Westminster historic commission conditionally approves façade grants and tax-credit eligibility for 31 West Main St.

The City of Westminster Historic District Commission on Feb. 5 conditionally approved grants and a certificate of eligibility for local historic rehabilitation tax credits for work at 31 West Main Street, a mixed-use property that houses the Autonomous Robotics Innovation Center (ARIC) in the rear warehouse space.

City staff recommended and the commission approved three related items: a façade improvement funding allocation for replacement of 14 rear-warehouse windows; a local historic rehabilitation tax-credit certificate of eligibility tied to the same work; and a separate façade grant for painting and brick repair at the front building. Commissioners voted by voice and the motions passed by consensus.

The window project, submitted by property owner David Johansen and quoted through Westminster Glass and Mirror, calls for replacing 14 windows (13 at 102 inches by 73 inches; one at 155 inches by 73 inches) with black-anodized aluminum framing, insulated tinted glass and included screens. Staff presented a low- and high-end quote; the commission authorized funding up to 50 percent of project cost with a not-to-exceed award of $95,902, provided the applicant revises the design to include a gray finish and muntin (grid) pattern to make the new openings visually sympathetic to the historic context.

Melissa Willis, historic preservation planner for the City of Westminster, introduced the applications and explained program rules, including that façade grants may cover up to 50 percent of eligible work and that a separate local tax credit program can provide up to 10 percent of qualified expenses. Willis said the commission must determine whether the property and the proposed work meet local eligibility standards before issuing a certificate of eligibility for tax credits and forwarding the recommendation to the state review process.

For the local tax-credit item, the commission determined the property to be an eligible property located in the Westminster historic district and approved a certificate of eligibility for a local historic rehabilitation tax credit in an amount up to 10 percent of the approved project cost. Willis noted that applicants may pursue concurrent state and federal historic tax credits, which she said are typically 20 percent at the state and federal levels and require parallel review by the Maryland Historical Trust.

Separately, the commission approved a façade improvement application covering exterior painting and brick repairs for the restaurant/residential portion of 31 West Main Street. The quote presented for that work was $46,000; the commission approved funding up to 50 percent of the final verified project cost, not to exceed the amount requested, and attached conditions intended to protect the building fabric. Commissioners directed that mortar tests be performed where brick repair is proposed and that “double O” (soft) mortar be used if testing shows the existing mortar is soft, to avoid damage from harder portland-cement based mortars. The commission also required that painting and color selections generally match the existing scheme, subject to staff review.

Commissioners discussed alternatives for replicating historic divided lights (mullions) in the warehouse windows and noted that full replication could be cost-prohibitive. The commission recommended that the applicant pursue a cost-effective solution that provides a grid pattern visually consistent with the building while documenting final costs and demonstrating eligibility under the program guidelines.

The approvals were conditional: staff will require revised quotes and documentation showing the grid/finish details and any mortar testing before issuing final funding commitments. Willis said the commission would forward its recommendation to the state for any tax-credit application, a step that typically takes one to two weeks for initial state review.

The project affects a building located in the Westminster Historic District and will be subject to the city program rules and review by the Maryland Historical Trust if the applicant pursues state or federal credits. The commission encouraged the applicant and staff to coordinate closely on final specifications and documentation so work may proceed without another full commission meeting if staff determines the revised materials meet the conditions the commission set.

Votes at a glance - Façade improvement — window replacement (31 West Main Street rear): approved (voice vote, consensus). Condition: gray finish and muntin grid; funding up to 50% not to exceed $95,902; applicant to provide revised quotes and visuals for staff review. - Historic rehabilitation property tax credit — certificate of eligibility (31 West Main Street): approved (voice vote, consensus). Up to 10% of qualifying costs; recommendation to be forwarded to state review (Maryland Historical Trust) for any state/federal credit coordination. - Façade improvement — painting and brick repairs (front building at 31 West Main Street): approved (voice vote, consensus). Condition: mortar testing and use of soft (Type O) mortar if appropriate; matching paint scheme; funding up to 50% of final verified cost (quote presented at $46,000), not to exceed the requested amount.

Next steps: the applicant will submit revised, itemized quotes showing final color/finish and grid details and evidence of any mortar testing. Staff will verify compliance with the grant and tax-credit conditions; if staff confirms the revisions meet commission intent, the approvals can be finalized without returning to the full commission.