Commission approves exterior changes and addition at 655 S. Santa Fe for proposed dental clinic

The Salina Heritage Commission approved application CA 25-4 for exterior modifications and an addition at 655 S. Santa Fe to accommodate a dental practice and a separate future tenant space.

Staff explained the property’s history: recorded as part of the South Santa Fe Park addition (platted 1912), a building was constructed on the site in 1947 and used by Salina Bible Church until 1990. Doctors Hodges and Marshall converted the building to a medical office after a conditional use permit in 1991; that use lapsed when the site was unused for 12 months or more. The applicant later rezoned the property from R-3 to Planned Commercial 1 (PC-1) in January 2025 to allow medical and dental uses; the rezoning included two variations: a rear setback reduction from 25 feet to 4 feet and elimination of the required landscape buffer along the south property line adjacent to residential property.

Staff said the subject building sits in the 600 block conservation district and is classified as a noncontributing property, which triggers the commission’s review but requires the least stringent review standard for compatibility. The applicant’s proposal calls for an interior remodel to create two tenant spaces (a north side dental practice and a south-side future tenant), construction of a matching north entrance vestibule and reconstruction of the south entry to match, removal of stucco with brick infill and paint for a unified facade, window infill and replacement where needed, standing-seam metal roofing across the structure, 8x8 heavy-timber entry posts with stone veneer and limestone caps, and a new monument ground sign set back to meet PC-1 requirements.

Staff noted Planning and City Commission conditions attached to the rezoning: signage shall be limited to one monument sign (maximum 32 square feet and 8 feet tall) and one wall sign (maximum 32 square feet); illumination is limited to external illumination or push-through lettering, and full cabinet illumination is prohibited. Staff said the applicant plans push-through illuminated text/graphics so the letters and graphics would light while the rest of the cabinet would not be fully illuminated. Staff recommended approval, finding the design compatible in size, scale and materials and concluded the work would not adversely affect the district’s integrity.

Owner Bob Mueller and the project architect Dan Knight (via Zoom) were present; Mueller said he had no further comments beyond the staff presentation. A neighboring resident, Nancy Klostermeyer of 660 S. Santa Fe, called staff prior to the meeting to express concern about the sign’s scale and brightness; staff relayed that concern to the commission and noted the rezoning conditions that limit sign size and illumination.

Commissioners voted to approve the certificate of appropriateness as presented under option 1, finding the work conforms to the conservation district standards. The approval is subject to the conditions already imposed in the rezoning ordinance restricting sign size and illumination. If a future tenant or expanded use requires a new sign, the owner said he would return to the commission for sign approval under the same regulations.