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BAR hears multiple pre‑application projects including renovations and an addition; no formal approvals
Summary
The Board of Architectural Review heard three pre‑application presentations — 606 Lions Court (alterations to a 1939 house), 745 Park Street (addition/pop‑up), and several smaller consent‑type items — and offered advisory feedback without taking formal action. Applicants were instructed to return with complete applications or material samples as needed.
The Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review used its December meeting to review several pre‑application projects and to offer design guidance; no final approvals were granted.
Staff presented a pre‑application for alterations at 606 Lions Court, describing a series of mostly consent‑type changes and one question about a front stoop and pediment that will come back to the BAR for formal review. Christine Martin, the applicant for changes at a modest 1939 Cape Cod (745 Park Street), explained she wants a small bracketed portico and window replacements; the board discussed preserving the existing pediment and pilasters and advised that the porch/stoop requires formal BAR review because it affects the primary façade. The board suggested options that retain historic fabric or allow reversible changes and recommended the applicant work with staff and the architect to bring detailed drawings for January consideration.
Board members emphasized that staff needs a complete and coherent packet for formal consideration; staff explained that incomplete or late submittals led to the items being treated as pre‑application conferences rather than formal COA requests. The board urged applicants to supply window cut sheets, elevations with dimensions, wall sections, material samples and a detailed landscaping plan where relevant.
What happens next: applicants were told which elements are likely to be eligible for staff review and which will require BAR action at a subsequent meeting. The 745 Park Street porch design will return as a formal COA application with documentation; 606 Lions Court will be scheduled for formal consideration once the applicant follows staff submittal guidance.
