Commission to consider several project requests, continue tree-policy work
Published 7:37 pm Monday, October 1, 2018
Washington’s Historic Preservation Commission, during its meeting today, is expected to consider several requests for certificates of appropriateness, requests made several months ago but not acted on for various reasons.
One of those reasons was lack of a quorum of commission members at the scheduled Aug. 7 meeting. Agenda items for that meeting were added to the commission’s September meeting.
The commission is scheduled to consider Charlotte Cutler’s request for a certificate of appropriateness to place two sets of bistro tables on the sidewalk in front of The Meeting Place Café & Catering at 22 W. Main St. Also, the commission is expected to consider a request by Caroline Collie to demolish the rundown two-story-house at 325 N. Harvey St. so a potential buyer can build a story-and-half house on the lot. Tony Edwards, with AG’s Home Solutions, is the applicant seeking the certificate of appropriateness.
The new house will look similar to the house at 413 N. Bonner St. and possibly incorporate some items from the old house in its construction, according to city documents and email between Collie and Edwards.
The commission is scheduled to consider requests for certificates of appropriateness from John Carbone. He wants to convert a gravel driveway into concrete runners at 720 W. Main St. and build a 4-foot-tall wooden, picket fence in the backyard at 527 W. Second St. Susan Strickland requests a certificate of appropriateness to replace the windows and convert a front door into a window at the property at 705 E. Main St.
The commission is expected to continue its effort to develop a tree policy.
During its June meeting, the commission decided to form a tree subcommittee to study and make recommendations concerning tree removals — and replacements of removed trees — in the Historic District. Commission members William Kenner and Cheri Vaughn volunteer to serve on the subcommittee. The commission indicated it would like for former commission members Monica Ferrari and Mary Pat Mussleman to serve on the subcommittee.
The commission wants more accountability regarding the replacement of trees from Historic District property owners who receive permission to remove trees from their properties. The commission’s guidelines require people replant another similar tree somewhere on the property within 60 days.
Sometimes that’s difficult for several reasons, including weather factors such as temperature, Emily Rebert, the city’s community-development planner, told the commission.
The commission approves tree removals when a tree (usually damaged or dead) poses a threat of falling on nearby property, its root system poses damage to a structure’s foundation or an aging, damaged tree hinder growth of younger, more desirable trees.
The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 102 E. Second St.