Landmarks panel approves patio, new doors, signage and 8-foot dumpster enclosure at 207 West Washington Row with conditions

Sandusky Landmark Commission on April 16 approved a certificate of appropriateness for 207 West Washington Row, permitting a new outdoor patio, updated signage, an enclosed dumpster with an 8-foot fence, and replacement commercial doors, subject to conditions set by staff and the commission.

The action matters because the property sits in downtown Sandusky and the work converts a former drive‑through area into a pedestrian patio and retail uses — Cafe Washington and Market and Washington Row Event Venue — changes that alter vehicular circulation and the building’s ground‑floor appearance in the historic district.

City planning staff presented the application and described four elements: (1) converting the drive‑through area into a patio surfaced with stylized concrete pavers and screened with a mix of landscape and semi‑open fencing; (2) replacing three sign faces with halo‑letter illumination and darker, more appropriate colors; (3) installing a screened dumpster enclosure with fencing proposed at 8 feet high; and (4) replacing an existing window/drive‑through opening next to an ATM with modest commercial doors to increase the pedestrian scale on the west elevation. Staff concluded the materials and designs generally comply with the city’s design guidelines and recommended approval with conditions, including obtaining all applicable permits, resolving a change in vehicular egress, and securing a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals for the proposed fence height or reducing the fence to the 6‑foot maximum allowed by code if the variance is not granted.

Applicant representatives told the commission they have discussed egress to Jackson Street with the owner of the adjacent Rieger (spelled alternately in the transcript) building and that a survey and legal description are being prepared; Laurie Korofkin, who identified herself as an applicant representative, said she had spoken with the building owner and that legal counsel is drafting an easement request. Korofkin described the project as a downtown market and event venue that would provide grab‑and‑go items, indoor and outdoor seating, and evening hours. "I'm super excited about it," Korofkin said, adding the project would help balance downtown activity across the city center.

Commission members asked for clarification about the change in site circulation and confirmed with staff that the egress issue is being negotiated with the adjacent property owner and will be resolved before permitting. Staff also noted that if the Board of Zoning Appeals does not grant a variance, the fence height must be reduced to the 6‑foot code maximum.

The commission approved the staff recommendations on a roll‑call vote. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor.

The commission also discussed a construction timeline: the applicants said demolition would start in June, with site work completed by January and a target opening in April; those dates were presented as project plans and not formal conditions of the certificate.

Planning staff noted an updated Landmarks Commission membership clause will be considered by the Planning Commission at its April 23 agenda, listed in that commission’s packet.

Votes at a glance: the motion to accept staff recommendations on the 207 West Washington Row certificate of appropriateness passed on a roll call with all participating commissioners voting yes.

(See provenance for transcript evidence of presentation, applicant remarks and the roll call.)