HDC approves short list of items before tackling school issue

EUREKA SPRINGS -- It was mainly a night for the people to speak. In a June 3 Historic District Commission (HDC) meeting dominated by public comment on possible demolition of the Eureka Springs High School commissioners quickly moved through a handful of other applications before focusing on the main event of the evening.

No skylight

Commissioners approved a whole list of changes to a home at 11 Eureka -- replacing fencing, windows, doors, changing windows to doors, screening a rear porch and resurfacing the driveway, declining only one item, the addition of a skylight which would be visible from the street.

HDC guidelines generally attempt to maintain visible exterior appearances of historic structures unchanged.

Commissioner Dee Bright read from the guidelines, which say "skylights should be flat and not mounted on primary facades."

Yes on roofline

Despite a nay vote by Commissioner Frank Green, commissioners gave the thumbs up to changing a flat roof on an addition at 104 Wall St. to one pitched to match the rest of the house.

The explanation given was that the flat roof was being fixed for leaks anyway and the owner wanted the pitch to match across the entire roof.

"That's a lot of work for a roof over a breakfast nook," Green said, but the other commissioners disagreed.

Other business

Approval was given for a rear fence to the property at 20 Fairmount, formerly an orphanage, as well as replacement of a handrail and addition of a rear light fixture and two antique screen doors at 180 Spring.

Commissioners postponed further discussion of a proposed demolition at 2 Virginia due to lack of anybody there to discuss the application.

Consent agenda

In the consent agenda, the commission approved Level I items at 82 Spring (new sign); 8 Owen (new paint colors); 275 N. Main (new sign); 147 W. Van Buren (new sign); and 22 Spring (moving an existing sign from 1 Center to 22 Spring).

The Consent Agenda items are Level I applications that the City Preservation Officer believes to be in accordance with the Design Guidelines. Any commissioner or member of the public may place any Consent Agenda item on the Regular Agenda for discussion.