Heavy rains this spring have focused attention on the state of retaining walls around the city. The Historic District Commission met on June 4, and commissioner Debbie Davis said she has seen many failing rock walls around town. She described some of the failures as “severe,” and noted that some of these problem walls serve as the foundation for houses.
Davis said she understood the high costs of repairing a retaining wall, but said those problems will only get worse if not addressed. She said losing historic rock walls would be “as bad as losing contributing structures.” Davis acknowledged that some property owners might not be aware which property owner legally owns a rock wall.
Cassie Dishman, director of Planning and Community Development, explained that maintenance of rock walls benefits the property owner and the entire community. Commissioners discussed the possibility of planning a workshop on this topic. Davis asked the others to take note of walls in need of attention. She added that some walls are not visible from roadways and can only be seen from trails.
In other business:
- At 226 Spring St., owners Arlene and Carl Irquizu asked for approval to install new balusters, pilasters, spandrels, and corbels. They also asked to repair and extend an upper deck. The house dates to 1886, and is considered contributing, and the application noted the intent to restore historical accuracy. The application called for composite decking, which led to a discussion about where such decking could be appropriate. Commissioners have approved composite decking on a case-by-case basis, but they had questions about how much of the decking will be visible. They approved most of the project, but they will defer a decision on the decking until a product sample is available.
- John Cole represented the Virginia Walker Trust, owners of a property at 27 N. Main St. A damaged concrete sidewalk had been replaced, and Cole asked for a belated approval for the work. He explained that he had received reports of people tripping on the broken concrete and asked a contractor to quickly repair the sidewalk. Cole said he did not know he needed HDC approval. Commissioners would have preferred stamped concrete, but they stopped short of requiring removal and re-installation of the concrete, especially since adjacent sidewalks had exposed aggregate finishes. The previous sidewalk did not have a stamped finish. The project received unanimous approval.
- George Robinson had received HDC approval for a garage door 16 ft. wide at 7 Charles Circle. He had trouble finding an appropriate door, and asked about using two garage doors, each nine feet wide. Robinson’s application also called for replacing some vinyl siding with stucco on the face of the garage and an additional 20 inches around two corners.
Commission Chair Dee Bright reminded everyone that the house dates to 1995, and is non-contributing. “Does it fit into the neighborhood?” she asked, and Robinson said most of the neighborhood is stucco and brick. The commissioners decided to postpone a decision pending a site visit.
- In an effort to keep the public informed about HDC requirements, commissioners approved ordering 2,000 copies of an informative brochure. The brochures will be mailed throughout the city, not just historical areas. Brochures will also be given to real-estate agents and title offices.
- The HDC will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18. Level III applications were due June 5, and Level II applications were due June 11. The commission still has one vacancy.
- Beginning July 2, Building Inspector Paul Sutherland will hold classes for those wishing to obtain a contractor’s license. The free classes will be held at the Carnegie Library.