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Commission approves rooftop HVAC and utilities for 111 Austin Street project after unit‑count change
Summary
The Historical Commission on July 9 approved a certificate of appropriateness for 111–113 Austin Street that allows rooftop HVAC units, a fire department connection and a ground transformer location; the project’s developer increased the interior unit count from 11 to 12 and staff said the exterior façade otherwise remains unchanged.
Attorney Joshua Lee Smith, representing 111–113 Austin Street LLC, told the commission that the project originally received a certificate of appropriateness in 2022 and that a new developer has modified the interior scope to add a 12th unit. "Back in 2022, this was originally approved as an 11‑unit multifamily building," Smith said; the revised application keeps the approved exterior design but adds rooftop and ground utilities the commission was asked to review.
Smith and architect Jesse Hildenberger described proposed utility work depicted on the submitted plan: twelve rooftop HVAC units set on low stands, a front‑façade fire department connection and a proposed ground transformer location. Hildenberger told commissioners the rooftop units are shown on 12–18‑inch stands and the equipment measures roughly 32 inches tall and 36 inches wide; he said the units would sit about a foot above the parapet and would be largely hidden from typical street views.
After questions about visibility and equipment placement, the commission closed public comment and voted to find the proposed rooftop HVAC units, fire department connection and transformer location appropriate for the Crown Hill Local Historic District. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote of the commissioners present.
Why it matters: The vote allows necessary mechanical equipment and utility connections for a new 12‑unit building while preserving the approved exterior design; commissioners emphasized siting and parapet screening to limit street visibility.
