1. “Predominant (i.e., “Contributing”) Styles…”
Fact Check: An erroneous inventory created the appearance predominance of Tudors, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, NeoClassical, and Colonial Revival homes.
- The Inventory contained 80 Errors in 275 homes, a detail the City missed during the Neighborhood Meetings, presenting the doctored numbers as fact.
- After backing out the errors, “Non-Contributing” is the most predominant style within the CD2Expansion.
2. “styles …defined in the existing Lakewood CD.”
Fact Check: The CD2Expansion is utterly independent of the current CD2.
3. “Remodeling of other styles will be more minimally regulated.”
Fact Check: This is contrary to what the Chief Planner for the City’s Department of Planning and Urban Development said in the Pre-Application Meeting on 5/23/22:
“A lot of times the ordinance will say, for non-contributing building, [they] may be remodeled however they want to be remodeled, but they still have to meet the setbacks, the height, the lot coverage and things like that. So that way it’s not just about architecture. And it’s not about making a ranch-style house look like a colonial revival house. We don’t want to change that.”
That was the very first meeting. That was good news for those owners. Although they are ugly ducklings, just like the existing CD2, the Chief Planner said they wouldn’t be restricted to any particular style. Those owners could relax. (Quoted from Correspondence to City Plan Commissioner, District 9).
Fact Check: “Minimal” regulation evolved to control Non-Contributing homes. In Meeting 15, the Chair of the Neighborhood Committee justifies this:
“if noncontributing has no regulation, then someone could apply for a remodel of a noncontributing home, take it down to, you know, a couple of walls then rebuild like that black brick house on [x street] that everyone, most people, complain about.”
4. “Homes may be remodeled in their existing style or in one of the 5 styles.”
Fact Check: The letter makes it appear that Non-Contributing homes have choices. They do not. A Non-Contributing home’s plate (wall height on the first floor) is too low for any of the Contributing styles, so that is not an option. Non-Contributing homes have one option when remodeling: stay in your existing style as defined by the City, the same City which didn’t check the Inventory on the Application for CD2 Expansion.
5. “New construction may be required to be in one of the above 5 Styles”
Fact Check: RECAP: All NEW CONSTRUCTION must be built in compliance with architectural standards of one of the five CONTRIBUTING styles: Tudor, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, Colonial Revival, Neoclassical. (Slide presented in Chief Planner in Neighborhood Meeting, January 4, 2023.
6. “Height/setbacks limited to prevent looming, incongruity with neighbors.”
No, looming was not addressed with any significant change in setback or height.
Fact Check: Height in City Code, 30 feet. Height in proposed CD Expansion, 30 feet.
Fact Check: Side setback in City Code, 5 feet. Side setback in proposed CD Expansion, 5 feet.
Fact Check: Non-conforming existing structures (e.g., 3 feet from the property line) may remain or be rebuilt in violation of the setbacks above. And a second story can be added vertically.
Fact Check: Accessory structure (garage, etc) under 24 feet, side setback is ONE FOOT with NO setback off the alley. Over 24 feet, side and rear setback is 5 feet.
7. Unpainted brick should not be painted
Fact Check: This will be true if the Proposed CD Expansion goes through for houses before 1960. However, many pre-1960 homes are painted already, including half of the homes owned by Neighborhood Committee members.
Fact Check: Painting is allowed when matching brick is no longer available, but proving that brick is unavailable will be tricky. The discussion led to a suggestion by a builder that he found matching brick for a client in a Chicago Tudor that was being torn down. This kind of search is impractical.
8. Windows should be typical of the style
Fact Check: This sounds harmless but does not mention the ridiculous example of someone installing a Jimmy Buffet stained glass window somewhere that has nothing to do with our neighborhood. It led to the advice to “go to a salvage yard.”
Fact Check: Dictating taste based on 100-year-old standards may sacrifice affordability for accuracy.
Fact Check: This policy, affecting a multiple-element of a house, may not be practical. E.g., if a neighbor has to replace one window in compliance with the proposed standards, does her house look better with one odd window?