Thornton Park 3-Story Mixed Use Building Passes Historic Preservation Board Review

By Mark Baratelli
After getting all its requested variances approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment, Veneto Builders' received approval from the Historic Preservation Board (subject to one condition) for its Request for a Major Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed 3 story mixed use building within the Lake Lawsona Historic District (MAP) which will house the buildings' owner, David Parrish.

The building will sit on a currently empty .14 acre commercial property between Thornton Park Laundry and a 4-unit retail strip at 811 East Washington Street in Thornton Park. It will have commercial ground floor space and a total of two living units taking up the second and third floors.

The condition imposed by the Historic Preservation Board is "Condition 14: HPB approval is subject to unanimous approval of necessary changes to the project by the Design Review Committee."

The board met in early 2018 and discussed at length the building’s size; design details; whether a more-detailed plan was needed; that there might not have been enough historic elements present; that the proportions as proposed seemed off; the number and size of columns; and positions of the windows as shown in the renderings and drawings. (See below)


The required changes include making the windows (1) inset and (2) consistent on all floors, (3) have dimensional exterior and interior muntins (a bar or rigid supporting strip between adjacent panes of glass) to simulate historic wood, and (4) mullions (a vertical bar between the panes of glass in a window) between ganged windows to be similar to historic paired windows. The bottom store windows must have a simplified glazing pattern to be more similar to historic plate glass storefronts in the district.

Doors will have a muntin pattern compatible with the windows and simulate true divided light doors.

The first floor ceiling height will be a minimum of 10 feet and maintain the building's overall height at 40 feet.

Columns on ground floor and balconies above shall be square in plan rather than “L” shaped.

Beam shall be seen on the second and third floor balcony sides.

The metal roofing style and material shall must be compatible with historic metal roofing in the district.

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