The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved a certificate of appropriateness to construct a two-bay detached garage at 704 Kellogg Avenue in the Old Town Historic District, with a condition requiring compliant paving and two on-site parking spaces before a building permit is issued.

Commission documents and staff presentation said the proposed garage is an arts-and-crafts–style, utilitarian design with a gable roof (6-in-12 pitch), wood siding, metal-clad 24-by-24 windows and two 24-by-24 garage bays accessed from the alley. The applicant proposes a 20-foot-deep paved area in front of the garage. Planning and Housing Department staff recommended approval.

The project description says the pedestrian access door would reuse an interior wood door from the house (a multi-panel door with divided lights), and the garage doors would be metal with three solid horizontal panels and four divided lights across the top to admit light. Staff advised that the proposal meets the design criteria for the district and recommended the commission grant a certificate of appropriateness prior to issuance of a building permit.

Commission members voted to approve the COA with the standard paving condition: the property must either retain the existing concrete paving or, if the owners remove it, install paving that meets current standards so the site provides the minimum number of on-site parking spaces required for a single-family dwelling. Planning staff described the practical result as filling an approximately 8-foot gap between the alley and the existing slab and providing parking spaces at least 19 feet deep if the old concrete is removed.

A resident who identified herself as the property owner thanked the commission and consultants, saying, "I would like to thank you for the work that you do preserving our historic properties." Planning and Housing Department staff summarized the recommendation as "the recommendation by the Planning and Housing Department is for approval." The applicant and contractor were present at the meeting.

The commission’s action was procedural: it approved a COA, not a building permit. A building permit remains subject to submittal of construction documents and compliance with the city’s building and paving codes. The COA approval was unanimous.