Historic District Commission approves certificate of appropriateness for 1811 Fifth Street porch with finish review deferred to staff

The Bay City Historic District Commission on Aug. 5 approved a certificate of appropriateness for exterior porch replacement work at 1811 Fifth Street, permitting the homeowners to start demolition and structural work while deferring a final decision on surface finishes to administrative review.

The homeowners, Daniel and Lainie Townsend, sought the commission's approval to remove a non-historic front porch and replace it with a porch more consistent with neighboring properties. The commission's motion approving the application included a stipulation that the finishes for the deck, trim, columns and balustrades be subject to administrative review by planning staff.

The Townsends told the commission the existing porch had been altered with 1970s-era materials and that work began after a sewer repair required removing front steps. "It's turned into a pretty much a porch replacement because we'd like to replace what's there, which is clearly not historical, with something much more historical," Daniel Townsend said during the meeting. He said the homeowners plan tongue-and-groove decking, poured concrete steps between stone or concrete wing walls and tapered columns to match nearby houses, and that the decking would be poplar with spindles milled from red oak.

Commission members questioned which elements would be left as natural wood and which would be painted. The applicant said the plan is to oil-stain and seal wood elements with a marine-grade clear sealer (the applicants described a sealer with a multi-year life and later referred to a 25-year marine finish), but that they were prepared to paint if the commission or staff required it. One commissioner noted a historical pattern in the district of painted pillars and trim and expressed concern about approving exposed stained columns without precedent.

Planning staff (Terry) advised the commission that past approvals were inconsistent in the record and that the city ordinance on historic preservation did not clearly prescribe whether columns must be painted versus sealed. Staff recommended administratively reviewing finish details after a brief records check and discussion with the city building official and historically based guidelines. The applicant agreed that demolition and deck framing could proceed while color and finish details were determined by staff.

The commission recorded a roll call for the motion approving the certificate of appropriateness with the administrative review stipulation; the motion carried. The commission's vote record in the meeting minutes shows three votes in favor and one opposed.

Moving forward, the Townsends may begin porch demolition and structural work but must coordinate final finish choices with planning staff per the administrative-review condition. Staff will apply the U.S. Secretary of the Interior standards and the city's historic district regulations in advising on finishes.

The commission closed the item after instructing the applicants to follow up with staff (Terry or Tony) for the administrative review and to proceed while the final finish decisions were pending.