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CITY OF MUSKEGON
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF MEETING: Conference Room 204, City Hall
AGENDA
I. Call to Order
II. Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of May 12, 2022 and June 7, 2022.
III. Old Business
IV. New Business
Case 2022-25 – 523 W. Clay – Fence
Case 2022-26 – 1188 4th – Fence
Case 2022-27 – 26 E. Isabella – Windows
Case 2022-28 – 313 W. Webster – Demolition
V. Other Business
New HDC Member
2022 Staff Approval Update #2
August 2022 HDC Meeting Date
VI. Adjourn
“We admire that which is old not because it is old, but because it is beautiful.” Winston Churchill
AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT POLICY FOR ACCESS TO OPEN MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION AND ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES
OR SUBCOMMITTEES
The City of Muskegon will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired and audio tapes of printed
materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities who want to attend the meeting, upon twenty-four hour notice to the City of
Muskegon. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the City of Muskegon by writing or calling the following: Ann
Marie Cummings, City Clerk at 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49440 or by calling (231) 724-6705 or TTY/TDD: Dial 7-1-1 and request that
representative dial 231-724-6705
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II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of May 12, 2022 and June 7, 2022.
III. OLD BUSINESS
None
IV. NEW BUSINESS
Case 2022-25 – 523 W. Clay – Fence
Applicant: Steven Gibbons and Idalmis M Vidal-Gibbons
District: National Register
Current Function: Residential
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to construct a six-foot-tall vinyl privacy fence in the side and rear
yard of the property.
View of house from W. Clay Avenue, looking southeast. Proposed fence location will be on the left.
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Proposed location of fence. Grey box is the neighbor’s garage.
Rendering of proposed fence location and fence style.
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Proposed fence style.
Standards
FENCE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES (Abbreviated)
General
Fences and gates are an extension of the architecture of a home. They should be compatible in style
and material. They should be appropriate to the size and scale of the structure. They, therefore, require
review and approval by the Historic District Commission.
Sometimes it is necessary to use fencing for other than decorative purposes, such as marking bound-
aries, privacy, screening unsightly areas, or security. Fencing for utilitarian purposes sometimes re-
quires fencing materials which are not of the period or character of the house. Nonconforming fencing
materials may be considered for use in the back of the structure.
…
Fence Standards
LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS: (Please see the attached Supplementary Graphics sheets)
Conforming open fences not over four (4) feet and conforming solid fences not over three (3) feet in
height are permitted between the property line and halfway between the front and rear setback lines.
…
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Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to construct a six-foot-tall vinyl privacy fence in
the side and rear yard of the property as proposed in the July 12, 2022 HDC staff report as long as
the work meets all zoning requirements and the necessary permits are obtained.
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Case 2022-26 – 1188 4th – Fence
Applicant: LeighAnn Mikesell
District: Houston
Current Function: Residential
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to construct a six-foot-tall cedar or vinyl privacy fence with the
option of lattice panels in the side yard of the property along Monroe Avenue. Because HDC local
standards limit privacy fences to no more than four-feet in height in the corner side yard, the fencing
proposed cannot be approved by Staff as it does not conform with the local standards at the
proposed height.
View of house from 4th Street, looking north. Proposed location of fence at right.
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View of existing paved patio and location of proposed fence from Monroe Avenue, looking west.
Proposed location of new privacy fence.
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Proposed style of new privacy fence with optional lattice panels for ventilation.
Standards
See Fence Standards and Guidelines in Case 2022-25, above.
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to construct a six-foot-tall (cedar/vinyl) privacy fence
(with/without) the optional lattice panels in the side yard of the property in the location proposed in
the July 12, 2022 HDC staff report as long as the work meets all zoning requirements and the necessary
permits are obtained.
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Case 2022-27 – 26 E. Isabella – Windows
Applicant: Ashley Bucy
District: McLaughlin
Current Function: Residential
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to replace all existing windows in the house with vinyl windows
of the same size and appearance within the original openings excluding the leaded glass casement
window, sidelight windows, and two dormer windows on the front (south) elevation, and replace an
existing basement window with a larger egress window and window-well and side over one missing
window on the rear (north) elevation.
View of house from E. Isabella Avenue, looking northwest. Picture window partly visible at left,
sidelights visible on the front porch, and dormer windows visible at center.
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View of the rear elevation of the house from the back yard. Missing window proposed to be
removed visible at left and existing basement window proposed to be replaced with a larger window
and window-well for egress at right. Upper right window proposed to be replaced with vinyl
window of the same size.
View of rear elevation from Arthur Street.
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View of house showing windows on side elevation, looking west.
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View of windows on side of house and dormer windows, looking north.
Standards
WINDOW, DOOR, AND EXTERIOR WOODWORK STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
(Abbreviated)
General
These guidelines pertain only to proposed changes to the structure and do not affect existing
construction.
These guidelines are primarily directed toward the front and side elevations of the structure. Greater
variances and more leniency may be extended toward proposed changes to the rear elevation of the
building by the Commission. All desired or proposed changes should be referred to the Historic
District Commission for consideration. Extenuating circumstances, the effect upon the architecture of
the particular structure together with the general effect upon the surrounding structures, variables in
architectural design, or the effect upon usage and viability of the structure could dictate a variance
from these guidelines.
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No exterior doors, windows, or exterior woodwork shall be altered, removed, relocated, or added
without Historic District Commission approval.
…
Primary Windows
Existing damaged or deteriorating window frames and sash shall be repaired as a first course of action.
When repair is not possible, elements shall be replaced with matching wood members. Metal or vinyl
replacement windows may be acceptable provided they match the original windows in design and
type and that they consist of or are painted an appropriate color. Bare metal finishes generally will not
be acceptable.
The size of glass lites and muntin arrangements shall not be altered without Commission approval.
Special glazing, such as stained or leaded art glass, shall not be removed without Commission
approval. Unusual decorative windows such as Palladian windows, oriels, bays, Gothic arch or
segment tops, etc. shall not be removed or altered.
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to replace all existing windows in the house with
vinyl windows of the same size and appearance within the original openings excluding the leaded
glass casement window, sidelight windows, and two dormer windows on the front elevation, and
replace an existing basement window with a larger egress window and window-well and side over
one missing window on the rear elevation as long as the work meets all zoning requirements and the
necessary permits are obtained.
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Case 2022-28 – 313 W. Webster – Demolition
Applicant: Downtown Muskegon Development Corporation (DMDC)
District: National Register
Current Function: Commercial/Vacant
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to demolish the building addition and carriage house on the
property, converting the land to greenspace when demolition is complete. More information will be
provided at the meeting.
View of building addition from W. Webster Avenue, looking east.
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View of connection point between original house and building addition from W. Webster Avenue.
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View of carriage house (left) and building addition (right), looking west.
View of carriage house from rear entry to building addition, looking east.
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View of rear entry to building addition and connection point to original house, looking west.
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Closer view of connection point between original house and building addition from rear entry to
building addition.
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View of third-floor connection point between building addition and original house at the former
location of the chimney.
Photo of now-covered side of house and carriage house (photo from sometime between 1929-1942).
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Standards
No HDC local standards apply.
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to demolish the building addition and carriage
house on the property, converting the land to greenspace when demolition is complete as long as the
work meets all zoning requirements and the necessary permits are obtained.
VI. OTHER BUSINESS
New HDC Member – Greg Borgman has been appointed to the Historic District Commission.
2022 Staff Approval Update #2 – Since the last update in April 2022, Staff has approved seven
projects, those bolded were discussed with the HDC chairperson prior to approval:
- 1649 Peck – Replacement of existing fence with new fence of same design, materials, and
appearance
- 1659 Peck – Reroof house and flat roof; install aluminum soffit in place of existing chicken
wire soffit on portion of house not visible from surrounding public streets
- 105 Iona – Reroof house
- 401 W. Western – Removal of defunct chimney (on alley)
- 241 W. Muskegon – Installation of storm windows on the first floor of the attached
garage
- 561 W. Western – Change color of museum window sign to white (green was approved
at 6/7/22 HDC meeting)
- 26 E. Isabella – Reroof house replacing OSB and exposed rafter tails, where damaged
August 2022 HDC Meeting Date – The HDC meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 2,
2022 will need to be rescheduled. Staff and the board will discuss alternate meeting dates in August.
VII. ADJOURN
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