Christine Santimore attended her first meeting as a member of the Historic District Commission last week, but she and the other commissioners barely had time to get settled before the meeting was over. Only one application was before the HDC, and the meeting ended in just over 10 minutes.
Mark Elworth, at 7 E. Mountain, asked to place a four-ft. high fence in his backyard. The house was built in 1979, and is non-contributing, but commissioner Peter Graham still objected to the chain-link fencing, covered with black vinyl. He cited a passage in the recently revised guidelines, which restricts the use of vinyl, chain link, or other inappropriate fencing materials.
Graham asked Elworth if he could use wood or wire, and Elworth said the chain-link fencing would work better for his dogs. He said the yard is not visible from the road, and the black vinyl will further diminish the fence’s visibility.
Commissioner Dee Bright agreed and reminded the others that the HDC had adopted this type of fencing. The dog park has the same fencing, and Bright said it blends well. Graham voted against the proposal, and with only five commissioners in attendance, Chair Steve Holifield cast the fourth vote for approval.
After the vote, commissioners discussed the need to compare previous guidelines to the new guidelines for fencing. A workshop was planned at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, prior to the regular meeting at 6 p.m.
In other business:
- Former commissioner Kyle Palmer has taken over as City Historic Preservation Officer, creating a vacancy in the secretary position. With two commissioners absent, the commission postponed action to fill that position.
- Bright reminded everyone of the 42nd annual Tour of Homes, scheduled from 2 – 6 p.m. on Dec. 3. She said tickets are available online at eurekaspringspreservationsociety.org.
- Level III applications were due by Nov. 23, and other levels are due Nov. 30 for consideration at the Dec. 7 meeting.