[1. CALL TO ORDER – 5:30 PM]
[00:00:05]
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING FOR TUESDAY, JULY 7TH, 2026 AT THE TIME OF 5 33.
I AM SALLY PENA, THE CHAIR, AND I AM PRESIDING THIS EVENING.
[2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST]
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, ARE ANY CONFLICTS OF AGENDAS? DOES ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY CONFLICTS? I DO.UM, SO AT THAT TIME, YEAH, I'LL STEP DOWN.
WE'LL JUST HAVE YOU STEP DOWN, COME BACK AND I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER MINES IS HERE.
I THINK HE'S OUT ON A PHONE CALL, BUT I SEE HIM WALKING BACK AND FORTH, SO HE'LL, HE'LL COME IN IN A SECOND.
UM, CESAR HANS IS NO LONGER AN HLC MEMBER.
HE'S BEEN REAPPOINTED TO A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE.
SO HE WAS JUST WALKING OUT THERE OR NO,
UM, SO THE NEXT ITEM, UM, IS PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, MOVING ON, OPPORTUNITY FOR VISITORS AND GUESTS TO ADDRESS THE LAND HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION ON ANY ISSUE, NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
THE COMMISSION MAY NOT DISCUSS ANY PRESENT ISSUES OR MAY NOR MAY I TAKE ANY ACTION.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF ANYBODY CAME IN ONCE THEY TOOK UP THE SIGN UP SHEET FOR THAT.
EVERYBODY'S SHAKING THEIR HEAD NOS, SO BELIEVE WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS WHO
[4. CONSENT AGENDA]
GOT ALONG.NEXT ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALL THESE ITEMS LISTED ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE AND MAY BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION.
THERE IS, THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION UNLESS THE COMMISSIONER OR CITIZENS REQUEST IT, IN WHICH CASE THE ITEM WILL BE MOVED TO A REGULAR ORDER OF BUSINESS.
UM, FIRST ITEM IS 2 0 2 6 DASH 2 9 4.
IT'S TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING ON JUNE 2ND, 2026.
COMMISSIONERS, IF Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT, SEEM TO, I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MAIN MINE'S AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MADAM ALL COMMISSIONERS CAN PLEASE VOTE.
THE MINUTES FOR JUNE 2ND ARE APPROVED.
[A. 2026-282 Hold a Public Hearing and consider a request for a demolition permit for the structure(s) located at 305-323 North Main Street.]
MOVING ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. THE FIRST ITEM IS 2 0 2 6 DASH 2 82.UM, WE'LL HOLD THE PUBLIC IN HEARING AND CONSIDER TO REQUEST OF A DEMO PERMIT FOR A STRUCTURE OR STRUCTURES LOCATED AT 3 0 5 THROUGH 3 23 NORTH MAIN STREET.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, MY NAME IS FRANKIE LINDER.
I'M WITH THE CITY OF BERNIE'S PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THIS ITEM IS LOCATED AT 3 0 5 TO 3 23 NORTH MAIN STREET.
THE APPLICANT IS FRANK VALEZ OF SA PARTNERSHIP ARCHITECTS.
THE REQUEST IS TO DEMOLISH A COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND IS OLDER THAN 50 YEARS OLD.
UM, IT IS NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THIS ITEM HAS HAD PRIOR REVIEW BY HLC.
UH, ON MARCH 3RD, 2026, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION AND THE REDEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN LAST MONTH, ON JUNE 2ND, HLC HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DEMOLITION AND VOTED THREE THREE TO APPROVE.
CITY STAFF INITIALLY STATED THAT THE MOTION PASSED AND THE CITY ATTORNEY LATER DETERMINED IT DID NOT PASS.
AS SUCH, THIS ITEM HAS BEEN RENO AND IS HAVING A FULL PUBLIC HEARING AGAIN THIS EVENING.
HERE IS THE ZONING MAP OF THE PROPERTY.
IT IS ZONED C3 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AND AS I MENTIONED, IT IS INSIDE THE HISTORIC OVERLAY
[00:05:01]
DISTRICT AND IT IS NON-CONTRIBUTING TO THE DISTRICT.UH, THE USE IS RETAIL AND PERSONAL SERVICE.
SO CURRENTLY THE USE SPECIFICALLY IS A PET STORE AND PET GROOMING.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED CIRCA 1950.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 9,640 SQUARE FEET.
AND THIS DOES INCLUDE, UH, THE FOUR ADDITIONS TO THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, THE SITE DID USED TO BE A FEED STORE, AND SO THAT WAS USED FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
THE STRUCTURE IS CURRENTLY IN FAIR CONDITION AND THE SIGN IS IN FAIR CONDITION.
UH, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT IN THE 1999 HISTORIC DISTRICT SURVEY, IT WAS ALSO NOTED AS FAIR CONDITION AT THAT TIME.
HERE IS A HISTORIC PHOTO OF THE SITE.
UH, IT WAS A HOME FOR, FOR BIGS FOR MANY YEARS, UM, UH, FROM THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE CIRCA 1950S.
IT WAS LOCATED IN OUR LIBRARY'S ARCHIVE, WHICH HAS GREAT RESOURCES.
SO THERE WAS A SITE VISIT THAT WAS CONDUCTED ON WEDNESDAY AND MAY THE 19TH WITH, UH, CHAIRMAN PENA, AS WELL AS THE VICE CHAIR, UH, GRAVES.
THIS IS IN THE PARKING LOT ON MAIN STREET.
LOOKING TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE CONDITION, SOME DAMAGE.
HERE WE HAVE THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY FOR REPORT OF REFERENCE OVER HERE, JUST OFF CAMERA.
THAT IS THE, UH, HILLEN BCH, UM, UH, SITE THAT 2 65 NORTH MAIN, UM, THAT HAS, UH, CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH A RENOVATION PROCESS.
THIS IS ALSO THE SIDE, THIS IS RIGHT HERE.
AND THIS IS CONTINUING DOWN THE SAME SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UH, YOU CAN SEE IT'S IN DIFFERENT STATES, UM, OF DISREPAIR.
HERE IS THE EASTERN, UH, EDGE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, THERE'S SOME CAT HOMES HERE ON THE REAR AND THEN FLOPPING OVER TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
RIGHT HERE YOU CAN SEE MAIN STREET.
AND HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF THE REAR ADDITIONS.
UH, THIS ONE OVER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN IS ALSO REAR ADDITION WITH THE DUMPSTER.
UH, ON THE LEFT IS ONE OF TWO DIFFERENT HORSESHOES THAT ARE ON THE SIDEWALK, UH, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ENTRY TO THE PET STORE, NOT THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK, BUT THE PRIVATE SIDEWALK.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS SOME, SOME DAMAGE AS WELL AS SOME, SOME RUST COMING OFF OF IT.
AND SO THAT IS THE ITEM FOR TONIGHT.
UH, FOR THIS ITEM, IT IS JUST FOR THE DEMOLITION.
THE NEXT ITEM, UH, IS IN RELATION TO A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE NEW STRUCTURE.
AGAIN, THAT IS THE NEXT ITEM, BUT AS ALWAYS, WITH COMMERCIAL, UH, DEMO PERMITS, WE WANT TO, UM, SHOW WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
SO THIS IS AN UPDATED RENDERING, AND THE ARCHITECT, UH, AND OWNER ARE HERE THIS EVENING.
AND I KNOW THEY WOULD LOVE TO EXPLAIN THIS A LITTLE MORE.
SO AS I NOTICED, UH, THIS WAS RE-NOTICE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
SO THAT INCLUDED 30 NOTIFICATIONS THAT WERE MAILED TO PROPERTIES WITHIN 500 FEET AS WELL AS BEING PLACED IN THE BERNIE STAR.
SO AT THE PREVIOUS, UH, PUBLIC HEARING IN JUNE, WE RECEIVED ONE RESPONSE IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION AND ZERO IN OPPOSITION.
THIS MONTH, WE RECEIVED THREE RESPONSES IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION AND ONE IN OPPOSITION TO THE DEMOLITION.
UH, KEY FINDINGS IS THAT THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE IS NOT A HISTORIC LANDMARK AND DOES NOT HAVE ARCHITECTURAL, CULTURAL OR EDUCATIONAL VALUE.
UH, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK SHOULD HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO DETERMINE IF THE REQUEST MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF UDC SECTION TWO DASH 11 AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
IF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION CHOOSES TO APPROVE.
THE DEMOLITION STAFF RECOMMENDS THE INCLUSION OF THE FOLLOWING STIPULATION THAT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW STRUCTURE ON THE SITE MUST BE APPROVED PRIOR TO THE DEMOLITION PERMIT BEING ISSUED.
UH, THE INTENT BEHIND THAT STIPULATION IS TO ENSURE THAT WHATEVER IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE CONSTRUCTED AFTER THIS BUILDING IS APPROVED BY THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, SO THERE'S NOT A VACANT PARCEL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME ALONG MAIN STREET.
[00:10:01]
HERE ARE YOUR MOTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.AND AS I MENTIONED, UH, THE APPLICANT IS HERE, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INVITE HIM UP NOW OR AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, LET'S DO PUBLIC HEARING FIRST.
SO AT THIS TIME, UM, I'D LIKE TO FORMALLY OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 5 43.
UM, WE CAN RECEIVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD.
UH, NO COMMISSION DISCUSSION OR DIALOGUE, UM, WILL HAPPEN DURING THIS TIME.
IT'S JUST FOR Y'ALL TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK IF THERE'S ANYBODY.
AND WHEN YOU COME FORWARD, IF YOU CAN PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME VERY SURE.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
I'M ALSO THE PROPERTY OWNER AT 2 29 MAIN STREET, 2 27 MAIN STREET, WHICH IS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE.
NEVER MET THE OWNER, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE IN HERE.
NEVER SPOKE WITH THE ARCHITECT.
CAME TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THE PROPERTY THAT IS NOW GONE BETWEEN THE TWO OF US AND KNOW THAT BUILDING WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS THE HOME FOR THE FERAL CAT COLONY, ABOUT 50 CATS THAT MY WIFE AND I THEN SPAYED AND NEUTERED OVER THE, ABOUT A FOUR YEAR PERIOD TO CUT THAT DOWN.
AND I JUST WOULD STATE, I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE Y'ALL SUPPORTING THE DEMOLITION OF THIS PROPERTY.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE 13 YEARS, BUT I DRIVE BY THAT PROPERTY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND I KNOW WHATEVER IT COMES IN ITS PLACE.
IT MIGHT BE SOME MEAN SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY THAT WAS HERE IN THE FIFTIES, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY IN BAD SHAPE.
ADMITTING FULL WELL, WHATEVER GOES IN THERE WILL PROBABLY HELP MY PROPERTY TOO,
BUT, UM, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, FIRST OF ALL, TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE MOST THANKLESS JOB ACTUALLY.
YOU GUYS HAVE THE MOST THANKLESS JOB,
BUT I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT AS A, UH, ADJACENT LANDOWNER, I'D BE GRATEFUL FOR YOU GUYS TO GO AHEAD AND LET THIS PRO PROJECT MOVE FORWARD.
I'D NEVER SEEN THE RENDERINGS, NEVER SPOKEN TO 'EM, BUT, UM, THAT PLACE IS AN EYESORE NEEDS TO COME DOWN.
SO, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU GUYS WOULD CONSIDER PASSING THIS, UH, AND APPROVING THE DEMOLITION.
THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, AND GIMME A CHANCE TO GIVE YOU MY OPINION.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND STATING YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE, TOO.
HI, MY NAME IS KIRSTEN NICHOL, AND I LIVE AT 8 25, UH, JOHNS ROAD, APARTMENT 4 28.
ALSO, I OWN A HOME IN LEON SPRINGS.
I THINK THAT THE PROPERTY SHE PRE PRESERVED IT IS OF SENTIMENTAL VALUE, OF HISTORICAL VALUE.
IT'S BEEN THERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
THAT SIGN IS A BLESSING TO THE CITY.
THE REASON I MOVED TO BERNIE AND STILL OWN A HOME IN LEON SPRINGS IS BECAUSE I LOVE BERNIE AND I LOVE THE OLD AND THE NEW.
AND THE PROPERTY ITSELF IS SOMETHING THAT I USED TO BRING MY CHILD TO, AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE LITTLE BABY CHAMELEONS THAT I WOULD SHOW MY CHILD THAT IT'S, IT IS A VERY SENTIMENTAL SITUATION.
I UNDERSTAND THE PROPERTY IS IN DISREPAIR.
I'M ALSO A CAT TRAPPER HERE IN THE, IN THE CITY, AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF TRAPPING IN THAT AREA.
UM, I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE A REAL, REAL SHAME TO DESTROY A BUILDING THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG AND HAS DONE SUCH GREAT THINGS FOR THIS CITY.
I MEAN, THAT LITTLE MAN HAS WORKED HIS BUTT OFF OF THAT, THAT PLACE.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S IN DISREPAIR AND THERE'S WAYS TO TO SOLVE THAT.
BUT I THINK BUILDING UP, WHILE WE'RE STILL HAVING PEOPLE HIT ON MAIN STREET AND WE STILL HAVE PARKING ISSUES ON MAIN STREET, AND WE KEEP JUST BUILDING UP AND BUILDING UP AND BRINGING IN MORE TOURISTS, TOURISTS ARE GREAT UNTIL YOU HAVE A TOWN THAT'S NOTHING BUT NEW AND ALL THE CHARM IS GONE.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK? OKAY.
UM, SO I FORMALLY CLOSED THE HEARING AT 5 47.
UM, IF THE ARCHITECT AND OWNER, IF YOU'ALL LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO GONNA READ A STATEMENT.
GREETINGS, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL CARE AND PRESERVATION OF BERNIE'S DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THANK YOU ALSO FOR GIVING US A SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARK PLAZA PROJECT.
UM, FRANKIE, THANK YOU FOR AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
APPRECIATE THAT, UH, AND COMMUNITY.
[00:15:01]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE.APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS RICHARD LEE, AND I'M THE OWNER OF 3 0 5 NORTH MAINE, WHICH WE CALL THE PARK PLAZA PROJECT.
UH, IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE WE LAST MET AND HAD A LIVELY DISCUSSION ABOUT PARK PLAZA PROJECT, UH, FRANK VALEZ TO MY RIGHT PROJECT ARCHITECT AND I HAVE USED THE LAST 30 DAYS OR SO TO LISTEN TO MANY COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE THE PARK PLAZA PROJECT.
UM, WE READ COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON FACEBOOK.
WE SPOKE WITH CITY OF BERNIE OFFICIALS, AND WE HAD NUMEROUS HEARTFELT IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FRIENDS IN NEIGHBORS IN BERNIE.
TWO OVERARCHING THEMES AROSE OUT OF OUR LISTENING AND LEARNING EFFORTS OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS, NAMELY ONE, LET'S FIND A WAY TO PRESERVE AND CREATE A BENEFICIAL REUSE OF THE REDCREST PET SHOP SIGN, WHICH WAS THE BIG SIGN AT ONE TIME.
AND WITH REGARD TO THE PARK PLAZA BUILDING ITSELF, OR THE PROJECT ITSELF, HOW CAN WE REVISE THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TO BLEND IN WITH THE EARLY 1900 STYLE OF THE HILL COUNTRY MILE? THIS EVENING, WE PRESENT TO YOU A NEW CONCEPT OF AN ICONIC WELCOME TO THE BERNIE HILL COUNTRY MILE SIGN AND A REDESIGNED PARK PLAZA BUILDING.
IF THE CITY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT THE REPURPOSING OF THE REDCREST PET SHOP SIGN, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DONATE IT AND EVEN FUND A PORTION OF ITS REFURBISHMENT COSTS.
THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF BURN OR BY USING A CROWDSOURCING CAMPAIGN, WHICH MIGHT BE MORE FUN BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED THIS EVENING.
IF YOU FIND THE CONCEPT OF REPURPOSING THE RED CREST PET SHOP SIGN, AND THE REDESIGN PARK PLAZA BUILDING APPROPRIATE FOR BERNIE, WE HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, FRANK AND I ARE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
WELCOME, FRANK VAL EZ ONE 14 MOUNTAIN SPRING DRIVE HERE IN BERNIE, TEXAS.
I AM THE, UH, PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT WITH SA PARTNERSHIP.
UM, BEFORE YOUR VOTE, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT AS MR. LEE HAD STATED, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY OF REPURPOSING THE RE CREST PET SIGN.
AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW IT IN TWO CONDITIONS, EITHER WHITE OR BLUE, USING THE CITY OF BERNIE'S, UM, COLOR SCHEMES AND THEIR LOGOS.
DO I USE THE ARROWS? FRANKIE CURSOR, FOREST CROSS.
SO ONE OF THE IDEAS WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY IS, UH, JUST TO GO DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET TO THE VISITOR CENTER AND, UH, LOCATE THE SIGN THERE IN FRONT OF THE VISITOR'S PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE VISITOR CENTER.
AND YOU COULD SEE THIS IS TO SCALE AND IN PROPORTION, UH, WITH OUR PHOTOSHOP, UH, RENDERING, UH, THE, HOW IT FITS IN CONTEXT.
AND IT BECOMES, UM, PART OF STILL THE SAME PART OF MAIN STREET THAT IT EXISTS TODAY.
THIS IS THE BLUE SCHEME, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THE NEGATIVE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE WHITE WAS.
AND THEN HERE IT IS THE SAME, UH, PHOTOSHOP IN BLUE.
SO, UM, AS MR. LEE HAD STATED, OUR GOAL IS TO REPURPOSE AND, AND KEEP BERNIE'S CHARM AND NOT REMOVE ANYTHING.
WE STUDIED IT PRIOR TO MAKING THIS SUGGESTION AND THIS OPTION, HOW, HOW IT WOULD BE ABLE TO FIT WITHIN OUR NEW CONCEPT.
THIS IS A 1950S KIND OF DRIVE IN BURGER TYPE, YOU KNOW, UM, OF THE TIME, THE MID-CENTURY, UH, DESIGN, WHICH WAS VERY PLAYFUL.
IT WAS TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS TO, TO THE RETAIL CENTER.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT HAS ITS, UM, ITS CHARM AND ITS, UH, PART OF BERNIE'S HISTORY.
SO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT, BUT JUST ACROSS THE STREET SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR PROJECT IN, IN CONTEXT WITH OUR DESIGN.
AND WE'RE READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS PRIOR TO YOUR BOAT.
AND I LIKE THAT YOU'RE STILL OFFERING IT TO THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND, UM, REMEMBER HAVE, HAVE SOME KIND OF MEMORIAL PICTURE THAT BIGS PICTURE OR SOMETHING FRAMED NEXT TO IT OR UNDERNEATH IT OR SOMETHING.
I THINK THAT LOOKS REALLY, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD USE OF IT.
AND WELL, WE FEEL THE SAME WAY.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, IN MY NEXT PRESENTATION, I'M GONNA KIND OF GIVE A A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND HISTORY SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS
[00:20:01]
MY PASSION SINCE MOVING HERE AND BUILT A HOUSE IN 99.MOVED HERE IN 2000, AND IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW THE HILL COUNTRY MILE BECAME TO FRUITION.
AND BY CELEBRATING IT HERE WITH A SIGNAGE, THIS BECOMES KIND OF A BEACON TO PROTECT THE HILL COUNTRY MILE AND ITS HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND PROPOSED NEW STRUCTURES.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH OFFICIALS AT THE CITY OF BURN? WOULD THEY BE THEY'RE OKAY WITH THIS.
WE HAVE SUBMITTED IT TO FRANKIE LINDER.
UH, SHE'S OUR POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE CITY AND TO MR. NATHAN CRANE, UH, CITY PLANNER.
THEY'RE GONNA TAKE IT AMONG THE ADMINISTRATORS AND VOTE OR MAKE, AND I CAN MAYBE LET FRANKIE TALK ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S ALL I KNOW IS IT'S BEING IN CONSIDERATION BY THE CITY.
SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER.
UH, WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE OFFER TO, UH, UH, FOR US TO USE THIS SIGN, UH, IF, IF APPROPRIATE AND IF WE CAN, UH, POSSIBLE SITES ARE BEING IDENTIFIED.
UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITH VISIT, BURN VISIT BURN SITE IS LOCATION OF T RIGHT OF AWAY.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, AT OPTIONS.
UH, NO FORMAL DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, UH, YET, UH, WE'D HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND, AND TALK WITH, UH, UH, MR. LEE AND MR. VALDEZ AND, AND DISCUSS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD, HOW IT WOULD WORK AND SO FORTH.
UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME VALUATION, THE SIGN AND SEE WHAT THAT, WHAT IT WOULD COST TO REFURBISH THAT SIGN, UM, AND, UH, REPAIR WHAT IT, WHAT'S THERE.
SO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING INTO IT, UH, VERY PRELIMINARY AT THIS TIME.
CAN, UH, IF I CAN OFFER, IF I CAN OFFER A SUGGESTION TO MR. CRANE'S, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION WITH DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF TDOT'S RIGHT AWAY, I, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S, THERE'S A CERTAIN OFFSET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE MM-HMM
SO WHAT COULD BE DONE IS YOU CAN MODIFY THIS WALL WHERE THE CURSOR'S GOING ACROSS, SET BACK THE WALL TO CLEAR THAT SETBACK OF TDOT SO WE COULD PUSH THE SIGN BACK INTO THE PARKING AREA SO THAT IT'S STILL PART OF MAIN STREET, BUT THEN, THEN JUST HAVE AN OFFSET OF THE, THE WALL CONSTRUCTION SO THAT PEOPLE CAN WALK AROUND IT AND TAKE PHOTOS IF THEY CHOOSE TO.
YEAH, I THINK, UM, MR. LEE, UH, MR. VALDEZ, I THINK YOU DID A, A FANTASTIC JOB.
I THINK THE SIGN IS, IS YOUR PROPERTY AND HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DISPOSE OF IT IS, IS YOUR PROPERTY.
IF YOU WANNA DONATE IT, THAT'S GREAT.
WE CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO WITH, UH, WITH YOUR PROPERTY.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE BACK ON THE AGENDA THIS MONTH BECAUSE OF A TECHNICALITY LAST MONTH WHERE A THREE THREE WAS NOT TAKEN AS, AS A, AS A PASSING.
THREE, THREE IS GOOD IN SOCCER, BUT NOT
SO, UM, I PROPOSED I, I'D LIKE TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, MR. VALADEZ.
I REMEMBER, I THINK WHEN YOU FIRST PROPOSED THIS BUILDING, THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN PARKING THAT IF WERE, YOU KNOW, IF THE, IF IT WAS NOT DEMOLISHED AND RENOVATIONS WERE DONE, PEOPLE CAN'T PULL INTO THE PARKING LOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE, CORRECT? WELL, YES.
UM, FRANKIE, CAN YOU PULL, PULL THE, UM, MY SIDE PLAN, I GUESS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BACK UP INTO A STREET, CORRECT? RIGHT.
SO LET'S GO, I GUESS TO THE IMAGE OF THE FRONT ELEVATION OF THIS BUILDING.
WELL, THIS ACTUALLY TELLS IT RIGHT HERE.
CAN I ZOOM IN ON THIS ITEM? YOU CANNOT.
APPROPRIATE FOR THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM? NOT REALLY.
IF IT WASN'T DEMOLISHED, IF ANY RENOVATIONS WERE DONE, PEOPLE CAN'T PARK.
SO COMMISSIONER GRAVES, YOU'RE CORRECT.
SO IF YOU COULD SEE MY CURSOR, I KNOW THIS IS A SMALL, I CAN'T BLOW UP THE GOOGLE EARTH MAP, BUT IT'S, IT'S NO LONGER LEGAL.
UH, IF ANY ARCHITECT OR CIVIL ENGINEER WAS DESIGNED PARKING OFF STREET PARKING MUST HAVE ITS OWN ENTRANCE AND EXIT WHERE YOU HAVE TO EXIT HEAD OUT.
YOU CANNOT BACK INTO A THOROUGHFARE OR RIGHT AWAY, ESPECIALLY AS BUSY AS MAIN STREET IS.
AND TEXDOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CHOMPING AT THE BITS THAT THIS PROJECT GETS DONE BECAUSE THIS IS 139 FOOT DRIVEWAY APRON VERSUS WHAT A STANDARD APRON IS 20, 26 FEET FOR FIRETRUCK ACCESS.
COMMISSIONER GRAYS, IF WE DON'T DEMO THIS BUILDING, THIS PARKING LOT REMAINS IN, UM, UH, VIOLATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT WOULD REMAIN 'CAUSE
[00:25:01]
THE, WE NEED THIS SPACE FOR OUR SQUARE FOOTAGE IN ORDER.UM, MR. LEE MADE AN INVESTMENT ON THIS REAL ESTATE, AND FOR THE PROJECT TO PENCIL OUT, WE HAVE TO MOVE OUR BUILDINGS FORWARD TO CREATE MORE PARKING IN THE BACK.
AND WITHOUT THAT, THEN THIS PROJECT DOESN'T PENCIL OUT AND IT BECOMES, UM, IT'D BE DIFFICULT TO REMODEL AND RENOVATE.
SPEAKING TO THAT, UM, IT WAS, UM, SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, POINTED OUT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WE HAVE ON MAIN STREET, I BELIEVE WHEN THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED, UM, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE OF THIS PARKING LOT THE WAY IT IS CURRENTLY, THERE WERE ACTUALLY A LOT OF ACCIDENTS ON MAIN STREET AS A RESULT OF THIS PARKING SITUATION.
WELL, THERE, THERE'S NO QUESTION.
JUST THIS MAP TELLS THE STORY.
YOU HAVE AN INGRESS EGRESS LANE HERE OFF OF LOWMAN'S.
YOU HAVE JOHNS ROAD UP HERE, RYAN STREET HERE, AND THEN THIS BECOMES A FREE FOR ALL.
THERE IS NO, NO GUIDING TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
YOU'RE FREE TO BACK UP IF YOU CHOOSE OR DO A U-TURN WITHIN THE PARKING LOT AND, AND LEAVE ON A DIAGONAL.
I'VE SEEN A TRUCK LEAVE AT THIS POINT AND KIND OF USE THIS AS AN ACCELERATING LANE IN THE PARKING LOT TO GET INTO MOVING TRAFFIC.
SO I'VE, THE PARKING LOT HAS BEEN USED AS AN ACCELERATING, NOT A DESAL.
SOMETIMES IT'S A DE CELL LANE TOO.
UM, SO I'VE SEEN IT SINCE BEING HERE IN 2000.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 26 YEARS AND I'VE SEEN IT ALL.
AND, UM, SPEAKING TO THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING AND TRYING TO INCORPORATE THE ACTUAL BUILDING RATHER THAN TEARING IT DOWN, AND I'M JUST SPEAKING TO, UM, PUBLIC SENTIMENT MM-HMM
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT FAIR CONDITION MEANS HABITABLE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION.
BUT AS FAR AS INCORPORATING IT INTO, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M FROM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, UH, PULL PERMITS OR CERTAIN PERMITS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY HIGHER TAXES IF YOU LEAVE CERTAIN WALLS STANDING AND INCORPORATE A BUILDING INTO YOUR PROJECT.
SPEAKING TO THAT, IS THAT GOING TO, WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT? JUST PLAYING DEVIL DEVIL'S ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
WELL, WE'VE ALREADY, AS, AS MR. LEE'S ARCHITECT, I'VE ALREADY SURVEYED THE STRUCTURE.
IT'S LIGHT, LIGHT GA LIGHTWEIGHT TIMBER CON.
I MEAN, I ACTUALLY TWO BY FOUR CONSTRUCTION, THE TRUSSES DO NOT MEET CURRENT ROOF LOAD DESIGN.
SO YOU CANNOT LOAD LOAD THESE ROOFS WITH ROOFTOP UNITS FOR AIR CONDITIONING.
THAT MEANS WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO REINFORCE THE STRUCTURE TO PUT ROOFTOP UNITS.
MOST COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, IF YOU LOOK ON ALL THE GOOGLE EARTH MAPS, YOU SEE THAT ALL THE AIR CONDITION UNITS, EVERYTHING'S ON ROOFTOPS.
THAT'S TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE.
YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT INFRASTRUCTURE DOWN ON, ON, ON THE GROUND, WHICH NEEDS TO BE VALUABLE PARKING OR VALUABLE LEASE AREA.
SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, TH THIS, THIS BUILDING DOES NOT MEET CURRENT STANDARDS, CURRENT CODES.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A LARGE INVESTMENT ON MY CLIENT'S PART TO JUST GET TO THE STARTING LINE, NOT TO THE FINISH LINE.
AND THEN FINAL, UM, IS THE, THE, REGARDING THE SIGN, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOUR WILLING TO HONOR, UH, THE HERITAGE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A HISTORIC SIGN.
IT'S A BELOVED BUILDING BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOT OF SENTIMENTAL MEMORIES ATTACHED TO IT.
UM, AND IT IS OUR JOB AND THE HLC TO, UM, PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SO I, I WOULD SAY THAT AS A, AS A COMMISSION, IT, IT IS KIND OF UP TO US TO, UM, BE ACTIVE IN PRESERVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS SIGN.
SO, UH, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE, THE LENGTHS THAT YOU'VE BEEN, THAT YOU'VE GONE TO, TO TRY AND INCORPORATE THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, KIND COMMENTS.
UM, I, I DID HAVE A COLD SWEAT MOMENT.
ONE TIME I WAS THINKING ABOUT, MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW THIS, MAYBE THE, THE LOCALS, THE LONG-TERM LOCALS KNOW, BUT OLD YELLER WAS FILMED IN BERNIE, AND THEN I HAD THIS FEAR THAT THE DOG THAT WAS FILMED AT O YELLER ACTUALLY WENT TO THIS PET STORE.
THEN I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE SOME IGNORE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE THAT WAY.
THERE COULD BE A CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
AND IN THIS CASE, THE SIGN KIND OF FALLS IN OUR OPINION, BASED ON THE COMMENTS WE'RE SEEING SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUT ON THE STREETS.
[00:30:01]
KNOW, MR. LEE IS TAKING THE CONSIDERATION TO DONATE IT.THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT WAY TO PUT IT.
UH, IT'S MAYBE NOT BE HISTORICAL, BUT IT IS CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. LEE? VALEZ? MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR STRUCTURES LOCATED AT 3 0 5 TO 3 2 3 NORTH MAIN STREET, EXCLUDING THE CAVEAT FROM THE CITY REQUIRING APPROVAL OF PLANS BEFORE DER UH, PERMIT IS GRANTED.
THAT'S PART OF THE NEXT ONE, ISN'T IT? MM-HMM.
I HAVE A MOTION FOR, EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SECOND THAT MOTION, OR WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER MOTION.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT? YOU JUST TOOK THE CAVEAT.
CAN YOU GO TO THAT SLIDE WITH THE CONDITION? YEAH, I JUST, I MEAN, PEOPLE, PEOPLE WANT SMALLER GOVERNMENT AND THEY DON'T WANT REGULATIONS.
IT MIGHT NOT BE APPROVED STUFFED DOWN THEIR THROAT.
I SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE HONOR TO THOSE THAT ARE DUE HONOR.
THESE GENTLEMEN HAVE BUILT A BUILDING RIGHT NEXT DOOR, HELEN BACH, AND ARE CRUSHING IT.
THEY'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB AFTER THE CITY TO PUT AN UNDUE BURDEN THINKING THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA DEVELOP THIS LOT.
I DEFINITELY, THE CITY'S BEEN BURNED IN THE PAST BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS, BUT NO, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT THEY, THEY HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES.
BUT I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT STATEMENT, ABOUT THE, UM, UH, ABOUT THAT PORTION.
SO IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED ROLE, UH, FOR JUST THIS PROJECT, OR IS THIS FOR, IS THE PURPOSE FOR ALL FUTURE PROJECTS AS WELL? THIS STIPULATION PRESENTED THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PROJECT.
BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN IT WAS IN ORIGINALLY PRESENTED LAST, UH, MONTH, IT WAS TALKED ABOUT HOW, UM, SOMETHING THEY WERE, THAT'S SOMETHING THEY WERE TRYING TO TRANSITION TO, I THINK FOR THINGS ON MAIN STREET, POSSIBLY.
'CAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL, OR AT LEAST TWO OTHER TWO OF THEM ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DEMOED AND NOT DONE ANYTHING MANY YEARS NOW.
WHEN THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA BUILD ON IT.
SO I THINK IT'S KIND OF, I COULD BE WRONG, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY TO OBJECT, CLARIFY THAT, BECAUSE IF IT WAS FOR FUTURE THINGS, THEN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO A POSITION OF APPEARING PARTIAL TO ONE PROJECT VERSUS ANOTHER IN THE FUTURE.
BUT IF IT'S JUST FOR THIS PROJECT, THEN OKAY, NOW I UNDERSTAND AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY NOW.
SO I DON'T THINK MR. COMMISSIONER NICHOLS MOTION IS GONNA MOVE ON.
THEN IT FAILS FOR LACK OF MOTION.
SO THAT ONE FAILS FOR LACK OF MOTION.
SO IF ANOTHER COMMISSIONER WANTS, OR MR. NICHOLS, IF YOU WANNA PRESENT ANOTHER MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
SO IF I COULD SAY SOMETHING TO THE COMMISSION, MR. NICHOLS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I THINK THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THE CITY HAS MADE AN AHAN AN ADJUSTMENT TO WHERE THEY, THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT THERE'S, BECAUSE OF ALL THE IMPERVIOUS COVER OF THIS SITE, THERE IS GONNA BE A NEED FOR DRAINAGE STUDIES AND EVERYTHING ON THAT SIDE.
SO IF YOU COULD AVOID, UH, WE DON'T MIND THAT STIPULATION, MR. LEE AND I, WE TALKED ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE EXERCISES WITH THE CITY TO CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE OUR PROPER DRAINAGE, PROPER DESIGN.
YOU'LL SEE ON THEIR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WE WILL BE GETTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS VOTE FROM YOU ALL, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE BASED ON THE DESIGN AND NOT THE SITE CONDITIONS.
SO THE CITY IS KIND OF IN, IN, IN ESSENCE, PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM THE SITE CONDITIONS.
AM I CORRECT, FRANKIE? I'M NOT SURE HAPPENING MEANING? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL PART OF THE UUD C YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE STUDIES AND EVALUATE THE PROPERTY.
I THINK PE THE CITY GETS SO BIG THAT THEY'RE, THEY TRY TO PUT SO MUCH REGULATION.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, WELL, MY CONCERN IS SLAP THE CITY'S HAND AND MAKE 'EM PULL IT BACK.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IN, AS A RESULT, IT MAY, WE MAY NOT GET A NO VOTE.
SO THEN WE'RE BACK TO COMING BACK AGAIN A THIRD TIME.
[00:35:01]
CHAIRMAN, I MOVED TO PROPOSE, UH, MOVE TO APPROVE THIS DEMOLITION PERMIT AS PRESENTED.I HAVE A MOTION, UM, BY COMMISSIONER NICHOLS AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MAINS.
IF ALL COMMISSIONERS COULD PLEASE VOTE.
[B. 2026-281 Consider a Certificate of Appropriateness for new commercial building(s) located at 305 - 323 North Main Street.]
WILL MOVE ON TO YOUR NEXT ITEM, UM, 2 0 2 6 DASH 2 81.UM, CONSIDER CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS LOCATED AT 3 0 5 THROUGH 3 23 NORTH MAIN STREET.
UH, FRANKIE LINDER, UH, CITY OF BURN PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS ITEM IS THE SAME PROPERTY WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING.
UM, THIS REQUEST IS FOR A COA FOR THE NEW COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE, UH, ARCHITECTURE ONLY.
SO SITE DEVELOPMENT, FENCES, SIGNAGE, ET CETERA, WILL ALL REQUIRE, UM, A SEPARATE CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL LATER DOWN THE ROAD.
SO THE DETAIL WORK WILL COME LATER BEFORE Y'ALL FOR YOUR DECISION, UM, THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT IS ZONED C3 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL.
UM, THE CURRENT STRUCTURE IS NOT CONTRIBUTING.
THE CURRENT USE IS RETAIL AND PERSONAL SERVICE AND THE PROPOSED USE AS WELL.
HERE IS THE CURRENT STREET VIEW.
SO WITH, UM, COAS FOR, FOR EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS, THESE ARE THE FOUR CRITERIA FOR, UH, Y'ALL TO CONSIDER.
IT'S HISTORICAL APPROPRIATENESS, IT'S COMPATIBLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, STREET SCAPES, OBJECTIVES, AND OVERALL ENHANCEMENT IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO FIRST, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
SO TO THE NORTH IS KLEIN'S SMOKEHOUSE.
IT IS A CINDER BLOCK, PAINTED CINDER BLOCK CONSTRUCTION TO THE WEST.
UH, WE DO HAVE VISD ATHLETIC FIELDS.
AND THEN AS JUST, UH, OVER HERE IS VISIT BERNIE CENTER.
THIS IS LIMESTONE WITH LIMESTONE FENCE, AND IT WAS A RECENT CONSTRUCTION BACK IN 2018.
UH, AND TO THE SOUTH OF THE PROPERTY, RIGHT HERE IS THE CHENBO HOUSE, WHICH IS THE LIMESTONE WITH LIMESTONE FENCE, AS WELL AS SOME ACCESSORY BUILDINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, THE CHENBO HOUSE IS CONSIDERED TO BE HIGHLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO HERE WE ARE TAKING A STEP INTO THE PROPERTY.
SO AGAIN, THE SITE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS COA REQUEST.
HOWEVER, WE DID WANT TO SHOW YOU, UM, AN AERIAL VIEW OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
SO IT'S A TOTAL OF TWO DIFFERENT SINGLE STORY BUILDINGS, A TOTAL OF 11,400 SQUARE FEET APPROXIMATELY, WITH EACH BUILDING BEING APPROXIMATELY 5,700 SQUARE FEET.
SO HERE WE DO HAVE THE UPDATED DESIGN.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, SINGLE STORY TWO BUILDINGS.
IT DOES HIGHLIGHT MULTIPLE, UM, STOREFRONTS THROUGH THE SITE.
IT IS PROPOSED TO BE BRICK AND STONE.
UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, NO SPECIFICS ON THE MATERIAL OR COLOR OF THOSE, AS WELL AS ANY PAINT COLOR ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, I KNOW, UH, THE APPLICANT HAS A PRESENTATION TO PRESENT TO YOU ON THIS ONE AS WELL.
SO STAFF FINDS THAT THE PROPOSED NEW CONSTRUCTION, THE ARCHITECTURE ONLY MEETS BERNIE'S UDC REGULATIONS AND HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT HLC SHOULD DETERMINE IF THE REQUEST MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE UDC, UH, AND THE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES, AND CONSIDER A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS AGAIN FOR ARCHITECTURE ONLY.
AND HERE ARE YOUR MOTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, MS. SAID, MR. VALEZ HAS A PRESENTATION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD? SIR? YOU WANT THIS ONE FIRST? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MY NAME'S FRANK VALEZ, UH, PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT WITH SA PARTNERSHIP.
[00:40:02]
MY ADDRESS IS 1 1 4 MOUNTAIN SPRING DRIVE IN BURNIE, TEXAS.UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, I WANTED TO, UH, LET THE COMMISSION KNOW THAT, UM, SINCE I MOVED HERE WITH MY FAMILY IN 2000, UM, I BECAME VERY CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE, THE CULTURE, THE, AND WANTED TO BECOME PART OF THAT, AND THEN ALSO PLAY A PART IN THAT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BECAME EVIDENT TO ME WAS THERE WERE SUBJECTS LIKE THIS THAT CONSTANTLY CAME UP, UH, PROTECT OLD BERNIE, UM, KEEP KEEP, KEEP IT FROM BEING DESTROYED OUT OF, YOU KNOW, OUT OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF THE STATE, CITY STATE, DON'T UNDERSTAND OUR CULTURE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE IMPACTING OUR, OUR LIVELIHOOD AND, AND AESTHETICS AND CULTURE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M, I ATTRIBUTED MAIN STREET, I KIND OF, UH, USED THE ANALOGY.
I'M FROM BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT MOVED HERE, UH, BECAUSE I DID A COUPLE OF HOUSE PROJECTS IN BERNIE AND FELL IN LOVE WITH BERNIE.
AND OF COURSE I WORKED WITH BEN ADAM.
AND BEN ADAM WAS THE BIGGEST AMBASSADOR FOR, UH, FOR BERNIE
SO, UH, I, I, AT THAT TIME, THE CITY PLANNER WAS CHRIS TURK AND WAS, UM, WHO'S ACTUALLY PEYTON'S BROTHER PEYTON IS THE, UM, THE OWNER OF THE REDCREST.
UM, AND I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO HIM.
AND SO, UH, I DIDN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHRIS WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN IS COULD YOU KNOW THE BURNING TO GROW IN A, IN THE PROPER AND, AND RIGHT MANNER? AND THEN RON BOWMAN WAS A CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, AND I APPROACHED THEM.
I SAID, THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA PROTECT MAIN STREET IS TO CREATE A CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT MASTER PLAN AND, AND CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S A DESTINATION LIKE THE HILL COUNTRY MILE, SO THAT IT BECOMES PART OF A LONG, BIGGER PROJECT AND NOT INDIVIDUAL TRACKS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES.
AND SO THEY HAD, UM, AGREED THAT I, UM, CREATE A MASTER PLAN FOR THEM.
AND AT THAT TIME, THIS WAS BACK IN 2007, AND THIS IS THE GOOGLE MAP OF 2007.
UH, AND THIS WAS THE AREA THAT WE WERE GONNA BE STUDYING THAT'S KIND OF SHADED IN PINK.
YOU COULD SEE THE PUBLIC NOTICE.
WE HAD A PUBLIC, UH, A PUBLIC PRESENTATION BACK IN APRIL 17TH, 2007, WHERE I PRESENTED THIS MASTER PLAN.
AND AT THAT TIME, THIS WAS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, THE LANDMARK COMMISSION'S, UM, JURISDICTION.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOW SINCE MOVED TO FREDERICK OVER HERE AND, UM, A HUNDRED YEAR AND 500 YEAR FLOODPLAINS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW THE CITY ADMINISTRATIVE AND THE STAFF IS THAT THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS MAINLY OWNED BY PRIVATE, PRIVATE CITIZENS.
UH, THE LIGHT BLUE IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, THE DARK BLUES ARE KENDALL COUNTY AND CITY OF BERNIE, UH, GOVERNMENT OWNED.
AND THEN THE NONPROFITS ARE MAINLY THE CHURCHES, WHICH IS THE PURPLE.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS, THIS WAS THE TELLING STORY, UH, OF MAIN STREET BACK THEN.
AND SO NEXT YEAR WILL BE 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS, THIS MASTER PLAN.
AND WHAT I HAD SHARED WITH RON BOWMAN AND CHRIS TURKA SAID, THIS IS THE GOLDEN BLOCK.
THE, THE MOST VALUE WAS THIS PORTION, WHICH WAS THE DINGER.
HERE IS THE LAST RED BUILDING, AND THEN THE BENEFIT PLANNERS AND ALL OF THESE BUILDINGS CONCENTRATED AT THIS GOLDEN BLOCK.
AND I SAY, THE WAY YOU'RE GONNA PROTECT MAIN STREET IS TO CREATE THE GOLDEN MILE.
AND TO CREATE THE GOLDEN MILE IS YOU GOTTA CREATE A DESTINATION THAT HAS THE DESIGN AND THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT CARRY ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM SOUTH MAINE TO NORTH MAIN.
SO THIS TOOK THE WHOLE MILE AND THEN SOME ALL THE WAY TO SCHOOL STREET.
AND WHAT I'D CALL FIVE POINTS HERE IS THE LINEAR PARK OF THE OLD NUMBER NINE RAILROAD.
AND THEN TO AT, AT SOME POINT TAKE PLANT STREET AND HAVE A PEDESTRIAN WAY CONNECT TO RIVER ROAD.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE PARK ALONG THE SUBO CREEK.
SO THESE WERE OUR STUDIES, AND I'M, I'M GETTING TO A POINT.
SO TO MAKE MAIN STREET WALKABILITY WALKABLE, UH, I USE THE ANALOGY THAT PEOPLE SHOP EVERY DAY, LIKE AT LOCK ANDER MALL.
AND HERE'S LOCK ANDER MALL SUPERIMPOSED ON MAIN STREET.
YOU HAVE DILLARD'S TOUCHING THE BRIDGE AT SY OAK CREEK WITH SAX FIFTH AVENUE CROSSING MAIN PLAZA.
SO TAKING PARKING OFF MAIN STREET AND PUTTING THEM IN PARKING STRUCTURES WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO PARKING IN YOUR PARKING LOT AND WALKING TO YOUR FAVORITE
[00:45:01]
RESTAURANT OR SHOP AND STORE.AND THAT'S WHAT MAIN STREET BURNING CAN BE LIKE.
AND THEN TO DO IT IS TO CREATE AMENITIES.
UM, CELEBRATE SCULPTURAL ART IN PUBLIC AREAS, CREATE OVERHEAD STRUCTURES TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC ON MAIN STREET WITH THAT HOUSES YOUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND YOUR CROSSWALKS PROPOSE ATTACHING A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT'S SAFER THAN WALKING ON THE BRIDGE, CROSSING THE SLO THAT'S DESIGNED BY TECH STOCK FOR CARS.
IT'S NOT DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE, BUT WE CAN ADD A LITTLE WALK AND AMENITIES LIKE THIS SKETCH.
AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO CONVEY IS, AS AN ARCHITECT THAT LIVES HERE AND WORKS HERE, THIS IS REAL DEAR TO MY HEART TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ARCHITECTURE MOVING FORWARD FROM MY OFFICE IS CONSCIENTIOUS OF THE CULTURE AND THE FABRIC OF BERNIE.
HERE WE WERE PROPOSING CONNECTING THE FLATS OF BERNIE WITH PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES OVER THE SYLO SO THAT PEOPLE IN THE FLATS DON'T HAVE TO GET IN THEIR CARS AND PARK ON MAIN STREET TO GO TO THEIR FAVORITE SHOP OR RESTAURANT.
WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A PUBLIC SAFE RIGHT OF WAY OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TAKING THEIR KIDS ON STROLLERS, JOGGING BACK AND FORTH FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE DOWNTOWN.
AND THESE WERE THE STUDIES FOR THAT WHERE THERE'S LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE SYLO, UH, WHERE THE CREEK RESTAURANT IS.
THERE COULD BE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE OUR OWN BOARDWALK WITH MORE AREA FOR THAT'S ABOVE THE FLOOD PLAIN.
AND THEN, AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, BY TAKING THE PARKING OFF MAIN STREET, THIS IS WHAT MAIN STREET LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS UPPER RIGHT HAND IMAGE, YOU HAVE A CAR PARKED FACING NORTH, TWO LANE TRAFFIC DRIVING NORTH, TWO LANE DRIVING TRAFFIC FACING SOUTH, AND A AND A CAR PARKED LANE FACING SOUTH.
THIS IS WHERE IT BECOMES DANGEROUS 'CAUSE YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE STANDING BETWEEN PARKED CARS THAT ARE TRYING TO CROSS THE WALK.
IF WE REMOVE THE NINE FOOT PARKING AREAS, WE EXTEND THE SIDEWALKS BY NINE FEET, CREATING 17 TO 18 FOOT SIDEWALKS WHERE WE CAN ADD LANDSCAPING AND, AND SHADE.
AND THIS BECOMES CHARACTERISTIC OF WHAT A SHOPPING AND, UH, PEDESTRIAN WAY BECOMES.
RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT EXISTS, WE HAVE FORD F THREE FIFTIES EXCURSIONS, HUMMERS PARKED ALONG MAIN STREET, BLOCKING THESE BEAUTIFUL WINDOW DISPLAYS.
IF YOU'RE, I'M HAVING A COFFEE, AND THIS DOESN'T SHOW THE TABLES, BUT YOU HAVE COFFEE TABLES ALONG MAIN STREET, WELL EVENTUALLY THAT CAR IS GONNA START THE CAR.
AND I'M GONNA GET A MOUTHFUL OF EXHAUST.
UH, SO IF ALL OF THAT GETS REMOVED TO PARKING STRUCTURE, NOW YOU HAVE A CLEAR VISUAL AND SAFE PEOPLE CAN SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO CROSS THE STREET.
AND BACK THEN, WHEN I PRESENTED THIS PUBLIC, I SAID, I'M AFRAID SOMEONE EVENTUALLY IS GONNA GET KILLED.
AND SO SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE HAD TWO, WE'VE LOST TWO LIVES FOR THAT, FOR THAT, UM, SAME SITUATION.
SO ONE OF THE FIRST IDEAS I HAD SAID WAS TO PUT A PARKING STRUCTURE ON THE PARKING LOT THAT'S OWNED BY KENDALL COUNTY RIGHT HERE, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO THE COURTHOUSE.
CAN'T SEE MY CURSOR RIGHT THERE ON ROSEWOOD.
I JUST DID THE, UH, CONVERTED THE OLD FUNERAL HOME TO LOST OAK CELLARS.
SO RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS THAT KENDALL COUNTY PARKING LOT, THE CITY OF BERNIE CAN PARTNER WITH THAT, BUILD THE PARKING STRUCTURE THERE.
AND YOU SEE THESE, THESE, THESE RADIUSES, THESE RADIUSES ARE FIVE MINUTE, IT'S A STANDARD GATE.
PEOPLE THAT NORMALLY WALK, IT TAKES FIVE MINUTES TO COVER THAT AREA.
SO BY STRATEGICALLY PLACING PARKING STRUCTURES, YOU COULD GET TO THOSE DESTINATIONS AND STORES AT THAT LOCATION.
AND THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO FOR THE MERCHANTS AND FOR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA THAT CANNOT WALK THAT DISTANCE, WE WOULD STILL HAVE LOADING ZONES FOR, FOR, UH, COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TO LOAD PRODUCTS AND WARES SO THAT THE RETAILERS STILL HAVE THEIR ACCESS TO THEIR PRODUCTS.
AND ALSO THESE BECOME A DA DROP OFF POINTS.
BUT NOW THAT ALL PARKING IS NOW OFF MAIN STREET, SO THAT YOU'D HAVE THIS KIND OF CITYSCAPE.
AND THEN THIS IS THE PHASE, THIS IS THE PHASING OF THE WORK.
AND TO THE CITY'S CREDIT, THEY DID THE PARK ALONG SLO THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED.
UH, THEY'VE DONE, THEY MOVED CITY HALL.
I SUGGESTED THAT CITY HALL GET MOVED TO THE 15 ACRES WHERE THIS IS SITTING NOW TODAY, UM, WHAT HASN'T BEEN DONE AS THE PARKING STRUCTURE, NOR HAS THE CITY TAKEN
[00:50:01]
OVER MAIN STREET FROM TDO.SO THOSE PHASES HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED.
AND THE VERY LAST PHASE I HAD WAS TO EXTEND THE HILL COUNTRY MILE ARCHITECTURALLY WITH SIDEWALKS AND, AND THE SAME FABRIC OF MAIN STREET ALL THE WAY TO FIVE POINTS, AND THEN EXTEND THE NUMBER NINE, UM, LINEAR PARK ALL THE WAY TO FIVE POINTS.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, WHERE'S THE NEXT DISCIPLINE? THE NEXT HALF, OH, I'M SORRY.
SO OUR INCENTIVE FOR OUR NEW BUILDING IS THE ZIEGLER BUILDING.
UM, I DID THIS STUDY BACK WHEN SUPER SALADS FRANCHISE OWNER WAS CONSIDERING MAKING BERNIE, UH, THEIR HOME CORPORATE BASE.
UM, THEY COULDN'T COME TO TERMS ON THE SALE PRICE OF THE BUILDING, SO IT FELL APART ON, ON THE PROJECT.
BUT IN STUDYING THIS, I'VE ALWAYS REMEMBERED THIS BUILDING.
WILLIAMS ZIEGLER BUILT THIS BUILDING IN 19 HUNDREDS.
UM, PEOPLE DON'T, MAY NOT KNOW THAT'S THE SAME THAD ZIEGLER GLASS BUILDING GLASS COMPANY THAT'S, THAT'S STILL HERE IN BERNIE, BUT NOW HEADQUARTERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S THE OLDEST, IT'S 130 3-YEAR-OLD FAMILY OWNED.
IT'S THE OLDEST COMPANY, GLASS COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES OWNED BY FAMILY.
SO WHEN WILLIAM ZIEGLER DESIGNED THIS BUILDING, HE DESIGNED IT WITH RED BRICK AND LIMESTONE, RUSTIC LIMESTONE COINS AND RUSTIC BANDING OF LIMESTONE AND HEAD AND SILL, UH, CAPS FOR ACCENTS.
AND SO THIS WAS OUR INSPIRATION TO, UM, FOR OUR NEW BUILDING USING A BRICK, A COMBINATION OF BRICK AND RUSTIC LOCATED LIMESTONE.
HERE IN THIS OLD PHOTOGRAPH, YOU COULD SEE A LOT OF ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
THERE WAS A CORING BRICK ELEMENT OVER THE MAIN ENTRY TOWER HAS BEEN SINCE REMOVED.
AND THEN THERE WERE THESE OR ORNATE, UH, ORNAMENTS ON THE CORNERS AND IMPEDIMENT THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED.
SO, UM, AND THEN HERE IS, HERE'S THAT BUILDING TODAY.
UM, IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED, UH, WITH THE RED BRICK ONLY IN THE FRONT FACADE.
IT HAS THE RUSTICA LIMESTONE AS THE ENTIRE FIRST FLOOR.
YOU'LL SEE IN OUR DESIGN WE HAVE A RUSTICA WAIN'S COAT WITH THE REMAINING BEAM BRICK.
AND LIKE THIS FRONT FACADE, OUR BRICK IS ACCENTED WITH THE COINS AND RESTATED LIMESTONE, UH, ACCENT ELEMENTS.
I THINK HE JUST CLOSED IT BACK NOW.
UM, MR. LEE WANTED, UM, A PROJECT THAT HAD RETAIL THAT WOULD ATTRACT NICE RESTAURANTS, CAFES, UH, REQUIRING A COURTYARD ALONG THE FRONT.
WE'RE REPLACING THAT LARGE PARKING LOT AND THAT LARGE DRIVEWAY, 139 FOOT DRIVEWAY ALONG MAIN STREET WITH A SECURED, UM, ENCLOSED WALL.
UH, THE, AND WE HAVE A WATER FOUNTAIN FEATURE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS SQUARE FOOTAGE CAN BE BROKEN UP INTO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SIZES.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING FOR ONE LARGE TED ON ONE SIDE AND ANOTHER ON THE OTHER.
WE CAN HAVE IN LITTLE BOUTIQUE SHOPS RUNNING ALONG, COMING OUT OF THE PROMENADE FROM THE PARKING LOT IN THE BACK.
SO HERE IS THE KIND OF A BIRD'S EYE OR A DRONE VIEW.
YOU SEE THE WATER FOUNTAIN, THE MAIN ENTRANCE.
NOW THIS BECOMES A TRUE WALKABLE SIDEWALK AND NOT AN ASPHALT DRIVEWAY.
UH, THE, THE WALL IS TO PROMOTE, UM, NOT JUST FUNCTION, BUT ALSO AESTHETICS.
AND IT FUNCTIONS BY, YOU KNOW, ALCOHOL COULD BE SERVED.
IT CAN, YOU KNOW, MEET TABC RULES.
IT ALSO IS GONNA KNOCK DOWN THE SOUND OF MAIN STREET'S TRAFFIC,
[00:55:01]
UM, WITH THE HEIGHT AND ELEVATION OF THE, OF THE WALL.AND THEN WHAT WE CHANGED FROM OUR PREVIOUS DESIGN IS WE ADDED THE LIMESTONE COINS.
THE LIMESTONE BANDING, AND THEN WE CREATED CORNICES AND WE COBBLED THE BRICK AND WE RECESSED THE SIGN BANDS IN THE BRICK WALL FACADES.
AND THEN WE ADDED A RAILING, ORNAMENTAL RAILING ELEMENT TO KIND OF MATCH THE RAILING ELEMENTS ALONG THE WALL ALONG MAIN STREET TO SOFTEN THE CAPS OF OUR BUILDINGS.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN CHANGED OUR STOREFRONT TO ACTUAL WINDOW, UH, HUMAN SCALE WINDOWS AND DOORS.
SO IT HAS THE, THE MAIN STREET FEEL OF, OF THE OLD WOOD WINDOWS THAT ARE DOWNTOWN.
SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO STOREFRONT, BUT THE ONES THAT DON'T, THAT STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL, UM, WINDOW INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND FENESTRATION IS WHAT CREATES THAT CHARM.
AND THE SAME THING WITH OUR TRANSOMS. UH, AND THEN, SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE MULTIPLE VIEWS WE'VE TAKEN, UH, REAL CARE AND DETAIL TO CARRY ALL OF THESE DETAILS ALONG THE SIDE.
AT RYAN STREET, YOU CAN SEE OUR FIRST PROJECT OVER HERE, HILLEN BOX SELLERS, HOW THIS MATCHES ARCHITECTURALLY IN SCALE.
HERE'S THE INGRESS EGRESS DRIVE.
YOU CAN SEE HILLEN BOX SELLERS TO THE RIGHT.
AND OUR BUILDING IS INTO SCALE.
WE ARE ALSO GONNA PROPOSE TO TDOT IN THE CITY THAT WE'RE GONNA CREATE A, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE IN SEEKING A, A TRAFFIC STOPLIGHT FOR PEDESTRIANS ONLY.
NOT VEHICULAR STOPLIGHT, BUT A A, A SAFE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK FROM THE VISITOR'S PARKING LOT WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING TO PUT THE SIGN.
LOOKING BACK, OH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THIS HAS THE SAME CHARM AND CHARACTERS OF THE FRONT ELEVATION EXCEPT FOR WHERE THE PATIOS ARE.
WE HAVE, UH, TRELLIS NATURAL WOOD COLUMNS, UH, FOR SHADING AND COVER.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, PATIO LIGHTS STREAMING ACROSS SO THAT THIS 20 FOOT CONCOURSE IS VERY COMFORTABLE FOR ALL PEOPLE.
WOMEN BY THEMSELVES, KIDS FAMILIES WILL FEEL SAFE WALKING BACK AND FORTH TO THEIR CAR.
ON THE INSIDE WE HAVE WATER FOUNTAIN FEATURES, UH, ENGAGED ON THE SIDE FOR SOUND.
AGAIN, OUR FOUNTAINS IN THE BACK AND THE FRONT IS TO HELP WITH WHITE NOISE AND, AND KNOCK DOWN THE TRAFFIC SOUND OF MAIN STREET.
WE WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
I REALLY LOVE THIS SECOND VERSION THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED THIS.
THIS IS REALLY KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK.
THIS ALMOST LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A LEAD CERTIFIED BUILDING.
WELL, IT, IT'S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, WHAT'S NOT SHOWN HERE, UH, WELL, I GUESS I COULD SHOW IT.
WE ARE, THIS IS GONNA BE IN TO MR. MR. LEE'S CREDIT, THE OWNER.
UM, THESE ARE GONNA BE RAIN GARDENS.
THESE GREEN AREAS ARE ACTUALLY BE RAIN GARDENS TO SLOW DOWN THE WATER SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE DETENTION PONDS.
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LANDSCAPE AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT ELEMENTS TO OUR DESIGN.
SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE LEAD ELEMENTS TO IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GO FOR LEAD CERTIFICATION.
'CAUSE THAT TAKES TIME AND ENERGY.
I DESIGNED JEFFERSON BANK AND THAT WAS A LEED SILVER BUILDING.
AND, UM, AND, AND FOR THAT REASON, I GUESS I DIDN'T EXPLAIN WHY DIDN'T WE DO YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT LIMESTONE BUILDING? WELL, MR. LEE SAYS, WELL, JEFFERSON'S ALREADY A LIMESTONE RUSTIC BUILDING.
HE WANTED TO ADD SOME BRICK BETWEEN HIS LOOKIN B HOUSE.
SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR ADDING A BRICK WITH A COMBINATION OF LIMESTONE ACCENTS.
AND I DO LIKE THAT, THAT YOU'VE CHOSEN THAT JUST DRIVING DOWN MAIN STREET WHEN YOU CROSS THE CREEK, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, UH, THE SACKS GARAGE IS KIND OF THAT BROWN, UH, THEN KALANI.
AND THEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE HO MAIN STREET, YOU HAVE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE THAT BROWN TONE IN IT.
AND IT'S, WHAT'S WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT IS BECAUSE RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS ARE GONNA HAVE THEIR BRANDING, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR LOGOS AND THEIR COLORS MM-HMM
SO WHEN IT COMES TO A RETAIL DESIGN, YOU DON'T WANT TO, THE BUILDING DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE RETAIL SHOW.
IT NEEDS TO BE THE, THE, THE BUILDING NEEDS TO BE THE
[01:00:01]
BACKGROUND AND THE PALETTE FOR YOUR TENANTS.AND SO IF WE GO WITH NEUTRAL COLORS, THEN CORRECT OUR RESTAURANTS OR CAFES OR WHATEVER WILL JUMP OUT WITH THEIR OWN BRANDING.
SPEAKING OF TENANTS, UM, A COMMON THEME THAT WE HEAR A LOT IN THE BACKGROUND HERE IN BURNEY IS THAT WE LOSE A LOT OF TENANTS BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, RUMOR HAS IT THAT WE HAVE, UH, A, A LANDLORD THAT OWNS MULTIPLE BUILDINGS ON MAIN STREET AND PEOPLE MOVE OUT 'CAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE, THE RENT ANY LONGER.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THEN IT COMES DOWN TO, OKAY, WELL WHAT'S THE CLIENTELE AND THE, THE, UM, TENANTS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO, UM, ATTRACT.
BUT IT'S A DIFFICULT BALANCE BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS, THIS IS GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO BERNIE FOR TOURISM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE AESTHETIC OF IT, BUT IT ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CAREFUL ABOUT THE PITFALL OF TRYING TO BECOME ANOTHER PEARL DISTRICT, WHICH HAS A LOT OF VERY HIGH END, UM, TENANTS THAT ARE MORE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT CAN AFFORD TO EAT AND SHOP THERE THAN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
WELL, THE WAY THAT CAN BE DONE, AND, AND I'LL USE A KIND OF A BLOCK AND TERRA MALL AS AN EXAMPLE.
UM, WE ARE GONNA DESIGN SMALL SHOPS, SMALL SQUARE FOOTAGE, FOOTPRINTS, LIKE JEWELRY STORES.
DOESN'T NEED TO HAVE 2000 SQUARE FEET OR A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET BACK HERE ALONG THIS PROMENADE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE LITTLE BOUTIQUE SHOPS THAT ARE GONNA BE AFFORDABLE RENTS BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE LEASE SPACE.
AND ALLOW, ALLOW A, UH, A, A NICE MIX USE OF TENANCY HERE.
WHEREAS THE RESTAURANTS AND THE BARS THAT CAN TAKE ON THE HIGHER RENTS TAKE ON THE MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
SO THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA WORK A BALANCE.
AND I'LL LET MR. LEE CHIME IN WITH ANY OTHER, I, I THINK FRANK'S RIGHT, I, I CAN SEE SOME NICE RESTAURANTS COMING INTO THE FRONT BUILDINGS AND THEN ALONG THE PROMENADE OR TOWARDS THE BACK I CAN SEE COFFEE SHOPS, UH, ICE CREAM, BAKERIES, BOUTIQUES.
I, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A NICE MIX THAT THE CITIZENS OF BERNIE WILL REALLY LIKE.
BUT WILL THE, YOU KNOW, THE MAIN SPACES RIGHT OUT ON MAIN STREET BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE RENT WISE? YEAH, I THINK SO.
WILL IT COST ANY MORE TO GET A STAKE THERE THAN CYPRESS GRILL? I DON'T THINK SO.
HOW BIG IS THE LOT SIZE? IT IS LESS THAN, UH, IT'S ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF AN ACRE 0.67 OF AN ACRE.
WHAT, UM, WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HEIGHT OF IT? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOUR WINE CELLAR ON ONE SIDE'S SHORT AND KLINE'S IS SO SHORT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS ONE STORY THAT'S LOT TALLER THAN ONE STORY AND THE MIDDLE.
SO WE DID, MY CLIENT DIDN'T WANT TO DO A TWO STORY.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ABLE TO GO AS HIGH AS THE, AS CITY HALL, WHICH IS 56 FEET.
BUT THAT COMES AT A COST AND IT COMES WITH A NEED FOR MORE PARKING, UM, RETAILERS, RESTAURANTS.
UM, TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL, YOU NEED AT LEAST 14 TO 16 FOOT CEILINGS IN RESTAURANTS.
AND SO MOST OF THE SHOPS DOWNTOWN ARE AT 12 FOOT CEILINGS.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE STANDARD MM-HMM.
BUT WHEN YOU ADD AIR CONDITIONING AND DUCT WORK, IT GETS LOWER SOMETIMES 10 FEET.
SO WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF BUILDING THEIR NEW STRUCTURE TO WHERE WE ONCE ALL OUR INFRASTRUCTURE'S IN, WE STILL HAVE HIGH VOLUME CEILINGS SO THAT THE SPACES ARE REAL COMFORTABLE.
IT GIVES MORE AREA FOR OUR RETAILERS TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL, MORE, UM, WALL SPACE.
SO IT'S, IT'S JUST BY DESIGN AND ALSO IT HELPS THE SCALE OF MAIN STREET.
YOU DON'T WANT THE, OBVIOUSLY THE LOOKIN B HOUSE WAS A RESIDENTIAL MM-HMM
LEMME SEE IF I CAN GET TO THAT VIEW RIGHT THERE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THIS, THIS WAS EIGHT FOOT CEILINGS.
WELL, ACTUALLY NO, THIS WAS A 10 11 FOOT CEILING IN HERE.
UH, BECAUSE BEFORE AIR CONDITIONED YOU HAD TO HAVE 11 AND 10, 12 FOOT CEILINGS.
BUT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A RESIDENCE.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE IN CONTEXT, WE, WE TIE THINGS WITH THE WALLS.
THESE ARE THE I IDENTICAL HEIGHTS AND ALSO THE SETBACKS.
SO AS MENTIONED BEFORE BY MR. CRANE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH TECH STOCK.
SO WE PUSHED OUR BUILDINGS BACK.
SO THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR TECH STOCK.
AND, UM, BUT I'M HOPING I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION ON THE HEIGHTS IS,
[01:05:01]
AND IT, AND IT ALLOWS US, I, LET ME TAKE THAT BACK AND I DIDN'T GET TO MENTION TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL NATURAL LIGHT.UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE THIS SPACE A LOT AIRIER BECAUSE OF THE DENSITY.
UH, SO THESE TRANSOMS WITH THE ADDITIONAL CEILING HEIGHT, WERE ABLE TO GET MORE NATURAL LIGHTING MM-HMM
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ENOUGH PARKING IN THE BACK? WELL, IN THE, IN, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, YOU'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO HAVE A THIRD OF WHAT'S REQUIRED BY CODE BECAUSE OF IT BEING IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
SO IF I WAS TO PUT THIS BUILDING IN THE CITY OF BURNIE, OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WE WOULD REQUIRE TO HAVE MORE PARKING.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE OFF STREET PARKING, UH, NOT BEING REQUIRED, PEOPLE CAN PARK ALONG MAIN STREET AND WALK, THEY CAN PARK IN THE VISITORS' PARKING LOT.
AND, BUT TRUE, IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT TOO, IF I CAN MM-HMM
SO I THINK WE HAVE 26 SPACES YES.
IN THE BACK AND THEN ANOTHER NINE ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING, THE PARALLEL.
AND, AND, AND IF IT EVER DOES FILL UP, WE'RE DEFINITELY THINKING THAT THE VISITOR CENTER WITH ITS PARKING SPACES IS GONNA BE A BIG BENEFIT AND PLUS TO US.
SO WE APPRECIATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDED BY THE CITY THERE.
I WANTED TO REMIND THE COMMISSION AS WELL THAT THE COA, UH, TONIGHT IS JUST FOR THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDING, IT'S NOT FOR THE SITE THAT WILL HAVE TO COME BACK LATER.
AFTER STAFF CAN VERIFY THAT THEY MEET THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND ALL OF THEIR REGULATIONS FOR THE SITE.
BUT, BUT WE DO HAVE ABOUT 35 SPACES ALTOGETHER.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I MOVE THAT WE CONSIDER A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATE FOR A NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 3 0 5 TO 3 23 NORTH MAIN STREET AS SHOWN.
DID I SAY THAT CORRECT? THERE WE GO.
UM, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER GRAVES AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NICHOLS IF ALL COMMERS CAN PLEASE VOTE.
IS THIS ON? I I I'M NOT SURE IF I MISHEARD THE MOTION.
UM, I THINK IT SAID I'VE MOVED THAT WE CONSIDER, I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR IF IT WAS TO ACCEPT OR TO DENY.
I WAS JUST READING WHAT Y'ALL HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
IS THAT WHAT, WHAT I NEED TO SAY? I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
I MOVE THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION.
ACCEPT THE FINDINGS AND APPROVE THE REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A NEW STRUCTURE ARCHITECTURE ONLY AT 3 0 5 DASH 3 23 NORTH MAIN STREET.
I HAVE A MOTION BY GRAVES SECOND BY NICHOLS VOTE
THANK YOU VERY MUCH LOOKING, LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT ONE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.
WHERE ARE WE? 300 I SAY WHAT I, OKAY.
[C. 2026-300 Consider A Certificate Of Appropriateness for a new commercial building(s) and site development located at 701 North Main Street.]
MOVING ON TO ITEM 2 0 2 6 DASH 300.CONSIDER CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING OR BUILDINGS AND SITE DEVELOPMENT LOCATED AT 7 0 1 NORTH MAIN STREET.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, COMMISSION.
UM, FRANKIE LINDER PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 7 0 1 NORTH MAIN STREET.
THE APPLICANT IS DANIEL LONG OF CMP AND THE OWNER IS A BJM, BERNIE, UH, BERNIE NORTH MAIN LP.
THE REQUEST BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS A COA FOR A NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING AND SITE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE AERIAL, IT IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
PRIOR REVIEW, UH, THIS DID COME BEFORE HLC ON APRIL 7TH, 2026.
UH, THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WAS PRESENTED FOR DISCUSSION.
[01:10:01]
SO HERE WE HAVE OUR ZONING MAP.UH, THIS PARCEL IS ZONED C3 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL.
IT IS WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THERE'S NO STRUCTURE ON SITE, IT'S VACANT, AND THEIR PROPOSED USE IS A MEDICAL OFFICE.
WHILE WE'RE ON, UH, THIS SLIDE, I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THIS BROWN REPRESENTS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND SO THIS IS AT THE FAR NORTHERN EDGE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
HERE WE HAVE A STREET VIEW OF THE SITE.
UM, AND AS WITH THE LAST CASE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AND ALL COAS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL APPROPRIATENESS, THE COMPATIBLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, STREET SCAPE OBJECTIVES, AND OVERALL ENHANCEMENT OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO HERE WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
SO TO THE NORTH IS THE FOOT HOUSE.
IT IS A CONTRIBUTING, UH, STRUCTURE TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND IT IS RE UH, CONSTRUCTION STYLE IS RESIDENTIAL QUEEN ANNE TO THE WEST, WE HAVE THE GUS, GUS HILLHOUSE AND THE EE CHAS HOUSE.
UH, BOTH OF THESE ARE ALSO CONTRIBUTING AND THEY ARE RESIDENTIAL STYLE.
UH, ONE IS FOLK VICTORIA AND THE OTHER IS QUEEN ANNE STYLE.
UH, TO THE SOUTH RIGHT HERE, THIS IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
UM, AND SO, UH, SINCE IT'S VACANT, UH, THERE'S NO HISTORIC STATUS.
UM, OVER HERE, JUST ALSO SOUTH OF THE PROPERTY IS TOWN AND COUNTRY, THE NURSING HOME.
I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THESE EXISTING STRUCTURES OVER HERE, UM, WHILE THEY ARE RESIDENTIAL STYLE, THEY ARE ALREADY CONVERTED TO COMMERCIAL OR IN THE WORKS OF CONVERTING TO A COMMERCIAL USE.
OKAY, SO HERE WE HAVE THE ELEVATION, THE RENDERING OF THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
SO THIS IS TAKEN, UH, AS IF YOU'RE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET.
LOOKING AT THE SITE, THIS IS A, UH, ONE TWO STORY STRUCTURE.
UH, THE HEIGHT IS GONNA BE ABOUT 30 FEET.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 50,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT WILL BE INCLUDING 218 PARKING SPACES.
THEY'RE ALSO PROPOSING SOME TREE PRESERVATION AND NEW LANDSCAPING.
NOW, I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THEY DO HAVE TO MEET ALL CITY REGULATIONS, INCLUDING DARK SKY REQUIREMENTS, LANDSCAPING, LID, UH, ET CETERA.
SO WE'RE GONNA ZOOM IN JUST WELL, UH, I DID WANT TO REMIND Y'ALL, UH, THAT BACK IN APRIL, ONE OF THE POINTS OF DISCUSSION FOR THIS ITEM HAD TO DO WITH THE SETBACK.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THEY WANT TO SET THE BUILDING BACK 45 FEET FROM THE STREET WHILE THE ADJACENT FOOT, UH, STRUCTURE IS 90 FEET FROM THE STREET.
UM, THEY HAVE INCORPORATED FEEDBACK FROM HLC IN APRIL, UH, AND ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE 45 FOOT PRESENTED TO YOU TONIGHT.
AND I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT THAT IS, UH, IN LINE WITH ACROSS THE STREET AS WELL AS THIS VACANT LOT RIGHT HERE.
WHEN IT DEVELOPS, UH, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ALSO BUILD 90 FEET BACK.
HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CLOSEUP.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING HERE IS THE DIFFERENT DRIVE AISLES.
UM, AND EVERY ONE OF THESE GREEN CIRCLES IS A TREE THAT IS BEING PRESERVED.
SO INCLUDED IN THEIR PARKING LOT IS A LARGE ISLAND, UH, FULL OF TREES.
OVER HERE IS A DRAINAGE WAVE PROTECTION ZONE.
SO THIS BACKS UP TO THE OLD NUMBER NINE TRAIL.
AND SO THIS AREA, UH, CANNOT BE DEVELOPED.
UH, AND SO INSTEAD YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN IT AS IS.
NOW HERE IS THEIR FULL LANDSCAPING PLAN.
THEY ARE NOT JUST PRESERVING TREES, BUT OF COURSE THEY WILL BE PLANTING, UM, ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT LANDSCAPING.
HERE IT IS KIND OF ZOOMED IN, SO YOU COULD SEE IT A LITTLE BETTER.
AND THEN HERE WE HAVE, UH, ANOTHER ELEVATION, ANOTHER RENDERING OF THE SITE, AS WELL AS SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE MATERIALS AND COLOR PALETTE.
SO HERE WE CAN SEE THAT, UH, THE DIFFERENT COLORS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE USING.
SO IT INCLUDES, UH, SHERMAN WILLIAMS ROYCROFT, COPPER RED, UH, SHERMAN WILLIAMS, ROCKWOOD JADE FOR THE CANOPIES AND EXPOSED STEEL, UH, SHERMAN WILLIAMS CLASSICAL WHITE FOR PROFILES AND TRIM.
HERE WE HAVE THE TWO DIFFERENT BRICKS THAT THEY'LL BE USING.
SO IT'LL BE FRENCH VANILLA WITH A VERTICAL SCRATCH, AS WELL AS THE ACCENTS.
[01:15:01]
GOING TO BE FRENCH VANILLA VALORE.HERE WE HAVE THE SCONCE, UH, THE TYPE OF THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
HERE WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT WINDOW FRAMES THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE DARK BRONZES, EXAMPLES OF THE CASTSTONE JAMS, AND OF COURSE DIFFERENT AXON VANS.
HERE WE HAVE THE ELEVATION FROM EACH SIDE.
SO WE HAVE THE WEST ELEVATION, AND THIS IS, UM, FACING MAIN STREET.
WE HAVE THE SOUTH, WHICH IS FACING THE EMPTY LOT AND THE NURSING HOME, THE EAST, WHICH IS THE BACK OF THE BUILDING, IT'S A PARKING LOT.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS OFF THE SIDE IN THE FRONT, NOT OFF THE PARKING LOT.
HERE'S THE SAME IN, UM, SCHEMATIC AS WELL AS THE FLOOR PLAN.
HERE'S MAIN STREET, THE ENTRANCE, THE SIDE ENTRANCE, SECOND FLOOR, AND A BUILDING SECTION.
SO KEY FINDINGS ARE THAT STAFF FIND THAT THE PROPOSED NEW CONSTRUCTION SITE DEVELOPMENT MEETS BERNIE'S UDC REGULATION AND HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT HLC SHOULD DETERMINE IF THE REQUEST MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE UDC AND HAS HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES AND CONSIDER THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
AND HERE WE HAVE MOTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THE APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER IT.
UM, SO LIKE THE, THE MATERIAL THAT THEY'RE USING IS JUST LIKE ACNE, ACNE BRICK, BUT ON THE ELEVATION IT SHOWS SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE MORE RED, LIKE RED BRICK.
ARE THEY PAINTING THAT THE SHERWIN WILLIAMS COLOR OR ARE THEY USING RED BRICK FOR THAT? IT'S A PAINTED COLOR.
THE TEXTURE ON THAT, THOSE
SO IT'S, IF YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME PLEASE.
HI, DANIEL LONG WITH CHE ARCHITECTS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THE, THE RED PORTIONS ARE THE, THE PAINTED EXTERIOR.
UH, IT'S CONCRETE AND STEEL STRUCTURE, BUT IT'S, UH, PAINTED TO BE A STUCCO.
SO THERE'LL BE SURFACE APPLIED, UM, EVIS PROFILES AND STUFF THAT WILL ACCENTUATE THE WINDOW CASINGS AND THE TABLATURE OF THE COINS.
THE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ABOVE THE BRICK COURSE AT THE GROUND LEVEL, UM, WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY A PAINTED STUCCO WITH A, WITH ACCENT BANDS.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, BUT I JUST COULDN'T TELL EXACTLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE ARCHITECT? UM, DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER WHEN WE APPROVED? SORRY.
DOES, DOES, DOES ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS REMEMBER WHEN WE APPROVED DR.
SPENCER'S, UM, BUILDING I WHAT BUILDING THAT IS? WHICH ONE'S THAT, WHICH ONE'S THAT? UH, IT'S ACROSS FROM, UH, THE GER, THE RED BRICK.
OH, THE STEWART STEWART CILLO FAMILY MEDICINE NOW IS THERE NOW THE ONE STORY.
UH, THEY, THEY BUILD UM, UH, AMPUTEE STUFF FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS.
WELL, I REMEMBER THEIR ARCHITECT HAD PRESENTED SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF JUST A MASS ELEVATION, UH, JUST A WALL OF WINDOWS AND STONE.
AND WE HAD TALKED TO DR. SPENCER AND HE WAS, UM, HE WAS OPEN TO THE IDEA OF MAKING IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS A SERIES OF ROW HOUSES INSTEAD OF JUST, JUST A, A MASSIVE FLAT WALL.
LIKE THERE'D BE LIKE ONE SECTION THAT WAS PROTRUDING MM-HMM
AND THEN ANOTHER LITTLE SECTION THAT WAS SET BACK LIKE TWO FEET.
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE ELEVATIONS THERE IS, SO THE, THE CENTER PORTION OFF THE MAIN STREET WHERE THE CANOPY THAT ENTERS MAINSTREAM IS 30 INCHES RECESSED.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT, AND THAT'S FULL HEIGHT BRICK, AND YOU'VE GOT THE PROTRUDING, UM, WINGS ON EACH SIDE OF THAT, THAT ARE, I MEAN, ROUGHLY THE BUILDING, I THINK I'M TALKING MORE ABOUT THE WEST SIDE.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE THAT ELEVATION YOU COULD FOR THE FOUR ELEVATIONS ON THE ONE SIDE WEST SIDE? UH, THE REAR ELEVATION, THE BASEMENT, THE WEST SIDE SIDE MAIN STREET ELEVATION.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
SO GO, IF YOU GO TO THE FLOOR PLAN, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE INS AND OUTS OF THE, OF THIS FRONT.
SO ON THE CURSOR, THIS IS MAIN STREET OUT HERE, WE'VE GOT ONE STORY BRICK WITH THE PAINTED ACCENTS ABOVE.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE TWO STORY BRICK VOLUME WITH AN ADDITIONAL RECESSED ENTRYWAY.
AND I DON'T, MY CONCERN IS NOT FOR THE, THE STREET VIEW.
CAN WE GO TO THE OTHER COLORED, UH,
[01:20:01]
ELEVATIONS? THE TWO, THE LONG PARTS OF THE BUILDING? YEAH, LIKE THE NORTH ELEVATION.THE NORTH, TO ME IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A MASSIVE WALL OF, AND IT LOOKS LIKE COLUMNS, BUT IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAN BREAK THAT UP THROUGH MOVING A SECTION? UH, WE ARE PUSHED UP AGAINST, WITHIN ABOUT 10 FEET OR SO OF THE PROPERTY LINE, UH, ONE THAT ALLOWS FIRE ACCESS TO GET, UH, FROM MAIN STREET AND FIGHT FIRE FROM OUR MAIN STREET ACCESS.
THEN ALSO IS ON THE FIRE LINE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, AS WE HAMMER HEAD IN ON THAT PORTION OF IT, THERE, THERE'S A LITTLE ROOM FOR KIND OF SOME ARTICULATION THERE.
BUT A LOT OF THAT THOUGHT IS, I MEAN, IF YOU GO LOOK AT, EVEN, EVEN THE EXAMPLE THAT THEY PRESENTED BEFORE THE ZIGLAR HOUSE, EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN THAT SIDE, IT'S, IT'S A HUNDRED FOOT DEEP BUILDING WITH JUST ARTICULATED PUNCHED OPENINGS ON THAT ELEVATION, WHICH IS VERY TYPICAL OF, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN LOOK DOWN THE SIDES OF THESE BUILDINGS NOW, THERE'S JUST OTHER BUILDINGS BUTTED UP NEXT TO THEM AS IT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED OVER TIME.
BUT, UH, I MEAN THERE, THERE WOULD BE ROOM TO SAY, TAKE THE MIDDLE THREE OR FOUR PANELS, RECESS THOSE BACK JUST TO GIVE THEM SOME HEIGHT.
WE ARE, WE ARE PUSHING THE ENVELOPE ON THE BUILDING HEIGHT.
ONE IS WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET A SECOND CUT OFF OF MAIN STREET, SO FOR FIRE ACCESS.
SO WE DO NEED TO STAY BELOW THAT 30 FEET LINE.
AND SO AS YOU START PUSHING AND PULLING IN AND OUT, UM, WITH ROOF SLOPES AND WITH OTHER STUFF, IT, IT, IT BECOMES A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC.
BUT I MEAN, THERE'S NOT, UM, I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S, IT'S A, WOULDN'T SAY IT'S UNDOABLE, IT'S A FLAT ROOF, RIGHT? YES SIR.
IT'S, THERE'S, YEAH, WELL IT'S LOW SLOPED.
AND I'M NOT TALKING, UH, 10, 10 FEET OR SO.
I'M JUST TALKING BUMP ONE OUT A FOOT, ONE BACK A FOOT JUST TO, JUST TO GIVE IT SOME ARCHITECTURAL INTEREST INSTEAD OF JUST A BIG FLAT.
ARE YOU OPEN TO THAT IDEA? YEAH, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE, WE WILL TYPICALLY DO THAT IF WE WOULD SAY WE TAKE THESE TWO PANELS HERE AND THESE TWO PANELS HERE AND THEN BUMP THESE METAL SIX IN BY 18 INCHES OR A FOOT TO CHANGE THAT JUST SO THERE'S SOME DEPTH AND RELIEF AND SHADOW LINE AND NOT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THAT, THAT SOLITARY RUNDOWN BACK, IT WOULD COME WITH MINIMAL SQUARE FOOTAGE LOST.
UM, WE COULD PROBABLY LOOK AT PUSHING THE BACK OUT OF FOOT OR, YOU KNOW, JUST TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THAT POTENTIALLY EFFECT AROSE, I GUESS.
BUT THE, WE WOULD BE OPEN TO PUSHING THIS IN OR OUT BY TO CREATE SOME INS AND OUTS IN ARTICULATION ALONG THAT, THAT NORTH FACE.
YOU MEAN IF IT, IT'S JUST LIKE THE FRONT, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE YOU PUSH THE MIDDLE BACK MM-HMM
IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE UNIFORM AND, AND I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME DEPTH, MORE ARCHITECTURAL, UH, INTEREST.
AND THE ARCHITECT ALREADY SAID THAT THEY'RE IN CONSTRAINT FOR THE HEIGHT, SO WE CAN'T DO LIKE LITTLE GABLE THINGS TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A ROW HOUSE, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO GO THAT FAR MM-HMM
UH, SO YOU WOULD BE OPEN TO A MAIN YEAH.
ON, ON, ON THAT NORTH ELEVATION.
UM, THAT'S MORE THAN A MENDABLE TO KIND OF RECESS THE MIDDLE FOUR, SIX PANELS OR SO TO GET SOME BREAK AND RELIEF TO THAT 200 FOOT RUN OF, OF EVEN IF YOU JUST ADDED LIKE A LITTLE SECTION OF THE BRICK, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD THE STUCK JUST TO GIVE SO IT'S NOT ALL, ALL STUCK.
I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TURNING YOUR BACK TO THE FOOT HOUSE.
AND I, IF YOU CAN'T MODIFY THE FOOTPRINT, THEN MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE THE ILLUSION OF DIFFERENT DEPTHS THROUGH DIFFERENT MATERIALS.
LIKE, UH, DARKER STONE IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS AND NOT HAVE IT JUST LIKE CANDY CAKE, STRIPE, BUT
SO IT, IT LOOKS LIKE, WELL, SO, UH, DO WE THEN TABLE THIS ITEM? OR OR DO WE ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THE, I THINK WE WOULD NEED TO SEE ANOTHER RENDERING, WOULDN'T WE? SO YOU CAN CHOOSE TO APPROVE IT WITH MODIFICATIONS AS DISCUSSED.
SO YOU CAN AGREE TO SOMETHING TONIGHT.
YOU CAN APPROVE IT THAT WAY YOU CAN APPROVE IT WITH UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STIPULATION THAT THE CHANGES BE APPROVED BY STAFF.
UM, SO THAT WAY STAFF HAS A SECOND SET OF EYES ON IT TO MAKE SURE IT'S MEETING YOUR INTENT OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING TONIGHT.
WELL, OR YOU CAN TABLE IT IF YOU WANT AND GO NEXT MONTH.
I'M FINE WITH STAFF REVIEWING.
I MEAN, Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO PUT ANOTHER, UH, SET OF EYEBALLS ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND VERSION.
WE HAVE ONE MOTION ALREADY, SO LET SEE WHAT THAT MOTION IS AND THEN I AM CAN WE PUT THE WORDS OUT
[01:25:03]
SORRY.I DON'T THINK THAT MOTION'S GONNA PASS, WHICH IS FINE.
UM, SO THAT ONE FAILS IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION.
I MAKE A COUNTER MOTION TO, UH, THAT THE HISTORIC LANDLORD COMMISSION ACCEPT THE FINDINGS AND APPROVE THE REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A NEW STRUCTURE SITE DEVELOPMENT AT 7 0 1 NORTH MAIN STREET WITH, UH, THE, UM, RECOMMENDED DESIGN CHANGES, ELEVATION CHANGES, UM, AND TO THE NORTH ELEVATION.
TO THE NORTH ELEVATION AND TO BE, UM, REVIEWED BY CITY STAFF.
CAN YOU ACTUALLY TAKE YOUR NAME OFF THE, OH, I HAVE NO IDEA.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WRIGHT AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MATON IF ALL COMMISSIONERS CAN VOTE TO THAT MOTION COMMISSION.
I JUST WANNA VERIFY YOU'RE GONNA BE APPROVING WITH MODIFICATIONS.
UM, SO IT HAS BEEN APPROVED WITH DISCUSSION OF THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TO BE APPROVED BY STAFF.
[D. 2026-274 Consider a certificate of appropriateness for sign permit(s) located at 112 East San Antonio Avenue. (Devino Cellars)]
NEXT ITEM, UM, IS ITEM NUMBER 2 0 2 6 DASH 2 7 4.CONSIDER A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR ASSIGNED PERMIT OR PERMITS LOCATED AT ONE 11 EAST SOUTH EAST SAN ANTONIO AVENUE.
DID DIVIN DIVIN, UH, SELLERS TURN OVER TO STAFF DINO DIVIN DI KNOW COLORS.
UH, THIS IS A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR SIGNED PERMITS LOCATED AT 1 1 2 EAST SAN ANTONIO AVENUE.
UH, THE APPLICANT TODAY OR FOR THIS ITEM IS LUKE KIRCH AND THE REQUEST IS FOR COA OF SIGNED PERMITS ZONING ON THE PROPERTY.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED C3 COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL.
ITS HISTORIC STATUS IS THAT IT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT'S CONSIDERED A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE AND IT IS SUBJECT TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THE USE AT THIS TIME IS A BAR OR WINE BAR BACKGROUND ON THIS BUILDING.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED CIRCA IN 1920 AND IT WAS KNOWN AS THE BERNIE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE BUILDING.
SO THIS STRUCTURE IS ACTUALLY THE PLACE WHERE ALL OF THE SWITCHBOARDS OF BERNIE WERE HOUSED.
RIGHT NOW THE STRUCTURE IS CURRENTLY A WHITE PAINTED BRICK CONSTRUCTION AND IT HAS A METAL HIP ROOF EXTENDED OVER THE FRONT ENTRY TO CREATE AN AWNING FEATURE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE, UH, CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE SITE.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE HERE, UM, THE SITE HURT CURRENTLY HAS A SIGN THAT'S ALREADY UP THAT SIGN, UM, WILL BE TAKEN DOWN PENDING THE APPROVAL OF THESE COAS.
SO THIS IS THE PROPOSED SITE DESIGN IN THE FRONT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE IT HERE IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER.
UH, IT IS GONNA BE A REFACING OF THE EXISTING DOUBLE-SIDED AWNING SIGN FEATURE AT THE FRONT.
IT FEATURES THE COLORS BROWN, TAN, AND WHITE, AND IT IS 18 INCHES BY 48 INCHES OR A TOTAL OF SIX SQUARE FEET.
AND IT WILL BE PRINTED ON UV LAMINATION.
AND THEN THIS IS THE PROPOSED DESIGN FOR THE REAR.
UH, THEY'RE PROPOSING TO ADD A WALL SIGN TO THE BACK OF THE STRUCTURE.
IT IS FEATURING THE SAME COLORS.
IT IS 24 INCHES BY 84 INCHES OR A TOTAL OF 14 SQUARE FEET.
AND IT'S COMPOSED OF ALUMINUM COMPOSITE MATERIAL.
AND IT WILL BE PRINTED WITH UV LAMINATION AS WELL.
THE KEY FINDINGS FOR THIS SITE, THE SIGN MEETS THE FOLLOWING UDC AND HISTORIC DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS.
THE SIGN IS COMPOSED OF METAL OR WOOD MATERIAL, IT'S METAL ALUMINUM COMPOSITE.
UH, THE SIGN HAS A MAXIMUM OF TWO TYPE FACES.
THERE'S NO ILLUMINATION ON THESE SIGNS.
AND THE SIGN FEATURES EARTH TONE COLORS.
AND THESE ARE YOUR MOTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS HERE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM AS WELL, YOU CAN MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME AND SPEAK IF YOU WOULD LIKE, IF YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME.
UH, GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
[01:30:01]
FIRST STREET HERE IN BURNIE.UH, THIS BUSINESS HAS BEEN OPEN ALMOST TWO YEARS.
WE ARE SIMPLY RELOCATING FROM SOUTH MAIN STREET 1109 SOUTH MAIN TO, UH, ONE 12 EAST SAN ANTONIO.
UH, THE SIGNAGE IS THE EXACT SAME WE HAD THERE WAS PERMITTED.
SO JUST THIS IS SIMPLY A CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUR SIGNS ON, ON THE BUILDING.
SO NOTHING, UH, NOTHING CRAZY OR NEW.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? MADAM CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVED THE CERTIFICATE APPROPRIATENESS FOR SIGNS LOCATED AT 1 1 2 EAST SAN ANTONIO AVENUE, VINNO SELLERS.
ACTION ITEM 2026 DASH 27 4 AS PRESENTED.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
MADAM, IF ALL COMMISSIONERS COULD PLEASE VOTE, IT IS APPROVED SO YOU CAN GET YOUR SIGN, NEW SIGN UP, FIND YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS.
[6. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSION/LEGAL COUNSEL/STAFF – No discussion or action may take place.]
NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONS OR LEGAL COUNSEL OR STAFF.ANY COMMENTS FROM, I KNOW STAFF HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE ETHIC ANNUAL ETHICS TRAINING, UH, IS DUE, AN EMAIL WAS SENT TO YOUR CITY ACCOUNTS, UH, THE WEEK BEFORE LAST.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST.
SO, UM, UH, YOU'LL JUST NEED TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE EMAIL.
UM, WATCH, UH, THE PRESENTATION, RECORDING OF THE PRESENTATION FROM LAST YEAR, AND THEN PROVIDE A NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT SAYING THAT YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE ETHICS TRAINING.
UH, WE DO HAVE NOTARIES AVAILABLE HERE AT CITY HALL, SO IF YOU WANT US TO NOTARIZE IT FOR YOU, WE CAN DO THAT.
OH, AND ALSO AT OUR NEXT MEETING, YES, SORRY.
SO WHAT, WHAT DID YOU, WHAT WAS THE LAST PART? WE CAN ALSO NOTARIZE IT AT OUR NEXT, EXCUSE ME, OUR NEXT MEETING IN AUGUST.
SO WE NEED TO PRINT THAT OFF OURSELVES, UH, AT THE MEETING.
PRINTED AND READY TO NOTARIZE.
AND I GOT THE EMAIL THAT WE CAN GET IT NOTARIZED AT THE NEXT 'CAUSE I ALREADY COMPLETED THE TRAINING.
WHAT IS THAT DUE BY? SORRY, I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT.
UH, I'LL FORWARD IT TO YOUR OTHER EMAIL ACCOUNTS AS WELL.
UM, OF COURSE, UH, IT'S DUE ON JULY 31ST OR AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A CHANGE IN DATE, WHICH IS OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE THE AUGUST 13TH MEETING, SO WE'LL HAVE IT THEN.
AND I ACTUALLY LISTENED TO THE ENTIRE YOUTUBE, UH, PRESENTATION 'CAUSE M**K IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY CAPTIVATING SPEAKER.
[A. 2026-279 2026 Historic Landmark Commission Calendar]
THANK YOU.DISCUSSION ITEM, UH, 2 0 2 6 DASH 2 7 9 2026 HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION CALENDAR.
I'M WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS DISCUSSION ITEM.
OH, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN UP YET TODAY, SO I'M GLAD YOU MADE IT.
SO, AS WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, AND I THINK THE LAST TWO MONTHS OF MEETINGS, THERE WILL BE A CHANGE TO THE DATE OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETINGS.
THIS IS SIMPLY JUST AN UPDATED CALENDAR THAT REFLECTS THAT CHANGE.
SO YOU CAN SEE JANUARY THROUGH JULY, THOSE ARE BOXED IN THE GRAY.
THOSE ARE MEETINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED AND WILL NOT BE AFFECTED STARTING IN AUGUST.
THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION WILL MOVE FROM THE FIRST TUESDAY AT FIVE 30 TO THE SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH AT FIVE 30.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S, UH, SHOWN IN THE LITTLE RED COLOR IN THE UNBOXED, UM, PORTIONS OF THE CALENDAR.
UM, DO WE NEED A MOTION? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY, THERE IS A PRINT COPY IN THE GREEN FOLDER AT YOUR DESK, SO, OH, WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S A DISCUSSION, SO WE DON'T NEED A MOTION.
ADDITIONALLY, NO SCHEDULED CONFLICTS WITH A NEW DATE FOR HOLIDAYS OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS HAD CONFLICTS WITH THE OTHER DATES.
[B. 2026-275 Discuss Historic Landmark Commission rules and new duties.]
THE NEXT ONE IS ITEM 2 0 2 6 DASH 2 7 5[01:35:01]
HLC RULES AND NEW DUTIES.THIS IS A PRESENTATION OVER TRAINING FOR SIGN CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL AND VARIANCES.
I AM WILLIAM WILLINGHAM PLANNER.
UH, SO JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHY WE ARE HAVING THIS TRAINING HERE TODAY.
UM, IN THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HELD, WE DISCUSSED AMENDMENTS TO THE UDC TO DISSOLVE THE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND WE ALSO JUST FINISHED DISCUSSING, UM, THE CALENDAR AND HOW THAT HAS CHANGED.
UM, SO THIS IS ALL RELATED TO THAT AND THESE CHANGES.
UH, SO THE TRANSFER OF DUTIES FROM THE SI UH, THE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, WILL BE COMING OVER TO, UM, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
AND THE CHANGES ARE JUST TO THE OVERSEEING COMMISSIONS.
THEY ARE NOT TO ANY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
Y'ALL BE TAKING A LOOK AT SIGN VARIANCES AND SIGN CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL.
UM, SO JUST AS A REMINDER, BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ROLE? UM, YOUR ROLE IS TO PROTECT BERNIE'S VISUAL IDENTITY AND TO REVIEW CERTAIN SIGNS AND OVERLAY DISTRICTS AND CITYWIDE ELECTRONIC AND DIGITAL SIGNS.
UM, SO WE'LL DISCUSS THAT MORE AS WE GO IN THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, YOUR PRIORITIES ARE ALSO TO REVIEW SIGN VARIANCES CITYWIDE.
UH, SO ANYTIME THERE'S A VARIANCE TO ANY KIND OF SIGNS, THEY WILL COME BEFORE THIS BOARD.
AND LASTLY, THESE, YOU KNOW, THE DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING BASED UPON THESE CHANGES.
THEY DIRECT DIRECTLY AFFECT BERNIE'S CHARACTER, QUALITY AND SAFETY AS A CITY.
AND JUST AS ANOTHER REMINDER, WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF NEW INFORMATION, BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE ESTIMATED CASE INCREASES A RESULT OF THESE CHANGES.
IT'S ONLY ABOUT FOUR CASES A YEAR.
UM, THERE ARE NOT SUCH A HIGH AMOUNT OF SIGN CERTIFICATE OF APPROVALS OR SIGN VARIANCES.
AND YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD A COUPLE OF SIGN VARIANCES BEFORE IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY WERE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO, JUST AS A REMINDER, AS WE GO OUT THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION, AND PERHAPS JUST A REMINDER IN GENERAL, UM, WE CANNOT REGULATE SIGN CONTENT.
THIS IS A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT, WHICH MEANS WE CANNOT EVALUATE THE WORDS ON A SIGN OR THE MESSAGE OR MEANING OF A SIGN.
SO AS THIS BOARD LOOKS AT SIGNS, THEY CAN ONLY TAKE A LOOK AT FOCUSING ON THE REVIEW OF PHYSICAL AND VISUAL IMPACTS.
THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE HERE AS A BOARD MUST BE LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE AND CANNOT BE IN VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
AND SO, TAKING A LOOK AT KIND OF THE PATH OF SIGN CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE SEE HERE IS THAT WHEN SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THE EXAMPLE WE JUST HAD, WE HAD A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
UH, THE APPLICANT WILL SUBMIT AN MGO APPLICATION.
UM, STAFF WILL INITIATE A TECHNICAL REVIEW OF THE SITE.
IF IT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HISTORIC OVERLAY DISTRICT, THEN AND EVERYTHING'S GOOD TO GO, IT WILL COME FORTH TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION TO RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THAT SIGN TO BE ISSUED.
WHAT'S BEING ADDED HERE IS THE NEW DUTY SIMILAR PROCESS.
UM, AN APPLICANT WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT AN MGO APPLICATION, STAFF WILL INITIATE A TECHNICAL REVIEW, AND THEN IF THE UDC IS SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT THAT A SIGN NEEDS A CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL, THEN THAT SIGN WILL COME FORWARD TO THIS BOARD AS WELL.
SO THIS IS A LIST OF SIGNS THAT DO REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL.
UM, ESSENTIALLY THERE ARE SIGNS WITHIN THE ENTIRE JURISDICTION OF BERNIE THAT REQUIRE THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL.
AND THAT IS ALL DIGITAL SIGNS AND ALL ELECTRONIC CHANGEABLE COPY SIGNS.
AND THEN WITHIN EACH OVERLAY DISTRICT, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN KIND OF OUTLINES FOR WHAT SPECIFIC SIGNS WILL NEED A, UH, CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT UH, ALL THESE SIGNS ARE HIGHLY VISIBLE SIGNS.
THEY'RE HIGHLY IMPACTFUL TO THE CHARACTER OF BERNIE.
AND SO I'LL JUST KIND OF, OH, GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF HERE.
UH, SO THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT SIGN TYPES.
WE HAVE DIGITAL SIGNS ON THE LEFT.
SO THINK A DIGITAL SIGN, IT HAS AN IMAGE, IT'S LIT UP, UM, IT'S ILLUMINATED.
WHEREAS AN ELECTRONIC CHANGEABLE COPY SIGN IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC.
IT IS ESSENTIALLY WORDS ON A DIGITAL SCREEN.
SO THIS IS THE SECTION, I'LL JUST KIND OF BREEZE OVER THIS, BUT I PUT IT HERE FOR YOUR REFERENCE ESSENTIALLY JUST TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU EVER NEED TO LOOK BACK AT THIS PACKET, UM, WHAT THE PURPOSE OF EACH OVERLAY DISTRICT IS, AS ANY KIND OF CASES MAY COME FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY OVERLAY DISTRICT IS TO, YOU KNOW, REGULATE THE CHARACTER OF THIS AREA THAT SURROUNDS THE CENTRAL PART OF BERNIE.
NEXT TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE RIVER ROAD OVERLAY DISTRICT.
WE'RE THINKING THAT CORRIDOR WHERE SUNNY'S IS LOCATED, UM, THAT HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE CHARACTER THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROTECT THE SOBO OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH IS THAT NEW DEVELOPING AREA ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF BURN.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT DEVELOPS WITH ITS APPROPRIATE CHARACTER, THE ENTRANCE CORRIDOR OR OVERLAY.
UM, SO THAT IS ALL AREAS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CITY OF
[01:40:01]
BERNIE, THINKING ALL THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES THINKING COMING SOUTH ON MAIN STREET FROM THE HIGHWAY.THINK COMING NORTH ON MAIN STREET FROM THE HIGHWAY, UM, 46 BY HEB, UH, 46 AS YOU'RE EXITING BERNIE OUT THAT DIRECTION.
UM, THOSE ARE PART OF OUR ENTRANCE CORRIDOR OVERLAY.
AND THEN THE SCENIC INTERSTATE OVERLAY IS ESSENTIALLY TO PROTECT THE VIEWS THAT YOU SEE AS YOU'RE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.
SO WE WANNA ENSURE THAT THERE'S SOME CHARACTER AND COMPATIBILITY WITH SCIENCE IN THAT AREA AS YOU'RE DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY.
SO, KEY ELEMENTS WHEN EVALUATING, UM, COAS FOR KEY SIGN ELEMENTS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPATIBILITY WITH BUILDING MATERIALS, SCALE AND ARCHITECTURE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PROPORTION AND PLACEMENT THAT SUIT THE SITE AND THE STREET FRONTAGE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT LIGHTING AND CONFIRM IN CONFORMANCE WITH BERNIE DARK SKY STANDARDS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE SIGNS TO RESPECT THE OVERLAY DISTRICT'S CHARACTERS AND SURROUNDING CONTEXT.
UH, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT VISUAL CLUTTER DOES NOT DOMINATE THE STREETSCAPE WITH, YOU KNOW, HIGH VOLUMES OF SIGNS OR BIG SIGNS.
AND WE WANNA ENSURE THAT THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS AND LONG-TERM APPEARANCE ARE LASTING.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN, CAN CONSIDER AS THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
WE'RE REVIEWING THE SIGNED CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL.
SO I'LL PAUSE HERE 'CAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER LENGTHY SECTION.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING SIGNED CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL? YES.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, ON, I GUESS INTERSTATE OVERLAY, UM, OTHER LIKE HEIGHT REGULATIONS ON HOW SI TALL THE SIGNS CAN BE, OR IS THAT SOMEBODY ELSE LOOK AT THAT? OR DO WE JUST USE STRICTLY JUST THE FACE DESIGN? SO IT WOULD JUST BE FOR, IF THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET ALL THE UDC CRITERIA, RIGHT? SO THE CERTIFICATE APPROVAL AS LONG, UH, IF IT'S A DIGITAL SIGN, A NON-STATIC ILLUMINATED SIGN, AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD OR, OR A MANUAL CHANGE BOARD, THEY NEED TO MEET THE UDC CRITERIA.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE CHANGING THAT'S NOT MEETING THE UDC CRITERIA, THEN THEY HAVE TO COME FOR A VARIANCE UNLESS IT IS EXPLICITLY PROHIBITED.
SO WE'LL KIND OF GET INTO THAT IN THE NEXT PART.
UM, BUT THIS IS ALMOST LIKE THINK ABOUT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, RIGHT? UM, THE PREVIOUS SIGN ON DAVINO SIGNS, THEY MET OUR REQUIREMENTS, UM, BUT THEY COULDN'T PUT THE SIGNS UP UNTIL THEY'VE RECEIVED, UH, YOUR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
THIS IS KIND OF SIMILAR DEAL HERE.
IS IT? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU, UM, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE LONG-TERM APPEARANCE? I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S UP FOR THE COMMISSION TO DISCUSS WHEN THAT ITEM COMES FORWARD.
UM, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE LONG-TERM APPEARANCE
I WOULD SAY MIGHT I SUGGEST, SINCE THIS IS NEW TO US, TO BE PROVIDED EXEMPLARS FROM APPROVALS AND, UM, DISAPPROVALS OR, UM, FROM THE PAST FOR WHEN IT BEING PRESENTED ABSOLUTELY PENDING AND SPECIFIC TO THE OVERLAY THAT WE'RE REVIEWING, WHAT IS THE, WE, I I WOULD SAY YES, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT WITH A, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE ASTERISK, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN VERY MANY.
SO THERE DEFINITELY HAS NOT BEEN A CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL FOR ALL OF THE OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
UM, SO WHEN AVAILABLE WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT CONTEXTUAL HISTORY.
IT'D JUST BE HELPFUL BECAUSE WE'RE GOING INTO THIS BLIND NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT IT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE EXAMPLES OF, BUT THERE'S ONLY BEEN 22 PIECES OF WHAT IT'S LOOKED LIKE IN THE PAST.
AND I'M LOOKING AT LONG TERM APPEARANCE, LIKE WHEN THESE THINGS GET SUN DAMAGED AND PEELING AND MM-HMM
WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCE FOR THAT? LIKE, AGREE STUCK LOOKING AT IT.
BETTY GOES AROUND AND SAYS REPLACE IT.
I JUST WAS WONDERING, I WAS LIKE, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE EVALUATING THAT, I'M LIKE LONG TERM APPEARANCE, EVERYTHING WE NEED TO HOLD THEM RIGHT.
FOR MAINTAINING THAT APPEARANCE.
SO I'D LIKE TO TO ADD LIKE IT'S NOT JUST THE SIGN FOR LONG-TERM APPEARANCE, IT'S FOR THE LONG-TERM APPEARANCE OF THE AREA, OF THE WHOLE AREA WITHIN THAT OVERLAY DISTRICT.
SO IN 20 YEARS WITH THAT SIGN THERE, SAY IT'S BEEN REFACED, HOW DOES THE LONG-TERM APPEARANCE BEING AFFECTED, IS IT BEING ENHANCED BY THAT SIGN OR NOT? OKAY.
AND THAT'S WHY Y'ALL GET PAID THE BIG BUCKS FOR THIS.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION FROM PAGE FIVE ABOUT THE, UH, REGULATING SIGNS.
WHAT IF A CLIENT BRINGS IN A SIGN REQUEST AND IT'S LIKE A, A PARAGRAPH ON A SIGN? CAN WE REGULATE SAYING, LISTEN, YOU NEED TO TRIM THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
[01:45:01]
WANT TO HAVE PUT A PARAGRAPH ON A, ON A SIGN.I THINK I, I WOULD THINK THAT'S REASONABLE BECAUSE UH, I KNOW THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING.
WE COULD CITE, UH, CONCERN FOR, UM, TRAFFIC INCIDENT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE READING, SLOWING DOWN TRYING TO READ THE SIGN BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH CONTENT ON IT.
LEGAL FROM, FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, WE WOULD EVALUATE ALL OF THOSE SIGNS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT THE CITY WOULD GENERALLY BE PERMITTED TO REGULATE TIME, PLACE, AND MANNER RESTRICTIONS.
AND SO I THINK THAT MAKING THE SIGN SHORTER SO THAT IT'S NOT A PARAGRAPH THAT'S PERHAPS DISTRACTING OR TOO WORDY COULD POTENTIALLY BE A MANNER.
UM, THE MANNER IN WHICH IT'S WRITTEN.
UM, I THINK IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE DEFENSIBLE UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT, BUT WE WOULD EVALUATE UNDER THOSE RULES.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME CLIENTS THAT BRING IN A SIGN AND IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY BUSY.
RIGHT? WE'VE HAD 'EM, YOU KNOW, REDESIGN IT MM-HMM
AND I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A FAIR CONVERSATION.
BUT I THINK IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND AS THE COMMISSION THAT YOU KNOW, IF IT'S IN THAT GRAY AREA, THAT PERHAPS WE ARE ENTERING SOME LEGAL PUSHBACK, LEGAL.
SO JUST THAT CONSIDERATION IN MIND, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS THE CONTEXT FOR THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING READY TO MOVE ON? MOVE ON.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SIGNS REQUIRING VARIANCES.
SO THIS IS THE GRAPHIC THAT WAS ILLUSTRATING, UM, THE CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL.
SO WE CAN SEE HERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THAT THE HLC LOOKS AT CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS, CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL NOW, AND LASTLY SIGNED VARIANCE REQUEST.
BUT WHERE DOES THAT FALL IN? SO THIS FALLS IN OFF TO KIND OF A DIFFERENT SIDE.
SO IN THE FIRST TWO WE SAW THAT IN THE TECHNICAL REVIEW THAT THOSE SIGNS HAD MET THE UM, UDC REQUIREMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GUIDELINES THAT WE AS STAFF ARE USING TO REVIEW THESE SIGNS.
THEY HAVE MET THEM AND THAT'S WHAT COMES FORWARD TO YOU AS A SIGNED CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS OR A SIGNED CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL.
IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THE SIGN IS TECHNICALLY DEFICIENT, THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON THE APPLICANT CANNOT OR CHOOSES NOT TO FOLLOW WHAT THE UDC OUTLINES AND STAFF IS SAYING, HEY, WE CAN'T APPROVE THIS BY RIGHT.
UM, THE APPLICANT HAS THE OPTION TO APPLY FOR VARIANCES AND WE'LL GET INTO WHICH ONES ARE AVAILABLE TO APPLY FOR VARIANCES.
UM, BUT THAT IS THE PROCESSES THAT THEY'RE NOT MEETING THE UDC MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, UM, IN THAT PROCESS.
SO THEY'LL APPLY FOR VARIANCE FOR A SIGN AND YOU WILL SEE THAT SIGN VARIANCE REQUEST COME TO THIS BOARD.
SO WHEN IS A SIGN VARIANCE REQUESTED? THE SIGN VARIANCE IS REQUESTED WHEN THERE ARE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO SIGN VARIANCES ARE MEANT TO GRANT AN APPLICANT RELIEF FROM THE UDC WHEN THE REQUIREMENTS ARE SO BURDENSOME THAT THEY PREVENT THE APPLICANT FROM ENJOYING THEIR PROPERTY IN A WAY THAT OTHERS ARE NOT SO BURDENED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THINK OF SOMETHING THAT THE UDC FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND I'LL SHOW EXAMPLES HERE IN A SECOND, BUT IT'S SO BURDENSOME THAT I CAN'T DO IT ON MY PROPERTY AND IT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE CAN.
UM, SO TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT A REQUEST, UM, FOR RELIEF FROM AN UNDESIRED REGULATION OR PROVIDE A UNIQUE BENEFIT TO THE PROPERTY.
WE WANNA BE CAREFUL WHEN WE'RE EVALUATING THESE SIGNED VARIANCES.
THE SIGNED VARIANCE CANNOT BE REQUESTED FOR SIGNS IF THEY ARE PROHIBITED BY THE UDC.
SO WHAT IS A PROHIBITED SIGN PER THE UDC? SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, NONE OF THESE SIGNS SHOULD COME TO YOU.
THESE ARE SIGNS THAT YOU WILL NOT SEE AS THIS BOARD AND SIGN VARIANCES BECAUSE WE CANNOT TAKE THEM AS SIGN VARIANCES.
SO WE'RE THINKING BEACONS, BILLBOARDS, POLL SIGNS, THOSE ARE SIGNS THAT DO NOT GET VARIANCES.
IF THEY WANT TO PUT A POLE SIGN ON THEIR PROPERTY, WE CANNOT APPROVE IT.
THEY CANNOT REQUEST A VARIANCE.
UM, THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY FOR THEM.
AND THEN THE SAME THING FOR PROHIBITED SIGN LOCATIONS.
AND SPECIFICALLY I THINK THE ONE THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE MOST RELEVANT IS OFF-PREMISE SIGNS.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO LOCATE A SIGN THAT IS OFF THEIR PROPERTY AND THEY DON'T HAVE SOME KIND OF SIGN MASTER AGREEMENT, THEN THAT IS AN OFF-PREMISE SIGN.
IT DOES NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A VARIANCE.
IT DOES NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THIS BOARD.
IT IS JUST OUTRIGHT PROHIBITED.
IS A SIDEWALK SIGN CONSIDERED OFF THEIR PROPERTY SINCE IT'S ON THE RIGHT OF WAY? LIKE AN A-FRAME SIGN? SIDEWALK SIGN, IT'S A TEMPORARY SIGN.
SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE UM, THOSE KIND.
WE SHOULD PUT IT IN THERE WHERE IT'S PROHIBITED.
OH, YOU WANT IT PROHIBITED, YOU WANNA PROHIBIT THEM.
WELL IF THEY WOULD PUT UP SIGNS, THE ARROW SIGNS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE THE STREET SIGN IS AND THEN YOU HAVE ARROW SIGNS FOR
[01:50:01]
WHAT'S DOWN THERE.SO WHEN COULD ASSIGNED VARIANCE COME FORWARD THEN? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROHIBITED SIGNS? SO SIGNS THAT COULD COME FORWARD IF THEY FOR WHATEVER REASON ARE REQUESTING A VARIANCE WOULD BE WHEN THEY'RE EXCEEDING SIGN STANDARD REQUIREMENTS, THEY'RE EXCEEDING THE NUMBER OF PERMITTED SIGNS, THEY'RE DEVIATING FROM THE MATERIAL STANDARDS.
THEY REQUIRE A FORMAL VARIANCE AS OUTLINED BY THE UDC OR THE SIGN TYPE IS EXPLICITLY NOT PROHIBITED BY THE UDC.
SO NOW WE ASK AS A COMMISSION, HOW DO WE EVALUATE THESE SIGN VARIANCES WHEN THEY COME TO THIS BOARD? SO THERE ARE FIVE CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL IN ORDER TO HAVE A SIGNED VARIANCE APPROVED.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT A SIGNED VARIANCE IS EVALUATED THROUGH THE FINDING OF FACT.
SO THE SIGNED VARIANCE REQUEST MUST MEET ALL FIVE OF THE CRITERIA AS OUTLINED IN UDC TWO DASH 10 E FOUR CRITERIA FOR GRANTING A VARIANCE.
AND SO WE SEE THAT HERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, ABBREVIATED.
AND SO THESE WILL GO OVER THEM INDIVIDUALLY IN THE COMING SLIDES ARE AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP.
THE HARDSHIP IS UNIQUE TO THE PROPERTY.
THE HARDSHIP IS NOT SELF-IMPOSED.
APPROVING THE VARIANCE IS NOT HARMFUL TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES OR OTHER CONFORMING PROPERTIES AND APPROVING THE VARIANCE ALIGNS WITH THE INTENT OF THE UDC.
SO THIS BOARD MUST FIND THAT ALL FIVE OF THESE CRITERIA MUST BE MET IN ORDER TO APPROVE A VARIANCE THEY CANNOT APPROVE OR YOU SHOULD NOT APPROVE A SIGNED VARIANCE IF THEY HAVE NOT MET THESE CRITERIA.
HOW DO WE DEFINE HARDSHIP? THAT SOUNDS VERY QUITE A BIT SUBJECTIVE.
THE NEXT PIECE IT CAN BECOME SUBJECTIVE.
UM, SO WE'VE PROVIDED SOME EXAMPLES HERE.
UH, SO WHAT IS AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP? UM, WE'RE THINKING WHEN A PROPERTY SUNKEN BELOW A RETAINING WALL THAT THE STANDARD HEIGHT OF A SIGN, OR EXCUSE ME, THAT THE THE STANDARD SIGN HEIGHT IS NOT VISIBLE AND A WALL SIGN FOR WHATEVER REASON DUE TO IT BEING A HISTORIC LANDMARK, THEY CANNOT PLACE ONE.
SO ESSENTIALLY THEY CANNOT PLACE A SIGN, THERE'S NO PLACE FOR THEM TO PUT IT ON THE PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S NOT VISIBLE AND THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PLACE IT ON THEIR PRO ON THEIR WALL, ON THEIR BUILDING BECAUSE IT'S A HISTORIC LANDMARK.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP.
WHAT IS A NON-EXAMPLE IS THE APPLICANT IS COMING FORWARD WITH A VARIANCE REQUEST TO REQUEST A LARGER SIGN TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS THAT IS NOT AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP.
OR FOR EXAMPLE, THE APPLICANT IS COMING TO REQUEST A SIGN VARIANCE BECAUSE THEIR APPROVED CORPORATE BRANDING UM, MUST CHANGE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH OUR UDC.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN ITS UNIQUE CHARACTER AND IF THEY HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR CORPORATE BRANDING THEN SO BE IT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO AND ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN BERNIE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS NOT AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP.
AND WHAT THIS COMMISSION WOULD HAVE TO EVALUATE IF YOU SAW ONE OF THESE IS THAT IS ALL, IS ALL OF THIS NEW, NEW HOUSEHOLD, ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, IS THIS NEW FOR FOR THE VARIANCE APPLICATION? NO, THESE HAVE, THESE ARE THE SAME UDC STANDARDS, UM, AS OUTLINED BEFORE.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGING THE DRC, UH, WHETHER THEY WERE OR WERE NOT, THIS WAS THEIR, THEIR INTERNAL POLICY IN ORDER TO EVALUATE SIGNED VARIANCES JUST BEING MOVED TO US.
'CAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT MINE'S MEAT MARKET WAS A VARIANCE.
IT WAS FOR SIZE THOUGH, WASN'T IT? IT WAS FOR SIZE.
YEAH, BUT THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING IS THAT IT CAN'T, THAT'S NOT A NECESSARY AND I LIKE IT.
I THINK IT, I THINK IT ACTUALLY LOOKS YEAH, BUT YOU DIDN'T, THEY THEY DIDN'T COME IN, UM, CLAIMING HARDSHIP.
IT WAS JUST, MAY WE PLEASE HAVE A VARIANCE AND HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO LOOK LIKE.
BUT DOESN'T IT HAVE TO MEET ALL OF THESE FIVE REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO GET THE APPROVAL? UM, I DON'T, I THINK THIS IS, IT SAYS MUST THIS IS JUST DIFFERENT THAN SIGNED FOR A BUILDING.
HISTORICAL, IF I CAN INTERRUPT.
SO YES, ALL FIVE OF THESE SHOULD BE MET BEFORE A SIGNED VARIANCE IS ISSUED FOR THAT SPECIFIC CASE.
UM, THERE IS A SPECIAL CODE REQUIREMENT, UM, UH, BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE SUITE OF THE, THE BUILDING, UH, OF THE SUITE INSIDE THE BUILDING.
SO IT WAS, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE, UM, AT TOWN CENTERS THEY WANTED A BIGGER SIGN.
THIS IS, IT WAS A VERY, UM, SPECIFIC SECTION OF THE CODE THAT THAT WAS REGARDING.
AND SO THEIR VARIANCE WASN'T JUST TO ALLOW A LARGER SIGN, THE VARIANCE WAS A HARDSHIP BECAUSE OF THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SUITE IN THE BUILDING BECAUSE IT WAS IN A DOWNTOWN AREA AND THE WAY IT WAS REDONE.
OKAY, SO IT'S IT TO WILLIAM'S POINT, IT CAN BE NUANCED AND COMPLICATED AND THAT'S WHY EACH OF THESE ARE CASE BY CASE BASIS.
MOVING ON TO THE SECOND CRITERIA.
[01:55:01]
TO THE PROPERTY.AND SO AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THERE IS AN EXISTING UTILITY EASEMENT THAT ENCUMBERS ALL APPROVABLE SIGN LOCATIONS.
THE APPLICANT CANNOT PLACE THEIR SIGN OVER THE UTILITY EASEMENT.
AND SO, BUT THEY'D LIKE TO PLACE A SIGN AS A BUILDING.
THEIR NEIGHBORS ARE ABLE TO PLACE A SIGN AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLACE A SIGN.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A UNIQUE HARDSHIP THAT IS UNIQUE TO THAT PROPERTY.
UM, WHAT IS NOT A UNIQUE HARDSHIP WOULD BE THE REQUIRED SETBACK, APPLICABLE TO THE SIGN TYPE, UM, IS NOT PREFERABLE TO THE APPLICANT THAT IF, FOR EXAMPLE THE UDC REQUIRES THAT, UH, THEIR MONUMENT SIGN BE EIGHT FEET FROM THEIR PROPERTY LINE AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLACE IT FOUR, THAT IS NOT A UNIQUE HARDSHIP THAT IS APPLICABLE TO THE SIGN TYPE EVERYONE AS AN EXAMPLE, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M QUOTING THAT CORRECTLY, BUT EIGHT FEET, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS, THEN THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO DO.
IS THAT A UNIQUE HARDSHIP TO THAT PROPERTY? THAT'S WHAT THIS BOARD WOULD EVALUATE.
THREE, THE HARDSHIP IS NOT SELF-IMPOSED.
SO AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE STEEP SLOPES ON THE PROPERTY AND EXISTING HERITAGE TREES ENCUMBER ALL APPROVABLE SIGN LOCATIONS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE APPLICANT'S FAULT THAT THEY'VE PURCHASED A PROPERTY THAT HAS A NUMBER OF HERITAGE TREES.
WE AND BERNIE LOVER HERITAGE TREES.
UM, IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT THAT UM, THE PROPERTY HAS INCREDIBLY STEEP SLOPES.
THERE ARE LOTS OF HILLS IN THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UM, SO THIS WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF A HARDSHIP THAT, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICANT DID NOT IMPOSE THAT ON THEMSELVES THAT WAS UNIQUE TO THE PROPERTY THERE.
UM, BUT A NON EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO CONSTRUCT A BUILDING AND A CONFIGURATION THAT ELIMINATES THE SPACE FOR A SIGN OR A COMPLIANCE SIGN DESIGN.
SO IN THEORY, YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE THEIR BUILDING TO BE ORIENTED IN A CERTAIN WAY.
AND SO IF THERE'S A VIABLE OPTION FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW, PLACE A SIGN ON THEIR PROPERTY, UM, THEN IT IS A NON-EXAMPLE.
IT IS NOT A HARDSHIP THAT IS NOT SELF-IMPOSED.
THAT WOULD BE A SELF-IMPOSED HARDSHIP.
FOURTH, THE VARIANCE IS NOT HARMFUL TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES OR OTHER CONFORMING PROPERTIES.
SO IN CONSIDERING SOME KIND OF SIGN VARIANCE, WE MUST CONSIDER GRANTING.
FOR EXAMPLE, GRANTING THE VARIANCE DOES NOT OBSTRUCT VISIBILITY OR HARM ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
SO IS THE SIGN AND THE SITE DESIGN TRI, OR EXCUSE ME, THE SITE VISIBILITY TRIANGLE.
UM, CAN YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE TURNING THE CORNER, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER IF IT'S NOT HARMFUL AND IT'S NOT IN THAT LOCATION, UM, THAT IS AN APPROVABLE SIGN LOCATION FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT A NON EXAMPLE WOULD BE GRANTING THE VARIANCE WOULD OBSTRUCT THE MOTORIST SITE DISTANCE IN AN ADJACENT DRIVEWAY.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T SEE WHEN YOU'RE TURNING THE CORNER, IT'S PROBABLY NOT, UM, PROBABLY IS HARMFUL.
AND FIFTH, THE VARIANCE ALIGNS WITH THE UDC.
SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE GRANTING THE VARIANCE REINFORCES THE INTENT OF THE OVERLAID DISTRICT.
SO I KNOW WE'VE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED IN PREVIOUS SLIDES, UM, WHAT ARE THE INTENTS OF THE PREVIOUS OVERLAY DISTRICTS? UH, SO JUST KIND OF HAVING THAT IN CONSIDERATION AS YOU'RE APPROVING ASSIGNED VARIANCE.
IF IT WERE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN AN OVERLAY DISTRICT, IF IT WAS A SCENIC OVERLAY DISTRICT FOR THE HIGHWAY, YOU KNOW, IS IT MEETING THAT INTENT? ARE WE PRESERVING THE CHARACTER OF BEING ABLE TO VIEW THE EDWARDS PLATEAU REGION? UM, BUT A NON EXAMPLE WOULD BE GRANTING THE VARIANCE IS UNDERMINING THE GOALS AND EFFICACY OF THE UDC.
AND SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GRANTING THE SIGN VARIANCE TO SOMEONE AND YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THEY DIDN'T QUITE MEET ALL THESE FIVE CRITERIA, ARE WE GONNA SEE ANOTHER SIGN VARIANCE COME FORWARD TO THIS BOARD THAT'S MAKING A SIMILAR REQUEST? UH, SO JUST BEING CAREFUL AS YOU EVALUATE THESE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE SETTING PRECEDENT.
WHEN YOU ARE, UM, MAKING EVALUATIONS ON THESE VARIANCE REQUESTS, DO YOU THINK THAT IT'S FAIR? IS THAT A PRECEDENT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE COMING FORWARD? IS IT UNIQUE TO THE PROPERTY? UM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER.
AND SO LASTLY, NOW LOTS OF INFORMATION.
UM, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO FEEL THOUGHTFUL AND CONFIDENT WHEN THEY'RE MAKING A DECISION.
UM, WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER.
WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GRAY AREAS AND THAT'S WHY THESE VARIANCES COME ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
SO WE ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO ASK QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY THE DESIGN INTENT.
ASK STAFF, ASK THE APPLICANT WHAT IS THEIR INTENT.
UM, DON'T BE AFRAID TO RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS IF YOU SEE THAT IT SIGN NEEDS REFINEMENT.
AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S APPLICABLE TO PROBABLY MOST EVERYTHING THAT THIS BOARD DOES WHEN THEY'RE MAKING A DECISION.
IT'S YOUR DISCRETION TO RECOMMEND CHANGES.
IT'S YOUR RE OR DISCRETION TO DENY IT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION OR YOUR DISCRETION TO APPROVE.
UM, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY ON THIS BOARD TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF DECISIONS.
AND LASTLY, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DENY VARIANCES THAT DO NOT MEET ALL FIVE CRITERIA.
AND SO ONCE AGAIN, I'D JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE SETTING PRECEDENT, SO IF YOU SET, IF YOU DETERMINE THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON ASSIGNED VARIANCE, UM, CAN ENCROACH INTO THE SETBACK FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS THIS BOARD PREPARED TO HAVE MORE ASSIGNED VARIANCES THAT COME AND MAKE THAT SIMILAR REQUEST? AND WOULD YOU APPROVE THOSE? IS THAT FAIR TO THE APPLICANTS THAT COME FORWARD?
[02:00:01]
SO WHEN Y'ALL PRESENT A SIGN TO US, SO I KNOW LIKE NOW WHEN Y'ALL SUBMIT LIKE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Y'ALL WILL SAY IT MEETS ALL CRITERIA.WOULD Y'ALL SAY THAT LIKE THIS WILL MEET ALL FIVE VARIANCES OR IS THAT SUBJECT? SO WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, DO THE ANALYSIS FOR EACH ONE.
WAS IT AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP AND OUTLINE WHAT IS THE HARDSHIP? THEN THE COMMISSION CAN MAKE THE DETERMINATION ON WHETHER THAT IS UNNECESSARY OR WHETHER IT IS DETERMINE THAT.
AND I WOULD LIKE ALSO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT HERE THAT ANY APPEALS TO SIGN VARIANCES.
IF THE APPLICANT, UM, YOU KNOW, DETERMINES THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE THAT THEIR VARIANCE WASN'T APPROVED, THAT VARIANCE GETS TAKEN TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
SO JUST AS A REMINDER, AS I WAS SAYING PREVIOUSLY, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO APPROVE ASSIGNED VARIANCE AS IT IS PRESENTED OR DENIED ENTIRELY.
YOU HAVE THE DISCRETION, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED, ON WHAT THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING.
YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ADD STIPULATIONS.
YOU CAN ADD STIPULATIONS, UM, IN WHATEVER WAY YOU SEE FIT THAT YOU THINK THE APPLICANT NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME KIND OF CONDITIONS ON THEIR SIGN.
IN PART YOU CAN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS PART OF YOUR REQUEST IS SENSIBLE, BUT THIS PART IS NOT SENSIBLE.
THERE'S NO REASON TO MAKE ANY CONDITIONS, NO REASON TO MAKE ANY STIPULATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO DENY THAT IN PART.
OR YOU CAN APPROVE IT WITH REVISION.
WE LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, BUT LET'S CHANGE THE VERBIAGE ON HOW WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
THAT IS ALL UP TO YOUR DISCRETION TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND JUST ONCE AGAIN, UH, ANOTHER REMINDER, WE CANNOT REGULATE, UM, THE SIGN CONTENT IN TERMS OF VERBIAGE, THE WORDS ON THE SIGN, THE MEANING OF THE SIGN.
UH, THAT IS THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT.
AS YOU START LOOKING INTO THAT AREA, YOU KNOW THE LENGTH OF THE SIGN YOU'RE GETTING INTO SOME GRAY AREAS YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, JUST TAKE SOME LEGAL, UM, ACTION TO LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, IS THIS, IS THIS INFRINGING ON THAT? RIGHT? WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO GET INTO THAT GRAY AREA.
AND ONCE AGAIN, LOTS OF INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
DO NOT FEAR THE CASELOAD MIGHT INCREASE BY APPROXIMATELY FOUR.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN HANDLE THAT.
AND JUST SOME FINAL CLOSING THOUGHTS.
EVERY SIGN SHAPES BERNIE'S VISUAL STORY.
I THINK YOU AS THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION ARE VERY AWARE OF THAT.
YOU'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT A NUMBER OF, UH, SIGN CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL TODAY.
A NUMBER OF OTHER CERTIFICATE OF APPROVALS TODAY.
UM, EVERY SIGN IS AFFECTING THE STORY OF THE CITY.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE CHARACTER AND AFFECT THE CHARACTER.
UM, THE HLC REVIEW PROTECTS AESTHETICS, IT PROTECTS SAFETY AND IT ESTABLISHES CHARACTER FOR THE CITY.
UM, SO USE YOUR TOOLS AT YOUR DISCRETION WITH PURPOSE AND CONFIDENCE.
UH, BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU'RE ON THIS BOARD.
UM, FEEL EMPOWERED TO ASK QUESTIONS, FEEL EMPOWERED TO, UM, MAKE CHANGES AND APPROVE OR DENY WHAT COMES FORWARD TO YOU.
THAT'S WHY THEY CHANGED IT ON THE AGENDA
BUT I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND THAT PACKET IS YOUR RESOURCE.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING YOU NEED NOW OR AT ANY OTHER POINT.
THESE, ARE THERE TWO SHEETS THAT ARE IN HERE, FRANKIE, ARE YOU REVIEWING THOSE OR ARE THEY JUST TO LOOK OVER? UH, THOSE ARE FOR Y'ALL.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD A COPY OF, UH, SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD.
SO ALSO IN THE GREEN FOLDER WE HAVE TWO THINGS.
WE HAVE A COPY OF THE, UM, UH, CODE OF ORDINANCE THAT ESTABLISHED THE HLC.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT WE HAVE RESOLUTION NUMBER 2026 DASH R 30.
THIS WAS A RECENT RESOLUTION THAT WAS APPROVED, UH, PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND IT JUST HAS SOME INFORMATION THAT WAS UPDATED.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAD IT.
YOU CAN SEE NUMBER ONE ON HERE IS ABOUT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UM, AND THIS WAS ESSENTIALLY THE RESOLUTION THAT CHANGED OUR MEETING DATES FROM, UH, TODAY TO IN THE FUTURE BEING A DIFFERENT DATE.
SO, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAD THAT AS WELL.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER LOOKING AT IT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO UM, EMAIL ME OR GIVE ME A CALL TO DISCUSS.
AND ALSO, UM, WILLIAM DID A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.
UM, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE TO EMAIL YOU A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION AS WELL SO THAT WAY YOU'LL HAVE A DIGITAL RECORD.
UM, AND DON'T WORRY WHEN WE GET OUR FIRST, UH, CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL OR SIGNED VARIANCE IN, WE'LL DO A REFRESHER AS WELL AND PREPARE YOU FOR IT.
SO, OKAY, DON'T WORRY, WE WON'T SEND YOU OUT THERE.
ALRIGHT, THERE'S NO OTHER NOTHING FURTHER.
YOU HAVE FIRST AND SECOND TO ADJOURN.
[02:05:01]
IS ADJOURNED.