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Preservation commission approves mortar repairs but denies chimney demolition at 100 West 4th Avenue
Summary
The Victorian Village Commission approved limited mortar tinting and cleanup at 100 West 4th Avenue but denied a request to retroactively approve demolition of a historic chimney, citing city alteration and demolition standards. The applicant may submit an economic hardship packet to seek reconsideration.
The Victorian Village Commission on Wednesday approved a conditioned plan to tint and clean mortar at 100 West 4th Avenue but voted against approving the demolition of the building's chimney, which staff and commissioners identified as a contributing historic feature.
Staff presented COA 2501293 and said unapproved work, including the partial demolition of the chimney and removal and reinstallation of steel lintels and mortar, had already taken place and led to a code violation. "The recommendation is continuing COA 2501293B to allow the applicant time to revise the proposal or recommend denial based on city code and Victorian Village guidelines," staff told the commission.
Applicant Melinda Shaw, who was sworn in for the hearing, said the district prioritized student safety and that a structural engineer concluded the chimney was unsafe. Shaw described the mortar proposal as a breathable stain applied only at repointed lintels to better match surrounding mortar and to avoid damage that grinding out joints would cause. "The stain would be breathable and would change the mortar to the color to match the rest of the mortar more closely," she said.
Commission discussion focused on two questions: whether the mortar work could be performed noninvasively and whether the chimney remained a historic, character-defining feature. Several commissioners favored a split approach that would allow limited mortar work to proceed if the applicant provided a mock-up and cleanup to remedy the prior unapproved work. One commissioner noted the chimney had been altered without a permit and warned that demolition-by-neglect arguments must not be rewarded.
The commission approved item b of COA 2501293 (mortar modifications) conditioned on the work being limited to mortar tinting and necessary cleanup to remedy previous unapproved work, and requested a mock-up before full implementation. A separate motion to approve item c (demolition of the chimney) failed; commissioners asked staff to document denial reasons citing city code 3116.11 (standards for alteration) items referenced in the staff report and the Victorian Village guidelines.
Next steps: staff will issue formal COA paperwork reflecting the approval for the mortar work and the denial for the chimney demolition and will include the applicable code citations. Staff also noted that if the applicant submits an economic hardship appeal packet, the commission will consider those materials in a future hearing.
