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Architectural board reviews design changes for Grama development; no action taken
Summary
Architect Tom Dobbins presented revised elevations and materials for the Grama mixed-use development in a workshop; board members offered detailed feedback on materials, rooflines, trees and mechanical screening but took no formal vote.
At a workshop on Aug. 5, the Architectural Board of Review discussed revised designs for the Grama property presented by architect Tom Dobbins and property co-owner Courtney Tromlek. The session was purely advisory; no motions or votes were taken.
Dobbins said the project seeks to maintain a residential streetscape while delivering four condominiums, underground parking and a small roof terrace. He reported prior reviews by PCZBA and two village board appearances, and he said the team expects further review at PCZBA in September before returning to the Architectural Board for a formal application. He outlined major updates since the board last saw the project: simplified elevations, limestone replacing brick, elimination of transom windows, reduced chimney and pot profiles, a new bay window to break up a brick field and refined garage proportions. He said the peak ridge reaches 34 feet and that the team is requesting zoning relief to exceed the PMD height limit of 30 feet.
Board members provided detailed feedback. Scott (staff) praised the simplified material palette and window changes and identified a drafting inconsistency on the dormer material (stucco vs. shingles). Scott and others asked whether dormer stucco would wrap the sides; Dobbins agreed to correct the inconsistency. Members asked about gutters and downspouts; Dobbins said gutters will be provided on first-floor rooflines with downspouts coordinated in civil drawings.
Members and staff discussed mechanical equipment and acoustics. The design currently places HVAC condensing units inside the garage volume; board members asked how those units will be ventilated and where louvers or vents would be located. Dobbins said the mechanical solution is not yet engineered and that he will investigate relocating units to the north side of the ramp area, noting that the adjacent north property owner had expressed concern about noise.
The design team presented a photometric study and a dark-sky-compliant fixture cut sheet (integrated LED, 3,000 K, roughly 4½–6 watts reported on the cut sheet). Dobbins said the modeled fixtures are intended to produce very low site light levels (near 0 foot-candles at the north property line and very low at sidewalks) and that he modeled a concealed light source. Board members said the photometric approach appeared acceptable but requested seeing an actual fixture before final approval.
Other substantive topics included tree preservation and sidewalk alignment. Dobbins said the team plans extraordinary measures to save several oak trees and that one oak about 14 feet from the building face may not survive long-term; the project team will prepare a tree-replacement plan required by PCZBA. The team also described site constraints: the Grama parcel comprises about 43% of the block, and the adjacent Altoonian Whitmer building sits roughly 11 feet from the project and about 30–35 feet above grade.
Dobbins said the project includes an underground level with eight parking spaces, four condominiums with private entrances and an elevator and stairs to a small roof terrace; ceilings are nine feet on the principal floors. He asked for the board’s feedback on materials, fenestration simplification, the roof entry element and the scale/height of masonry guard walls on second-floor terraces.
The board offered advisory suggestions: correct dormer material inconsistencies, show downspouts on coordinated civil drawings, consider lowering masonry guard walls or incorporating open railings for lighter appearance, explore alternative roof treatments over the entry and confirm the mechanical ventilation strategy for in-garage condensers. Dobbins said he would bring updated renderings and a corrected elevation set to the next formal appearance after the PCZBA hearing.
Because the item was a workshop, the board recorded no formal action. The project will return to PCZBA in September and then to the Architectural Board in a formal review; Dobbins said the team expects to break ground in December if approvals proceed on schedule.
