Lorain board approves exterior updates for Venue 939, with conditions

The Lorain Design Review Board on April 8 approved exterior updates for Venue 939 at 939 Broadway, including a new sign, repainting the front in a taupe tone and the north side in black, and installation of a pergola-style trellis, with board members requiring the applicant to secure building- and fire-department permits and provide final drawings and material details.

The project owner, De Namer Santiago, described the proposal as “cosmetic work inside” completed and now seeking exterior updates: scraping and repainting the façade, installing a trellis along a driveway to create a covered walkway to the rear event space, updating the sign and placing a gazebo in the rear for small ceremonies. Santiago told the board she brought paint-swatch names and an illustration of one side of the trellis to be replicated on the opposite side.

Board members emphasized that final approval should be conditioned on submittal of drawings and material specifications. Dave Fasiano, speaking for city staff, noted inspections conducted by building and fire departments and said the applicant must complete the remaining building-department steps before occupancy. Andrea Neal moved to approve the sign, trellis, paint (taupe on the front, black on the north side) and related decorative elements; a second was recorded and the motion carried. One board member later declared an abstention on the basis of personal friendship with the applicant.

The board asked the applicant to provide: complete trellis drawings (showing connections to the principal building and fire-rating of materials where close to the property line), full paint color specifications (S-W “Black Magic” and a taupe described by the applicant), lighting/electrical details for the trellis and exterior, and confirmation of any walkway surfacing or paving work because structural or paving changes require separate building permits.

Santiago said the trellis will be a pergola-style structure of treated wood with plantings and lighting; she indicated the greenery would cover portions of the trellis and that materials are specified in her submission packet. She said the rear gazebo is a separate, freestanding unit she has already purchased and that it is not attached to the primary building; the board told her to coordinate any work behind the building with building-permit staff because the rear structure is not visible from the street.

The vote to approve included a condition that the applicant coordinate with building and fire officials, supply final drawings and materials, and complete required permits before final sign-off. The board recorded the approval at the meeting; the applicant was advised that inspectors had already conducted some inspections and that remaining approvals were contingent on completion of outstanding building-department items.