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<br /> WItEREAS, Applicant has through a series of five applications sought a
<br />certificate of appropriateness from the City's Board of Architectural Review (the "BAR")
<br />allowing Applicant to demolish these buildings to make room for construction ora new,
<br />mixed use residential and commercial project with underground parking; and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, the first application consolidated ali four proPerties, and the second,
<br />third, fourth, and fifth applications treated each of the four parcels separately; and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, after hearing from the Applicant at different meetings held in
<br />March, July, and August of 2000, and after hearing comments from the public during two
<br />of those meetings, the BAR has voted to deny alt of Applicant's requests, and Applicant
<br />has apPealed all of such applications to Council pursuant to City Code § 34-584; and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, this Council, at its regular meeting on September 18, 2000, has
<br />heard and examined the relevant evidence in the record, has reviewed the minutes of the
<br />BAR, has consulted with the BAR, has carefully heard arguments and presentations of
<br />evidence from the Applicant, and has listened to presentations from persons with alleged
<br />standing in this case;
<br />
<br />NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this Council finds as follows:
<br />
<br /> I. The subject buildings, though not listed individually on the National Register of
<br />Historic Places nor on the Virginia Landmarks Register, are deemed by the
<br />Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Historic Resources as "contributing
<br />resources" and "certified historic Structures" and are located within the Charlottesville
<br />and Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District (which is listed in the Virginia
<br />Landmarks Register and the national Register of Historic Places) and, in the words of the
<br />City's retained consultant in this case, such buildings are "authentic historic commercial
<br />structures in the circa 1890 to 1916 Colonial Revival and Italianate styles";
<br />
<br /> 2. These buildings are not associated with an historic person or event or with a
<br />renowned architect or master craftsman of national import; but, according to writings
<br />found in the Notes On the Historical Significance (of these buildings), which is in the
<br />record, they teach us about the broader history of our community, and "serve as tangible
<br />reminders of the long tradition of the downtown business district,... (and) (b)oth
<br />buildings are associated with pioneers of Charlottesville's business community".
<br />
<br /> 3. The overall condition of ali four buildings is "generally sound" in the words of
<br />Commonwealth Architects, the City's consultant, with '~no major stress cracks..
<br />.observed in the load hearing perimeter brick walls"and "no significant failures of the
<br />interior wall partitions, floor or roof systems...cited". The resulting aesthetic quality of
<br />these buildings, in light of the many prior years of neglect, is not what it could have been
<br />with proper maintenance, however, their central location in this historic district together
<br />with their design, setting, materials, feeling, and association make them structures which
<br />are an integral part of the design district and which do contribute to the historic
<br />significance of both the local design control district - District A - and to the overlapping
<br />federal and. state historic district.
<br />
<br /> 4. The structures at 111 and 107 East Main were built in 1892, but ofthose two,
<br />only the eastern facade (111) remains today. The other structures, at 101 and 105 were
<br />built in 1916.
<br />
<br /> 5. The design, age, texture, and material of these structures are such that they
<br />cannot be successfully replicated in context;
<br />
<br /> 6. The facade of 107 has not been retained, but most of the other structures on the
<br />exterior retain their original turn of the 20th Century distinguishing architectural qualities
<br />of custom sand-molded and hard pressed brickwork, articulated corbeled brick parapets,
<br />sandstone beltcourses, ornamental window design, and storefront detailing;
<br />
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