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Commission orders removal of clear plastic windscreens at 14335 Liberty Street, cites historic-downtown standards
Summary
The commission disapproved the use of clear plastic windscreens around the front porch at 14335 Liberty Street (tenant Crawfish Kai, LLC), instructing the owner to remove or permit the structures and follow historic-downtown standards; staff set compliance windows and enforcement steps in recommendations.
The Montgomery Planning & Zoning Commission on Feb. 4 voted to disapprove clear-plastic windscreens installed around the front porch of 14335 Liberty Street, saying the installation does not meet historic-downtown standards and appears visually inconsistent with the district.
Staff had recommended conditional approval subject to a set of six requirements: submission of a building-permit application and documentation, inspection and corrective modifications within seven days if necessary, removal if compliance cannot be achieved within seven days, a temporary allowance no longer than 75 days from the date of notification (through March 24, 2025), escalating enforcement for continued noncompliance and an appeal right to the Board of Adjustments (City Council). The staff recommendation also named the property owner as Racehorse Investments, LLC (14335 Liberty Street Series) and the tenant Crawfish Kai, LLC.
Commissioners said the windscreens are an eyesore in the historic downtown and that past attempts to resolve the issue had failed; one commissioner called the current appearance "trashy." After discussion, a commissioner moved to disapprove the clear plastic enclosure; the motion passed by voice vote.
The commission added that, where temporary structures are proposed in the historic district, applicants should follow the same process used in recent downtown property approvals (bringing physical material samples and permit applications to the commission and staff). The commission noted that continued noncompliance could lead to fines, civil actions and injunctions, as outlined in the staff recommendations.
