Historic board approves galvalume roofing at 964 Acequia Madre

The Historic Design Review Board on July 22 approved a request to replace multiple existing roofing systems at 964 Acequia Madre with a uniform Metal Sales Galvalume roof (Metal Sales Galvalume number 41), finding the application met exception criteria for removal and repair of historic materials.

Board staff presented the case, saying the single-family house at 964 Acequia Madre is listed as contributing to the Downtown and Eastside Historic District and that the applicant requested two exceptions related to historic materials. "In this case, staff finds that all the exception criteria have been met and recommends approval," staff member Paul said during the presentation.

The applicant, Jimmy Thomas, told the board he had provided a Zillow screenshot to show that an earlier door-and-window change occurred before he bought the house. Contractor Manuel Mendoza said the applicants proposed a 16-inch, minor-rib metal profile, and that the preferred color was galvalume (a silvery-gray metal), though the owner was open to a brown color. "We're trying to make it just one slope," Thomas said.

Public commenter Stephanie Benanato urged careful review and asked whether the work on primary facades had been previously approved. Paul said he had missed evidence of prior work in his initial review but that the property owner later provided an HDRB action letter and permit set showing that some work had been approved; Paul also corrected an earlier figure and said the actual total roof area for the parcel is about 1,700 square feet.

Member Amber Cherry moved to "approve the application as submitted with the galvalume material as the color," naming the product as Metal Sales Galvalume number 41. A second, including a friendly amendment recording that exception criteria were met, was accepted. A roll-call vote followed: Vice Chair Bienvenu, Member Aguilar Medrano, Member Mather, Member Cherry and Member Degnan voted yes; the motion passed.

Discussion-only items during the hearing included differing estimates of existing roof coverings. Paul initially cited multiple roof systems with varying area estimates (he described an older sheet-metal system at roughly 800 sq ft, torch-down at roughly 600 sq ft, corrugated steel he estimated at 2,000–3,000 sq ft, and a portal area of about 400 sq ft). Later in the meeting he clarified the property total roofed area as about 1,700 square feet and apologized for the earlier inconsistency. The board discussed profile and color choices; the applicant confirmed the chosen profile is 16-inch, minor-rib and the color will be Galvalume #41 as approved.

The board’s action authorizes the applicant to replace the roof with the approved material and notes staff’s finding that exception criteria under the Downtown and Eastside Historic District standards (14-5.2(d) and 14-5.2(e)) were satisfied. No change to doors or windows was approved as part of this action.