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Board tables Hoch proposal after identifying multiple variances and design cohesion concerns
Summary
The board tabled the proposed new dwelling at 456 East Washington after staff said two detached garages together total about 1,200 sq ft (exceeding the 700 sq ft limit) and garage wall heights are around 11.5 feet; members urged a single cohesive architectural approach and asked applicants to return with stamped drawings.
The Village of Chagrin Falls Architectural Board of Review tabled preliminary plans for a new single-family dwelling at 456 East Washington on July 7, citing multiple zoning variances and architectural concerns.
Shannon and Daniel Hoch and architect Mark Raminez presented a design for a lot accessed only from Pheasant Run that includes two garages connected by a 7-foot wall. Building and Zoning Inspector Dominic Cribari told the Board the two garages together total approximately 1,200 square feet, substantially above the 700-square-foot allowance for detached garages; he also said proposed garage wall heights are about 11.5 feet, exceeding the 10-foot maximum. Staff confirmed that because the garages are separated by only a short shared wall (well below the 40% threshold), both count as detached for zoning calculations.
Board members suggested several options to reduce the number of variances required: attach one garage to the main dwelling by meeting the 40% shared-wall threshold (which would remove it from the detached-garage calculation), reduce the footprint of detached garages to fit within the 700-square-foot limit, or reconsider the layout to minimize lot-coverage impacts. The Board also criticized the current plans for inconsistent stylistic treatment: the front elevation reads French country while the rear appears generic colonial, and side elevations lack attention. Members emphasized that houses in Chagrin Falls should present a unified architectural character on all four elevations.
Koepf, acting chairman, and other members pressed for revisions that address dormer and fenestration proportions, noting the design currently favors horizontal windows at odds with the village’s predominantly vertical window character. Janine Bauman of 46 East Walnut Street spoke during the public hearing, saying she was concerned about loss of established character in Chagrin Falls and skeptical that landscaping alone would mitigate architectural inconsistency.
The Board’s motion to table was approved to give applicants time to revise drawings and resolve variance questions; applicants were instructed to return with stamped architectural drawings and a full site plan.
