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

bmedina@cityofdenison.com

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.