Joliet Historic Preservation Commission

150 West Jefferson Street City of Joliet Joliet, IL 60432 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes Commission Members Quinn Adamowski Brian Bessler Mary Beth Gannon Bill Habiger Kevin Heinemann Candace Johnson Kailee Lowry Sharon Merwin Aaron Mikottis Christine Policandriotes Sara Stovall Steven Wright Wednesday, February 24, 2021 7:00 PM City Hall, Council Chambers Pursuant to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity's Guidelines recommend best practices that limit an in-person meeting to 50 people or less (Council Chambers allows for 18 members of the public) while adhering to social distancing guidelines. During meetings, any member of the public physically present in the Council Chambers in excess of the limit will be asked to wait in another room with live feed to the meeting until the Citizens To Be Heard on Agenda Items section or Public Comments section of the meeting has commenced. Speakers will be rotated into Council Chambers to allow everyone an opportunity to speak. Pursuant to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity’s Guidelines, it is recommended that any individual appearing in-person wear a face-covering to cover their nose and mouth. Citizens who are unable to attend the meeting can email comments in advance of the meeting to publiccomment@joliet.gov. CALL TO ORDER DECLARATION OF QUORUM Present Quinn Adamowski, Brian Bessler, Bill Habiger, Candace Johnson, Kailee Lowry, Sharon Merwin, Sara Stovall and Steven Wright Absent Mary Beth Gannon, Kevin Heinemann, Aaron Mikottis and Christine Policandriotes APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 6, 2021 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission TMP-1020 Special Regular Meeting Minutes *REVISED* Attachments: 01-06-21 REGULAR MINUTES - Revised A motion was made by Candace Johnson, seconded by Sharon Merwin, to approve the REVISED January 6, 2021 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Page 1 of 5 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes February 24, 2021 Special Regular Meeting Minutes. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: Adamowski, Habiger, Johnson, Lowry, Merwin and Stovall Absent: Beth Gannon, Heinemann and Mikottis January 27, 2021 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission TMP-1021 Regular Meeting Minutes Attachments: 01-27-21 REG MINUTES - DRAFT A motion was made by Candace Johnson, seconded by Kailee Lowry, to approve the January 27, 2021 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Regular Meeting Minutes. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: Adamowski, Habiger, Johnson, Lowry, Merwin and Stovall Absent: Beth Gannon, Heinemann and Mikottis CITIZENS TO BE HEARD ON AGENDA ITEMS NOTE: There is a new temporary procedure for public speaking. Details can be found on the Joliet.gov “Public Comments” web page. This section is for anyone wanting to speak regarding non-agenda items and are allowed a maximum of 4 minutes. It is not a question and answer period and staff and the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission do not generally respond to public comments. Please note, speakers who engage in conduct injurious to the harmony of the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer and may forfeit the opportunity to speak. COMMITTEE AND STAFF REPORTS a.Staff Report Ms. Bernhard explained that the staff reports were discussed at the 6:00 p.m. Historic Preservation Committee of the Whole meeting on February 24th. Ms. Bernhard added that the City of Joliet and the Joliet Area Historical Museum applied for landmark status on the U.S. Steel Administration Building on North Collins Street. The building needs to be placed on the State of Illinois' most endangered landmark list. b.Committee of the Whole (COW) There was no discussion on this subject. OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS a. (COA-5-2021) Certificate of Appropriateness for a Vinyl TMP-1024 Sliding Side Patio Door located at 414 Whitney Avenue Page 2 of 5 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes February 24, 2021 Attachments: COA-5-2021_Staff Report Packet_414 Whitney Terrace Ms. Bernhard read the staff report into the record. Chairman Adamowski asked the applicant to address the commission. Mr. Randal Bailey, the property owner, 414 Whitney Avenue came forward. Mr. Bailey explained why the new door was needed. Mr. Bailey said a sliding door would be more functional for his family's needs. Mr. Bailey does not know if the existing doors are original to the home, a similar French door is expensive. Mr. Bailey said the door is not visible from the street, only from the rear of the home. Mr. Bailey explained to a commissioner there is a considerable price difference for a French door at $7,500 and a sliding door at $4,300, according to a quote he received. Ms. Merwin talked about sliding glass doors not being insulated. Mr. Bailey explained that the door will be double pained. Mr. Merwin explained that the vinyl will not last and the door warranty is only for two years. The commission reviewed a rendering provided by the contractor. Ms. Bernhard stated the applicant will be going from 15 lights to 10 lights per door. Ms. Merwin talked about window companies accommodating historical properties. Ms. Johnson asked if the applicant spoke with any companies that specialized in historic homes, Mr. Bailey said not specifically. Mr. Bailey explained that it was difficult to find a company with the existing conditions. Ms. Johnson asked if there will be blinds, Mr. Bailey said no. Ms. Bernhard explained that she reached out to the company for an exact rendering, Pella does not provide those types of renderings for doors, only windows. Mr. Bailey stated that the picture provided to the commission is not what the door he selected would look like. Ms. Johnson asked about the number of lights in the door, Mr. Bailey explained that the new door will match the existing windows better. Ms. Merwin asked about the windows, Mr. Bailey said the windows have not been replaced. Mr. Bailey stated the new door will be brown on the exterior and white on the interior like the existing door. Ms. Johnson asked about the door handle. Mr. Habiger looked up pricing from a different company for a French door and it was lower than the price given by Pella. Ms. Merwin asked if the price included installation, Mr. Habiger said no. Mr. Bailey talked about the companies that have been out to quote the door, he stated Pella had a reasonable price and great staff . Chairman Adamowski open up the floor for discussion of the door. Mr. Johnson does not like the quality of vinyl products. Mr.Habiger stated he would like to see a few different quotes for the French door style replacement. Ms. Merwin asked Jayne asked about the design guidelines for Whitney Terrace. Ms. Bernhard said the guidelines do not state that the commission will only review things viewable from the street front. Mr. Habiger asked how high the door was, Mr. Bailey was not sure how tall it is. Mr. Habiger stated that a larger door would warrant a custom door to be made. Ms. Johnson was concerned that the new door does not have the architectural features of the existing door. Ms. understands the need for a more energy efficient door and she does not see anything wrong with the new door. Ms. Johnson stated the commission should table the petition to give Mr. Bailey Page 3 of 5 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes February 24, 2021 more time to get cost estimates from different companies and further information. Mr. Bailey stated he does have the pricing for the other door options from Pella. Ms. Johnson asked if he had pricing from other companies, Mr. Bailey said no. Mr. Habiger asked for two comparable quotes from other door companies for the French door option to be reviewed. Chairman Adamowski stated that the Historic Preservation Commission has typically denied applicants for adding vinyl to historic properties, unless there are extraordinary circumstances. Chairman Adamowski said the proposed door setup is completely different in that it will be sliding, as apposed to French doors, and it will be vinyl, as apposed to wood. So it is difficult to approve under the JHPC rules. Chairman Adamowski stated there is limited information to properly review and make a decision. Ms. Merwin said that the material is unacceptable due to the durability and warranty. Mr. Habiger stated that there is no need to bring the petition back if the issue is vinyl and withdrew the motion to table. Ms. Johnson proposed tabling the application with stipulations for different wood & non-vinyl French doors options & proposals. The commissioners decided not to accept vinyl options, there was a preference for wood or fiberglass. Ms. Bernhard suggested having proposals from two companies with the wood, fiberglass and aluminum-clad options. A motion was made by Bill Habiger, seconded by Candace Johnson, to table a. (COA-5-2021) Certificate of Appropriateness for a Vinyl Sliding Side Patio Door located at 414 Whitney Avenue. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: Adamowski, Habiger, Johnson, Lowry, Merwin and Stovall Absent: Beth Gannon, Heinemann and Mikottis b. Amendments to Historic Preservation Ordinance TMP-1025 Attachments: Staff Report - Proposed Ordinance Updates Ms. Bernhard reviewed the Historic Preservation ordinance and suggested some updates. Ms. Bernhard believes the public hearing process needs to be reworked to streamline the review process. Ms. Bernhard went over the goals of the ordinance discussion. Ms. Bernhard read the staff report into the record. In the Summary of Proposed DutiesMs. Bernhard review the ordinances for multiple towns. Ms. Bernhard noted that Joliet and Aurora have identical historic ordinances, Aurora recently revamped their ordinance. Ms. Bernhard talked about changing Commission & Staff review process. Ms. Bernhard discussed administrative approvals. A motion was made by Sharon Merwin, seconded by Bill Habiger, to recommend for approval b. Amendments to Historic Preservation Ordinance. The motion carried by the following vote: Page 4 of 5 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes February 24, 2021 Aye: Adamowski, Habiger, Johnson, Lowry, Merwin and Stovall Absent: Beth Gannon, Heinemann and Mikottis COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Mr. asked if the former Big Brother & Big Sisters building at Route 30 and Taylor Street was for sale. Ms. Bernhard confirmed that it is for sale. Ms. Bernhard asked Ms. Johnson to look into that building. The Commissioners discussed the conditions of the building. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOTE: There is a new temporary procedure for public speaking. Details can be found on the Joliet.gov “Public Comments” web page. This section is for anyone wanting to speak regarding non-agenda items and are allowed a maximum of 4 minutes. It is not a question and answer period and staff and the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission do not generally respond to public comments. Please note, speakers who engage in conduct injurious to the harmony of the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer and may forfeit the opportunity to speak. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Kailee Lowry, seconded by Bill Habiger, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: Adamowski, Habiger, Johnson, Lowry, Merwin and Stovall Absent: Beth Gannon, Heinemann and Mikottis This meeting will be held in an accessible location. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact Christa M. Desiderio, City Clerk, 150 West Jefferson Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432 at (815) 724-3780. Page 5 of 5