Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - May 10, 2018

The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission met on Thursday, May 10, 2018, at 5:30 p.m., in City Council Chambers for a quasi-judicial design-review hearing. Seven commission members were present and witnesses were sworn in before testimony. The commission heard six new-business items, approved four exterior-alteration requests and one fencing request with conditions, and continued one roof-replacement request. Two discrepancies should be noted: the agenda lists the meeting location as City Council Chambers, Skyline Center, 929 North Front Street, while the minutes state the meeting was at 102 North 3rd Street; and the agenda packet records several votes as 9-0, while the minutes reflect seven members present and 7-0 tallies. This summary follows the minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• 1820 Market Street: Applicant Eric Hawthorne said the high-traffic corner, pedestrian traffic, and a nearby bus stop made the fence necessary to keep his young children in the yard and provide separation from the street. No public comments were offered for or against.
• 323 South 4th Street: Applicant Alyson Fleming described the goal of restoring a divided house to single-family use and making the rear addition congruous with the ca. 1850 Sutton-Burgwin House. Scott Oudon of B&O Design explained the proposed wall repair, neutral color, arbor, skylights, and brick stairs. No public comments were offered for or against.
• 209 South 5th Avenue: Applicant Lane Patterson said she and her husband had invested substantial time and money in the house and could not afford synthetic slate. She reported four contractor quotes, with real slate about $85,000 and synthetic slate roughly twice the cost of asphalt shingles. She stated the roof life-span was over and patching was no longer possible.
• 513 South 5th Avenue: Applicant Libby Becarino asked for a wider frieze board and permission to wrap the front porch posts with a cap and base, arguing the existing posts and trim looked unfinished. No public comments were offered for or against.
• 1812 Princess Street: Applicant Shannon Appler said he had recently purchased the house and wanted to restore its charm and add rear mudroom access. Neighbor Ruth Masey of 1811 Princess Street spoke in favor, saying the house had been vacant for many years and she was delighted to see the work done to the submitted specifications.
• 410 Orange Street: Applicant Jennifer Sandstrom described chronic leaking around the rear-entry roof, a non-original square bathroom window, and a rotted rear door, and asked to complete the exterior repairs at the same time. No public comments were offered for or against.

Discussion Items

• 1820 Market Street - Fencing on a corner lot: Staff reviewed the 1910 L.W. Moore House, a contributing frame Colonial Revival dwelling in Carolina Heights/Winoca Terrace. Only portions visible from public rights-of-way, excluding alleys, are subject to review. The applicant proposed a 4-foot aluminum fence with gate in the front yard and along the western property line, plus a 6-foot aluminum fence in the rear yard; the existing rear-alley wood fence would remain. Staff noted corner and aluminum fencing on adjacent properties and will enforce the city's sight-distance triangle. The commission required hardware on the inside, an inward-swinging gate, compliance with sight-distance requirements, and the 6-foot fence to begin at the rear corner of the house.
• 323 South 4th Street - Exterior alterations: Staff reviewed the ca. 1850 Sutton-Burgwin House, a five-bay Greek Revival at Nun and South 4th Streets. The approved scope included removal of an unhealthy tree, repair and stucco of the masonry wall/structure, new rear second-story windows, French doors with side lights, rear porch and stair work, and related alterations. The transcript indicates the moving commissioner asked to omit staff conditions 7 and 14, but the adopted minutes record a full 16-condition list that includes those provisions; this discrepancy is noted.
• 209 South 5th Avenue - Replace historic slate roof with asphalt shingles: Staff reviewed the 1915 shingle-style house and stated the Design Guidelines recommend synthetic slate. Staff provided examples from the State Historic Preservation Office, including Enviroslate and EcoStar synthetic slate. The applicant said her chosen high-grade asphalt shingles would save the house and save money. The commission discussed allowing synthetic slate on visible roof areas and asphalt on less-visible areas; the applicant asked for time to compare costs. The item was continued to June 14, 2018.
• 513 South 5th Avenue - Exterior alterations: Staff reviewed the one-story ranch-style Lauder House, constructed around 1955 and listed as noncontributing in the National Register. The proposed craftsman gable brackets were found incompatible with the mid-century architecture and were not approved. The approved alterations included new siding, porch modifications, brick steps, a concrete double-runner driveway, and a wrapped front porch post with minimal trim molding rather than a substantial cap and base.
• 1812 Princess Street - Exterior alterations: Staff reviewed the 1913 Edgar L. Hinton House, a bungalow with cedar shake siding that had been vacant for years and is being returned to single-family use. The approved rear alterations included replacing a window with a door, removing the exterior stair access to the second-floor balcony, adding a privacy fence, and moving an existing door. During debate, commissioners asked that the new rear door have its transom removed and its trim align with the existing second-floor doorway rather than use a flared trim treatment.
• 410 Orange Street - Exterior alterations: Staff reviewed the 1875 Gore-Stone House, an Italianate house. The project re-pitches the leaking rear-entry roof, replaces a non-original square window with a wood 2/2 double-hung window, replaces the rotted rear door, and includes a new landing, steps, and handrail. The commission required clear glass, matching trim, planner review of the door and landing details, and compliance with the Wilmington Design Guidelines and building code.

Key Outcomes

• 1820 Market Street: Motion to approve fencing with conditions carried 7-0.
• 323 South 4th Street: Motion to approve exterior alterations with conditions carried 7-0.
• 209 South 5th Avenue: Motion to continue the roof-replacement item to June 14, 2018 carried 7-0.
• 513 South 5th Avenue: Motion to approve exterior alterations with conditions carried 7-0.
• 1812 Princess Street: Motion to approve exterior alterations with conditions carried 5-2. Keston, Muzzey, Romero, Murphy, and Hill voted aye; McCaleb and Boney voted nay.
• 410 Orange Street: Motion to approve exterior alterations with conditions carried 7-0.
• The February 8, 2018 meeting minutes were approved 7-0.
• The commission discussed pending subcommittee work on telecommunication equipment guidelines and water-drainage concerns. Staff said feedback from City Stormwater Engineer Rob Gordon would be drafted into proposed guideline language and reviewed by a subcommittee.
• Staff reported that the African American Heritage brochure was being finalized with minor edits and new photographs and would go to the designer the following week.
• Staff reported 80 to 90 active demolition-by-neglect cases, with roughly 40 percent of those structures vacant, and cited challenges with heir properties.
• The next regular Historic Preservation Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, 2018. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.