The Historic District Commission held another short meeting Dec. 4, continuing a recent series of meetings with light agendas and little controversy.
The previous meeting, on Nov. 20, took only 15 minutes, and last week’s meeting only took a few minutes longer. The three Level III applications were approved with almost no discussion.
At 21 Fairmount St., Bruce and Lynne Wright received approval for a new single-family residence. Their application had previously gone through the Board of Zoning Adjustment for setback variances on a small lot.
Jack Moyer represented an application to construct a commercial kitchen addition at the Crescent Hotel. The Crescent dates to 1886, and is considered contributing, but a letter from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program confirmed that the addition would not jeopardize the property’s historical status. The letter noted that the addition would be “relatively small in scale and on a side elevation.”
Doug and Laura Borg submitted an application to demolish a garage at 7 Kirk St. The building was constructed in 1920 and is considered contributing. Pictures submitted with the application show a wavy roof line, and the exterior board-and-batten siding extends all the way to the ground, making it prone to water damage.
A letter from Building Inspector Paul Sutherland noted the deterioration of the siding, as well as deterioration in the wooden joists and flooring in the garage. He agreed with contractor Penny Pemberton’s assessment that the building should be razed. A new garage will be built in the same footprint.
Commissioners had previous discussed cancelling the scheduled Dec. 18 meeting, but several Level II applications have already been received. The next scheduled meeting would fall on Jan. 1, and that meeting will be cancelled.