and then we out of time.

Well, we decided we'll stop what we're doing instead of trying to piecemeal it together.

Um, and I total price that we have only one exit in this house.

Wherever anybody is, they can't get out.

So I said, why don't we take move the laundry room, change the kitchen up, put a door out of the kitchen to the rear and build a deck just like Rumsey has next door, and just like we had approved two doors down on our other house, one of our other six in there.

So that's the plan here where we're going and the windows are just an awful shape.

That's why we're trying to redo the windows.

Now the staircase on the right side used to be out there.

And uh you see right there.

So we're gonna clean up the rest of the wires that are there.

We we we hauled off a truckload of cable TV and ATT and everything else is on there.

We stripped them all out and had as much as we could without damaging where we were, and then um probably end up having to work on the service area.

You see, that's the service which you see right there.

I mean, it's it's legal, but it once we move do some stuff and have to move it, we'll have to change that.

But um the uh the staircase on the inside here would be pulled, be built out here where the original staircase was.

See, there was a porch and then it came off and went down, is what I understand.

And there's the stairs are inside that go up to the bed, there's three bedrooms upstairs.

So I think most of these things are safety issues as much as anything, but it will be nice for them to have that deck and another exit, and then the windows will be a whole lot better than what they are now.

We we did all we could do to make them look better.

Thank you.

Are there any questions for Mr.

McGifford?

I have a question, Mr.

McGifford.

On the the staircase, how much of the existing exterior wall is gonna be removed?

The current exterior wall.

Is it basically just gonna be a uh an opening for the top of the stairs and the opening at the bottom of the stairs?

You talk about the the stair the the staircase we're building on the end of the house, not the deck and the stairs going back.

That's correct.

Um it will come out where the door is, right?

And it'll be built right there to that elevation, or either we'll take it down to the main floor and do that and then build the staircase going up.

Okay, and where there's where the staircase uh I'm just I'm concerned about the um the existing facade and the exterior paneling there, how much that'll be removed if any it's not gonna be a problem.

It will it will blend right into where we're going.

Uh I think it's gonna take uh all three of those windows right there, is where we'll have to start with where we are, and then we'll try to make it look like that inside and outside look the same.

If you'll go back, Steph, if you go back to just the existing photograph elevation of that.

This one really the main question I'm asking is if in some future instance someone wants to make this building look just like this photograph again.

Is that gonna be possible?

No.

Okay.

And the inside staircase will go away.

That'll become room in the house, and the bathroom that you go in now that's that was done when we bought the house.

You walk in the bathroom like this.

I mean, seriously, it's that you go under the stairs and you go in like this, and the we had one boy move in that was over six feet tall, and we had to reverse the shower head this fall so he could take a shower on the high end of the ceiling in the bathroom, believe it or not.

And that's when we decided, hey, we got to do something here.

So that will give us by putting the staircase on the outside in that channel going up, then we'll have more room inside to do what we want to do there.

Okay, understand.

All that will be done together at the same time, hopefully, sometime this summer is what we're shooting for.

Uh a little price says, Oh, Dad, you can do it in May.

Yeah.

So I don't know if that's gonna happen or not, but we're gonna try.

Other questions.

It appears we have no more questions for you.

Thank you so much.

We've had no submitted public comment for this application.

Is there anyone here to speak in support of or opposition to this application?

Then let me close the floor to public comment and open the floor to discussion by commission members.

I think over the life of this structure, there's been some work done, and obviously it was not the exact original state prior to this work being done, and this addition is very deliberate in its attempt to make it be integral with the overall um structure as it stands today.

I see no issue.

Thank you.

We have a standing motion to approve HPC 1026.

Price McGifford Jr.

petitions for certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations on the primary structure on the property located at 1400 Caplewood Drive in the Capewood Historic District.

Council District 4, we shall vote beginning on my left, Mr.

Diab.

Yes.

Dr.

Nelson?

Yes.

Mr.

Elbash?

Yes.

Mr.

Morris?

Yes.

I vote yes, Mr.

Deeson.

Yes.

And Ms.

Stone.

Yes.

Mr.

McGifford, your application has been approved this evening.

It's a big project.

Should anything change?

Let the city staff know before you proceed.

And good luck with the project.

Yes.

I'm waiting on sorry.

Yeah, that's funny.

Um so it does not look like the applicant for that first one that we moved down to the last is here.

Um the applicant has a right to appear uh and be heard by the commission, but their presence is not required for the commission to hear an application.

Um so the commission can go ahead and hear the application and approve it or deny it or take whatever other action it deems appropriate.

Um generally an application under the city code cannot be continued without the consent of the owner.

I would like to suggest that we move ahead with this.

The applicant had been notified about the hearing tonight.

Um we have all the materials, I believe, that to consider this case.

And since the application applicant is not here for us to request a continuance, I say we move forward.

Okay, so our last case is HPCO726, where Jim Waltman petitions for a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to the primary structure on the property located at 2007, Maxi Thomas Sway in the Druid City Historic District, Council District 4.

So here's an aerial view of that property where it's located in its historic district.

Here's a view of that property from the street, the adjacent property to the west, to the east, to the north.

So the petitioner is proposing to remove two existing raw iron porch supports at the entrance of the primary structure and replace them with wooden rectangular post.

The post will be eight feet tall to match the existing height of the raw iron supports and will be made of pressure treated pine and painted white.

No alterations will be made to the existing porch roof.

So here are some pictures of what those raw iron porch supports look like now.

And here are some example photos that the applicants admitted of what those rectangular wooden posts would look like.

And this is an adjacent structure.

So the materials for this project include wood and white paint.

Here are the design guidelines for rehabilitation and alteration.

For porches and railings for entrances and doorways, and the materials.

Are there any questions for staff?

No questions, but let the record show that Ms.

Stone will abstain or recuse herself from this particular case.

Thank you.

And since the applicant is not here to represent the case, I'll move on to public comment.

We've had one submitted comment in support of.

Seeing none, I'll close the floor to public comment, open the floor to uh discussion by commission members.

Any concerns or thoughts on this case?

Hearing none.

We have a standing motion to approve HPC 0726.

Jim Waltman petitions for a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to the primary structure located on the property at 2007 Maxi Thomas Way in the Druid City Historic District, Council District 4.

We shall vote.

Let's begin on my right, please, Mr.

Deeson.

Yes.

I vote yes, Mr.

Morris.

Yes.

Mr.

Albash?

Yes.

Dr.

Nelson?

Nate Abstain, after all.

All right.

And Mr.

Diab?

No.

And uh because I don't, it does not avoid removing the historic material or significant architectural features in that the iron material was noted previously as a descriptor of the Thank you, and thank you for providing that rationale.

So that appears that we have not received five affirmative votes.

This application has not been approved.

City staff, will you please let the applicant know about that and let them know how they can move forward with their with their application if they wish to that's all we've got for y'all tonight?

Thank you.

And with that, this hearing is adjourned.