WESTERVILLE UPTOWN REVIEW BOARD CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 21 S. STATE STREET THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012 MINUTES

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1 WESTERVILLE UPTOWN REVIEW BOARD CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 21 S. STATE STREET THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012 MINUTES The Westerville Uptown Review Board met in regular session on Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 21 S. State Street. Members present were Chairman Brian Ruyack, Frank Michell, Ralph Denick, Diana Welling, Ross Lisman, and Mary Lou Prouty. Jeff Reschke was excused. Bassem Bitar and Chelsea Nichols represented Staff. Mr. Bitar led the Pledge of Allegiance. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN CHAIRMAN Mr. Michell nominated Mr. Ruyack. Mr. Denick seconded the nomination. No further nominations. Mr. Ruyack was elected as Chairman by Acclamation. VICE-CHAIRMAN Mr. Michell nominated Mr. Lisman. Ms. Prouty seconded the nomination. No further nominations. Mr. Lisman was elected as Vice Chairman by Acclamation. MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 2, 2012 MEETING Ms. Prouty moved to approve the February 2, 2012 minutes as presented; Mr. Lisman seconded the motion. Yeas: Nays: Abstentions: Mr. Lisman, Ms. Welling, Mr. Michell, Ms. Prouty, Chairman Ruyack None Mr. Denick Motion Passed: Chairman Ruyack explained the process for the meeting. Ms. Nichols swore in Staff and those who wished to give testimony or bear witness.

2 Page 2 NEW BUSINESS URB ; 59B S. STATE STREET; AWNING SIGN; APPLICANT: WESTERVILLE GRILL. Mr. Bitar stated this application was on this Board s agenda last year and there have been many improvements since then. The application was mostly to construct a new awning above the patio area but also to replace the rounded awning with one more compatible with the Uptown Design Guidelines. Staff had presented at the time some suggestions that the applicant thought would be doable. The building is a very complicated building. It was built in stages and Staff is not sure if the mansard element above the storefront was intended as a decorative element or if it had a functional purpose. As the awning was being investigated, because of the bump outs and angles and everything else, it took a lot longer than everybody expected to get the design finalized and the permits approved. Mr. Bitar stated the previous awning was installed at the edge of the projecting roofline. Staff believes that behind that is simply a concrete block wall. Staff s preference would have been to completely remove those mansard elements but you do not know what you are getting into when you do that because it is tied into the roof. That complicated matters a little bit more. The awnings have now been installed, except for the one at the corner. Again, because of all the different angles there, it has been pretty challenging and the intent is to try to cover up all of those angles and still make it water-tight and provide weather protection to pedestrians. That design is being finalized. Mr. Bitar stated one thing to note is that there are actually two separate awnings along the State Street frontage as originally intended. However, because of the placement of those bump-outs, they ended up being very close to each other. He has being talking to Tony Cabilovski from Westerville Grill, and the awning company about whether there is any chance to still separate them a little bit more. Mr. Bitar stated when this project was being approved last year there was a window sign that was approved and a small sign right at the entrance of the building on the valance of the awning. However, they realized there was really no identification for northbound traffic, so the idea was to provide for that identification similar to what used to be there before. Due to the timing of the awnings, it made more sense to do it as part of the fabrication of the awnings rather than trying to apply it afterwards. Staff agreed with the applicant and would take the blame if this does not get approved. It made sense from a Staff standpoint and it is very consistent with what was approved for the front awning. Mr. Bitar stated what the Board is being asked to approve tonight is simply the sign on the south side of the awning. The applicant provided the measurements. In Staff s opinion the scale is appropriate for the scale of the valance. The letters are about 7 inches against a 9 inch valance. The main entrance will have very similar signage. Mr. Bitar showed old pictures of the building. It started life as a house and over the years it kept getting added onto. Mr. Bitar went through the old pictures. He found one from the 1970s that showed the beginnings of the commercial frontage. He also showed a picture from the 1980s and from the late 1990s when it was converted to the Westerville Grill. It had a sign on the front and a sign in the same placement where the current signage is being requested.

3 Page 3 Mr. Bitar stated with the corner awning, one of the struggles that they had, and they worked quite a bit with the awning company, it that typically with a standard awning in the Uptown District you try to achieve about a 45 degree slope for the awnings. In this case, that was the original intent but that proved to be somewhat impossible because of the placement of the light poles and the nature of the construction. He talked to the awning company about the awning at the corner. It may have a little different slope just because it needs to cover more for weather protection and because it sits at an angle. That is being finalized but otherwise he thinks everything else is consistent with what they saw last year. Mr. Bitar stated he was a little nervous about how the screens underneath the patio awning were going to look. From a Staff standpoint, they turned out very nicely, especially being tucked in behind the railing. Mr. Bitar stated that having said all of that, Staff recommends approval of tonight s request. The applicant, Tony Cabilovski, 59 S. State Street, stated Mr. Bitar pretty much touched on all of the elements that they were going to address. The timing of the signage was the key issue. He obviously would not have pulled the trigger if Mr. Bitar did not think it was OK to go ahead and do it beforehand. They have absolutely no south facing signage. Before, the signage actually faced east to the street but by that point it has no effect because people would have pretty much driven by the restaurant. Also, what they are proposing tonight is the same as what will be over the front door. They were over there today doing the final measurements and trying to figure it out. As Mr. Bitar said, there are so many angles and pitches that they are trying to cover correctly without the actual material touching, rubbing, and then eventually wearing away. Today was the final day with a test of it and they should probably have something submitted for final review by next week. Mr. Cabilovski stated they appreciate the Board s time and bearing with them because this took a little bit longer than they had anticipated. There are so many things you don t anticipate when you turn a house into a restaurant (with a TV shop in between). Chairman Ruyack stated he thinks the enclosed patio looks really good. It is hard to visualize when they just see it on paper but it is really a nice addition. Mr. Cabilovski stated once the weather breaks all together, those panels are like big frames that they can unbolt and it just turns into a covered patio with a canopy on top. Ms. Prouty echoed Chairman Ruyack s comments and stated that it is the best this building has looked in a very long time. Mr. Michell moved to approve URB ; Mr. Lisman seconded. Yeas: Nays: Mr. Michell, Ms. Welling, Ms. Prouty, Mr. Denick, Mr. Lisman, Chairman Ruyack None Motion Passed: 6-0 Application approved.

4 Page 4 URB ; 33 E. COLLEGE AVENUE; PAINTING/SHUTTERS; APPLICANT: TAMARA KRAUSE (MOON RENTAL TRUST). Mr. Bitar stated this application is for repainting an existing building that started out life as a house and had been converted into a business a long time ago. The building is currently vacant and so the owners would like to take advantage of that opportunity to make some improvements including refreshing the color of the building. Mr. Bitar stated that as Board members can see from the pictures and the application materials, the building had been sided many years ago. Even when he went back to the 1980s pictures it already had the red aluminum siding. Unfortunately, when they put the siding they covered up old trim so the windows basically float in siding and the corner trim is a little bit thinner than what you would have had originally. However, the overall shape and form of the building is still consistent with its original character from the late 1870s. He stated that you can see that at one point in the past the garage was added and then the garage was converted into a business as well. Mr. Bitar showed a picture and stated it is of the house next door but you can see the edge of the garage. It appears that it was sided as well but the front was not. The red siding is on the west side and it is white on the front. The other change that has happened from the original character is that the porch would have been a different style and it was replaced in the early 20 th century to what you see right now. Mr. Bitar stated the property owner would like to paint the building. He stated the Planning Division has a talented intern, Molly Gaudioso, that used the Sherwin Williams website to try the different colors that were proposed by the owner. There were two options that were provided in the Board s packets. They both were in the green family. One is a little lighter and it is called Dried Thyme from the Sherwin Williams collection. He showed a picture of what the building would look like if it were to be painted that color. The trim would be an off white, called Alabaster, and the doors would be burgundy. He told the Board to keep in mind that it is pretty much impossible to accurately depict what the colors would look like. The picture gives a general idea of the look. Mr. Bitar showed a picture of the other color option. It was a slightly darker shade of green called Shade Grown. It is a brownish shade of green. From a Staff standpoint, they believe either one of those color schemes would be appropriate. They think both of them would be an improvement over the existing color and more consistent with the original Italianate style of the building. They have no opposition and they recommend approval of the color change. Mr. Bitar stated Staff included in the packets and provided Mr. Moon some other options Ms. Gaudioso tried with different color combinations. They are only for reference and thought he would include them. Mr. Bitar stated the other aspect of this application is the desire to add shutters to the building. He stated it would have been common with this building style to have shutters. The Guidelines for shutters indicate that, even if they are decorative, they need to look like if you were to close them, they would properly close the window. The height and the width of the shutters have to be consistent with the scale of the windows. Staff provided the Board with some information about different architectural styles and he is sure Mr. Moon will explain more about what he has. However, his understanding is the shutters that Mr. Moon has are solid panel shutters. With an Italianate style it would have been more common to use the louvered shutters. In conversations he had with Mr. Moon this morning, he indicated that the window opening is about 78 inches and the shutters that he has are about 80 inches. He said if he is able

5 Page 5 to get the Board s approval, he would be willing to trim them back. They are a synthetic material but he has indicated he is able to trim them back to match the size of the windows. Mr. Bitar stated Mr. Moon had indicated that he would temporarily install one so that they could look at it on site. However, when Staff went to look, the shutter appeared to have fallen down. It was on the shrub so he could not take a picture of it in place. Mr. Bitar stated Ms. Gaudioso took a picture from the information they had gathered about shutters and used Photoshop to show what proper shutters would look like on this building. Mr. Bitar stated the color that is being proposed is black. When they looked at the Italianate style, darker colors for shutters were common, including black so Staff has no objections to the color. Staff s preference would be to use the louvered shutters but if at least they can get the size to be correct, he thinks that would be acceptable. Mr. Bitar showed maps going back to 1894 that show the footprint of the building. As they can see, in 1894 there was a front porch that was a little bit shallower. It did not come all the way out so that would have been the original Italianate front porch. In 1900 there was not much change to the building. By 1913 you can see some additions to the back. The porch was still pretty small. By 1922 the current porch looks like it has been added. It is has a little bigger footprint. The additions to the back had started increasing in size. By 1933 the garage was added to the west side of the building. Since then, with the exception of some modifications to the back, the rest of the building footprint has stayed pretty much the same. Mr. Bitar showed a picture from the 1980s. The red siding had already been installed and the only difference in the color scheme is that much of the porch trim was also painted red. Now, part of it is white. Mr. Bitar said Staff would suggest that all trim be painted white. Mr. Bitar said there may be an opportunity (since the building is being improved and painted) to improve the area below the porch floor. The typical way of doing lattice skirting underneath the porch would have been to add some trim around it. It is just a suggestion. There may be an opportunity to paint that lattice work or add some trim to improve it as the rest of the building is being improved. Mr. Bitar stated with that, Staff is supportive of the change to the color. They would support the shutters if the size is correct in width and height. He would be glad to answer any questions. Charles Moon, 5911 Forest Hills Blvd. in Columbus, stated he would like to express his appreciation to Mr. Bitar for his efforts over and above normal requirements to help them with this problem. Timeliness has an importance and he exceeds all expectations in attempting to accommodate them. For that they want to recognize him. Mr. Moon referenced the screen and stated the Dried Thyme is the color they want to use. The color on the screen does not come out quite the way it should so he prepared a sample sheet with the actual colors. He passed them out to the Board members. Mr. Moon suggested they first talk about the color and then discuss the shutters. He had given Mr. Bitar some information that was incorrect on the shutters and he would like the opportunity to correct that. The shutter did not fall. He was in the process of hanging the shutter and unfortunately he answered the telephone and everything else went to cahoots. He left the shutter leaning against the window.

6 Page 6 Mr. Moon suggested the Board ask him question about the colors and the design. He has some additional suggestions that he would like to make. He hopes they can arrive at a decision that is mutually acceptable to both of them (he and the Board). Ms. Prouty asked if his shutters have louvers. Mr. Moon stated no, the shutters he would like to have do not have louvers. He asked that the Board talk about the paint and then the shutters because there are a couple other things to go over. Mr. Michell stated there are parts of the structure that look like they have wood rot. He asked if part of the painting would be to do some repair work. Mr. Moon stated those need to be repaired and so this is all part of the same procedure. Mr. Michell stated it looks like the gutter is falling off. Mr. Moon stated yes. Mr. Michell stated it might be because of the wood they are attached to. Mr. Moon stated possibly. Ms. Welling stated for her, color choices are more of a personal preference unless it is something totally outrageous like a purple house or not historically accurate. Her only comment (and it s just from personal experience from painting her own house last year so it should be taken with a grain of salt ) is her house has a very similar color scheme and they went with more of a khaki than a green. She is just worried he might not be as happy with it because it is a lot of green. Mr. Moon stated they looked at a substantial number of colors with the folks at Sherwin Williams, who he recognizes as the leading proponent of historical houses and things of that nature. This was their first and only choice of color. There was a second green that they brought along to hold up on the house but when they looked at it the color was not really what they were looking for. The Dried Thyme is the green they would like to have and they will accept the responsibility for how it turns out. Ms. Welling stated OK, she just wanted to throw that in. Mr. Ruyack stated the sample Mr. Moon brought looks better than the color on the screen. Mr. Moon stated Staff did a fine job in taking the photograph in a rather limited time frame and turning it into something that is substantial enough that they can have a conversation about. Mr. Moon stated there are a couple of changes they are interested in making to the building. He pointed to the section above the entrance to the side. He stated this particular property was last renovated prior to his purchase of the property in At that time Mr. Zollinger, who was a police officer for Westerville, lived in the house. He must have been extremely patriotic because he chose to turn the house into red, white, and blue. The outside was painted red and white and the inside had royal blue shag carpet. They removed the carpets in the process of restoring the property. At the time they did this work, in order for it to be used for a profitable business, it was necessary to make some changes. One of

7 Page 7 the changes was to modify the garage so that it could become a business space. That building actually meets the criteria of a mall because there were restroom facilities located and they were to be shared by multiple tenants. At this time there is no tenant. They were approached recently by a young lady who operates a business called Sugar Inc Cupcakes. She came to look at their property for a potential location to relocate from Dublin to Westerville. However, he thinks they lost her as a potential tenant because they were unable to respond to her needs as quickly as she wanted. Mr. Moon pointed to one area around the door and stated it is shaker wood at the top and they would like that to be white. He pointed to the corner boards and stated they are currently 2¼ inches wide. They really do not have enough emphasis. You do not get the color impact with them because of their size. They would really like to cover those and it is not too complicated of a process to put corner boards over the top of the aluminum siding. They would turn those into either 3 or 4 inch pieces of corner board which would be painted white. If that is not something the Board is interested in, then that is not something that is a necessity, it just makes it look better. Chairman Ruyack asked if he could clarify what he is referring to when he says the corner board. Mr. Moon pointed to the corner boards and stated right now they are just a fine line definition and do not give enough of an impact. They should be a little bit larger and they would be able to see the definition. Mr. Lisman asked if he will use a paint brush or a spray. Mr. Moon stated it will probably be a combination. It is not aluminum siding. It is metal siding so it will have to be a combination of rollers and brushes. Mr. Lisman stated he assumes it will accept the paint. Mr. Moon stated Sherwin Williams makes a primer that adheres to most surfaces. That is the primer they would be using for this. They would also tint the primer to hide the red. They are going to put the primer on and then paint the primer. Ms. Welling asked if he knew what the condition of the brick underneath is. Mr. Moon stated there is no brick underneath. There is wood underneath the siding. Ms. Welling apologized and stated she thought there was brick underneath. Mr. Moon stated this is wood and he has no idea and would not want to pick up a corner and peak. He stated he would ask that the Board approve for the one portion to be painted white and for the corner boards to be enlarged. Those are the only other changes to the color. Mr. Denick asked if Mr. Bitar was aware of the corner board change. He asked if he has comments regarding the widening. Mr. Bitar stated they had discussed that a while ago but was not aware of it being part of this application. From a Staff standpoint he thinks that is a great idea. What would be best from a Staff standpoint is if Mr. Moon has the courage to remove all the aluminum siding and go back to the wood.

8 Page 8 However, as Mr. Moon mentioned that is a can of worms. He thinks the wider trim board would be a lot more appropriate so he recommends approval of that. Mr. Lisman stated he likes the wider corner board. Ms. Prouty agreed and stated it defines it. Mr. Moon stated that originally when he approached Mr. Bitar he asked someone to measure the windows for him. They reported back to him that the window size was 78 inches. He happens to have a substantial number of shutters that are 80 inches long and it would have been an easy inexpensive alteration that would make a large impact on the appearance of the property. In fact, the young lady who was talking with them about the cupcake place said one of her requirements was that in another one of her facilities their building was blue with black shutters. He thought to himself that the addition of shutters would certainly make a difference in how the building jumps out at you. He spent some time wandering around in the Restoration Review District (Uptown District) and the number of places where shutters are used is not gigantic within the district itself. The only two examples of where there are shutters mounted that meet the shutter mounting criteria are the former Mrs. College property on E. College and the Hanby House on W. Main. Those are the only two properties that he saw that meet the criteria for mounting of shutters and types of shutters as they exist. Mr. Moon stated that the shutters that were in his inventory were raised panel shutters with two panels. He likes that look. Unfortunately, he stirred up interest in other people in his family for shutters and now he finds himself in a position where he is willing to spend $480 on shutters. Mr. Moon stated the actual opening of the windows is 74 inches (the area framed by the siding). There is in each of these windows an area that reduces the actual exposure inside the window to 70⅝ inches. Mr. Moon stated shutters in custom orders are hard to come by. However, Home Depot distributes products for Builders Edge and they have a 75 inch shutter, which comes very close to meeting the requirements here. Mr. Moon stated the other guidelines say the width of the shutter needs to be such that if it were to close it, it would cover the area. The width of the windows from the outside to the outside is 30¼ inches. The width of the space on the inside of the window frame, not counting the glass or actual sash itself is 29¼ inches. The shutters are 15 inch shutters. The guidelines for selecting shutters that are provided by the company (not necessarily by the Kalamazoo, MI guidelines that Staff has referenced), indicate that in order to increase the appearance - whether that be for contrast or for color or for complements which are the three reasons you recommend you use shutters you should have shutters that are slightly larger than would cover the window opening. The question then becomes what do they classify as the window opening. He asked if they would classify the window opening as the top of the cut in the siding material to the bottom of the cut in the siding material, or do they classify it as the top of the inside of the window to the top of the inside of the decorative piece on the bottom. Chairman Ruyack asked Mr. Bitar if he has any reference on that. Mr. Bitar said shutters were originally intended to be operable, so they should respond to the size of the window itself. He showed a picture of actual functioning shutters and said you can see the actual opening inside the trim so when the shutter is closed, the outside of the shutter is somewhat flush with the trim. When they talk about the opening he thinks it is not necessarily the glass area. It is the edge

9 Page 9 that is defined by where the recess it. It includes the glass and the sash. He asked Mr. Moon if that makes sense. Mr. Moon stated it could very well be. Mr. Bitar stated his guess is if they were to close the shutter then they go in and the outside edge of the shutters is flush with the surface of the trim. Mr. Moon stated they have no plans to close them. The requirements do not state that they must be closed. They say if they were to be closed they are to look as if they would cover. Mr. Bitar stated he was answering the question about what opening they are referring to. Mr. Moon asked if that means that the white area, which is the bottom of the window, would need to be left exposed. Mr. Bitar stated the sill would be exposed. Mr. Moon stated these windows do not have window trim. He has no difficulty in how they might attach them to the building. He does not find the appearance of the photo on the screen to be anything less than attractive. Mr. Lisman asked if the height of the shutter is the same height as the window. Mr. Moon stated the window; from the very top of the piece that the siding is attached to including the lip that sticks out on the bottom is 74 inches. The size of shutters provided by Builders Edge is 75 inches. Mr. Bitar asked if he is saying from the top edge to the bottom edge is 74 inches. Mr. Moon answered in the affirmative. From the very bottom to the very top of what is currently white is 74 inches. Mr. Bitar asked if the white is recessed a little bit. Mr. Moon stated it is probably intended to be but it actually comes out on some of those windows to be equal to the outside edge. Mr. Bitar stated the difficulty here is normally you would have had trim at the top, trim at the sides, and a window sill at the bottom. In that case, the shutters would be on top of the side trim while the top and bottom would be exposed. In this case they do not have a top but they have a bottom. It is somewhat of a judgment call in this case. Mr. Moon stated the picture makes it appear as if the piece across the top is the width of a trim piece and it is not. It is ⅜ inch wide. You would think from looking from here that it would probably be 3 inches or so going from corner to corner across the tops of any of those windows. That in reality is not the case. It is a very fine line. He thinks somehow or another as it gets transposed down to the bottom picture, the white looks much larger.

10 Page 10 Ms. Welling stated she needs to say something and she hates to be a Debbie Downer. What Mr. Bitar had said was that shutters were common on a high style Italianate house. To her, this is not an Italianate house. An Italianate house would have a hip roof; it would have brackets, and a cornice. To her this is either Vernacular or maybe it s a Queen Anne and had its elements removed. To her, she feels like it should not have shutters. That is her opinion and she went to the site today. This is what she does for a living. She sees a lot of Vernacular Gabled Ls. She actually copied a bunch of photos of Ohio Gabled Ls off the intranet and could not find any with shutters. She stated within the guidelines what it is saying is if historically there would not have been shutters there to add them later would be inappropriate. Mr. Moon stated he disagrees. Ms. Welling stated she understands. She thinks it does look nice. She just thinks it is not historically accurate. Mr. Moon stated they are not going to have a historically restored piece of property. Ms. Welling stated that is the job of the Board. Mr. Moon stated if they look at the Guidelines, it gives you break downs of what colors might have been chosen and used for periods of time and they talk about shutters. On two other properties that he owns there were pinion type connectors that you would have put a shutter onto so that it would pivot to close. He has no reason to believe that they would not be here. He strongly believes this house would have had shutters. Ms. Welling stated she understands what he is saying but the job of this Board is to maintain the integrity of Uptown. From her professional opinion, she does not think this house would have had shutters. That is her opinion. Ms. Prouty asked for clarification as to whether his shutters are the raised panel rather than the louvered shutters. Mr. Moon stated yes. He stated the Kalamazoo guidelines recommend the panels for the bottom floors and louvers for the top but we are not Kalamazoo. Ms. Prouty asked if they make new, louvered shutters that are aluminum. She is sure you could have wooden ones made that have the bar to move them. She is not even sure if they make them in aluminum. Mr. Moon stated he has been doing this since 1992 and he has never seen those. He is certain that if you go to a wood worker s shop you could get them because for enough money you can do almost anything. He has not seen those available commercially. They may exist somewhere and he just does not know about it. Ms. Prouty stated she has not either. Her preference would have been the louvered but she wants the louvered ones that look like the old ones.

11 Page 11 Mr. Moon stated his preference is for raised panel. From this company alone he believes there are 18 styles of shutters and 48 colors. Interestingly, not knowing anything about this, one of the colors that they chose is the color they have on the booklet. Chairman Ruyack asked if they are doing the entire windows in the front and the side. Mr. Moon stated they plan on putting shutter on the 7 windows in the front. There are four that can be seen in the picture on the front, two on the porch, and one on the second level. Ms. Welling asked if they could vote on the two separately; shutters as one issue and the color as another. Chairman Ruyack asked Mr. Bitar and Mr. Moon for their opinion. Mr. Moon stated that is at the Board s discretion. Mr. Bitar stated that may not be a bad idea. It could be split into URB A and URB B. Ms. Prouty asked Mr. Bitar how he feels about the shutters that Mr. Moon has described. Mr. Bitar stated it is hard without seeing them. He was hoping they would be able to see them there. If they are talking about a half an inch difference, it is not that huge of a deal but getting an appreciation for how that looks with the fact that they do not have a header above the windows and a real sill would be helpful. The actual design of a shutter is usually critical. The one thing to keep in mind is it is not a permanent change so it is something that is changeable. He was to a certain extent less concerned about the style (even though preference would be for the louvered one) than the size. If the width is correct and they are talking about approximately a half an inch there and it could be adjusted a little bit it may not be that bad. Without actually seeing them it is hard to give them a firm answer. Ms. Welling asked for clarification on the corner board. She asked if the plan was to just widen them. Mr. Bitar asked if Mr. Moon is talking about putting something on top of the corner boards. Mr. Moon stated yes, what you have to do is take a 1 x 4 for example and cut out the inside portion so it fits and makes it look as if it is the original board. That is what they would like to do. Mr. Bitar asked again if it would be placed on the existing corner board. Mr. Moon stated essentially what you do is hide the piece you put on the corners and you put a corner board back on. Ms. Welling asked if Staff could do something so they could see what that would look like because she is having a hard time visualizing that. Mr. Bitar showed pictures of other buildings that have that element. He stated he thinks it would be similar to what those houses have. It would be 4 inch trim. He thinks what is there now is at most 2 inches.

12 Page 12 Mr. Denick asked Mr. Bitar, in light of what Ms. Welling presented, what his thoughts are in whether the shutters are appropriate for this structure or not. Mr. Bitar stated there were a couple of ways they looked at it. In the Architectural Inventory description, this building was identified as an early Italianate and it is a Vernacular Italianate. He uses a book called A Field Guide to American Houses and there are some vernacular variations that include the Gabled L. He stated Ms. Welling probably knows more than he does about which ones would have had shutters. He believes there were some other houses that are adjacent and were built around the same time that did have shutters at one time in the past. There was some speculation but he does not have any proof. He does not have a definite answer other than there were some examples in the neighborhood. Ms. Welling stated when the Italianate is a high style example it would have had shutters but as for a Vernacular example, she could not find one. She is not saying it couldn t be, but she is thinking it is less likely than more likely. She stated that is her opinion. Chairman Ruyack asked if they would like to entertain a motion for the repainting. Mr. Moon stated he would like to paint the section under the door on the addition white as well. Ms. Welling stated if he just keeps the fish scales white it would really pop and keep the Queen Anne detail. She stated that is just a suggestion. Mr. Lisman moved to approve URB A including the paint colors and the widening of the corner boards as presented by the applicant; Mr. Denick seconded. Yeas: Nays: Ms. Prouty, Mr. Michell, Mr. Lisman, Mr. Denick, Ms. Welling, Chairman Ruyack None Motion Passed: 6-0 Paint Color and widening of corner board approved. Chairman Ruyack asked if the shutters will cover the size of the window. Mr. Moon stated it satisfies all the requirements for shutters except they do not have a clear definition about mounting. That would be something that would need to be clarified. They will look as though they would be used and closed. The shutters are 15 x 75. Mr. Michell moved to approve URB B involving the shutters as presented by the applicant; Ms. Prouty seconded. Yeas: Nays: Mr. Lisman, Mr. Denick, Chairman Ruyack Mr. Michell, Ms. Prouty, Ms. Welling Motion Failed: 3-3 Shutters disapproved.

13 Page 13 URB ; 39 E. COLLEGE AVENUE; FRONT PORCH RECONSTRUCTION; APPLICANTS: CHARLES & GAYLE MOON. Mr. Bitar referenced the PowerPoint presentation from URB and stated there are some similarities in the two buildings (33 and 39 E. College). They are right next door to each other. They are the same style and built around the same time. The only difference is 39 E. College is a brick building versus the frame building at 33 E. College. The reason he wanted to point it out is just to remember the character of the front porch at 33 because he thinks it is relevant to the discussion of the building at 39. Mr. Bitar stated this building is also a cross-gable, early Vernacular Italianate building. Much like the other one, the front porch was changed some time in the early 20 th century. What he will show in a minute is what would have likely been the original style of porch. More recently, the porch has started to deteriorate and Mr. Moon had been planning on doing something there for a while and all of sudden it got much worse. Mr. Bitar showed some pictures from October 2011 and pointed out how the porch and the railing were pulling off the wall. He said the pictures show the character of the porch. As he mentioned, it was probably built in the early 20 th century but the cedar shake shingles were likely added much later. His assumption is that the pole was originally a simpler pole similar to what they saw on the porch next door. The difference here is that you have one post that is supporting the whole span. He does not know if that was a change over time with others being removed many years ago. He thinks that has contributed to the problem. They can clearly see there is a sag and some water issues. Mr. Bitar stated the porch needed to be removed and Mr. Moon has it currently supported with a temporary post. He showed some more recent pictures and pointed out the post that was removed and temporarily stored on site. He said the bottom shows how it was made with several planks and was covered by the cedar shank shingles. He then pointed out the railing and stated it had siding underneath very similar to the porch next door. Mr. Bitar stated because of the conditions, Mr. Moon has had to enlist the help of an architect because he needs a building permit to reconstruct the porch. It made sense to put it on the agenda as quickly as possible so there is some direction as they move forward. Mr. Bitar showed several Sanborn maps and an aerial photograph showing the progression of the porch over the years (from 1894 through 2010). He pointed out that the original porch was smaller and that it was replaced or enlarged sometime during the 1920s or early 1930s. Mr. Bitar stated Mr. Moon had referenced several examples to indicate what he would like to do with this porch. Instead of having the closed railing, he would prefer to have railings with spindles. He would also prefer to have the posts go all the way down to the porch floor rather than rest on top of the railing as the previous post did. Mr. Bitar showed some Italianate porch examples (including a picture of a house across the street) and stated that the original porch very likely would have been similar. He mentioned that some of them had railings and corresponding post bases. Others (like the one across the street) were very close to grade and did not have railings. In that case, the posts went all the way down to the porch floor. Mr. Bitar showed some renderings and stated he had just received them from Mr. Moon s architect in the morning. They include a corner post being installed but with the addition of one other post and a couple of half posts at the edges to help support the porch roof.

14 Page 14 Mr. Bitar stated he was not quite sure how to read the renderings in terms of the actual width of the posts versus what was there before. Based on the drawings, he understands the posts would be 6x6 with a 1x6 cedar wrap. So each post would probably be 8 inches in total width. Mr. Bitar showed a rough overlay of the drawing on top of a picture of the previous porch. He said it was hard to get a good comparison, but it appears that the new posts might be a little thinner than what was there before. Mr. Bitar stated as a disclaimer, he had to distort the drawing a little bit because the picture is at a little bit of an angle. When he distorted it, the width seemed like maybe it is compatible with what was there before. He also had to lower the top a little bit. He thinks that is a detail that they will need to clarify. The notes from the architect also indicate that the top portion of the porch would be rebuilt, and so one of the clarifications they will need is whether the character, width or detailing of the beam on top of the posts will be changed or whether those would be retained. Mr. Bitar stated there are a couple of options here but he thinks the safest way to go would be to do something similar to what was there before but maybe add extra posts for additional support. It would basically be similar to what Mr. Moon is showing. From a Staff standpoint, he thinks they are comfortable with the possibility of having the railing and the full columns if the thickness is right. If they recall from a couple meetings ago, they had some discussion about another porch on Main Street and the detailing of how the column size and placement need to relate to the fascia board above them, (with the capitals at the top of the columns projecting out). That was the case with the porch before. He and Mr. Moon had discussed that a little bit. Mr. Bitar said that when they were discussing the previous application on the agenda, Mr. Moon made reference to the Kalamazoo guidelines when talking about shutters. The shutter guidelines Staff was referencing were actually from another source, but Staff has used the Kalamazoo guidelines for porches just because they are very well detailed. As an example, he used them when they dealt with a porch on Home Street last year. They give you some guidance as far as the spaces between the spindles and suggest that the height of the railing not be higher than the window sills. One of the things that he noticed as they were looking at this is that the previous railing was actually higher than the window sill. You can see the trace of where the railing was and it is a little bit higher. He tried with Photoshop to superimpose the railing from this building. When he did that it seemed like it was right at the window sill. That is another detail they can discuss. He knows the Building Code requires a certain height for the railing but he is not sure it applies in this case because the porch is so low to the ground. Again, that is a detail they can discuss. Mr. Bitar stated he cannot give a final recommendation. He wanted to maybe at least get the discussion going so that Mr. Moon can get the porch built. Mr. Bitar stated it is his understanding that in the back of the building there is a desire to make some improvements. It is vacant and there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed. There is a large window in the back that appears to not be original. What Mr. Moon would like to do is keep the header but turn it into a door. Mr. Bitar showed interior and exterior pictures of that window. Mr. Bitar stated that Mr. Moon wishes to also put a concrete deck in the back. There is a small porch in the back and you can see traces of a half column there that would have been more like the Italianate porch examples that he showed before. He stated that perhaps Mr. Moon can also talk about the back of the building. Mr. Bitar stated with that, he would be glad to answer any questions.

15 Page 15 Mr. Moon stated he could answer questions. Ms. Welling asked to see the example page on the screen. She stated the posts shown in the drawing would be good. If they make them too thick it would look too much like the porch that ate the house. She is thinking the square might be the best option and not quite as thick as what that is right now. Mr. Bitar stated he believes that what the architect drew is similar to what she is getting at. Chairman Ruyack stated it is hard to tell if the design includes the same short piece just to the right of the door. Mr. Moon answered in the negative. Chairman Ruyack asked for clarification if it will not. Mr. Moon stated no. Chairman Ruyack asked if it will just be a wider path to the door. Mr. Moon answered in the affirmative. Mr. Moon stated the sidewalk that goes into that space was not really wide enough. The house is not ever going to meet ADA requirements but there are certain things they can do to help make it more accessible. It really does not have to meet those either but the sidewalk was not wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair and so they are taking up the sidewalk and bricking the sidewalk. They will also be using that process to help adjust the height between the sidewalk and the step up to the house onto the porch. They were nonconforming in the past. It would have been fine as long as they left it like that but by changing them they need to make them conform to the standards. Chairman Ruyack asked if he is redoing the decking as well. Mr. Moon stated they opened a can of worms. This property was occupied by the same tenant for 17 years or some unusual amount of time. The tenant had some strong convictions about what he wanted to do and what he didn t want to do. Other than being painted and a few things that were done on the inside, nothing was really done to it for the time that tenant was there. They have not had a tenant in this property for about 15 months now. They have sort of been waiting in the hopes they might find the right tenant and then do what they needed to do to sustain the tenant for a lengthy period of time. They let it sit and it finally got to the point where they really could not let it sit any longer. They removed the things from the porch and they put them back because they still have them. They removed those and in an effort to try to determine what was happening to the front corner, they removed the planking and punched a hole in the concrete. Then came their can of worms because the concrete was supported by rebar and had been poured in some fashion a number of years ago and there was a crawl space underneath the concrete about 2½ or 3 feet deep and a cut in the foundation, which is stacked stone mortared together. That caused them to have to rethink how the entire process was to be done. That is why they are here. Mr. Moon asked if Mr. Bitar could show the example slide on the screen. He pointed to the house on the bottom corner that is on N. State Street. He stated he had stopped at that house a number of years

16 Page 16 ago and asked if they could measure the proportions because those proportions have a great deal to do with the appearance you see. They took that and put it on his daughter s house, which is the one in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. They had a lot of compliments and that went over so well that there are two other houses with similar patterns on the front. There just seems to be a degree of welcome and warmth associated with those proportions. Mr. Lisman asked if he just wants to get a sense from the Board tonight. Mr. Moon stated they need the Board s permission to proceed with the front. He stated he does not need their permission to do the porch because that is maintenance and that would be established by the Building Department and the architect. He can put the other stuff back if the Board wishes and then there is no need for him to be here. However, this would be the preferred look for the house. Ms. Prouty asked Mr. Bitar what the Board needs to do so Mr. Moon can move on with the Building Department. Mr. Bitar stated this is one of those difficult things because if they had a little more time he would have liked to be able to finalize the details with the architect before they brought them to the Board, but it is something the Building Department is concerned about with the temporary posts. If the Board is comfortable with the approach and general theme they see here, and they are comfortable with letting Staff finalize the details with Mr. Moon and his architect based on the number of posts they see and the general idea presented, whether it is an open railing or a full post or a half post. Perhaps they can finalize those details and get a porch back. Chairman Ruyack asked if the Board would like to entertain a motion. Mr. Lisman moved to approve URB as presented by the applicant with details to be finished to the satisfaction of Staff; Mr. Denick seconded. Yeas: Nays: Mr. Denick, Mr. Michell, Mr. Lisman, Ms. Welling, Ms. Prouty, Chairman Ruyack None Motion Passed: 6-0 Application approved. Mr. Moon asked if they were going to have a discussion about the back at this time or if they should wait a little bit later for that. Mr. Bitar stated this may be a good opportunity. Mr. Moon stated he would like to get their feelings on a couple of things. He stated this building was built out of the type of brick that over time seems to fall apart. This property at some point in time had been doctored. If they look at the upper right-hand corner, there is a piece of material that covers a hole and some brick. If they go to the inside and look at these pieces, they would note there is deterioration around all the edges across the side. When they pulled the piece out across the top, there were two 2x4s that were each resting on perhaps 3 inches on one side and 4 inches on the other side of the soft brick. The material along the bottom is not concrete. That is actually stone that is applied to the bottom to help

17 Page 17 protect the foundation. The door they would be putting in would come down and penetrate four inches of the top of the stone. He pointed to the area that the porch in the back was at and showed the height. He stated the walls are no longer there and the concrete is no longer there. The concrete was in very bad shape. He pointed to an area where there is a set of steps that come down from the parking that is behind the house next door. There is a small retaining wall that runs along the back of the property to delineate what the parking area is; it is an asphalt curb. In that asphalt curb, there is a cut of some 42 inches on the upper right-hand corner. Their hope is that they will pour a solid piece of concrete all the way across the back side. At that time, at the entrance level, it will be at the same level as the house on the inside. If someone were wheelchair bound or needed swift access, this would allow them easy access to the inside of the building. The plans are for the concrete to slope with the exception of the area where there would be a ramp to allow access to the deck. They would like to get rid of the metal posts and go back to posts that are similar to the half post on the backside so they can make it look more appealing from the back. Their expectation is that they would probably come back with a post design that helps support the rear porch area. It should then at that time reflect the post design that is used on the front. The real importance of using the half post on the front is that the porch is attached to pieces of the front porch. It is attached to pieces of wood and there is a simple full size 2 x 4 piece of material. It is simply nailed into the brick and that is the only thing that supports that in addition to the post on the front. He pointed to the post on the back side of property. They think at some time there may have been another one that was taken out. The two posts on the outside are metal posts and they need to go away because they provide no interest whatsoever. Mr. Moon stated the door would be an opening out door. They previously had discussion with the Chief Building Official, Mr. Ungar, as to the types of headers that should be replaced and the supports that go on the side. He stated Mr. Ungar is very much in favor because there will be 6 x 6s on each side of the door and beams that run across the top and then the open outward door would be mounted so that it steps out before you go onto the deck. Mr. Moon asked if any of those things are going to require Board action. Mr. Bitar stated the design of the post and the door probably will. He asked if he had mentioned it being a French door. Mr. Moon stated yes. Mr. Bitar asked if it would be similar in style to the other doors. Mr. Moon stated it would be reflective of styles that are already there. It will not be too different than the ones that are in place now. Chairman Ruyack asked how far out the concrete deck will extend from the edge of the house. Mr. Moon stated it varies from 9-6 to Chairman Ruyack asked if it would be similar in size to what was shown in their packet. Mr. Moon stated he had not seen their packet. Chairman Ruyack showed Mr. Moon what he was referring to.

18 Page 18 Mr. Moon pointed to the asphalt curb and stated it will extend out to the inside of the actual curb. He stated the curb runs at an angle. At that time, Mr. Moon concluded his discussion of the rear of the property and left Council Chambers. Chairman Ruyack asked for clarification on what their action should be. They have approved URB but they did not break it into pieces. He asked if they need to vote further on what is to be done or if they just agree there is work that needs to be done. He is not sure how to proceed with the back porch part. Mr. Lisman stated he really did not present anything, he only told the Board what he would like to do. Mr. Denick stated he assumes that needs clarification. They did not approve anything nor were they asked to regarding the back of the building. He thought it was a presentation for informative purposes and before Mr. Moon does anything with the back porch or the door, the Board and Mr. Bitar need to be involved. He asked if that is correct because that is his understanding. Mr. Bitar stated correct. Chairman Ruyack asked if he means with design details and so on. Mr. Denick stated that is correct. Chairman Ruyack asked if maintaining the structural integrity and re-pouring concrete shouldn t be an issue for the board. He asked if they will expect to see Mr. Moon again with detail on the back porch Mr. Bitar stated that is correct. Mr. Bitar stated that before they move on to the Administrative items, he wanted to note that he had sent the Board a notice that they have a couple of items that, if they are willing to consider them, they would assign them case numbers so that they have an official record. Board members agreed to consider those items. URB ; 79 S. STATE STREET; TEMPORARY BANNER; APPLICANT: DREW BERLIN. Mr. Bitar stated the building at the southwest corner or Park and State is a newer building built in the late 1990s. The building is somewhat unique at that location because it has commercial on the first floor and office on the second floor. Mr. Berlin, who built and owns the building, has his office at the corner. The rest of the building has had on and off tenants over the years. Since the Board has decided to consider this tonight, he will let Mr. Berlin explain what the nature of the use that he is looking for in the rest of the second floor. Mr. Bitar stated in the past there has been signage advertising space for lease. The parking lot on the south side of the building has had a 16 square foot sign consistent with what they would consider for For Lease types of signs. Mr. Bitar stated Mr. Berlin wants to do a banner for about a 45 day period to advertise the space on the second floor. He would like to put two banners, one on each side of the railing on the corners of the

19 Page 19 building to try to advertise that space. He said he told Mr. Berlin is that if there was a way to include signage in the window to indicate the space is for lease, Staff could handle it administratively, but that banners have required approval by the Board. So, he is here seeking approval now. Mr. Bitar showed the original drawing from Fast Signs for a banner that would have been 30 high by 96 wide so it is 2½ x 8 which translates into 20 square feet. It had a white background and red letters. He stated he sent Mr. Berlin some comments back and tried to quickly superimpose the banner image on a picture of the building. Mr. Bitar showed the picture overlay. Mr. Bitar said he told Mr. Berlin that typically when they approve temporary banners outside of the Uptown District, the size limit is 16 square feet. He also suggested that perhaps the colors could be more muted. Mr. Bitar showed another overlay with muted colors. Mr. Bitar said this afternoon Mr. Berlin sent him a second drawing of a banner that is 24 instead of 30 high so it does meet the 16 square foot limit. The colors were also changed to be more consistent with the building. The colors are now more muted with darker brownish-red letters and beige background. Mr. Bitar stated the idea is that this would be up only for a limited period of time and Mr. Berlin can explain what Westerville COCO is. Drew Berlin, 79 S. State Street, stated what they are trying to do is market the Data Center and the WeConnect. He is not in the position to go into detail about what kind of tenant they are going to attract because he does not know. All he knows is they have exhausted the efforts of trying to find an attorney that is using an office with the little yard sign. They are trying to take a better shot at marketing. They have hooked up with a guy named Tom Williams who is local. He is a younger guy who is hooked into Tech Columbus. They are trying to find a more computer-driven type of user that can move out of this office into maybe a bigger office with a startup company. They are just trying to get their name out there. Mr. Berlin stated after looking at the picture Mr. Bitar did in Photoshop, they can do with one banner easily. When people go by, they do not need two banners to see it. Not assuming they are going to approve that either, but his point is that it looks drastic with two banners. Ms. Welling asked if he would like to have the banner on the front or on the side. Mr. Berlin stated he would like it on the side facing State Street. He stated he has total confidence in Mr. Bitar in terms of colors. He is willing to do whatever is right regarding the color selection. He has no preference. Chairman Ruyack asked if this is to be a permanent/ongoing display. Mr. Berlin stated no. He likes his building and the way it looks. He just wants to make a statement that they are changing things. The area is tired and it is tough to make things work down here. They have a logo that is being developed and a marketing plan. It is probably not this at all. What they are trying to do is push the fiber. They are making a commitment on the fiber without knowing if it is going to work or not. It is substantially more money and they are basically signed up with the City. They are going to make that expenditure and they are going to see if they can attract what everyone is saying they can attract which is people that want to take advantage of the Data Center. They are going to try and see what happens.

20 Page 20 Mr. Denick asked what the time period he plans to have the banner up. Mr. Berlin stated 45 days. Mr. Denick asked if he is looking for a single tenant. Mr. Berlin stated yes, it could be single or it could be a couple people. They are flexible. It is not a 12,000 square foot building but they have 10 or 12 nice offices. They are waiting to see who comes in the door. He is pretty excited about it and hopes it works. Mr. Michell moved to approve URB for a maximum of 45 days. The banner is to measure 24 x 96 with a cream background and burgundy print. It is to be affixed to the second floor railing on the east side of the building. Mr. Lisman seconded. Yeas: Nays: Ms. Welling, Mr. Lisman, Mr. Denick, Ms. Prouty, Mr. Michell, Chairman Ruyack None Motion Passed: 6-0 Application approved. URB ; 12 W. MAIN STREET (MORGAN S TREASURE); WINDOW/SHUTTER REPLACEMENT; APPLICANT: BILL MORGAN. Mr. Bitar stated this is another item that was not originally on the agenda. It is the building at 12 W. Main. He showed a picture of what the building looks like currently and pointed out the existing shutter. The other one blew off during a wind storm and the landlord is making some repairs there. The actual window itself is also damaged. They wanted to replace the window as part of the repairs they are making. All of those would have been approved administratively except they want to replace the window with plain glass without the grids. That obviously is a change in style that requires Board approval so he could not approve it administratively. Mr. Bitar stated he could not find old pictures of this part of the building. This is an addition to the more historical building facing State Street. The window has simple trim around it and then the grids in there are actually sandwiched between the two panes of glass so that treatment would not have been approved if it were presented to them today. Mr. Bitar said, much like the discussion they had a little earlier about shutters on College Avenue, the existing shutter at this building is pretty long, so it extends below the window sill. Staff ended up using Photoshop to simulate what the window might look like without the grids and how shortened shutters might look. Mr. Bitar showed simulations of the window with no grids and with both the existing long shutters as well as shorter shutters. Mr. Bitar said this is an unusual window with the way the trim around it is. Usually, more vertical proportions are used. He might be violating what he was just talking about with Mr. Moon s application, but it almost looks like the existing shutters might help provide the vertical proportions better than shorter ones would.

21 Page 21 Mr. Bitar stated the main application is just to replace the window with a plain one. He mentioned something to Mr. Morgan when he was at the site yesterday about the traditional way of doing shutters. He just wanted to throw these items in front of the Board. Mr. Bitar showed an old picture of the main building from It had a little bit more of a roof overhang on the Main Street side with some brackets. He has also seen some pictures from the front that had brackets. However, the addition in the back was much simpler at the time. It was more of a shed addition. Otherwise, the building still looks pretty much the same. Ms. Welling asked if the shutters are short or long now. Mr. Bitar stated they are long right now. Ms. Welling asked if he is suggesting a shorter shutter. Mr. Bitar stated yes, they have to replace the one that blew off so he thought there may be an opportunity to look at that. Bill Morgan, the applicant, stated he is not the owner of the building but he is the owner of the business that occupies that space. He stated that as Mr. Bitar said, the window in front is a double pane window that has the grid on the inside of the two window panes. It has been damaged; it has two little pellet holes that have breached the vacuum. In between the glass there is a haze; a dusty look that cannot be cleaned. That was the main reason for replacing the window. However, the grid makes his display very choppy and hardly distinguishable. The display piece in the corner is cut off. This has been like this for a long time but he has been waiting. He has just been a good tenant and not said anything. Now that the shutter blew off, he thought they could do all of these things at one time. Mr. Morgan stated the landlord brought up the idea of talking to Mr. Bitar since they are making a change to the window. That is what he wants to do. Along with that, after talking with Mr. Bitar and the subcontractor, it is not going to be a problem to find the right size louvered shutters to fit what is required. They will just be black. Right now they are black and they are plastic. That is what they will be. He stated the subcontractor will do a good job making sure they are secure so they do not blow off again. Chairman Ruyack stated he can sympathize with wanting to make it a non-divided window since that is their only display window and the fact that it was not an original divided window design. So he is in favor of the change. He asked Mr. Morgan if he had a preference on the shutter size. Mr. Morgan stated he likes the look Mr. Bitar is showing. It does make it look a little squatter but he is fine with making it look functional. He likes the hinges from the example he gave earlier on the Hanby House. Mr. Denick stated he is fine with it if the applicant is fine with that look because that conforms more to the guidelines. Also, if there is no reason to have those grid lines, they would not approve it to be replaced as it was before anyway.

22 Page 22 Mr. Michell moved to approve URB including the window as presented by the applicant and the shutter as suggested by Staff (consistent with the Uptown Westerville Design Guidelines); Ms. Prouty seconded. Yeas: Nays: Ms. Prouty, Mr. Denick, Mr. Michell, Mr. Lisman, Ms. Welling, Chairman Ruyack None Motion Passed: 6-0 Application approved. ADMINISTRATIVE CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS: URB ; 79A2 S. STATE STREET (GRANDFATHER CLOCK COMPANY); WINDOW SIGN; APPLICANT: MARK SCHALLER. Mr. Bitar stated the Grandfather Clock Company used to be located in the corner space that is now occupied by the chocolate store. They came in back in 2003 and got approval for a window signs. More recently, they moved to the smaller middle space as they downsized. They wanted the exact same sign put in that window. The size of the window panes is identical to the other area so everything seemed reasonable. The applicant had provided information back in 2003 and everything seemed to be acceptable to the Board at the time and met the standards. Accordingly, Mr. Bitar said he approved it administratively. It is a nice sign. It is gold vinyl that is very similar to what the chocolate shop used, so he thinks it is all consistent. URB ; 50 N. STATE STREET; STOREFRONT REPAINTING; APPLICANT: TIM NOBLE. Mr. Bitar said this is a simple application from the Columbus Running Company at 50 N State Street. They wanted to repaint the storefront. It has a strange pattern and has obviously been modified over the years. It has been white and they wanted to repaint it white so there was really no change. Mr. Bitar showed a picture of the building from 1920 with what might have been the original storefront and taller windows on the second floor. He also showed a picture from the 1980s and pointed out that the building had been significantly modified and the windows at the top had been shortened. Unfortunately, they stayed that way when the building was subsequently renovated. MISCELLANEOUS Mr. Bitar stated that Staff had sent out a request for proposals for professional planning services to assist with the preparation of the Uptown Comprehensive Plan. He shared with the Board the proposed plan elements. Ms. Welling asked about the Certified Local Government Program. Mr. Bitar said that the City is still interested in pursuing certification, but that they might integrate that into the comprehensive plan effort.

23 Page 23 Mr. Bitar gave an update on the Façade Improvement Program. He said the application deadline was April 2 and eleven applications were received. They will be reviewed by WICC and then details will be presented to the Uptown Review Board for approval. Mr. Bitar mentioned that the tiles that had been salvaged from the Kyoto Tea House were given to third grade students at Emerson School who will use them to create new artwork that might be reintroduced at the site. In the meantime, the conservation company that has salvaged the Mt. Fuji mural is in the final stages of mounting it on a new backing. They have suggested using a triptych mount where the large mural would be split into three pieces. This would be easier to handle. The other option is to mount the entire mural on one large board. Mr. Bitar showed what each treatment might look like and said he wanted to see if the Board members had any preferences. He said he has also asked the Friends of the Japanese Tea House and Shrine for an opinion and he is awaiting an answer. The Board consensus favored the triptych mount option. Mr. Bitar showed the new spring banners to the Board. He said they are to go up as early as tomorrow. Chairman Ruyack adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:50 p.m. Brian Ruyack, Chairman Bassem Bitar, Secretary