The Historic Preservation Commission on a recent meeting approved a certificate of appropriateness for 22 North Third Street to replace an existing garage door with a recessed exterior entrance to create a laundromat that will serve building residents and the public. The commission’s approval included conditions to reopen a former window and install a full-light glass door and an additional window in the inset.

The commission heard that the applicant, Paul Shepnick (for Charbonnet), wants to convert the garage opening to provide on-site laundry for roughly nine residents who currently walk several blocks to do laundry; Shepnick said the laundromat would also be open to the public. “We have around 9 people living inside the building that have no way of doing their laundry. They’re going several blocks up the street. So we figured we’ll expand on it and kinda open it up to the public also,” Shepnick said during the application presentation.

Commissioners focused on how the new opening would be finished, how it would affect historic fabric and safety, and what structural work would be required. The applicant said the former window opening had been bricked over and that work would require installing a new concrete lintel (described in the discussion as a concrete or metal lintel) to secure the opening. The proposal calls for a roughly 3-foot recessed entry so customers stepping out of the door would not step directly into the street; a door width of about 36 inches was mentioned during the hearing. The applicant described proposed operating hours as within normal business hours for the area and said the facility would be available to building residents; a speaker estimated a typical window of operation around “5 a.m. to 8” (approximate), but exact hours were not finalized in the transcript.

Commissioners recommended prioritizing visibility and light at the opening to improve safety and historic appearance: one commissioner said reopening the original window and using glass in the new door and adjacent panel would preserve a historic feature while providing sight lines into and out of the business. The commission discussed that the building appears to be 70–80 years old and that some wood rot exists behind the bricked-over opening; the applicant said the condition could be shored up and that installing a lintel would stabilize the wall.

The commission’s motion to approve the project was made and carried with conditions to reopen the former window at full light, use a full-light glass door at the new opening, and add the window at the left of the inset. The transcript does not record the names of the motion maker and seconder or a roll-call vote tally for this specific motion; the approval and the listed conditions are recorded in the meeting discussion and the motion language captured in the transcript.

The panel and applicant noted that the change of use will require a building permit and any code-required revisions to the sealed plans; commissioners emphasized that signage would return as a separate review if new signage is proposed. The item closed with the commission’s conditions to preserve historic character while allowing the proposed commercial use.