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HomeMy WebLinkAbout200914 - Minutes, Historic District CommMINUTES OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY September 14, 2020 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Due to current social meeting restrictions put in place by the Governor of Maryland because of the COVID- 19 pandemic, the Washington County Historic District Commission held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 14, 2020 at 1:15 p.m. virtually using Zoom software. No physical meeting took place. Commission members present were: Tom Clemens, Ann Aldrich, Vernell Doyle, Edie Wallace, Michael Lushbaugh, Greg Smith and Gary Rohrer (joined the meeting at 1:50 p.m.). Staff members present were: Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning: Jill Baker, Director; Meghan Jenkins, GIS Analyst; and Debra Eckard, Administrative Assistant. MINUTES Ms. Aldrich made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 5, 2020 meeting as presented. The motion was seconded by Ms. Wallace and unanimously approved. NEW BUSINESS Demolition Permit 2020-03241-17707 Miller's Sawmill Road A demolition permit for a structure located at 17707 Miller's Sawmill Road was presented for review and comment. As part of this application, members reviewed a deed of easement put on the property by the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) which also included covenants for structures. These covenants included language for the demolition of certain structures and mitigation if those structures are demolished. Staff provided a timeline of events leading up to the application for demolition. In April, Mr. Stivers (property owner) contacted the Washington County Department of Plan Review & Permitting and asked for a service request for a structure located at 17707 Miller's Sawmill Road (formerly a tenant house). The Permitting Department inspected the structure, which was deemed unsafe. Mr. Stivers then contacted the Maryland Environmental Trust (part of Maryland Department of Natural Resources) to request demolition of the structure at 17707 Miller's Sawmill Road. A representative from MET contacted the Department of Planning & Zoning to inquire if this was listed as a landmark structure and what procedures the County would take. Ms. Baker informed MET that this was not a landmark structure but the HDC would review any applications for demolition. Our office received a notice from MET that they had approved the demolition with caveats. However, when the application was received by the County, the property owner was applying for demolition of a structure at 17705 Miller's Sawmill Road (formerly a farmhouse). Staff is currently working with MET to clear up the confusion as to which structure they reviewed and approved for demolition. Staff presented photographs taken by the building inspector who visited the site showing the condition of the farmhouse as it stands today. There is a gaping hole in the roof, the interior is crumbing, and the property owner stated that the foundation is in great disrepair. Ms. Baker noted that the structure was built in the early 1800's by the Chapline's, the founders of Sharpsburg. 1 Ms. Baker stated that Mr. Stivers is willing to allow two Commission members to visit the property and document it for historic purposes. Mr. Stivers is hesitant to allow anyone into the structure due to liability issues. Any members visiting the site will do so at their own risk. Discussion and Comments: Ms. Aldrich expressed her opinion that the property owner should be responsible for documenting the structure because there are conditions on the easements and structures on the property. Mr. Clemens expressed his opinion that the property owner should be required to return the money that he received for the easements put on the property since it included the structures. It is his belief that the money should have been used to repair and maintain the structures. He believes this is clearly a case of "demolition by neglect" and the property owner should be held accountable. Other members agreed with these comments. However, MET believes that the easements are only for the property, not the structures. There was a discussion regarding rehabilitation of the structure and if it would be financially feasible. Ms. Baker noted that documentation was submitted to MET saying that the foundation had been inspected by a third party and it was not feasible to salvage. She noted that even though the structure is uninhabitable this doesn't mean it cannot be repaired and rehabilitated. Members agreed. There was a discussion regarding the timeline for review of this permit application. Ms. Baker stated that the Commission has 45 days from the date of application for review and approval/denial. The deadline in this case would be October 5th. Members expressed their opinions that there was not enough information available and would like clarification from MET as to which structure they reviewed and approved for demolition. Motion and Vote: Ms. Doyle made a motion to delay a decision on the demolition permit pending receipt of additional information from MET. The motion was seconded by Ms. Aldrich and unanimously approved. Ms. Baker asked if there was anyone that would like to visit the site. Mr. Lushbaugh and Mr. Rohrer have volunteered to visit and document the site. Following the vote, the Commission decided to hold a special meeting on October 5th in order to meet the review deadline for the demolition permit. WORKSHOP Demolition Permit Process Members of the HDC and staff were joined by Linda Irvin -Craig and Ralph Young from the Historical Advisory Committee to discuss the demolition permit process. Ms. Baker gave a brief summary of previous discussions regarding the demolition permit process. Two main items of discussion have been the levying of fines for demolition without a permit and adding additional time to the demolition permit process in order to document the structure(s) and talk with property owners about alternatives to demolition. This is not meant to delay or stop development, but rather to document the history of our county. She noted that Frederick County requires the applicant to submit written documentation and photographs at the time of application. Discussions have also been focused on requiring the documentation to be produced by a certified preservationist. 2 Some members expressed their opinions that there is no political will among the County Commissioners to preserve historic resourced; they see preservation as a frivolous act of a specialized group. Emphasis was placed on the importance of heritage tourism to this County due to the many historic resources we have here. Ms. Baker noted that staff has been updating the County's Certified Local Government (CLG) information in anticipation of applying for grant monies to start updating the historic inventory, which is extremely important. Staff has provided many informational updates on the County's website, such as making the Historic Tax Credits brochure interactive, providing references for restoration and salvaging of historic resources, web trainings, etc. Staff is also working on other initiatives such as a targeted mailing of tax credit information in areas that qualify (Antietam Overlay and Historic Preservation zoning districts) and updates to the historic inventory. Members discussed the goals and policy changes they would like to present to the County Commissioners. • Require documentation including photographs of historic structures to be provided as part of the demolition permit application process. This requirement would be waived in some instances such as fires. Members like the idea of requiring the applicant, at his expense, to provide documentation of the historic structure when applying for a permit. Documentation should come from a certified preservationist. • Revise review period to 90 days. This additional review period would be used to discuss possible alternatives with the property owner. • Posting the property during the 90 days review period (if demolition is applied for and denied). This would give the opportunity to explore options such as salvaging materials or relocating the structure. • Establish a stiffer fine for demolition without a permit on historic structures. Monies collected should be set aside in an account to help with preservation efforts. Members discussed the levying of a fine on a sliding scale. • Establish a moratorium of any new construction on a demolished site within 1-3 years of demolition in cases where demolition without a permit occurs. They believe this would be a better deterrent than simply paying a fine. ADJOURNMENT The Chairman adjourned the meeting at 4:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jill L/Baker, Director Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning 3