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CITY OF MUSKEGON
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING
October 22, 2025 @ 4:00 PM
MUSKEGON CITY HALL, ROOM 204
933 TERRACE STREET, MUSKEGON, MI 49440
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chairperson J. Huss called the meeting to order at 04:18 PM and roll was
taken.
ROLL CALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: K. Kochin, D. Gregersen, J. Huss, C. Davis
MEMBERS ABSENT:
MEMBERS EXCUSED: S. Radtke, G. Borgman
STAFF PRESENT: J. Pesch, W. Webster
OTHERS PRESENT: AJ Ademovic
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. Approval of Meeting minutes of the September 2, 2025 regular meeting.
Planning
A motion to approve the regular meeting minutes of September 2, 2025 was
made by D. Gregersen, supported by K. Kochin, and approved with J. Huss, C.
Davis, D. Gregersen, and K. Kochin voting aye.
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
Page 1 of 4
A. Case 2025-28: 74 Delaware Planning
The applicant was seeking approval to replace the wood siding with vinyl! siding
with a 4" reveal (J. Pesch added that the previous wood siding had a 3-1/2"
reveal), replicating the original window and door trim including the crown
moldings above the windows; replace damaged or missing windows within the
same rough openings with vinyl windows with some changes to the size and
appearance of some windows; and reconstruct the damaged portion of the
brick front porch with new brick to match the remaining portion of the porch. J.
Pesch noted that the work had already been started without building permits
and that the state of the work visible in the most recent photos included in the
staff report showed roughly where things stood when a stop work order was
issued. J. Pesch added that the house had been vacant for some time, and
was on the City's Dangerous Buildings list mainly due to the condition of the front
porch column.
AJ Ademovic, both the property owner and contractor for the work, stated that
the front porch had been ready to collapse when he purchased the house with
the gap in the bricks continuing to grow wider. The HDC commended the work
done to rebuild the front porch and make the needed repairs to the house.
J. Pesch walked through the proposed changes to the size and appearance of
some windows, noting that the west elevation of the house was proposed to
see the most significant changes. AJ Ademovic explained that when he
became the owner of the house, many of the windows on the west elevation
had already been heavily damaged or removed; most of the other windows on
the house were also damaged, could not be opened, or could not stay open.
He explained that he planned to install two 36"x48" windows in place of the
three windows that were in the bumped-out portion on the west elevation. J.
Huss acknowledged that he did not have much to reference for that elevation
with the windows having been removed, but the photos included in the staff
report offered some answers. D. Gregersen explained that replacing three
windows with two windows would drastically change the appearance of the
house, even if they fit within the same overall rough opening. J. Huss suggested
that the motion specify that the replacement windows be of the same size and
configuration as the original windows and D. Gregersen suggested that any
replacement windows also have the same mullion pattern. AJAdemovic had
questions about the building code and whether there would be a requirement
for egress windows in some parts of the house, and J. Pesch stated that the
Building Inspections Department could better answer them.
Page 2 of 4
AJ Ademovic said that he was not planning significant changes to the other
elevations unless he was not able to find replacement windows that matched
what was existing. K. Kochin asked if vinyl windows were an issue for the HDC,
and D. Gregersen stated that alternative materials should be considered. AJ
Ademovic voiced concerns with the added difficulty of purchasing windows of
a different material as they would need to be custom-ordered if the exact size
did not already exist. D. Gregersen suggested looking into composite or
fiberglass windows, acknowledging that would likely need to be custom-
ordered. J. Huss suggested contacting local lumberyards instead of big box
stores for possible custom windows that would also match the mullion patterns
of the original windows, and D. Gregersen added that only a few of the
windows might need to be custom-ordered. K. Kochin reminded the HDC that
the house was on the City's Dangerous Buildings list and asked staff if the house
would be demolished if repairs were not made; J. Pesch explained that there
were a number of steps in the Dangerous Buildings process, with the City
Commission making the final decision. He noted that the original reason the
house was added to the list had already been addressed.
The board determined that the proposed siding reveal was appropriate being
that it was similar to the original reveal dimension and that alternative siding
materials such as engineered wood required an even greater reveal. D.
Gregersen asked if there would be any changes to the eaves and exposed
rafter tails and AJ Ademovic explained that he needed to address some
structural issues in an area on the east elevation, but that it would look the same
and be repainted. AJ Ademovic noted that the window and door trim would
be retained or replicated.
AJ Ademovic noted that the exterior doors would need to be replaced and J.
Pesch added that the existing doors appeared to be modern replacements.
The HDC reviewed the door style guide and determined that a few of the
craftsman or foursquare doors depicted with windows in the upper portion
would be appropriate replacement options. D. Gregersen also suggested
visiting a few architectural salvage warehouses to see if a historic door of a
similar style could be found to use as a replacement.
A motion that the HDC approve the request to replace the wood siding with
vinyl siding with a 4" reveal, retain or replicate the original window and door trim
including the crown moldings above the windows and doors as well as rafter
details, replace damaged or missing windows within the same rough openings
with the same number of vinyl windows of the same configuration, size, and
design including mullion patterns that match the original windows, reconstruct
the damaged portion of the brick front porch with new brick to match the
remaining portion of the porch, and replace the exterior doors with a craftsman
Page 3 of 4
or foursquare-style door as illustrated in the HDC door style guide as long as the
work meets all zoning requirements and the necessary permits are obtained
was made by K. Kochin, supported by C. Davis, with J. Huss, C. Davis, and K.
Kochin voting aye, and D. Gregersen voting nay.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
PUBLIC COMMENT
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 05:02 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jamie Pesch, Planner
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