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Board to consider raising BAR review threshold to $40,000; trustees ask for clearer language and data
Summary
Planning staff proposed increasing the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) review threshold from $10,000 to $40,000 (PLLJ 2025). Trustees expressed concern a dollar threshold could miss objectionable exterior work and asked staff to return with project examples and revised language before scheduling a public hearing.
Planning staff presented PLLJ 2025, a proposal to raise the dollar threshold that triggers review by the Board of Architectural Review from $10,000 to $40,000. “We are proposing to increase it to $40,000,” planning staff said.
Trustees questioned whether a straight dollar threshold would capture objectionable exterior changes and whether it could be ‘‘gamed.’’ One trustee said a $40,000 threshold could still allow exterior work that is out of character for a neighborhood. Planning staff and the person identified as Mary said the BAR requested the change because it felt overwhelmed by small projects; Mary said there is already a carve-out for solar panels and that BAR selected $40,000 but could provide the board with examples and revised language that defines work by type rather than cost.
The chair asked staff to provide data on how many projects the BAR reviews and typical project costs. The board did not vote; staff agreed to return with more information and possibly revised language before scheduling a public hearing.
