HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Minutes 09-20-2022
HASTINGS HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes of the Meeting of July 19 2022
Held at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall
I. Quorum: Simacek, Chouman, Borchardt, Peterson, and Youngren
Absent: Sovik Siemens, Smith, Blasing and Toppin
Staff Present: Justin Fortney, City Planner
II. Elect Chair Pro Tem for the meeting
Motion by Simacek to elect Commissioner Youngren as Chair Pro Tem for the meeting,
seconded by Borchardt; motion approved 5-0
Chair Pro Tem Youngren called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm.
III. Minutes: July 19, 2022
Chair Pro Tem Youngren approved the minutes without any corrections.
IV. Certificate of Approval Review
A. 120 7th St W – New Fence
Fortney presented the staff report and said the Design Guidelines do not support privacy fences
in the front yard, but this circumstance is a little different since the property is next to a parking
lot and the fence is close to the house. He added that these differences would not create an
isolation of the house from the neighborhood that doesn’t already exist. He commented that the
HPC has often approved modern materials in place of traditional ones when they would have the
same general appearance. Fortney added that a vinyl fence is general identifiable as such, even
from a distance. Fortney said the HPC has only approved one vinyl fence and it was in the rear
yard of a noncontributing site in the Old Hastings Historic District.
Rachel Roush, applicant, said she wanted a vinyl fence because pricing for wood fences is
currently the same, but will last more than twice as long.
Youngren asked if the fence could be set back further from the front of the house. Roush said It
could be set back one panel further. She added that any further back and the fence would connect
to the house at a group of windows.
Simacek asked if the fence could have a lower gate in the front. Roush said that the style fence
she proposes does not have a lower style gate. She added that the existing white painted wood
fence that was recently removed due to disrepair was a collection of different styles and heights
of fencing, which she is trying to avoid.
Borchardt said he believes the Design Guidelines are correct to limit the use of privacy fencing
in front yards, but the special circumstances related to this request would not create the same
visual issues as other locations.
Motion by Borchardt to approve the fence with the condition that the fence line with gate be
held back from the house corner by one fence panel width, seconded by Simacek; motion
approved 5-0
IV. Business
A. Fortney updated the HPC on the City Hall bidding process and that the city is
considering gutter guards at the Leduc estate.
V. Adjourn
Motion by Peterson to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 pm, seconded by Simacek; motion
approved 5-0.
Respectfully Submitted - Justin Fortney