Proposal to convert 104 S. Indian Alley into three townhomes recommended for approval with window condition

The Board of Architectural Review recommended approval of BAR25-268 on July 17 for renovations at 104 South Indian Alley that would convert a former cleaners into three two-story townhomes and add private patios, a wood trash enclosure and additional parking. The applicant presented a scaled-back revision of a previously larger proposal; board members emphasized preserving the building’s historic storefront character while allowing a modest vertical addition.

The presenter described the project as a site revision and a vertical addition: "we are just trying to basically, turn this into 3 town homes, 3 2 story town homes," he said, adding that the project will keep and restore existing first-floor warehouse windows, paint the CMU walls, and use natural wood doors. For the second‑floor new construction the applicant proposed composite windows, noting they were considering products such as "Anderson, Fibrex" for a better profile and not vinyl.

Board members said the proposal largely respects the building’s age and materials. One board member observed that the building is not pre–World War II and that converting windows to doors is not a concern given the building’s construction and age. Another member called the project an improvement and moved to recommend approval with a specification for window material on the new construction.

A motion to recommend approval passed by voice vote with the condition that second-floor windows be specified as composite (fiberglass/wood) or aluminum-clad rather than vinyl.

The recommendation allows the applicant to proceed through the city’s site-plan and permitting process; any changes to fence details, exact window product selections, or color choices may return to the board for further review depending on staff and plan-review comments.