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Pontiac historic commission approves door replacement at 125 West Lawrence, gives homeowner two years to comply
Summary
The Pontiac Historic District Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for HDC 25-013 (125 West Lawrence) on Jan. 14, citing Secretary of the Interior standards and giving the new owner two years to install the approved doors. The owner said he was unaware the property was in a historic district; staff offered follow-up assistance and information on district maps.
The Pontiac Historic District Commission voted Jan. 14 to approve a certificate of appropriateness for door replacements at 125 West Lawrence Street (case HDC 25-013), giving the homeowner a two-year window to install the approved units.
Paul, staff presenting the case, told commissioners the owner had removed modern doors without a permit and submitted three replacement options; staff recommended Option 1 as the best match to the dwelling’s Queen Anne character and cited the Secretary of the Interior’s standards (Nos. 2, 5, 6 and 9) as the basis for that recommendation. "Staff recommends approving door option 1," Paul said during his presentation.
The homeowner, who identified himself as Caesar, said he purchased the house a few months earlier and that his real-estate agent had not told him the property was in a historic district. "I bought this house, like, almost, like, few months ago... I never even see the the house as a story," Caesar said, asking for clarification about whether the property is in a historic district and explaining that he preferred the second option for its insulation and lower cost.
Commissioner (speaker 5) moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness based on the Secretary of the Interior standards cited by staff; Commissioner (speaker 8) seconded. The motion specifies the applicant shall have two years to install both doors on the Lawrence façade. The commission approved the motion by voice vote.
Paul told the homeowner staff would meet with him to review maps of the city’s five historic districts and to discuss other maintenance concerns he raised — siding and roof issues were cited as items staff can address separately. The commission’s action requires the homeowner to install the approved doors within the two-year timeframe; staff will follow up on compliance and provide guidance on allowable materials and designs.
The next step for the owner is a staff meeting to review the historic-district map and the approved door option. The commission did not adopt an enforcement schedule at the meeting but indicated staff would work with the homeowner to implement the decision.
Notes: address and case number are drawn from the staff presentation (125 West Lawrence; HDC 25-013). The motion referenced Secretary of the Interior standards 2, 5, 6 and 9 and included a two-year compliance period as recorded in the staff motion and vote.
