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Historic Preservation Commission approves replacement shed at 26 South Terrace North
Summary
The Historic Preservation Commission on May 20 approved demolition of an existing accessory shed and construction of a replacement shed at 26 South Terrace North in the Oak Grove Historic Overlay. Staff had no record of when the existing shed was built; the applicant said the new structure will be a storage shed painted to match the house.
The Historic Preservation Commission on May 20 approved an application to remove an existing accessory shed and build a replacement shed at 26 South Terrace North in the Oak Grove Historic Overlay district in the Horace Mann neighborhood.
The item matters because the Oak Grove overlay is intended to protect neighborhood character; commission staff noted they have no record of when the existing accessory structure was built and cited “subsection c and e 0.1” that treats structures built after 1952 differently for historic status. The commission voted to approve the demolition and new construction after brief discussion and questions about size, location and appearance.
Luke Mormon, presenting for the City Fire Department and planning staff, said the department received an application from Justin Ratke to demolish the existing rear-yard shed and construct a new accessory structure at the rear of the property, and that no work is proposed for the primary house. Mormon said staff’s packet included a memo and photos from the applicant and that “Per subsection c and e 0.1, structures built after 1952 are not a historic neighborhood structure,” but added that staff has no records establishing the existing shed’s date.
Applicant Justin Ratke described limitations on the site and the function of the new building. He told the commission that the parcel has no driveway access at the rear and “there’s no way, it's just gonna be a storage shed because the current one is not large enough and I wanna put up the new one so that I can have enough space for all my stuff and get rid of the old one.” He said the proposed structure will be positioned farther back in the yard and painted to match the house; packet materials show the applicant proposes wood siding and a roof pitch similar to the primary structure.
Commissioners asked about roof pitch and whether the structure would be a garage; the applicant and staff said the lot has no vehicle access and the building will serve as storage. The commission moved to approve the application and the motion passed unanimously on voice vote.
No formal appeals, permitting timelines or construction start dates were discussed during the meeting. Staff noted additional documentation in the applicant packet that addresses the condition of the existing shed but reiterated that the city has no official construction date for that accessory structure.
