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HARB denies garage demolition request; committee approves five certificates of appropriateness
Summary
HARB/AARB recommended denial of a demolition at 20 West Chestnut citing demolition-by-neglect; the Smart Growth Committee voted to disapprove the demolition (3–0) and to approve five other HARB certificates (3–0).
The Historic Architecture Review Board (HARB) and the Architectural Review Board (AARB) presented several applications for certificates of appropriateness.
Joe Martino, AARB vice chair, and Phil Yokum, the board architect, described a denial recommendation for demolition of a garage at 20 West Chestnut. Martino said the board considered the outbuilding a contributing resource to the historic district and described the condition as a classic case of demolition by neglect. “The garage on the right is a building that's been maintained over the years and in good shape ... this request is due to negligence of upkeep of the structure,” Martino said.
Board architect Bill (who visited the site) told the committee he observed deterioration and a number of needed repairs but did not believe the garage was beyond repair or in imminent danger of collapse; he said a structural-engineer report referenced in the application had not been submitted to HARB at the time of its review.
Committee members voted to disapprove the garage demolition at 20 West Chestnut (vote recorded as 3–0). The committee then voted to approve certificates of appropriateness for five other applications: 21 West Washington (doors/windows/trim), 104 East Gay (sign), 125 North Church (blade sign), 113 West Chestnut (exterior renovation/mural removal) and 129 East Gay (exterior renovation/sign), by a 3–0 vote.
Committee discussion noted potential impacts to adjacent buildings if demolition were permitted and emphasized HARB’s role preserving alleys and accessory buildings that contribute to the borough’s historic character.
Motions and vote tallies were recorded in the meeting minutes; the committee did not direct immediate demolition or demolition-permit issuance for the denied application and HARB will continue to coordinate with property owners on repair options and any required structural reporting.
