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New owners get approval for rain garden, drainage and lighting at 109 Brashear Street
Summary
The commission approved drainage and landscape changes at 109 Brashear Street — including a rain garden, drainage pit, grading and fence screening for bins — intended to reduce water ingress that owners say has damaged the property’s foundation.
The Laurel Historic District Commission approved a certificate allowing a rain garden, drainage improvements and modest lighting changes at 109 Brashear Street to improve stormwater management and protect the home’s foundation.
City planner Alexis Williams summarized the proposal: installation of a rain garden with a roughly 1-foot-high rock wall to intercept runoff from uphill neighbors; a gravel-filled drainage pit intended to collect overflow and allow gradual infiltration; minor grading to direct water away from the foundation; native reseeding of disturbed lawn areas; relocation of trash and recycling bins behind a movable privacy fence; and non-solar fence-cap lights to improve visibility. Staff recommended approval of certificate HDCDashR20260090.
James Hyde, who introduced himself and his wife Monica as the new owners, described historic foundation problems and said the work, including lime-mortar pointing and a sump pump already installed, aims to prevent future water ingress that has damaged the stone foundation. "We actually had to install a sump pump... a lot of this work is landscaping to prevent future water ingress into the home," Hyde said, describing his use of lime mortar and a trip to Lancaster to obtain appropriate materials.
A commissioner moved to approve the certificate; the motion was seconded and carried on roll call. The commission recorded the certificate number and thanked the applicants for their work on the property.
