[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6078384,"mediaKeyId","2959755-1812839f98f27be015ed75cc904b5beb","parentId",2959755,"title","Historic District Commission reviews draft commercial design guidelines; signage, storefronts and lighting flagged for clarification","audioSeconds",2807,"startMs",1273000,"endMs",4080000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959755-1812839f98f27be015ed75cc904b5beb&start=1273&end=4080","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959755-1812839f98f27be015ed75cc904b5beb/thumbnail_1273000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6078384/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Historic-District-Commission-reviews-draft-commercial-design-guidelines-signage-storefronts-and-lighting-flagged-for-clarification","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078384-91fbd808681ba2ce39e98dd512460d01/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204451&Signature=bQ1eFhTGLlGE2yVMRgaArwWhHz5BejkCIcQuABOiQn83a9GL0GnsPgJdAlPKCASDKCyrmrwo~7yTHo2KPHHfnneltldofJ54xU0LnvGIoPeniuTWVR2btgR~V0~ijz9qa4yYX5WPvXJKZw7fjIXbNifx5bIsiD47TGrsBankpA6ape0ZYY4CZP~Wu5lPqNpmmnpdlqyKVe1yi~WLoL8RImpQyiV~nRKR2rT0~~F9YNViIh1Jq-QO45Tu9OIXcvXI5JRQBO9aojQY83sFNQ~O1aDN8D2SkmD4B6F~Z0WxWr86lSjKiJj0Ujj3TLzf0wZUlrL2oirgt6nxAIX8RbI7sQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CTN Ann Arbor","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","Members of the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission spent the latter portion of their April 10 meeting reviewing a draft Chapter 5 of local historic design guidelines addressing commercial storefronts, signs, awnings and building equipment.

Commissioners and staff said the chapter is clearer than previous drafts but identified multiple areas needing clarification or cross-references to city codes. Areas flagged for further work included glossary definitions (cornices, bays), a clear storefront diagram showing facade elements, guidance on recessed entries and transoms, and explicit cross-references to the city sign code and zoning so applicants and staff can apply consistent standards.

Signage proved a central topic. Commissioners asked the staff to add an illustration showing appropriate locations for flat and blade signs and to align language with the sign code. The group discussed specific technical controls already in the city code (for example, an awning clear height of 8 feet above the sidewalk) and debated how strictly to limit types of illuminated signage. Several commissioners said neon can be a suitable, staff-approvable option when designed well; others expressed concern about low-quality internally illuminated channel letters that can read as “cheap” box signage. Staff suggested allowing some internal illumination types (halo-lit or edge-lit) but routing other internal illumination requests to the commission on a case-by-case basis.

Participants also recommended removing or clarifying provisions that regulate sign content (for example, limiting \"complex\" or multicolor graphic content), because content-based restrictions can be legally sensitive. They suggested focusing instead on materiality (discouraging highly reflective materials), placement, scale and how electrical conduit and junction boxes are detailed so they are not visible from the street.

Other editorial and policy changes the commission requested include consolidated sections on exterior materials (so guidance on masonry, wood and siding is not duplicated or omitted), broader wording for building equipment (to cover mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other exterior equipment), and rewriting passages that used ambiguous technical terms (for example, replacing \"massing or noise\" with language about incompatible physical elements or visual impacts). Staff noted they will compare the draft with the zoning ordinance and sign code before returning a revised chapter for review.

Commissioners and staff also discussed practical implementation: making the guidelines more usable for staff-level approvals, adding photographs and clearer diagrams, and preparing wording that can be lifted into a future form-based zoning code if the city pursues that approach.

Why it matters: Chapter 5 will guide design decisions for downtown and commercial historic properties where sign placement, storefront preservation and exterior equipment have frequent developer and merchant interest. Commissioners emphasized aligning the guidelines with enforceable city codes to reduce future conflicts and make approvals more predictable.

No vote was taken on the draft chapter; the item was returned to staff for revision and coordination with the city’s sign and zoning regulations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ann Arbor Historic District Commission 4/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners and staff discussed proposed Chapter 5 (commercial) of the Ann Arbor Historic District design guidelines, raising questions about definitions, storefront diagrams, sign placement and illumination (neon, edge-lit, internally lit), and the need to align guidance with the city sign code and zoning.","taxTitle","Ann Arbor City, Washtenaw County, Michigan","taxId",5773,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6078389,"Historic District Commission approves basement Bilco door and rear covered deck at 526 Fifth Street",0,2295000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959755-1812839f98f27be015ed75cc904b5beb&start=2295&end=2295","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959755-1812839f98f27be015ed75cc904b5beb/thumbnail_2295000.jpg","/articles/6078389/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Historic-District-Commission-approves-basement-Bilco-door-and-rear-covered-deck-at-526-Fifth-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078389-04291622b1f260fc022301da60e6a39d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204451&Signature=jfHQQOeenWHtWHy2NxYMu3J9d31Jb8vbtBUGqTR6vavHbdpd2f6-xTLgNoPPIe7LPAXOYob3Rt~dBk16z4PGMli~cV-Lnhz4~IbHzllb6JE2n9VJajcmqg7dBGxeiYhWggtnBBpTAvUQkNOreWJOr29V00PtKTR6fYcNBt8k~Wmd7ZT23CtmQ3u-rJH1juRJGgIOuToQ2qMQwIaxJrOnBNgLlEvEXSzepyGU9BHARMNYqGL3VhoJf6GN5WPS4tJWxyo67i1E8kVZLAxE48IbDBC0TsXtcrg4-hyCx75YZip2YRyFE9Pj30MXClyxx8xDftsjqgGA5UbcuWj18n6Pdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ann Arbor Historic District Commission on April 10 approved work at 526 Fifth Street, a contributing property in the Old West Side Historic District, to add a basement stairwell with Bilco doors and a covered rear covered deck and associated window changes.

Staff told the commission the two-story Italianate house appears in city directories as early as 1894 and that the work under review is confined to the nonhistoric rear addition. \"Staff does recommend approval of this application and thinks that, it does meet all of the standards and guidelines and the work is not intrusive to the house or the neighborhood and staff appreciates the window changes especially on the addition,\" said Ms. Thatcher, HDC staff, during the staff report.

The project as approved calls for a Bilco (basement) door and a stairwell on the south side of the rear addition, a covered lanai off the back of that addition and a modest foundation extending into a window well area. Staff provided dimensions in the application packet: the Bilco door assembly is listed at 56 inches wide by 73 inches deep by 19.5 inches tall, the foundation for the Bilco is about 6 feet by 8 feet, and the proposed lanai deck is 222 square feet (about 18.5 by 12 feet). The packet and presentation showed that the new work is sited on the nonhistoric portion that was added to the rear and that no changes are proposed to the historic front elevation.

The commission's review committee (Commissioners Calderon and Caplan) described the application as straightforward, noting that the Bilco would occupy less than one-third of the alleyway width between properties and that the work is set well back from the street. The applicant, Donald Black of Sarasota, Florida, described family and personal ties to the city and said the intent is to restore and preserve the house while updating the rear addition.

Commissioner Smith moved to approve the application, citing compatibility with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (Standards 2, 9 and 10), the guidance for building sites and entrances, and the Ann Arbor Historic District residential guidelines; Commissioner Fortner seconded. The commission voted by voice; the chair announced, \"The motion carries. Your application has been approved.\" The record included no roll-call tally.

The commission approval includes the following conditions and reminders announced at the meeting: the applicant must obtain all required city permits before beginning work, and the work performed under permits must match what the HDC approved.

Why it matters: The commission framed this decision as an example of work that alters only a nonhistoric addition while preserving the historic character of the principal structure, applying both the federal rehabilitation standards and local district guidelines. That combination of standards is central to future permit reviews in the Old West Side.

The commission closed the public hearing with no public speakers for this application and moved on to other agenda items.","The Ann Arbor Historic District Commission approved an application to build a basement stairwell with Bilco doors and a 222-square-foot covered deck on the nonhistoric rear addition of a contributing Old West Side property, finding the work compatible with the Secretary of the Interior standards and local guidelines.","actionData","errors"]

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Historic District Commission reviews draft commercial design guidelines; signage, storefronts and lighting flagged for clarification

Historic District Commission approves basement Bilco door and rear covered deck at 526 Fifth Street