The Historic District Commission schedule, first and third Wednesdays of each month, would have conflicted with the Jan. 1 holiday, so Jan. 15 was the first meeting of 2025.
Commission officers were elected, including Chair Dee Bright, who continues in that position. Debbie Davis will serve as vice-chair, and Susan Daniels and Frank Green will continue as treasurer and secretary, respectively. Commissioners are also required to establish a meeting format at the start of the year, and will continue to use a format suggested by the Arkansas Municipal League.
A plan to build seven nightly rental units at 58 N. Main St. will bring major changes to the site of the old Landaker Hotel. Contractor TJ McGuire said the access for the units would come from Montgomery Street. The C-1 zoning would not require any dedicated parking, but the project will include adequate off-street parking. The units will have metal roofs and concrete siding, and foundations will be covered with stone. Some 20 trees will be removed and replaced. Trees on the N. Main portion of the property will be kept intact, along with some original stone features. All approved the plan.
In other business:
- Lloyd Leibee had appeared at the Dec. 18 HDC meeting. He had installed a metal carport at 26 Emporia St. without HDC approval. Commissioners expressed displeasure at the unauthorized project, but said they might accept Leibee’s suggestion to remove the metal siding and replace it with wood to match the house. Leibee returned with better drawings to show the finished product, and all approved his plan.
- St. James Episcopal Church, at 28 Prospect Ave., received approval to rebuild the bell tower, add exterior lighting, and install a new concrete ramp.
- A certificate of appropriateness had been issued in 2020 for 12 Fuller St., and that COA included a provision for a screened porch. The work was not completed, and owner Melissa Taliaferro asked to enclose the porch instead of screening it. Existing windows would be moved to the new façade. Green suggested a site visit, but other commissioners had previously visited the site. They noted that the footprint for the porch had already been approved. All approved the project, with the provision that Taliaferro use cedar or pine siding, rather than an engineered wood product.
- At 3 Armstrong St., Michael Burns and Donald Brice asked belated approval for work already in place. They had replaced two garage doors, removed a deck, and replaced a set of exterior stairs. The owners, relatively new to the city, said they did not know about the requirements for HDC approval. This led to a renewed discussion about ways to keep the public informed. All approved the project.
- A workshop had been planned before the Feb. 5 meeting, but that workshop will be held Feb. 19. The workshop will deal with ways to increase public awareness about the need to obtain approval from the HDC before commencing exterior work.
- A vacancy still exists on the HDC.
- During commissioner comments, Bright reminded the public not to contact her about specific projects. She receives texts and emails, but forwards them unopened to Cassie Dishman, Director of Planning and Community Development.
- The HDC will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Level III applications were due Jan. 22, and Level II applications are due Jan. 29.