Commission approves exterior repairs for Society Candle Shop; conditions added for HVAC visibility

The Wimberley Planning & Zoning Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for exterior repairs at 101 Old Tile Road, the Society Candle Shop, and added language to prevent visible exterior HVAC units from being installed in the building's public facade.

Staff (Nathan, speaker 3) summarized the application: remove and replace deteriorated pine siding with a Hardie/cement-board product that matches the existing profile, repair and replace corroded roof beams, repair corrugated metal roofing with like-for-like materials, repaint to match existing colors, and remove an existing gable-peak air-conditioning unit and repair the wall. Nathan said staff recommends approval and noted the design guidelines favor "like-for-like" repairs when possible.

Commissioners asked whether removing the gable unit implied a replacement external condenser somewhere visible on the facade. Nathan said the application only requests removal and repair and does not show an external replacement; if an outdoor condenser or new external HVAC unit is to be installed in view of the street it would need to be specified and could be conditioned or require a return to the commission. A commissioner asked that the certificate explicitly prevent a new visible exterior HVAC unit on the front facade; staff agreed that language could be added as a condition.

Committee member (speaker 4) moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness for the exterior modification at 101 Old Tile Road; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The approval as recorded in the meeting transcript included the understanding that any new exterior HVAC units in front of the building must be avoided or specifically reviewed.