Members of the Historic District Commission had no objection at the March 6 meeting to an application to remove a collapsing structure at 1 Frisco St., but they wrestled with questions of access to the project. They even scheduled a site visit and a special meeting, before they determined that their only responsibility lay in the application before them.
Property owner and former commissioner Judy Holden said the building does not show up in city files or the historic district survey. She said Building Inspector Jacob Coburn has recommended removing the structure for safety reasons.
A neighbor, Rhonda Ravenscroft-Dixon, said she had no objection to razing the old building, but objected to removing the debris through an unused city street between her property and Holden’s. She said the city does not maintain that section of Washington St., and a dump truck and backhoe would damage the road, part of which she uses as a driveway.
Dixon said some small trees have grown up in the roadway, and they would have to be removed. She also noted that she has a lot of stained glass on the side of her house facing Washington, and she worried about the effects of heavy equipment. She suggested requiring Holden to use Frisco for the access, since the project would only benefit Holden, and should not inconvenience a neighbor.
Holden said existing terrain would cause added hardships if she had to use Frisco as access. She also said that original access to the old building had been through Washington, although Dixon said the structure faced Frisco. Holden’s contractor said he would not use Washington under wet conditions, and pledged to restore the road if he caused any damage.
Coburn had issued an opinion that Washington would provide the easiest access to the site, but he deferred to the HDC.
Chair Dee Bright asked for a motion for a site visit, and it was arranged for the following afternoon. A special meeting followed, after a two-hour delay for media notification.
Commissioner Christine Santimore noted that existing trees would complicate the access from Frisco. Commissioner Debbie Davis noted that the Frisco access would eliminate questions of property lines, but Holden had a survey showing that her property runs to Washington.
After a lengthy discussion, Davis asked why the commission should do any more than consider the application before them. All agreed, and Holden’s application to remove the building was approved, without any reference to access.
In other business:
- Latigo Treuer, at 185 Spring St., received approval for a carport 20 feet square, with post and beam construction. A garage had been located on the site at one time.
- Commissioners have received a grant from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program to pay the costs of attending a national preservation forum scheduled from July 31-Aug. 4 in Palm Beach, Fla. Several commissioners have committed to the trip, but the list will be finalized in the days after the meeting.
- At the Feb. 7 meeting, the HDC had approved a $350 sponsorship for a workshop presented by Main Street Eureka Springs. The workshop focused on methods to repair historic windows. At the Feb. 21 meeting, City Historic Preservation Officer Kyle Palmer said he had heard objections because he and Bright both serve on the Main Street board, and that information should have been disclosed at the table. Commissioners could not hold another vote on Feb. 21, because Bright would have to abstain, and the other three commissioners could not provide the four votes needed for passage. Last week, commissioners had enough votes to approve the sponsorship retroactively.
Bright said the workshop was “fantastic,” attracting a mixture of local and out-of-town attendees.
- The HDC will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. Level III applications were due March 7, and Level II March 13.