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CITY OF DENISON
HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING
AGENDA
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Pursuant to section 551.127 of the Texas Government Code, and in conjunction with the guidance
and provisions provided by the Governor of Texas in the declaration of disaster and subsequent
executive orders altering certain Open Meetings Act requirements and ordering that gatherings of
more than 10 people shall be avoided, the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Denison,
Texas will conduct the meeting scheduled at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 by video
teleconference in order to advance the public health goal of limiting face-to-face meetings (also
called “social distancing”) to slow the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). A quorum will not
be physically present.
The public toll-free dial-in number to participate in the meeting by telephone is 1-866-899-
4679, Access Code 639-177-621#.
A recording of the meeting will be made and will be available to the public in accordance with the
Open Meetings Act upon written consent.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
Citizens may speak on action items listed on the Agenda. A “Request to Speak Card” should be
completed and returned to the City Clerk or Board Secretary prior to the Board reaching this
section of the agenda. Citizen comments are limited to three (3) minutes, unless otherwise required
by law. Comments related to Public Hearings, if any, will be heard when the specific hearing is
called.
A. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and take action on the Minutes from the November 3,
2020 Meeting.
B. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and take action on a request to paint the structure at
500 West Woodard Street. (Case No. 2020–063H)
3. ADJOURNMENT
CERTIFICATION
I do hereby certify that a copy of this Notice of Meeting was posted on the front windows of City
Hall readily accessible to the general public at all times, and posted on the City of Denison
website on the 13th day of November, 2020.
______________________________
Christine Wallentine, City Clerk
In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, the City of Denison will provide for reasonable
accommodations for persons attending Historic Preservation Board Meeting. To better serve you, requests should be
received 48 hours prior to the meetings. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 903-465-2720, Ext: 2437.
CITY OF DENISON
HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING
AGENDA
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Mason called the meeting to order at 12:01pm.
Board Members present were Chair George Mason, Jennifer Knott, Bob Alexander, and Rhonda
Borgne.
Staff present were Senior Planner Bill Medina, Community and Development Services
Management Assistant Felecia Winfrey, Main Street Director Donna Dow, and Deputy City Clerk
Fanchon Stearns.
2. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
A. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and take action on the Minutes from the October 20,
2020 Meeting.
Board Action
On motion by Board Member Knott, seconded by Board Member Borgne, the motion to approve
the Minutes carried unanimously.
Chair Mason recused himself from the dais at 12:03pm stating that he had done some work for
the applicant. Board Member Knott introduced Item 2.B.
B. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and take action on modifications to the main and
accessory structures at 500 West Woodard Street. (Case No. 2020–063H)
Board Action
Mr. Medina explained that the applicant was requesting approval of a mostly completed
addition to the rear of the building and to repaint the rear accessory structure. He said staff
recommended approval of the nearly completed addition to the rear of the building but did not
recommend approval of the new color palette submitted for the accessory structure. The main
structure fronts Woodard and the rear accessory structure is facing Fannin. An approximately
600 square foot addition and a 342 square foot patio had been added to the rear of 500 West
Woodard. Mr. Medina noted that the work had been done without Building permits and there
had been no inspections. He said staff had spoken to the contractor, Erick Rios, who said he is
currently in the process of pursuing the necessary permits. He said projects like this usually
need to come before the Board early in the process to avoid fines, but staff was working with
the applicant as the addition was appropriate. A new roof was scheduled to be installed and had
received Historic Preservation approval. He said that the square footage was estimated as staff
had not been able to review a permit application or site plan, and from the street it appeared
concrete had been added. He also stated that the accessory structure to the rear has been issued
a Certificate of Appropriateness for renovation, and the applicant had done a fantastic job with
it, making it a great addition to Denison. The approved colors for the accessory structure, White
Sash, Clubhouse Yellow, and Noir, were approved on May 5, 2020. Clubhouse Yellow is a
vanilla color, and more in line with existing building colors and historical colors. He said the
approved colors helped retain the look and feel of the corner while making a positive
improvement. The new colors proposed included a bright yellow, Sunday Brunch, and bright
teal. Mr. Medina stated that staff’s concern was the appropriateness for Denison’s historic
district, as the colors are significantly brighter than those previously approved. He said that
while the colors are National Trust Colors, these colors are appropriate for trim or accent, but
not for the coverage the applicant has suggested in Denison’s Historic District. He quoted the
Secretary of Interior Guidelines that “It is not recommended: using new paint colors that
inappropriate for the historic district and buildings” or “radically changing the type of paint or
color” and he said staff thinks these are applicable in this case. He said the paint color
recommendation was to go with the originally approved palette as that was more appropriate
for the district. Mr. Medina read from Chapter 3 of the Historic Preservation Guidelines stating
that “the property owner shall select up to three appropriate color and design schemes for
submittal to the Historic Preservation Board, and the Historic Preservation Board shall review
and approve one of the colors and designs selected by the property owner.” He said recent
submittals had included a few viable options that were presented to the Board that have
occasionally included vibrant trim or accent colors, which may be appropriate. He said the
additional palettes have been requested but had not been received. The applicant had proposed
the yellow Sunday Brunch on the brick and façade of the building. Mr. Medina said the addition
appeared to be appropriate, and recommended approval, and that staff’s opinion was that
requiring removal or relocation would be an undue burden on the applicant. He reiterated that
the previously approved colors, Clubhouse Yellow, Lincoln White Sash, and Noir, were staff’s
recommended color palette.
Board Member Knott asked the applicant, Wendy Acosta, 4707 Dripping Springs in Sherman,
TX, if she wanted to submit additional color options to the Board. Ms Acosta said they were
originally hoping to expose the previously painted brick on the rear accessory structure which
would be her art studio, and they hoped the brick would match the soft yellow color originally
approved. She said brick is creamy yellow, creamy orange, and brown. She said their stone
mason did not recommend removing the existing paint as the brick is heavily textured and
removing the paint could ruin the texture. She said she stayed within the yellow color-family
since a yellow had been approved initially and the original brick was also yellow. Ms Acosta
said the colors had been chosen from the National Historic Color list and that, being her art
studio, the colors should reflect her as the owner and inhabitant of the building and what she is
doing in the building. She said she chose the bright colors for this reason, and to draw visitors
from Main Street to her studio. She said the historic white would be on the board and batten
and black on the trim. Ms Acosta said she had not looked at other colors because she wanted to
stay within the yellow color family, and clarified that the colors used for the mock-up in the
packet may not be true to the actual colors as they were just the closest shade available on the
computer. Board Member Alexander asked if alternative color palettes had been proposed. Ms
Acosta said that other palettes had not been submitted because she wanted to stay with yellow.
Board Member Borgne asked if the applicant had received the National Historic Color palette,
Mr. Medina verified that they had. Board Member Knott asked Ms Acosta if she wanted to add
anything else. She said she did not have anything additional regarding the color selection but
wanted to address the lack of permit for the project. She said an auto-cad drawing had been
included in an application to Historic Preservation staff, and a tarp had been put in place so
inspectors could access the framework of the addition. She said her contractor recently applied
for the permit and was awaiting Historic Preservation approval. Board Member Borgne asked
if the colors were on the approved color list. Mr. Medina said they are on the list and are used
for trim and accent as opposed to an entire façade. He said the Sunday Brunch yellow is
appropriate for an accent color. Ms Acosta said the Diverse Beige was very similar to the
existing siding color, which is why they picked it. Board Member Knott asked if the building
had previously been residential. Mr. Medina said it had been at one time but is now zoned Retail
or Commercial. Board Member Alexander asked if alternative colors had been discussed that
would meet the applicant’s needs and meet the Historic District standards. Mr. Medina said it
had been requested by staff but had not been submitted. He said staff can work out compromises
ahead of time with most projects. He said the Board may opt to table the color palette until the
next meeting, which may give the applicant time to collaborate with staff to find alternatives.
Board Member Alexander asked Ms Acosta if this would interfere with their project timeline.
Ms Acosta said it may as they need to complete the work and move their business from their
leased location to the new location. She asked if the vibrancy of the yellow was the issue. Board
Member Borgne noted that the color appeared to vary between the display screen and printed
packets, and Ms Acosta gave the Board the paint swatches for review, stating the bright Sunday
Brunch yellow would pull out the brown and orange tones of the brick. Board Member Knott
clarified that the brick would be completely painted yellow, and the door and window trim
teal—Ms Acosta verified that yes, that was what had been proposed. Mr. Medina verified the
next Board meeting would be November 17. He said the December meeting may change as
City Hall will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday and that is when the meeting
agenda would need to be posed. Board Member Knott asked if the yellow and teal were critical
to the project. Ms Acosta said it was critical to her vision as an artist and her desire to catch
people’s eye from Main Street. Board Member Alexander asked if approving these colors would
set a precedence for using these colors elsewhere in the district and on Main Street. Mr. Medina
said yes, it could. He said staff has been working with the Texas Historical Commission on a
color list that includes appropriate application of the National Historic Colors to protect the
Historic Designation of Main Street. Board. Member Borgne asked if the Acosta’s vision could
be accomplished with vibrantly colored signs, and/or if the applicant could come back with 2
or 3 alternatives somewhere between the approved colors and the new colors. She said she
understood the need to draw visitors off Main Street. Ms Acosta said she needed clarification
about what was objectionable about the colors. Board Member Borgne said the approved palette
and the new palette were very different, and something in between the two could be looked at
instead. Ms Acosta said she wanted to use a yellow, and Board Member Borgne said that may
be appropriate depending on the shade and that, to be fair to the applicant, a color in between
the two should be discussed. Ms Acosta said she didn’t have time to come back to the Board
multiple times. Board Member Borgne said she is basing her feedback on what she knows about
the district as a Board Member and as a fellow Main Street building owner. She asked if signage
had been developed. Mr. Medina said signage had not been approved, and staff would be able
to move the applicant through the Certificate of Occupancy process so they can open their
business even if the colors are tabled. Board Member Knott said she would like to see alternative
color palettes. She said that while she did not have an issue with the vibrancy per se, there was
a huge difference between the previously approved colors and the new palette and would like
to see something in between. Ms Acosta said she had not designed signage yet. Board Member
Borgne said that the multiple pallets would allow the applicant to just come back once instead
of having to come back multiple times.
Cruz Acosta asked if there were differences in the Commercial and Residential palettes in the
Historic District. Mr. Medina said there was not, and it is a District wide color list. Mr. Acosta
noted that there were some other buildings with vibrant colors. Mr. Acosta said people ask him
what it is like to work with Downtown Denison, and he said there are hurdles. He said the Board
needs to seriously consider the small square footage of the building to be painted, and that he
thinks people might look at the District and think the Historic Preservation process was too
difficult. Board Member Borgne said the Board was not trying to stifle development and seeing
an alternative palette would be helpful. Mr. Medina explained that the goal and function of
Historic preservation is not to stifle development, but to encourage it. He said that when the
2018 Comprehensive Plan was developed with residents, council and other stakeholders,
changes to the Historic Preservation process were suggested. Those did not move forward,
because community feedback and research points to Downtown areas with Historic designation
being a unique real estate product that cannot be recreated and has a positive impact in attracting
new businesses despite being difficult to maintain. Ms Acosta said she would be happy to bring
some additional color options, and they would be just as vibrant as these colors. She also said
she worked on the volunteer boards that bring in artists to paint dumpsters and help with murals.
She said her alternative colors would not be muted. She said she was sorry she had submitted
the initial palette, as she meant the yellow to represent the color family and not the shade. Board
Member Alexander said he if the applicant was willing to come back to the Board with other
colors, he supported that. He said the originally approved colors were significantly different
than what was now proposed, and he wanted to look at alternatives. Ms Acosta asked what a
compromise would look like. Board Member Alexander replied that he wasn’t sure what the
answer was, but the current colors were stronger than what was originally approved. Mr. Medina
added that the Secretary of Interior guidelines require that the neighborhood as a whole be taken
into account and that projects should not be considered with blinders on. The look and feel of
the block, neighboring and adjacent buildings, and the street should be considered. He said it is
less important that proposed colors are on the historic palette and more important that a color is
appropriate for the neighborhood and district. He said that while the term muting the colors has
a negative connotation, options closer to what is existing in the neighborhood would be
welcome. Ms Acosta said she felt there were strong colors in the neighborhood, including a red
brick and an orange brick building nearby, and a blue home down the street. Board Member
Borgne said she welcomed vibrancy coming back to areas of the district that need it and projects
that add vibrancy may serve to spark additional reinvestment, and asked if an appropriate color
palette could be vetted by staff so the applicant would only need to come before the Board one
more time. Board Member Knott clarified that there would be time to do that before the next
regularly scheduled Board Meeting on November 17, and Mr. Medina verified that there would
be. Mr. Medina asked if a Board Member would be willing to help with the process. Each of
the Board Members said they would be happy to work with staff and the Acosta’s on finding
an alternative. Mr. Medina said staff recommended approval of the addition so a Certificate of
Occupancy could be issued, and painting could occur at a later time as often happens with
projects on Main Street.
On motion by Board Member Borgne, seconded by Board Member Alexander, the motion to
approve the mostly constructed rear addition, the repaint of the rear accessory structure, the
approval of the rear addition to the main structure, and to table the newly selected color palette
carried unanimously.
Chair Mason rejoined the dais at 12:47pm.
Ms Acosta said she had some comments she wanted to go on record. She said she supports the
Historic Preservation Board and thinks it is vital to the economic lifeblood of downtown. She
said it was a draw, and the Board needed to help people make choices and decisions. She said
not everyone has the heart to preserve history and said her quarrel was with the stranglehold it
has been on her project. She said she did not want to tear down a historic property and turn it
into a chain but wanted to create a viable member of the community. She said that with any
current remodel, things are found once the project starts, which is why needing to get approval
on things by a committee that meets every two weeks does not work for her construction
timeline. She said the process has been like trying to push a rock up a hill backwards with her
hands tied behind her back. She said she does not lead with the negative and the past is the past.
She stated that her goal is to make things better than when she found them, which was what she
is trying to do here. She said she is not a cheerleader for the City but is a feet-on-the-ground
supporter and was taken aback over the decision to table to color. She explained that the
proposed building to be painted is a small percentage of the property but that she will hold up
progress on the building and will pick the Board other colors to look at. She said she will not
compromise her aesthetic on a building that belongs to her and represents her to please the
Historic Preservation Board. She said she did not want to create something ugly and her hearts
intention is to enliven part of Downtown. She said she understood that volunteer service is not
glamours or appreciated, but she appreciates what the Board does, and apologized for the
harshness of her tone. She said downtown is unique, and that is why she chose to stay downtown
so she cannot just take from the community but also give back to it. She said she would abide
by the decision. Chair Mason thanked Ms Acosta and said the Board understood her position
and hoped she understood theirs.
3. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 12:53pm.
___________________________________
BOARD CHAIR, George Mason
Historic Preservation Meeting
Staff Report
Agenda Item
Receive a report, hold a discussion, and take action on a request to paint the structure at 500 West
Woodard Street. (Case No. 2020–063H)
Staff Contact
Bill Medina, Planner
903-647-5566
Summary
The applicant is requesting approval to repaint the existing structures.
Staff recommends approval of the repainting.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval.
Recommended Motion
"I move to approve the repainting of the to the structure at 500 West Woodard Street.”
Background Information and Analysis
The owner of the property located at 500 West Woodard Street has requested to paint the rear structure
white, with SW0064 Blue Peacock trim, and SW 0073 Chartreuse for the door. The existing bricks
have previously been painted, which has been removed. The applicant has begun painting the rear
structure. At the November 3rd, 2020 Historic Preservation Board Meeting, The Board requested the
applicant meet with City staff to discuss alternative color selections, this did not occur prior to the
applicant selecting the new colors and applying them to the building.
Financial Considerations
N/A
Prior Board or Council Action
The Historic Preservation Board granted approval to paint the building on May 5th, 2020.
The Historic Preservation Board tabled a separate request to repaint the rear building on November 3rd
, 2020.
Alternatives
The Historic Preservation Board may approve, table, or deny the request.