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CITY OF MUSKEGON
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
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 May 6, 2025 and June 5, 2025 regular meetings
III. Old Business
Case 2025-14 – 1725 Peck – Siding
Case 2025-16 – 1194 Terrace – Mini-Split HVAC Units
Case 2022-11 – 238 Houston – Rehabilitation
IV. New Business
V. Other Business
VI. Adjourn
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city.com
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II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Approval of Minutes of the regular meetings of May 6, 2025 and June 5, 2025.
III. OLD BUSINESS
Case 2025-14 – 1725 Peck – Siding
Applicant: Anita Morales and Ana Zuniga
District: Clinton-Peck
Current Function: Residential
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to replace the existing wood siding with vinyl siding.
View from Peck Street, looking southwest.
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View from Peck Street, looking northwest.
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View of rear elevation and garage from W. Larch Avenue, looking northeast.
Standards
RESIDING AND TRIM CLADDING GUIDELINES
General
The Muskegon Historic District Commission does not endorse the residing of structures within the
Historic districts. It is the policy of this Commission that the original fabric of the building should
be repaired or replaced where necessary with the original building material.
In cases where the repair or replacement with like materials is impractical or where it can be
demonstrated that the original materials will no longer hold paint or that the original materials are
so badly deteriorated that they can no longer be reasonably repaired, the residing standards below
shall strictly be adhered to.
Definitions
For the purpose of this statement, the terms “residing materials” and “trim cladding” shall be
understood to encompass the use of any residing materials such as aluminum, vinyl, steel, hardboard,
wood, masonry, or molded urethane which is designed to replace or cover all, or any part, of an
exterior wall, trim work or other building element or a structure within a designated historic district.
Purpose
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The Commission shall review all applications for Certificates of Appropriateness proposing the
installation of residing materials or trim cladding as individual cases. Each application shall be
decided on its own merit. No person should interpret any Commission approval for residing or trim
cladding as being precedent setting. Unrestricted use of residing materials or trim cladding will not
be allowed.
In any case where residing materials or trim cladding are proposed for use by a property owner or
siding contractor, the property owner shall be required to submit a signed letter stating in detail the
intent and scope of the proposed residing or trim cladding installation. Such a letter is to also include
the identification of any deterioration or problems occurring relative to the existing siding or exterior
building fabric. If known, the cause and extent of this deterioration must be clearly stated.
The following conditions of installation shall be met by all proposals for residing or trim cladding:
1. All existing deterioration shall be made structurally sound and its causes, insofar as possible,
shall be corrected prior to the installation of residing materials or trim cladding.
2. Any installation of residing materials shall simulate the appearance of the original building
material that it is intended to cover. This simulation shall take into account the size, shape or
profile, texture, and linear direction of the original building material.
a. The residing material shall be similar in appearance and dimension to the original siding.
The exposure to the weather of the new siding shall range within one inch of the nominal
dimension of the original siding. The Historic District Commission shall have the
authority to waive this requirement in the event that they believe a different design or
dimension siding would be more appropriate to the architectural character of the Historic
District.
b. A proposed color shall be appropriate as determined by the Commission.
c. Generally, wood grain textures are not approved by the Commission. However, the
appropriateness of a specific siding texture shall be determined on an individual case
basis.
3. Any installation of trim cladding shall adhere to the following guidelines for the treatment for
architectural trim elements.
a. Existing cornice or building trim elements shall not be covered or replaced without
Commission approval. Commission approval will depend upon how closely the trim
cladding or new trim elements duplicate the appearance of the existing building trim
elements.
b. The wall siding material shall not extend over the existing trim members such as window
and door trim, sills, facias, soffits, frieze members and boards, brackets, aprons, corner
boards, trim boards, skirt boards, or any other characteristic moldings or architectural
features.
c. If the above mentioned trim members are to be clad, they shall be covered with custom
formed cladding which shall closely approximate the shapes and contours of the existing
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moldings or trim. Distinctive or unusual trim or architectural elements shall not be clad
without prior consideration and Commission approval.
d. No building trim elements or architectural features are to be removed or altered to facilitate
the installation of the new siding or trim cladding without approval of the Historic District
Commission.
In most cases the soffit cladding material shall run parallel and not perpendicular to the plane of the
wall.
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to replace the existing wood siding with vinyl siding
as long as the work meets all zoning requirements and the necessary permits are obtained.
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Case 2025-16 – 1194 Terrace – Mini-Split HVAC Units
Applicant: Jackson Cervantes
District: McLaughlin
Current Function: Institutional
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to install two wall-mounted mini-split HVAC units and
accompanying conduit on the north (side) elevation, one wall-mounted mini-split HVAC unit,
disconnect box, and accompanying conduit on the south (side) elevation, and one wall-mounted
mini-split HVAC unit, disconnect box, and accompanying conduit on the east (rear) elevation about
four-feet above grade, remove the existing, in-wall air conditioning units, and fill in the former
openings to match the existing building material. The total number of units and their locations have
changed from the original request.
View from Terrace Street, looking north; two existing air conditioning units are visible on south
(side) elevation.
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View from Terrace Street, looking east; one existing air conditioning unit (the second is obstructed
by vegetation) and one mini-split HVAC unit are visible on north (side) elevation.
Proposed unit, disconnect box, and conduit placement on the south elevation.
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Sketch of proposed units, disconnect box, and conduit placement on the north (side) and east (rear)
elevations. Please note that the chimney is not shown in the correct location.
Standards
GENERAL UTILITY/OUTDOOR APPLIANCES (Abbreviated)
General
Many historic resources have survived over the years with minimal alterations to the fabric of the
building. Recent inventions and conveniences have placed a toll on the historic nature of our re-
sources. These conveniences should not be prohibited, but regulated in a fashion that allows for the
enjoyment of the resource while keeping the integrity of the district intact.
Guidelines
Other air conditioning units - Units that must be placed in walls are discouraged because they may
degrade the structural integrity of the resource. However, if properly installed, they may be placed
in areas of the resource not facing the street. The Historic District Commission may approve other
installations if screened from street view.
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to install two wall-mounted mini-split HVAC units
and accompanying conduit on the south and north (side) elevations of the building about four-feet
above grade, remove the existing, in-wall air conditioning units, and fill in the former openings to
match the existing building material as long as the work meets all zoning requirements and the nec-
essary permits are obtained.
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Case 2022-11 – 238 Houston – Rehabilitation
Applicant: Joseph Heeren
District: Houston
Current Function: Vacant
Discussion
The applicant is requesting that the HDC review the work as depicted in the drawings included in
Attachment A, with a series of modifications as they presently exist on site. This case was accepted
as a walk-on case at the March 1, 2022 meeting, and the approval motion from that meeting is
included below:
“A motion that the HDC approve the request to install a new egress window on the south elevation,
replace missing/damaged 24”x54” wood windows on the east, west, and south elevations with vinyl
windows of the same size and appearance with applied mullions installed on both the inside and
outside of the glass for the three second-story windows on the south elevation, uncover and replace
the storefront windows the first floor with windows of the same size and appearance, and extend the
height of the chimney using reclaimed brick from the building to meet code for venting.”
That motion was amended at the April 5, 2022 meeting to also include the following:
“Install composite siding on the south elevation and west elevation and vinyl siding on the east and
north elevations as well as the west elevation of the rear addition with a 4” reveal, install 6”-wide
composite trim/sills on all exterior doors and windows to match the elevation drawings provided at
the December 1, 2020 HDC meeting, and install aluminum soffit and fascia with false composite
exposed rafters on the eaves.”
Following those meetings, in July 2022, the drawings in Attachment A were submitted to the
Building Inspections Department and approved by the HDC staff liaison with the following
conditions, which were shared with the applicant at the time that building permits were issued:
“All work must comply with the HDC motion approved 4/5/2022 … Four windows on rear portion
of east and west elevations were not approved for removal and must remain in place or be replaced
with new windows of the same size and appearance within the original openings. Vinyl siding on
west elevation only approved for the rear addition. Eaves cannot be boxed in and must contain false
composite exposed rafters.”
While some of the work completed to date appears to more closely match Attachment A, the
following completed or in-process work does not comply with the HDC’s approval motion:
- The rear, enclosed porch has windows and a sliding door that differ significantly from what
the HDC approved as well as from what is depicted in Attachment A.
- The location and number of windows on the second story of the west elevation have changed.
- Removal of the door, window, and overhang on the first floor of the west elevation (facing
3rd Street) was not approved. The HDC did, however, discuss the lack of historic significance
of these features at the April 5, 2022 meeting.
- The storefront windows do not appear to have been replaced with windows of the same size
and appearance.
Additional proposed departures from Attachment A will be presented by the applicant at the meeting.
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View of west and south elevations from Houston Avenue, looking northeast.
View of north and west elevations from rear alley, looking southeast.
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View of south and east elevations from Houston Avenue, looking northwest.
Storefront window frames on south elevation.
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Attachment A
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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.
No exterior doors, windows, or exterior woodwork shall be altered, removed, relocated, or added
without Historic District Commission approval.
Existing exterior window or door casings, sills, and caps shall not be altered from the original design
or appearance. Damaged or deteriorated wood shall be repaired as a first course of action. When
repair is not possible, elements shall be replaced with matching wood members. Damaged or
deteriorated wood elements may be replaced or covered with formed aluminum or vinyl, subject to
Commission approval and provided that the original profile of the woodwork is not altered or
changed.
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.
Storm Windows
Wood storm and screen windows are the most appropriate for use in the historic district. Other types
of storm, screen, or combination windows will be approved provided that the new storm window
mullions align with the mullions of the primary windows. Blind stop storm and screen windows
(where such windows are placed inside the existing window frames rather than affixed to the exterior
of the frames) are preferable and may be required in some instances. Bare metal storm and screen
windows must be painted to match or complement the trim. Interior storm windows may be accepta-
ble as long as they do not detract from the appearance of the primary windows. Care should be taken,
however, when using interior storm windows because condensation tends to form on the inside sur-
face of the primary window and could cause damage to the wood and paint if not properly ventilated.
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Primary Doors
Every effort should be made to preserve or repair the original doors where damage has occurred. When
repair is not possible, a new wood door may be used. Such new door shall match the original in detail and
finish.
The Commission may approve new wood doors that may slightly differ from the original in cases where
replicating the original may not be feasible, as long as such doors generally conform to the ones illustrated
on the attached sheet. Under certain circumstances, the Commission may approve doors made of material
other than wood provided they conform to the same design requirements.
Storm Doors
Wooden storm and screen doors are preferred and will generally be the required option especially on the
front of the structure. Aluminum or metal storm and screen doors may be used so long as they are not mill
finished or anodized aluminum. Baked enamel or other applicable paints or finishes will be acceptable. In
general, storm and screen doors shall conform to those illustrated on the attached sheet. The door stiles and
rails should be a minimum of 4” wide and one lite doors, where practical, are preferred in order not to
detract from the existing primary door. Jalousie doors are not acceptable for use as storm doors in the
historic districts. Ornamental iron work safety doors are also generally inappropriate in the historic districts.
Exterior Woodwork
Existing decorative woodwork such as railings, moldings, eave, and gable cornice trim, tracery,
columns, observatories, scrolls, bargeboards, lattice, and other carved or sawn wood ornament
shall not be removed or altered without Commission approval. Existing deteriorated ornamental
woodwork shall not be removed but shall be repaired or replaced with matching materials where
possible.
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request to install composite siding on the north elevation
and vinyl siding on the east, west, and south elevations with a 4” reveal, install 6”-wide composite
trim/sills on all exterior doors and windows, and box in the eaves with aluminum soffit and fascia
with false composite exposed rafters as long as the work meets all zoning requirements and the
necessary permits are obtained.
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IV. NEW BUSINESS
None
V. OTHER BUSINESS
None
VI. ADJOURN
2025 Preservation Goals:
Increase awareness of Muskegon’s local historic districts within the community through direct
mailings to property owners within the districts and city-wide newsletters containing info on historic
districts and HDC procedures. Present to Neighborhood Associations on the same.
Apply to the SHPO Community Partnership Program to complete a survey of historic resources for
one (or more) of Muskegon’s existing historic districts.
Remain a resource for others to understand the history of our city and maintain relationships with
other local organizations that share similar purposes.
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