Commission reviews proposal to replace aluminum awning shingles on three Mill Street buildings

The Grass Valley Historical Commission on an afternoon meeting reviewed an application to replace existing aluminum awning shingles on three buildings at Mill Street with modern composition shingles, citing durability and availability concerns.

Associate Planner Vanessa Franken presented the project and said the three buildings (cited in staff materials as 128, 126 and 124 Mill Street) are classified as Priority 2 in the historic district. Franken told commissioners that the aluminum awning shingles are no longer manufactured and that the existing material has durability problems, including missing shingles and holes. "The request today is specifically asking to replace that existing awning roof material and to replace with composition shingles for that awning roof," she said, noting staff could not determine from historical Sanborn map records whether the awning is an original, character-defining feature.

Franken described the staff review and site inspection, saying adjacent rooftops include corrugated metal and fabric-lined awnings that the commission's historic guidelines list as acceptable. The application asks the commission to refer the project to the Development Review Committee (DRC) "to approve the application as presented or as modified," Franken said.

Gary Burke, the project's architect, told commissioners he had not proposed metal because his aim was to match the look of a historic wood-shingle or wood-shake finish. Burke said the existing substrate is damaged and that the project would replace the substrate while preserving corbels and other visible historic trim; he said the finish color being proposed is an amber tone that will match the existing underside and painted trim. "My goal was basically to try to get as close of a look to a wood shingle type of material," Burke said.

During public comment, a recorded statement from Matthew Colter urged denial of the composition-shingle approach and accused local officials of approving work that benefits contractors. "Historic reproduction products are available," Colter said. He also alleged financial conflicts of interest, saying commissioners were approving changes from which contractors might profit; the transcript records the allegation but does not show a response from the commission in this meeting.

The chair closed discussion after public comment and said a decision had been reached; the transcript does not record a formal roll-call motion or vote on the Mill Street application. Staff had specifically asked the commission to move the item to the DRC for approval as presented or modified.

What happens next: staff and the applicant will proceed with any required building-department approvals and DRC scheduling as required; the transcript does not record a formal final vote or an official decision text for the Mill Street application within this meeting.