Prescott commission approves ramadas, requires fence changes at East Goodwin properties

The City of Prescott Preservation Commission voted 4-1 on June 13, 2024, to approve two already-built front ramadas and to require design modifications to an after‑the‑fact metal perimeter fence at 402 and 410 East Goodwin Street, directing the owner to install a sample section of revised fence for staff inspection.

Commission staff presented the case, saying the pair of 10-by-10-by-9-foot wood ramadas and a low stucco-base fence with horizontal metal rails were built without preservation approval and that the ramadas appear to encroach into the public right-of-way. Kaylee Nunez, the city’s historic preservation specialist, told the commission the fence varies from about 2.5 to 3 feet tall, has stucco columns, CMU caps and horizontal square metal railing, and that the applicant later proposed covering the metal rails with painted horizontal wooden planks to make the fence more “period and style appropriate.”

The applicant, property owner Chris Todd, said he sought permitting and was told by a city representative the small ramadas did not require a building permit because each structure was under 200 square feet. "We were told we didn't need permits...we went ahead and started construction," Todd said. He acknowledged the fence was installed without a permit and said the owners are willing to alter the fence to match the district’s ranch‑style appearance.

Nunez said the property sits within both a local and a national historic district and that preservation review is required for changes in the local district. She also noted the ramadas had been presented to the commission previously in November 2023 and were denied at that time; the owner later reapplied under a new project number. A staff report included a site plan that shows the ramadas and indicates the structures may extend into the public right-of-way, a matter the city’s public works department will address during the site-permit process if the commission’s decision allows the work to proceed.

During discussion, several commissioners said the fence materials — notably the CMU caps and exposed metal railing — were incompatible with the house’s mid‑century ranch character but that wooden planking and removal or covering of the modern caps would be acceptable. Commissioner Diane Travis, who made the motion, said she would be "okay with the CMU caps being removed and the planking added to make it appear to be ranch style again." The applicant offered to build a revised section of fence in a less visible location and asked staff to inspect it before replacing the rest of the fence.

The commission’s motion, moved by Commissioner Diane Travis, approved the ramadas and approved the fence changes with amendments: remove or cover the CMU caps and install wood planking to achieve the ranch‑style look; the owner is to present a sample section for staff review. The motion passed 4-1. The commission and staff also noted that approval from public works and correction of any right-of-way encroachment are separate, required steps before a final site permit can be issued.

The commission record shows the ramadas were constructed about a year and a half before the June hearing, the city issued a stop/cease notice after staff learned of the work, and the November 2023 submission was denied by the commission (denial recorded in meeting materials). The owner and staff said much of the interior remodel work on the property was permitted separately and inspected, while the ramadas and fence required this additional historic‑district review.

Next steps: the applicant will install a revised sample fence section and coordinate with staff for inspection; public works will review any right-of-way encroachment; staff will track the site‑permit process before authorizing replacement of the full fence or final acceptance of the ramadas.