Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Historic review board approves Holy Trinity fence extension at 409 Cherry Street
Loading...
Summary
The board approved Holy Trinity’s request to extend a 48-inch fence along the church’s east side to protect a lawn intended for grade‑school use; a board member raised that fence permits may be a zoning matter, but the board noted a trust review found the fence reversible and visually appropriate.
Mike Helwig, a member of the building and grounds committee at Holy Trinity, asked the board for permission to extend an existing fence to the 4th Street elevation and along the east side of the church at 409 Cherry Street. "We would like to extend our fence that we have currently to, the 4th Street elevation for exposure on the east side of the church ..." Helwig said, and explained the goal is to keep people and dogs out of a lawn intended for grade-school playground use.
A board member raised a procedural concern, saying the matter may be a zoning issue rather than a historic-review item and should come through zoning; the member cited ordinance language distinguishing zoning matters from certificates of appropriateness. Other members responded that the application was before the board because it changes the street appearance and that the trust review found the fence reversible and not detrimental to the historic building.
After discussing heights and visibility (applicant said the proposed fence would be 48 inches tall instead of 54), the board moved and voted to approve the fence. The board recorded a voice vote in favor and advised the applicant about next steps for permits and implementation.
The decision reflects the board's assessment of visual impact and reversibility; if permit or zoning issues remain, the applicant may need to resolve those with zoning staff or council.
