Commission OKs Temporary Winter 'Igloos' at 1144 North High Street, Orders Put‑Putt Removed

The Town Builder Commission approved application COA 2400638 to allow two temporary winter “igloos” on the patio at 1144 North High Street, subject to conditions setting removal deadlines for temporary features.

HPO staff reported the igloos — temporary structures on the High Street-facing patio equipped with hay bales, small tables and string lights — had been installed before a certificate was issued. Staff said the property previously received a condition-based approval to resolve a code violation involving two bar-top community tables and that landscaping planters had been installed and submitted to the designated subcommittee for final review.

An applicant representative, identified in the record as Jacob Gaus, said one igloo had failed and that the others remained in place but were not heavily used. Commissioners and the applicant discussed the temporary mini-golf installation (described in materials as a prior temporary feature), its popularity, and whether the mix of decor elements matched the neighborhood’s character; several commissioners said the putt-putt should be removed.

After discussion, the commission approved COA 2400638 with conditions that the igloos be removed by March and that the putt-putt be removed in January. The motion passed on an affirmative voice vote; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript. Staff said the applicant’s revised landscaping plan and final planter details remain under review by the designated subcommittee and that staff will follow up once commissioners respond about planter approvals.

Commissioners encouraged the applicant to consolidate and simplify patio elements and suggested consulting a designer to improve cohesion if future temporary features are proposed. The approval was explicitly limited to the temporary structures and included timing conditions recorded in the motion.