Commission approves chimney rebuild at 1025 Tenth Avenue with final drawings to staff

The Historic Preservation Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for a utility chimney rebuild at 1025 Tenth Avenue, contingent on the applicant submitting final construction drawings to staff for review and issuance of the certificate.

Staff had recommended continuation to allow discussion of alternative designs because a 1989 file photograph suggested the chimney was only slightly shy of historic age; staff cited city code 31 16.11 (standards for alteration) as the basis for review. The applicant’s representative, Erin Pulver (daughter of the owner), and a masonry contractor, John Chenault of All Ohio Masonry Restoration, presented simplified drawings showing a two-course drip edge and a modest, utilitarian design intended to match function rather than add decorative historicism.

Chenault told the commission photographs and site evidence indicate the existing chimney crown and pointing are failing and that the chimney’s interior may require a new liner. Staff noted concerns about accepting unverified construction drawings and asked that final, dimensioned drawings be stamped and approved by staff before the certificate is issued. Commissioners asked for exact chimney height and other dimensions; the applicant indicated final dimensions were still to be determined and agreed to provide them.

A motion to approve the application as submitted passed; the approval includes the condition that final construction drawings be submitted to staff for signature prior to issuance of the Certificate of Appropriateness. Staff will review the final plans to ensure the proposed rebuild meets code and the commission’s guidance on utility chimneys.