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Winchester board amends historic-design guidelines, sets 20% cap for murals on primary facades
Summary
The Board approved updates to the Winchester Historic Design District guidelines on March 5, adding a provision allowing murals on primary elevations of contributing structures up to 20% of a wall's area (excluding openings), while making other edits including removal of a financial-hardship clause and adding Friends of Old Town contact information.
The Winchester Board of Architectural Review voted to amend the Winchester Historic Design District design guidelines at its March 5 meeting, adopting several changes that govern murals, plaques and other design elements.
Gavin, the staff presenter, said the revised language discourages murals on primary elevations of contributing structures but allows proposals that do not exceed 20 percent of a wall’s area (excluding openings) to be considered on a case-by-case basis; the staff presentation also notes new construction would be an exception to that discouragement. Gavin said the guidelines now explicitly permit alternative methods of application (painted or otherwise attached) and revised phrasing so applicants “may consider alternative methods” rather than being encouraged to do so.
The staff update included other edits: guidance on historic plaques (language already present in the zoning ordinance but now added to the guidelines), a note about applicants using OpenGov for application steps, guidance advising applicants replacing historic garage doors with no photographic documentation to choose materials fitting the district character, removal of the prior financial-hardship clause in the roofing section, and addition of Friends of Old Town contact information.
Board members briefly debated whether to re-open a public hearing on the guidelines. One board member said they would still vote against murals on front elevations despite the case-by-case language, and the Chair likewise stated opposition to murals on front elevations while recognizing the majority could decide otherwise.
A motion to amend the guidelines as presented was made, seconded and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Staff said they would continue to advise on implementation and that some aspects of the policy might require zoning or code amendments outside the guidelines document.
The amendments are effective as adopted by the board; staff indicated additional procedural steps (such as OpenGov workflow updates and contact information integration) would follow in staff processing.
