622 Monroe Ave sits in the middle of a quiet block of the eastern portion of Cape Charles. The home, a 1967 ranch underwent extensive renovations to the interior and exterior, including a front porch area, new roof and rear addition in 2010. At the time, the Historic District Review approved a Certificate of Appropriateness allowing the applicant to paint the masonry.
The home has changed hands, and since the original 2009 approval has expired, the present owner has submitted a new application to paint over the masonry. The home is a non-contributing structure to the historic district. The zoning ordinance nor the Guidelines prohibit painting masonry, but do require that initial painting undergo review and receive approval.
While the application would seem straight forward, it was complicated by the fact the guidelines that deal painting in the historic district state the masonry should not be painted. Whether that meant older ‘historic’ masonry, or masonry in general was debated by the board.
Moving forward, the board argued that it was loathe to set a precedent. The applicant argued that there were other homes, including contributing structures that have already been painted, and that 622 Monroe, which is non-contributing, would hardly be setting a precedent.
The application was approved with no stipulations.
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