Canal Winchester Landmarks Commission approves four exterior-change applications, sets conditions for larger renovation

The Canal Winchester Landmarks Commission on Sept. 22 approved four certificates of appropriateness for exterior work in the city—s historic district, voting unanimously on each item and adding conditions for a larger renovation at 198 Highland Ave.

The most contested request was for 52 Clinton St., where the property owner asked the commission to allow a horizontal 6-inch lap siding on the garage side elevation even though the home—s earlier approval called for vertical board-and-batten returns to continue around the front elevations. The applicant told the commission the horizontal siding was installed after corrected plans had been submitted to the city and that the mismatch was an unintentional processing error. "Everybody thinks it looks really nice and thinks it looks good for the time period and matches the appeal of what the zoning is looking for," the applicant said.

Commission members discussed the risk of setting a precedent that could allow later-built departures from approved materials, but members who viewed the installed siding in person said it did not appear incompatible with the house or…