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ARB continues storefront restoration at 1109 Caroline Street to June 9 for additional storefront framing details
Summary
The ARB continued review of a proposal to restore and alter the mid‑20th‑century storefront at 1109 Caroline Street, requesting detailed framing elevations, information on proposed granite bulkhead panels, and documentation about original storefront materials before making a decision.
The Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board continued consideration of an application to restore and replace storefront elements at 1109 Caroline Street, directing the applicant to provide additional drawing details and material samples at the board’s June 9 meeting.
City planner Kate Schwartz presented COA 2504‑07 and recommended continuing the application because the current submission lacked sufficient detail to show how the new aluminum storefront framing would join the polished black granite bulkhead and how the framing profile would function at the angled recessed entry. The building, a mid‑19th‑century masonry commercial structure altered in the mid‑20th century, currently has later storefront materials and one vandalized window.
Public comment and preservation‑group input urged careful investigation and repair of existing historic materials. Danae Peckler, speaking for the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, recommended verifying whether original metal framing or dark glass panels survive and provided references on repair techniques for mid‑century storefront materials. The applicant’s representative explained the proposed polished black granite bulkhead was selected as a durable visual match given missing original panels; the representative acknowledged the need for clarification of how the granite would meet the metal framing and said replacement of the existing framing was needed because it is deteriorated.
Board members asked for a scaled storefront elevation, manufacturer details and profiles for the metal framing, and a mockup or comparative images showing the new framing line weights relative to the existing glazing, because the proposed framing section may be larger than the original storefront profile. Several members expressed that the granite bulkhead could be appropriate if detailed well, but that the heavier storefront framing as drawn could be visually incompatible with the building’s small‑scale openings.
At the applicant’s request and by motion, the ARB continued COA 2504‑07 to the June 9 public hearing to allow submission of the requested technical drawings and a mockup showing how the granite and framing will meet and how the framing line weight compares with the historic profile.
The board noted staff and HFI offered additional technical references to assist the applicant before the next hearing.
