At the Oct. 5 meeting of the Historic District Commission, an application to rebuild a rock wall was deferred because no one attended to answer questions about the project. Last week, commissioners heard answers to their questions and quickly granted their approval.
Dan Halverson, of Eureka Style Rock Walls, appeared on behalf of owner Jim Duke, at 11 Douglas St. Duke had asked to rebuild a stone retaining wall and relocate a stairway within that wall to avoid a fire hydrant.
Halverson explained that the wall had a history of failure and had been re-stacked in 2016. He explained the steps he planned to take to increase drainage behind the wall. He also explained the reason for moving the stairway, which currently leads directly to a fire hydrant. Moving the stairs a few feet to one side would maintain the original orientation while avoiding a safety hazard. Material from the wall will be re-used, with additional stones as needed to replace broken or deteriorated stones. All approved the project.
Commissioners also approved a new limestone retaining wall at 40 Hilton St. The wall will be six feet tall and 42 feet long. The application also called for a wrought-iron fence on the top of the retaining wall, but commissioners lacked information on the height of the fence. They approved the retaining wall unanimously, but the fence will require a separate approval.
In other business:
- The commissioners briefly reviewed a workshop held before the Oct. 5 HDC meeting. City Attorney Forrest Jacobi discussed some aspects of enforcement with the commission, and also suggested a more explicit list of what projects require HDC approval.
- During public comments, Steph Gordon-Glassford, who lives at 23 Hale St., said some trees have been cut in her neighborhood without permits. She also objected to the recent approval of a three-car garage. She suggested an information packet for new arrivals to the city to explain tree regulations and other procedures.
- The HDC will meet next at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Level III applications were due by Oct. 20, and other levels were due Oct. 26.