HDC won't block demolition of historic Olde Towne Gaithersburg house

The Gaithersburg Historic District Commission won't block demolition of a historic house at 403 E. Diamond Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. Commissioners voted 4-0-1 to not direct the City Manager to withhold issuance of a demolition permit, with Chair Dean Ventola abstaining from the vote. Ventola said he could not vote to allow beautiful architecture to be demolished, but that he did not want to vote to block the proposed redevelopment of the site, or the consensus of his colleagues.

Finecraft Contractors, a multigenerational family-owned construction company located in the City of Gaithersburg, is seeking to replace the 1907 Foursquare-Folk Victorian home with a 3-story office building. Constructed of brick with metal elements, the building would contain office space and a woodshop. The site faces relatively-new apartments across E. Diamond Avenue, and its rear property line is adjacent to the CSX railroad tracks.

Commissioner Mary Jo LaFrance expressed interest in salvaging several of the architectual components of the building, such as the windows and siding. LaFrance noted that while the home is almost 120 years old, the wood siding may have come from trees that grew up 300 years ago. She said historic property owners in Gaithersburg would likely want these materials to replace worn or rotten elements of their homes. However, the attorney advising the HDC on behalf of the City said the commission did not have authority at the demolition permit stage to attach conditions to their decision. He said that the HDC could make a strong recommendation in its courtesy review of the proposed office building that the Planning Commission add such a salvage effort as a condition of site plan approval for that new structure.

Photos via City of Gaithersburg

Laundromat use proposed for Olde Towne Gaithersburg bank building

The Gaithersburg Historic District Commission will conduct a courtesy review of proposed modifications to the bank building at 22 N. Summit Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg at its July 28, 2021 meeting. Changes proposed would allow the building to be converted to a laundromat. The bank was constructed in 1891.

Proposed changes include a new door along the south elevation; new air vents along the North, South and West elevations; removal of the drive through window; additional landscaping beds added to the parking lot; the addition of a fence in the existing drive-thru lane to screen new HVAC equipment; and the adaptive reuse of the freestanding drive-through canopy for required motorcycle parking.

Planning staff is recommending approval of the plan. A staff report suggests the proposed changes will not harm the integrity of the building or the surrounding structures. 

Gaithersburg Historic District Commission to review plan to rehab Crown Farm Corn Crib

The Gaithersburg Historic District Commission will review a plan to rehab one of the most historic structures in the city at its next virtual meeting on March 24, 2021 at 7:30 PM. The Crown Farm Corn Crib, located on what is now City property, dates back to the mid-to-late 1800s. It is essentially a barn, but was divided into rooms where corn was stored.

Rehabbing the corn crib is a necessary step to the eventual creation of a public park on the site. Proposed plans include replacing synthetic siding added later, and restoring the original German, lap or beveled-lap wood siding. Half-round metal gutters would be installed. Storm windows that will visually blend in with the original materials are also being recommended.

City planning staff is recommending approval of the plans. The staff report says that successful preservation of this resource will "help tell the farm's complete story in its approximately 150 years of operation."

Gaithersburg Mayor & Council refer 309 N. Frederick Ave. historic designation question to HDC

Gaithersburg's Mayor and Council voted last night to refer the request to remove historic designation from a house at 309 N. Frederick Avenue to the Historic District Commission. The current owner wants it removed so that the property will be more appealing to potential buyers.

Some who testified questioned if it should be so easy to remove historic status. One nearby resident said he thought the current state of the property wasn't contributing anything to the community or city as-is, suggesting it is mostly a parking lot at the moment. One intriguing point that came out was that Taco Bell had an interest in opening a restaurant on the site in the past.

After the HDC makes its determination, the Planning Commission and Mayor and Council will make their final decisions. A final vote should take place in November, and the records for public comment for all three bodies remain open.

Is this Gaithersburg house historic or not?

A highly-visible home at 309 N. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, passed by tens of thousands of motorists each day, will be at the center of a controversy next month: Is it historic, or not? Right now, the City of Gaithersburg officially has said it is. But the property owner is asking the city's Historic District Commission, Planning Commission, and Mayor and Council to remove that designation.

While historic designation offers its own set of benefits to a property owner, most buildings are worth more if they are not designated historic. A property that can be more easily modified, renovated or even demolished is naturally worth more than one with many restrictions and the extra red tape of government approvals. This home sits on a prime piece of property on MD 355, which faces Forest Oak Cemetery.

A joint public hearing by all three city bodies on the request will be held at City Hall on September 3, 2019, at 7:30 PM. The home has been used as a business in recent decades, including as a hair salon.