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North Wheeling Sees More Design Review

By SHELLEY HANSON 3 min read

WHEELING - Two more certificates of appropriateness were approved for structures in North Wheeling on Thursday by the Historic Landmarks Commission.

The first was for 719 Market St. where property owner Jackie Herrick plans to install some new windows and have new stone headers installed as well. There is also a hole in the brick facade she plans to have repaired.

The second was granted but is being considered a repair at 17 Seventh St., where property owner Marcus Ramsey had to install a new front door. Ramsey told commissioners when he was trying to repair the door, it and the wood around fell apart, leading to him having to repair and install a new one right away.

Ramsey said he plans to install a new transom window above the door.

On Friday, Tom Connelly, director of the Wheeling Building and Planning Department, said since North Wheeling had become a neighborhood that requires review by the commission about a half-dozen or so certificates have been approved. At the moment just one is pending.

The certificates of appropriateness only apply to exteriors that are visible from the street. The goal of the process, which was something a majority of residents wanted in the historic district, is to help keep the historic character of the neighborhood intact.

The North Wheeling Historic District's Preservation Design Review Guidelines were adopted last August. North Wheeling joins Chapline Street, portions of South Wheeling and the Center Market area as neighborhoods that require the review.

Residents who apply for a building permit to make changes to their facades or roofs are notified that their plans must first be reviewed by the Historic Landmarks Commission.

Adjacent property owners are also notified that there will be a public hearing on the property's proposed plans.

"Windows, doors, siding - any exterior alteration needs to get approval," Connelly said. "A repair does not. If someone has a slate roof and they're going to change it to a shingle roof that requires a review."

Connelly said if a property owner does not comply with the commission they will not be issued a building permit. If they go forward anyway, the commission can take action against them in court.

"We've never had that happen," Connelly added.

So far reaction to North Wheeling now having design reviews has been as expected.

"The same people who opposed it while we were considering it still object to it and the people who supported it are still in support of it," he said.

Connelly noted the design review neighborhoods were brought about by the residents themselves, not city officials. The commission's goal is to help the residents protect the historic integrity of their neighborhoods, while also understanding that there can be cost restraints with trying to restore buildings that are 150 to 200 years old.

He noted the process can often be helpful to a property owner. For example, they may not have known where to get something repaired or that there are asphalt shingles that look like real slate. The commission itself is made up of architects and historians and people with experience in renovating historic properties.

Connelly noted upholding the design guidelines is important to retain the historic nature of a neighborhood, but also for the individual property owners, too.

"In a historic district, if too many changes are made the state historic preservation office could rescind that designation. Then property owners who qualified for grants ... may no longer qualify for those things," he said.

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