Special to the Times
The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission voted unanimously to deny a design review application to create a new garage door opening by modifying the rear ell of a townhouse at 46 Chestnut St. at the commission’s monthly public hearing held virtually on Thursday, June 18.
In making his motion to deny the application, which was supported unanimously by Commissioners Annette Given, Ralph Jackson, and Sandra Steele, along with himself, Chair Mark Kiefer noted the Beacon Hill Historic District guideline A7, which prohibits the creation of any new openings in a building façade, along with the commission’s long history of reviewing design review applications which entail creating a new garage door opening within the Historic District.
Chair Kiefer said that “one specific circumstance” when the commission had approved a new garage door opening within the Historic District came only when the proposed garage door was on a ‘back street,’ such that the context is characterized by a consistent vocabulary of extant garage or carriage house doors; and that the proposed garage door opening is made in a garden wall or fence, rather than in a facade or exterior wall of the building.
While the new garage door opening for 46 Chestnut St. was proposed on Branch Street at the rear of the building, it would have resulted in a new penetration made in an historic ell, which dates back to least 1908 (and likely as early as 1874) and extends to the rear lot line, noted Chair Kiefer, who described the proposed alteration as “not historically appropriate for this building.”
Chair Kiefer also noted the commission only has purview over matters of architectural and historical appropriateness (which are visible from a public way) within the Historic District, so therefore, the commission can’t consider “ancillary impacts,” such as noise and traffic.
On a separate design review application, the commission unanimously approved as submitted new storefront signage for CRK Beauty at 47 Charles St., comprising an aluminum ‘pan’ sign, with raised lettering and a black-and-white color scheme.
This determination came with several provisos, including that the applicant implement the second option presented to the commission, comprising a smaller, square sign, as opposed to the larger, rectangular design seen in the first option; that the sign, which would be reduced to 30 inches in height and proportionally reduced in length, would be moved on the façade to the left of the front door; and that the sign’s fasteners be attached via the mortar joints, rather than through brick.
The exact location and dimensions of the new signage were delegated to staff (Nicholas Armata) for final approval.
In another matter, the commission unanimously approved as submitted a design review application for The Whitney Hotel at 170 Charles St., which entails enclosing its existing gate doors with a solid iron panel.
“We’re looking to create a little more privacy, and to not have trash exposed to people walking by,” said Agnes Hayes, the hotel’s general manager.
The commission also unanimously supported a motion to approve as submitted a design review application for 160 Mt. Vernon St., which proposes modifying the curb-cut to match the approved garden gate on Lime Street.
A design review application for 7 Smith Court, which proposed the removal of an existing hatch and construction of a new headhouse with red copper, standing-seam cladding, was approved as submitted.
Chair Kiefer, who made the motion to approve the application, which was supported by himself, along with Commissioners Given and Jackson, noted the negligible visibility of a mockup in place there.
“It’s not visible against open sky,” added Chair Kiefer, who added for the record that he serves on the board of the nonprofit Peter Faneuil House. He said the subject building is only minimally visible through a fence at the playground at the Peter Faneuil House, located at 60 Joy St., and that he was unable to spot the mockup during an in-person inspection.
Commissioner Steele, meanwhile, abstained on this matter.
On violation reviews for the ratification of unapproved intercom systems at 88 Mt. Vernon St., and 140 Mt. Vernon St., the commission unanimously approved two separate motions to dismiss the respective violations, while requiring that each unit is enclosed within a standard brass box, to be installed within 90 days and with drawings to be submitted to staff, in accordance with the commission’s de facto preferred remedy in such cases.
Meanwhile, a design review application for 2 Walnut St., with proposed work including the addition of a new penthouse and roofdeck, was removed by staff from the hearing agenda.