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Committee denies certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street, forwards denial with offer of extra time
Summary
The Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 voted to deny a certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street and forwarded the denial to full council, while offering to work with the owner on a timeline to correct windows and other violations.
The Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 voted to deny a certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street and forwarded that denial to the full City Council, while instructing staff to work with the property owner on a feasible timeline for bringing the property into compliance.
Maria Rodriguez, who identified herself as the property owner, told the committee she purchased the house "as is" and undertook repairs after discovering the building needed extensive work. "I bought the house," Rodriguez said, describing repeated repairs, contractors who did not finish work and the financial strain of multiple payments to fix the property. She said a realtor named Millie gave her a presale inspection report during the transaction.
Committee members and staff said the presale inspection report repeatedly highlighted that the property is in a historic district and that alterations to windows and doors require a review process and a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB). Staff reported that the presale report showed multiple failed installations and that 12 windows had been replaced.
One committee member noted that nine windows appeared on the primary (front) façade and that three were on a side façade. Members discussed possible mitigation: allowing the owner extra time to replace windows or prioritizing the front façade first while offering greater flexibility for secondary facades. Staff also suggested the owner may have civil recourse against the realtor or title insurance depending on whether the presale inspection was provided before closing; the committee said it could follow up with the owner in Spanish to gather details and, if appropriate, report possible realtor misconduct to the real estate board for investigation.
A committee member moved to deny the certificate of appropriateness and forward the denial to the full council with the understanding that the council could consider allowing the owner to forgo replacing three side windows; another member seconded the motion. The committee voted by voice to forward the denial to full council and noted that CED staff would work with the owner to develop a compliance timeline that reflects the owner’s financial constraints.
The committee directed staff to meet briefly with the owner after the hearing to explain the next steps and the full-council process.
