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Resident asks commission to void administrative COA for proposed Japanese Zen garden
Summary
Marvin Lambert told the commission during general public comment that an administrative certificate of appropriateness (ACOA) issued May 10 for a proposed Japanese Zen rock garden in a public plaza should be voided and refiled as a standard COA because staff lacked authority under the referenced scope.
During general public comment at the June 21 meeting, Marvin Lambert, a resident of the Bush Street Cottage Row Historic District, urged the commission to void an administrative certificate of appropriateness (ACOA) issued May 10 for a proposed Japanese Zen rock garden and to require a standard certificate of appropriateness instead.
Lambert asserted staff lacked authority to issue an ACOA for a public space, citing the commission’s Motion 0289 and its reference to scope 13, which Lambert said applies only to residential properties. He argued the two certificate types have different application requirements and said the standard COA would require a specific explanation of how the rock garden is compatible with the district’s Victorian character. Lambert asked commissioners to “void the current ACOA.”
The comment was recorded during the general public comment period and no formal action on that specific ACOA was taken during the meeting. Staff would need to bring any procedural or jurisdictional questions about the ACOA back to the commission as an agenda item for formal consideration.
