HARB Minutes

Chairman Gary Shaffer called the Historical Architectural Review Board to order at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 15, 2012. The meeting was held at the Borough Municipal Building, 59 E. High Street. A quorum was present. Those in attendance were: Board members Philip Goble, Peggy Gustafson, Jim McCabe; Colleen Lingle, Nancie Gudmestad and Dale Gettel, Borough Code Enforcement Officer; Merry Bush, Borough Planning Technician and Historic District Administrator; and Scott Dellett, Borough Planning Director. Peggy Gustafson arrived at 8:00 p.m. 

Also in attendance were: Stuart Christenson, Noelker and Hull, and Jim Biesecker, Gettysburg College, representing 339 Carlisle Street; Mark Keller and Constance Keller, Adams Rescue Mission, for 114 Chambersburg Street; and Peter Yingling, for 17 Chambersburg Street. 

Review of Agenda and Minutes

Gary Shaffer introduced the members and explained the procedures that would be followed during the meeting. He noted that the Board serves as an advisory group to Borough Council, which makes final decisions concerning Certificates of Appropriateness. Borough Council will next meet on Monday, September 10, 2012. 

There were no changes to the agenda. The Board reviewed the minutes from the July 18, 2012 meeting. Gary Shaffer pointed out a missing word on page three, third paragraph from the bottom. The third sentence should read "Nancy Gudmestad asked about the front steps." Philip Goble moved to accept the revised minutes as the official record of the July 18, 2012 meeting. Dale Gettel seconded and the motion carried unanimously. 

Certificates of Appropriateness 

A. Alteration. 17 Chambersburg Street. Replacement window sashes. Carl Yingling, owner.

The owner proposes to replace the second- and third-story window sashes with vinyl- or aluminum-clad wood replacement sashes. All windows except for the small picture window will be double-hung windows with full screens, Low-E glass with argon between the glass. Windows will be set and filled with fiberglass insulation in gaps and finished with trim caps.

The building, historically known as the Martin Winter building, was built in 1886 by Winter to replace a building damaged in the 1885 Gettysburg Fire, which destroyed a number of structures on Chambersburg Street. Several other buildings had previously existed on the site. The building is a Romanesque-style three-story building housing apartments on the second and third floors with a retail shop on the first floor. The modern storefront was added ca. 1955 by Ethel Guise, the property owner and proprietor of the Jack and Jill Shop, a children’s clothing store. (Reference: Pennsylvania Historical Resource Form) The current owners purchased the building in 1978.

Findings of Fact: The structure at 17 Chambersburg Street is a sensitive building as defined in Chapter 11 of the Borough Code of Ordinances, Historic Districts (Historic District Ordinance). A sensitive building is defined as any building that has been standing for at least 50 years at the time of the application, even though it has been considerably modified, and certain sites of later historic significance or buildings that the Board has determined to be exemplary of later architectural styles. 

Replacing window sashes is a permanent change, making this proposal a critical project, which is defined in the Historic District Ordinance as "A project involving demolition of all or part of any building or change in configuration and rhythm of any building as a whole, or any alteration to a sensitive building."

The building is a contributing structure to the Gettysburg Battlefield National Register Historic District.

Based on the application materials submitted by the applicant: the proposed replacement sashes will be wood, clad with aluminum; the changes will be highly visible from a public street.

Jim McCabe asked if there would be any changes to the decorative top of the windows. Peter Yingling, the applicant, said no.

Nancie Gudmestad asked if all the circular transoms and the detailing around the windows on the second- and third-floors would remain. The applicant said yes.

Colleen Lingle asked if the applicant had considered a more historic wood window. The applicant said he had not since wood windows clad with an alternate material have been accepted by HARB in the past. 

Philip Goble asked if an estimate had been obtained for the repair of the historic windows. Mr. Yingling said he had not. Mr. Goble said the top and bottom sashes are not the same size so that the proposed windows would not match. Other Board members disagreed; noting that the top and bottom sashes were the same size. Some of the windows on the second floor have screens on the bottom sashes, which may make them appear different.

Merry Bush asked if the proposed aluminum-clad sashes would be painted something other than white. The owner said that the windows would be brick red to match the existing paint color. 

Jim McCabe asked if the existing windows are single pane. Gary Shaffer said that the existing windows would be single pane considering the age of the building. 

Colleen Lingle asked if anyone other than the contractor had looked at the windows; someone who actually preserves wood windows. Mr. Yingling said he had not. He wasn’t aware of anyone who did such work. Gary Shaffer said he would provide him with some names. 

Motions: Philip Goble moved to recommend to Borough Council that a Certificate of Appropriateness be granted for the replacement of window sashes on the rear and sides of the building at 17 Chambersburg Street as proposed in the application dated July 17, 2012. The motion, seconded by Nancie Gudmestad, carried 6 to 0.

Nancie Gudmestad moved to recommend to Borough Council that a Certificate of Appropriateness be granted for the replacement of window sashes on the second- and third-floors with one-over-one clad-wood window sashes as indicated by the applicant. All decorative features of the trim and the transoms will remain. Replacement sashes will be the exact size of the existing sashes. Dale Gettel seconded the motion, which passed 4 to 2 with Colleen Lingle and Philip Goble dissenting. Ms. Lingle said that the owner should hire another person or contractor who could restore the existing windows. Mr. Goble said he agreed with Ms. Lingle. He also said that he was not convinced that the top and bottom sashes were the same size.

B. Alteration. Addition. Exterior restoration of the original house. Second-story addition over existing one-story wing. 339 Carlisle Street. Gettysburg College, owner.

Gettysburg College, the property owner, proposes to restore the exterior of the original building and construct a second-story addition to the rear 1960 wing with a new rear entry lobby and elevator.

The owner plans to replace the windows in the original "cottage." The exterior siding and trim is to be matched or replaced with new elements fabricated to match the original. Roof materials will be replaced with composite architectural grade shingles. Windows in the rear addition will be replaced with similarly sized and styled windows. Varying widths of lap siding and architectural grade shingles will be installed on the rear addition. Conceptual drawings were reviewed in May 2011. 

Background: The two-and-half-story wood frame "cottage" was completed in October 1869 to serve as the private residence of Colonel Charles H. Buehler and his family. When built, the home was a showpiece of the currently popular Italianate-style. Its most distinctive elements included eave brackets placed upon a wide trim board at the cornice line and windows crowned with hoods fitting over significantly-arched gables. A variation of the window design was placed in the gables, where pointed, triangular hoods were fitted over small attic windows with pointed tops. While triangular (pedimental) hoods were common elements of Italianate design, window sashes with pointed tops were unusual. 

Sometime between 1888-1891 Colonel Buehler chose to alter his house to reflect the then current Queen Anne style. The most prominent Queen Anne feature is the apse [a projecting part of a building that is usually semicircular] on the wing extending to the street. This curved wall covers the entire end of the wing and is capped by a conical roof, thus becoming a half-tower that bulges out from the mass of the building. A second apse was added on the south wall of the house below the gable of the wing that has a north-south axis. This apse rises two stories – its top continuing the cornice that runs under the eaves of the apse on the west front and along the top of the south wall.

Both apsidal additions have windows with flat tops, clearly identifying them as Queen Anne rather than Italianate elements. The convex glass of the windows that carry the curved line of apses uninterrupted give this house a remarkable distinctiveness. 

In addition to the apses, Buehler added a porch that swept from the main entrance around the northwest corner to a side entrance at the end of the north wall. Though Italianate houses often had porches, they were usually modest in decoration and had roofs supported by square posts. This porch, with its classical (Tuscan) columns and its outer perimeter forming a wide arc at the corner, is clearly a Queen Anne feature. 

While the curvature of the apses, the porch and the conical tower roof were added some 20 years later, they harmonize well with the arched windows and basic proportions of the original Italianate structure, forming a sophisticated blend of two styles popular in late 19th century America. (Reference: Pennsylvania Historic Resource Form.)

The Buehler House became a fraternity in 1958. The rear addition was built ca. 1960. The original house has been vacant for the past 10 years. Gettysburg College purchased the property in May 2010. 

Findings of Fact: The structure at 339 Carlisle Street is a sensitive building as defined in Chapter 11 of the Borough Code of Ordinances, Historic Districts (Historic District Ordinance). A sensitive building is defined as any building that has been standing for at least 50 years at the time of the application, even though it has been considerably modified, and certain sites of later historic significance or buildings that the Board has determined to be exemplary of later architectural styles. 

Replacement of windows, construction of a second-story addition to the rear wing, along with a new rear entry lobby with elevator constitute a permanent change, making this proposal a critical project, which is defined in the Historic District Ordinance as "A project involving demolition of all or part of any building or change in configuration and rhythm of any building as a whole, or any alteration to a sensitive building."

The building is a contributing structure to the Gettysburg Battlefield National Register Historic District.

Based on the application materials submitted by the applicant: the proposed restoration of the original Charles Buehler house will be consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties; the proposed restoration will be highly visible from a public street; the rear second floor addition with entry lobby will be highly visible from the public alley to the rear of the property.

Stuart Christenson, architect with Noelker & Hull, gave a brief presentation to the Board. The rounded windows in the front will be replaced with similarly curved windows with a full wood frame. The windows are delivered with a white factory finish and will be painted to match the chosen trim color. The applicant wishes to change the porch roof from sheet asphalt to metal giving more impact to the porch. The main roof will be covered with composite architectural-grade shingles. Three-tab shingles will be cut to single shingles to accommodate the round turret roof. 

Nancie Gudmestad suggested that peaked roofs over the dormer windows on the proposed rear addition be used instead of the shed roofs indicated in the application. The architect said he would consider the suggestion.

Philip Goble said that the two existing front doors would be replaced with a single pane door with two whole light sidelights. Stuart Christenson said that the existing doors had full glass that was replaced at some point in the past. Gary Shaffer said that frequently, older doors are replaced with a single full glass door with two sidelights to make the entryway ADA compliant. 

Peggy Gustafson said that she would hate to see the "coffin" doors go. She then asked about the windows proposed for the rear addition. She wasn’t sure what "similarly sized and styled window units" meant. Mr. Christenson said that double hung windows, similar in size to windows in the original house would be installed in the rear addition.

Jim McCabe asked if the rounded windows would remain. The applicant replied that the new windows sashes would be in the same design and configuration. 

Nancie Gudmestad said that the application shows one over one double windows on the second floor of the original house instead of the existing four-over-four windows. Mr. Christenson said that he would be sure that the new sashes would have the same configuration. 

Motion: Nancie Gudmestad moved to recommend to Borough Council that a Certificate of Appropriateness be granted for the proposed work at 339 Carlisle Street consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines with the requirement that the replacement windows for the second-floor arched windows be four-over-four as they currently exist. Colleen Lingle seconded; the motion was approved 7 to 0.

C. New Construction. Apartment building. 114 Chambersburg Street. Adams Rescue Mission, owner. 

Gary Shaffer recused himself due to a fiduciary relationship with this applicant. Peggy Gustafson assumed the role of chairman.

The property owner plans to construct an infill three-story apartment building. Borough Council issued a Certificate of Appropriateness for the new construction on June 13, 2011. The owner has since modified the design: the finish on the side elevations is to be a cement stucco and the building height has been reduced. The parapet walls have been removed, which will lower the cornice on the front elevation. 

Background: A previously existing residential building was destroyed by fire in 2004. The site was then occupied by a "Civil War Chapel" that was destroyed by fire in December 2010.

Gary Shaffer explained the changes made to the design since the project was first reviewed on May 18, 2011. He said that the cornice is slightly lower to bring the building more in tune with nearby structures. The parapet walls have been removed as the earlier proposed green roof has been eliminated. The sides of the building will be covered with cement stucco to match the look of the existing building at the rear of the lot.

Philip Goble asked how far the new building would be from the Ragged Edge Coffeehouse (east of the proposed building). The applicant said it would be four feet. The original structure was less than two feet away from 116 Chambersburg Street, the house just to the west. The new building will be four feet away from the adjacent building on the east side and close to five feet away on the west side so windows could be installed on the west elevation. The front plane of the building will be at the sidewalk. The entrance will be a recessed alcove with an interior light fixture. 

The sides will be covered with cement stucco with a brick veneer along the base of the walls. The building will be of frame construction. When asked, Gary Shaffer explained that "Dryvit" can’t be used because the building must have a one-hour fire rating. Cement stucco, however, provides a one-hour fire rating. 

A simple land development plan is being created for the project.

Jim McCabe asked about the entrance located on the east elevation. Gary Shaffer explained that the side entrance is for the apartments on the second and third floors. 

Nancie Gudmestad asked about the cement walkway. Gary Shaffer said the walkway would be a cement sloped walkway lit with down light can fixtures on each side of the entrance. The findings of fact were read into the record. 

Findings of Fact: The construction of a new building is a permanent change to the Historic District, making this proposal a critical project, which is defined in the Historic District Ordinance as "A project involving demolition of all or part of any building or change in configuration and rhythm of any building as a whole, or any alteration to a sensitive building."

The proposed building will be a non-contributing structure located within the Gettysburg Battlefield National Register Historic District.

Based on the application materials submitted by the applicant: the new building will be highly visible from a public street; the new building design will be compatible with surrounding buildings but constructed with modern materials.

Nancie Gudmestad asked whether the two buildings would connect, noting that the new drawings show the two buildings attached while the drawings from May 2011 indicate space between the two buildings. Gary Shaffer said to maximize space the two buildings are attached but there will be no access between the two buildings. 

Motion: Colleen Lingle moved to recommend to Borough Council that a Certificate of Appropriateness be granted for construction of a new apartment building at 114 Chambersburg Street as modified in the application dated August 1, 2012. Philip Goble seconded and the motion carried, 6 to 0, with Gary Shaffer abstaining. 

Old Business 

Gary Shaffer informed the Board that Wellspan Health withdrew the HARB application for the demolition of 232-234 S. Washington Street. Wellspan had not given the contractor the authority to submit the application, Mr. Shaffer said.

Revisions to Historic District Ordinance

Board members were reminded to submit any comments regarding the Historic District Ordinance to Scott Dellett within the next week. He will assemble the comments and distribute them to the Board for the next discussion at the next meeting scheduled for September 19.

There being no additional business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.