Board of Architectural Review Meeting   8/19/2025

Thank you.

You mean the comments or the motion too?

I mean, that's not what Kelly said you could... Yeah, if you want me to.

You mean for comments right now?

It's 5.35, thank y'all for your patience.

Lewis?

and then the applicant will again have three minutes to respond and that can be extended by the chair and I guess the other part of that is we'll allow any comments at the beginning of the meeting, matters from the public, it's matter A on our agenda, matters from the public not on the agenda should be matters of the public on the agenda and not on the agenda will be heard right after this hopefully.

All right.

Can I just clarify for the applicants out there, they will still be allowed their time as we go through each item.

Any discussion?

Correct.

Thank you.

Sure.

Joy Johnson.

Okay.

Please come up to one of the podiums, please.

Either one's fine.

So thank you and good evening.

Rosia Parker.

Thank you.

Do you want to speak now or later?

Thank you.

Shirley Gentry.

Thank you.

Michael Salvatierra.

Thank you.

Brandon Collins.

I'll speak later.

Now's good, okay.

And the place is too big, and I like it where I'm at.

Janet Nordenson, Cynthia Ivory My name is Cindy and I've lived in West Haven for 21 years.

Thank you.

Speak now.

Can I give it?

I can pass them if you like.

In sum, student housing is an inappropriate use for this land per the city's own code, and you should call the meeting early and go home.

Sorry.

I'll speak later.

Sophia Marrero?

I'll speak later.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any discussion on those or motion?

I vote to approve the meeting minutes.

Second.

And then I think we do have a representative that can speak.

See, we're back there now.

Or do you want him to speak?

Okay, all yours.

And I'm happy to answer anything that might be pertinent to this, if I may.

Questions from the BAR?

Is that part of it?

and it might be a little bit less than that, but we would like to, we propose increasing it to a 42 inch door, a 40 to 42 inch door.

Is that the primary reason that, I guess I'm trying to understand what you want to get rid of the existing side lights, is that the primary reason or is there like a structural reason as well?

So whether it happens out here or inboard of that, that's our objective.

Any other questions from the AI?

Yes.

We've tried to come up with older photographs and nobody seems to know how they made that.

But you see it primarily as a safety issue.

Yeah, that's our primary concern, safety and just allowing easier access.

And the door would now open outward or?

It's not as convenient for the residents, but it would be an option that we would explore.

Are they applied to both the exterior and the interior surface of the plaza?

And I would assume that would be available, but it isn't what we talked about when we had this door recorded.

It seems like solid would be safer.

And I think it's also nice to let light in aside from that.

Did you have a preference?

Have you considered a half light instead of a full?

In other words, a half window instead of a full window?

You know, that door with another door and wooden structure that they were trying to get a more secure entry way, one way or another.

you know the original size and shape of door opening should be maintained all these sort of things steer me towards not being able to to approve this personally but I'd welcome discussion from the rest of the VAR you know maybe there's a way also considering like maybe storm windows with safety glass over the side lights would be another way to achieve some higher security on the side lights without having to

So that's outside our purview.

Again, that's not our purview, but I don't think that was historic.

The interior door?

Yeah, maybe code official.

The inner one is right now.

Anybody want to chime in?

So yeah, that would be me.

That's a pretty wide door.

I can't remember, but it's... I wish I had... I wasn't there today, so I didn't have an opportunity to measure it.

I'd sort of agree with James, Mr. Zehmer.

The original architecture with the closets made that passage very narrow.

But it's too heavy and cumbersome.

You mean the interior one?

It's not really a practical entrance for this type of facility.

to the wood frame that's there so that if it allowed the entire opening to be used, that gave them freedom to have a wider door that anchored into the wall frame itself.

So, I mean, are there any other further comments?

that had modified them in order to do that.

I would be okay with that because that's really just trying to modernize the historic door to suit your purposes, right?

The opener would be the issue because it's currently just such a hard door to open for people to see.

So I think what they're talking about is, sorry, I've been looking over here, but nobody's chiming in.

Hamper, the people that are in need.

The issue was, like Jeff said, if we had put an aluminum frame inside of that, it would have squeezed the door too much.

But I'd also recommend, by all means, taking it out.

So we just need to do a little more homework on this part if we want to change that.

I guess those are the three options.

Mark Asper, and he and I tinker with this a little bit more.

I just want to make sure you know the options.

So in other words, that's better than voting on it now and voting it down?

Would you like to request a deferral?

I would like to request a deferral.

All right.

Move to accept the applicant's deferral.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right.

Thank you much.

Yes, 300 Ridge Street.

And I'll turn it over to Carl if you've got any questions for them.

Yeah, if you want to start introducing what you're welcome to and then if you need the slides.

Sorry, Greg.

Apologies.

It's OK.

OK.

So really, I think I'll just open it up for questions, you know, not to go too long on this.

Questions from the BAR?

What's your HVAC situation?

Not on the roof.

Are those double hung?

It'd be something like an awning or a hopper or a combination.

Not color, but is it a lap siding, or is it this just turned 90 degrees?

The minimal they have in these is one foot.

Just as long as it doesn't end up in my office.

I have plenty of those in my office.

where the indent is.

But we're happy to kind of provide that or receive input.

What do you do at the corners?

So hopefully it just blends.

Was the idea that you would keep the existing windows below, are those all?

Now, there are newer windows down below, too.

Thought these were loose.

Those are all my questions.

The face that has no windows.

And so what is that facing?

I'm trying to get a sense of what blank wall is.

You mean what is there?

What is that blank wall up against you?

So it's a parking lot now, but I imagine at some point it will probably be a building close by.

and the present wall has no windows either.

All right, I'll open up to comments from the VAR.

I agree.

other people.

I would also like to say that I like the design and if you can pull off doing the deck I think that would enhance the property.

Maybe we could start a GoFundMe right now.

I want to make this as nice as I can but with a budget.

Sure.

With the hopes of being able to afford putting that top.

And there will be yoga classes up there too, right?

No, we don't really teach yoga at all.

I can't, I can't.

I thought Pilates were de-opis, so.

No, I didn't.

If you've got a motion, go for it.

with this property and other properties in this ADC district, and the BAR approves the application as submitted.

Mr. Rosenthal?

Yes.

Thank you guys very much.

Thank you.

Good luck.

And I just want to say, you guys have all been wonderful along this process, so thank you.

When Greg said it was not going to be EFS, I was very excited.

It's stone.

that wasn't necessary so hopefully it's a real quick unless you wanted to argue for it and but unless you had any questions for me our recommendation was to approval either way on the eve detail and I don't know if you all want to if you have any questions for them.

Would the applicant like to make a presentation at all or you're welcome to?

We don't come in this room that often.

Carl's still here.

But happy to answer questions if y'all have any.

Questions from the board?

The gable end, what material are you putting in that little piece of gable end that's sticking out?

It'll be fiber cement to match the rest of the trim work.

I'm just curious.

I think they would both use it and appreciate it.

But I think this will certainly encourage use.

So I think the roof will add to that atmosphere.

Anybody want to make a motion?

The application as submitted.

Second.

All right.

Mr. Rosenthal.

Yes.

Tabony.

Yes.

Lauer.

Yes.

Thanks, everybody.

That's a good resource.

Hang on, I'll be right there.

Are you bringing pizza to us?

We bring in Kate, that's more important.

Let's get out the towel.

All right, well, BAR's ready.

I don't know where staff is.

There's Patrick's here.

What were you doing playing real much?

I've been in the room.

And Mr. Werner, if you'd like to give us that report.

So any questions for me?

Mr. Schaffer, would you like to make a 10-minute TOPS presentation, please?

Yes, sir.

This side.

Sure.

And we're excited about the direction this is headed, and we're eager to get your feedback and answer any questions you all may have.

Kevin, do you have any specific questions to ask us?

Why did you go with two buildings instead of one?

If it's a duplex, if we start to add more units than that, then we're introducing multifamily commercial sprinkler systems, for instance, or different progress requirements.

Can you remind me what the setback is along Langford?

I know we respond to the adjacent properties,

It just feels like I'm just curious why you're not pushing closer to Langford with the building on the right side of the image.

Oh, the Langford side?

Yeah.

So our property line actually doesn't start until we're pretty close to that side yard.

Sorry Kate, I was looking at a...

Just the setback in the distance between Lankford and the edge of the building on the right, I guess south.

Talk about adjusting it.

And I'm wondering if there's an opportunity here to, I know, well, there's probably an efficiency of sort of twinning these buildings, if there's an opportunity to also address Langford from kind of a facade.

I think that's a great comment.

So I'd encourage you to find ways to make one a little different from the other, just to give them some character.

I question the need, you mentioned the sort of vertical bay and then that was a move to kind of break down the three-story mass and I guess I wonder if that's still necessary once you go down to a two-story mass with a roof on top of it

So those are some of the best views in the city, I'd say.

So we're differentiating ourselves in a way in a historic neighborhood, not trying to replicate them in turn of the century houses.

Can you describe that a little?

And then we are accessing that as the grade steps down as a roof terrace.

But I suppose that's just for, so it's not a gable.

More usable space, though it is a big portion of the room.

They're inset, but it's about a foot.

Why the big retaining wall on the other side in the back?

unnecessary and not particularly desirable.

addressing the site through their architecture, but also take some lessons from those historic precedents and finding ways of maybe creating a little different, chill detailing or elements on that front as a playful way to kind of enhance the design.

Yeah, we did.

So I do think that's a smart suggestion.

More usable space engages the street and the public, pedestrians on the street.

So thank you for getting there for us.

It's a concept I think this is...

I agree that may have been jarring in the historic neighborhood, but you're adding density in a way that's not, I mean, it fits, and it's, I think, very appropriate, and I think you've, obviously you're still tweaking the design, but yes, you've put a lot of work into it, and I think right now it's an attractive project.

I like the notion that these have the townhouse look, but pay attention to my colleagues who are more architecturally adept.

No, it's great.

Go modern.

Yeah.

That would be classical.

Thank you.

And I would say, and I agree with Mr. Bailey, that it's great to see a townhouse typology, but I would also say that a townhouse would address the corner if it was on a corner.

Did I miss anything in that summary?

Forgive my insertion there.

And so giving something that provides life out front, a place to sit, would do that.

Easy to ignore a tiny porch, but you could have a BA RBQ on a large porch.

Thank you very much, Schaeffer.

Appreciate it.

So Jeff, do you want to start us off?

So do you have any questions for me?

Now, I'd like to turn it over to our architect, Mohamed Mohsen, which we've done a few projects, very successful projects with, with Niles Bolton, architecture technology.

We had to kind of run through this quickly, but we can bring any of the slides back and get more in depth as needed.

Johnson, Joy Johnson.

But please don't ever use my name unless I ask you to use it in not telling the truth.

Ivana Key?

And this, I have a question.

You're welcome to ask a question.

Y'all can say how y'all want to say it, I don't care.

You can ask a question.

That's all I'm asking.

Thank you.

and any step-backs we can get in terms of getting more sunlight down the hill would be really helpful.

Alright, Brandon Collins.

So I'm sure we'll have other comments, but thank you.

Janet Nordenson.

And the safety issue is another one for everyone around it.

Wendy Goro.

Thank you.

Sophia Marrero.

Thank you.

Anyone else here, please step forward to the podium and just state your name and address, and then you'll have three minutes.

Thank you.

Sure, Mr. Payne.

As you know, I like to be a little caustic in my comments sometimes, but I do always stick to the facts, so I'm going to stick to the facts tonight.

Introduce yourself, please.

So please, if anyone in the audience is concerned about this, you need to email city council to change the zoning, to reintroduce more special use permits, you need to come to our meetings and let us hear that, you need to go to planning commission meetings and let us hear that, because unless that changes, this is going to be the future throughout Fifeville, 10th and Page, and Rose Hill, and there will be nothing you can do about it.

Yes.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

That the community wants to see so thank you

I'm from Stanton.

Can you introduce yourself, please?

Most everybody knows me.

I imagine so.

Thank you.

Thank you.