When the Historic District Commission met on July 3, two of the four items on the agenda dealt with applicants who had received previous approval for projects. In both cases, construction deviated from the approved plans. The commissioners found a compromise with one of those applicants but postponed a decision on another project.
Joshua and Amelia Irwin had received approval in September for new construction at 104 Wall St. They planned the new building as an innkeeper’s unit, freeing up another bedroom to generate income. Last week, Amelia Irwin came before the HDC to explain that a contractor she had previously trusted installed siding in a different way than the plans specified. The original design called for sheets of concrete siding with vertical strips to simulate board-and-batten siding. Instead, the contractor installed horizontal lap-siding.
The HDC approved a plan to make some changes to the siding without removing it completely. Commissioners noted that the siding was similar in style to the house next door.
At 110 Wall St., David Grosshans received approval in May for his plan to increase the size of an accessory building and change the pitch of the roof. A stop-work order was issued after a contractor strayed from the original design. The contractor had increased the height of the building by two feet so the eave would not butt into the eave of the adjacent house.
Chair Dee Bright said, “When I drove by the first thing that jumped out was the height.”
Others at the table agreed that the two-foot increase in height had a significant effect, especially considering the contributing status of the house. Commissioner Debbie Davis said the height of the project “really disturbs the roofline of that whole area.”
Contractor Dan Lewis said he was unfamiliar with HDC requirements and did not understand that he should have returned to an HDC meeting before changing an approved plan. Lewis explained that the remodeling would create a soundproof space for Grosshans to practice playing drums. Commissioner Christine Santimore said, “I appreciate the noise abatement, but that’s not the issue.” Bright summed up the HDC opposition, saying, “We have taken an oath to keep our historic district, and to protect our contributing properties.”
A final decision on the project was postponed, leaving the stop-work order in place.
Commissioners also postponed a decision at 42 Prospect Ave., where Keith Scales and Rebecca Becker proposed removing stone pillars on the front porch. The initial assessment by Kyle Palmer, the city’s Director of Planning and Community Development, recommended denying the application. Palmer said he had heard concerns from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program about the building’s status as a contributing historical property.
Scales said the house was constructed in a “classic Craftsman style.” He said the house was there 25 years before the stone pillars were added, and that tapered wooden columns would suit the house better. In 2020, Bobby Ray served as Building Inspector, and he said the columns were dangerous and should be removed.
Davis said she had visited the site, and that the house has many Victorian features, including round columns in other parts of the house. Bright agreed that the house would appear Victorian without the stone columns.
Palmer noted that even if the columns were added 25 years after the initial construction, they would still fall within the historical period. Davis asked if contacting the AHPP before approving the project might increase the chances of keeping the property’s contributing status. Bright stressed the importance of maintaining the city’s contributing properties. “We are losing our contributing properties, and we have to protect our historical status,” she said.
Commissioners voted to postpone a decision until they receive input from the AHPP. They voted to allow some other work on the property to continue.
In other business:
- At 298 N. Main St., Becky Gillette received approval for a plan to remove an exterior stairway and part of a shed. The ancillary structure was built in 1990, and inappropriate construction methods led to accelerated decay. The renovation will create a five-foot space between the shed and the house.
- The HDC will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17. Level III applications were due July 5, and Level II applications are due July 11.
- The commission still has one vacancy.
- Plans were briefly discussed for a national preservation forum at the end of this month and a statewide gathering in October.