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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20201202 Tom Clemens Vernell Doyle Edith Wallace Ann Aldrich Gary Rohrer Jeffrey A. Cline, BOCC Rep HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION OF WASHINGTON COU NTY, MARYLAND WWW.WASHCO-MD.NET 100 West Washington Street, Suite 2600 | Hagerstown, MD 21740 | P: 240.313.2430 | F: 240.313.2431 | TDD: 7-1-1 AGENDA SPECIAL MEETING December 2, 2020, 7:00 p.m. VIRTUAL MEETING ONLY CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL MINUTES 1. Minutes of the November 4, 2020 meeting * NEW BUSINESS 1. Permit #2020-04285 Proposed porch addition to structure located at 4425 Main Street in Rohrersville * OTHER BUSINESS 1. Staff Report ADJOURNMENT UPCOMING MEETING 1. Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 7:00 p.m. *attachments The Historic District Commission reserves the right to vary the order in which the cases are called. Individuals requiring special accommodations are requested to contact the Washington County Planning Department at 240- 313-2430 to make arrangements no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting. Notice is given that the agenda may be amended at any time up to and including the meeting. MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY November 4, 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, November 4, 2020 at 7:00 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, and Greg Smith. Staff members present were: Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning: Jill Baker, Director; Jennifer Kinzer, Deputy Director; Meghan Jenkins, GIS Coordinator; and Debra Eckard, Administrative Assistant. Also present at the meeting were Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Lankford. MINUTES Mr. Lushbaugh made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 5, 2020 meeting as presented. The motion was seconded by Ms. Wallace and unanimously approved. OLD BUSINESS Demolition Permit #2020-03729 – 7007 Mariah Furnace Road Ms. Jenkins presented for review a demolition permit for a 1,389 square foot single-family house, a barn, outhouse, cabin and 4 sheds located at 7007 Mariah Furnace Road, Lot 1. Ms. Baker visited the site and several photographs were taken and presented during the meeting. Discussion and Comments: Ms. Wallace asked if any alternatives to demolition have been considered. Mr. Lankford, the property owner, stated that the interior of the house is in complete disrepair, a new electrical system would be needed, the foundation is crumbling, and the house is a liability and safety issue. Mr. Lankford expressed his opinion that the cost to rehabilitate the house would be more than the house is currently worth. He stated that he is trying to find someone to salvage the barn. Ms. Jenkins stated there are resources available on our website for salvaging historic structures and she would share those resources with Mr. Lankford. Ms. Aldrich also provided the name and contact information of Douglas Reeder, whom she believes would be an excellent resource for Mr. Lankford. Ms. Baker asked Mr. Lankford to clarify which buildings are proposed for demolition. Mr. Lankford stated that the house, 4 sheds, outhouse, cabin and barn are all proposed for demolition. However, he would like to have someone purchase and remove the barn for re-use rather than demolition and he would be willing to let it stand until someone could salvage it. The demolition of the house is going to be used for training purposes for fire and emergency personnel. Ms. Aldrich asked if the owner would be interested in using tax credits to rehabilitate the property. Mr. Lankford stated that he is willing to sell the barn materials for salvage but he really is not interested in rehabilitating the house due to the associated costs involved. Motion and Vote: Mr. Smith made a motion to support the demolition permit as presented. The motion was seconded by Mr. Lushbaugh and unanimously approved. Demolition Permit Process Ms. Baker reported that a summary has been prepared of previous discussions regarding the demolition permit process. The summary lists the 3 major priorities established during these discussions: 1) Docu- mentation; 2) 90 day feasibility of demolition alternatives period; and 3) Deterrents to premature demolition. This summary was sent to members of the Commission as well as the Historic Advisory Committee (HAC). No comments have been received to date from the HAC members. Ms. Linda Irvin- Craig, co-chair of the HAC has asked staff to schedule time on the Board of County Commissioners’ agenda to further discuss this issue. Staff is hoping to be on the agenda sometime during the month of December. OTHER BUSINESS Ms. Aldrich asked when the HDC gets involved in a permit review for a historic structure. Ms. Jenkins stated that the HDC reviews permits for contributing structures within the Rural Villages that have completed surveys, in towns with the National Register designation, structures within the Antietam Overlay zones, and for structures that have received Historic Tax Credits. Staff Report • Ms. Jenkins noted that staff reviewed the following applications in October: 2 agricultural permits, 1 non-residential sign permit, 2 addition/alteration permits, and 1 site plan. • Demolition Permit – 17707 Miller’s Sawmill Road: The Planning Commission discussed the demolition permit for the property located at 17707 Miller’s Sawmill Road at its meeting on Monday, November 2nd. The Planning Commission supported approval of the demolition permit. Ms. Baker noted that the property owner, Mr. Stivers, was able to salvage many materials from the structure including doors, windows, shutter guards, lumber, and the front porch. Mr. Stivers plans to use some of these materials in the new house he is planning to build on the property and to sell the other components for re-use. He informed staff three different additions from different time periods were uncovered during the demolition process. Ms. Doyle asked if the property owner documented where any of the salvaged materials have gone. Ms. Baker stated he has not and no documentation of that type was requested from him. Ms. Doyle expressed her opinion that a record of where the salvaged materials go would be interesting. Ms. Jenkins stated that, at this time, due to limited staff and limited databases, it is not feasible for staff to try to track this information. We will keep this as a goal for the future. Ms. Doyle suggested that this requirement should be part of the applicant’s responsibility once demolition has occurred. • MAHDC Annual Meeting: This meeting will be held virtually on November 12, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Jenkins plans to attend this meeting as Washington County’s representative. Mr. Clemens said he may also attend this meeting. • Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Annual Meeting: This meeting will also be held virtually on November 12, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Smith and Ms. Baker have expressed interest in attending this meeting. • Training Opportunities: During the October 5th meeting, members discussed training opportunities that will help the County in maintaining its Certified Local Government status. Members decided to participate in the Course 100: Design Review offered by the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions. Ms. Jenkins will try to schedule this training either on November 17th or November 20th. She will coordinate this training and inform members as soon as possible. Ms. Wallace announced that Tolson’s Chapel is being considered by the National Historic Landmarks Committee for designation on November 5th. Ms. Doyle reported that the building that has been the home of the Lutheran Church in Sharpsburg since 1943 has been sold. No other details were available. ADJOURNMENT Ms. Wallace made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m. The motion was seconded by Ms. Aldrich and so ordered by the Chairman. Respectfully submitted, _______________________________________ Jill L. Baker, Director Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning Lloyd & Jennifer Yavener 240.838.0302 yav58@aol 8820 Huntmaster Road 4425 Main Street Gaithersburg, MD 20882 Rohrersville, MD 21779 November 12, 2020 Historic District Commission of Washington County Maryland 100 West Washington Street Suite 2600 Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 RE: Residential Addition-Alteration Permit 2020-04285 4425 Main Street, Rohrersville MD MD Inventory of Historic Properties WA-III020; III140 Dear Members of the Commission, In advance of the hearing, I’d like to share our plans for the farm, including the referenced application for a porch and also a first floor bathroom addition to be filed shortly. By way of background, my folks bought the “Brick Farmstead” in 1969 because of our family’s appreciation of old homes, antiques, and history, and we moved up from Montgomery County so I could attend Boonsboro High School. Since graduating from school and raising a family we’ve resided in Montgomery County, and currently live in the Riggs-Wilcoxen House (MIHP M:14-60) located near Laytonsville. However, we intend on selling our Montgomery County home and moving back to the farm this coming Spring, and hope to retire within 5 years and stay on the farm as our “age in place” home. Having cared for our parents as they aged, we became sensitive to the unique needs in that stage of life, and the proposed improvements are designed to make the home suitable for our retirement, while having no impact to the structure or architectural elements of the home. Since inheriting the farm about 5 years ago, we’ve invested considerable time and resources to restore the property including removal of dense overgrowth of invasive species blanketing the property and structures (ailanthus, kudzu, English ivy, multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, etc.), replacement of gutters and downspouts, repair of missing brick, roof repair, storm window repair, landscape grading around the home to eliminate water intrusion, and many other restorative projects. We’ve also repaired the roofs, gutters, doors, siding, and other elements of the outbuildings, and reinstalled the farm fencing around the pastures. The installation of a porch will provide us much needed outdoor living space protected from the elements. It will be easily accessible with no steps from the home and it will be level with the ground at the north corner of the home. There’s an existing patio adjacent to the home, but it’s several steps down from the house and fully exposed to the elements. We chose the proposed porch design because it’s similar to many of the porches in and around Rohrersville, and because the installation will have no impact on the structure or architectural elements of the home. If the porch was ever removed, there would be no damage to the integrity of the home or its design elements. Porches were common additions to homes in the area over the years, and we believe the proposed project will enhance the usefulness and beauty of the home while having no impact to its historic value. We also wanted to share that we’re preparing to submit an application to construct a first floor bathroom addition, a critical need as we look ahead to our retirement needs. We’ve chosen a location at the rear of the home that will not disrupt any structural or architectural elements of the home, and greatly enhance its livability and functionality. The original concept for the bathroom addition was designed by Doug Reed of Preservation Associates, with whom my parents worked years ago for restoration projects on the home. Preserving the character and integrity of the farm has always been our central focus, and the planned projects were designed to have little to no impact to the structure and architectural elements of the home, while providing much needed functionality to our family. We value and appreciate the mission of the Historic District Commission and look forward to working together on this and future projects. Please let us know if there’s any additional information that will enhance the review process. Sincerely, Lloyd Yavener