Burlington commission approves backyard accessory building at 2411 Glencoe Street

The Burlington Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for a freestanding accessory building proposed at 2411 Glencoe Street.

At the May meeting, Chair Pennington said the commission had the applicant's packet and called planning staff forward to present the request. Planning Director Jenny Lawson explained that the project had already received an approval step from Preservation North Carolina and that the commission needed to adopt findings of fact before issuing a local COA.

Applicant Joseph Allen described the single-story structure as a combination of dry storage and a small yoga studio. "The building itself would be more for, of course, dry storage and some... climate controlled, for personal items and yoga," Allen said, adding that exterior materials and paint would match the historic house. He told commissioners he had the exact paint color labels from the previous owner and planned to use reclaimed windows and doors.

Commissioners questioned visibility, proportions and roofing material. Allen confirmed the freestanding structure would be visible from Glencoe Street from two sides and said the roof would be metal. Planning Director Lawson reminded the commission that "all required permits shall be obtained prior to the structure" and said staff would provide the COA as a one-page PDF and furnish a yellow placard to display while work is underway.

A motion to adopt the findings of fact and approve the application was moved, seconded and carried in a roll-call vote. The commission recorded unanimous approval among members present; Member Weitzman was absent.

What happens next: Planning staff will issue the COA document and the applicant must apply for the building permit before construction begins. The COA placard must be posted during the work.