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Regular meeting <br /> <br />Approval of <br />minutes <br /> <br />Petitions presented <br />for and against <br />Queen Charlotte <br />Square <br /> <br />Request: Appeal <br />of Board of Arch. <br />Review Decision - <br />Queen Charlotte <br />Square <br /> <br />coUNCIL CHAMBER - MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1979 <br /> <br /> The Council met in regular session on this date with...the following <br /> members present: Mr. Albro, Mr. Brunton, Mr.Buck, Mr. Gatewood and Mrs. <br /> O'Brien. Absent: None. <br /> <br /> The minutes of the meeting of March 5, 1979 were approved as <br /> presented: <br /> <br /> Mr. Matt Murray presented a petition in opposition to the height <br /> <br />of the proposed Queen Charlotte Square Condominium development and <br />Mr. William Stevens presented a petition favoring the construction of <br />the proposed Queen Charlotte Square Condominium Complex. <br /> <br /> A communication was presented from Joseph T. Norris noting an <br /> appeal of the decision of the Board of Architectural Review to deny <br /> a Certificate of Appropriateness for the Queen Charlotte Squame <br /> Complex. Mr. Norris briefly addressed the Council in support of the <br /> appeal. <br /> <br /> Mrs. Ruth Wadlington~ Chairman of the Board of Architectural <br />Review, addressed the Council and explained the process which the <br />Board of Architectural Review had followed in considering the proposed <br />project. She stated that early in the process the board had decided <br />to apply design criteria adopted in the historic district of <br /> <br />Savannah, Georgia. She noted however that this had caused some problems <br />since one of the rules never violated in Savannah was a prohibition <br />of building heights in excess of those of historic buildings in the <br />area. Mrs. Wadlington said that the height and mass of the proposed <br />building continued to be the main objections of the Board of <br />Architectural Review. She noted that throughout the process the <br />members of the board had encouraged the architect to add additional <br />detailing around windows, doors, porches and cornices in order to <br />lessen the impact of the h~ight and mass. However~ the architect has <br />complied with some of these requests. The majority of the board <br />still felt that the proposed building did not relate to the surrounding <br />neighborhood, that it would overwhelm the historic district and that <br />a whole new approach involving basic changes would be necessary. <br /> <br /> Mrs. O'Brien asked what reasons other than height and mass the <br />board has for refusing the certificate. <br /> <br /> Mrs. Wadlington answered that height and mass w~ere the main <br />objections of the board particularly that of the Third Street facade. <br />The Board members felt that this facade reflected a great deal of <br />plainness or monotony in the window openings and brick pattern. <br /> <br /> Mr. Albro asked Mrs. Wadlington why she had abstained when the <br />board voted on the project. Mrs. Wadlington noted that the board had <br />protested an earlier amendment of the City Code to permit higher <br />buildings in the historic district and has.protested again when the <br />Council permitted the demolition of two houses located on the site <br />of the Queen Charlotte Project. She noted the conflict between that <br />protest and the expressed desire of City Council that the type of housing <br />represented~by Queen Charlotte be encouraged in the downtown area, <br />recognizing the conflict between the two points of view she decided <br />to abstain. <br /> <br /> <br />