The Hot Springs Planning and Development Department has recommended the Historic District Commission not approve a five-story renovation proposed for 328 Central Ave.
The commission will convene at City Hall Thursday at 8:30 a.m. to consider Thai Me Spa's application for a certificate of appropriateness. According to the city's planning and zoning code, the certificate is required before permits for the five-story addition, new storefront and balconies can be issued. The partial two-story brick building built in the 1920s is in the Central Avenue Historic District, which extends from the 100 to 700 blocks of Central Avenue.
According to the packet for Thursday's meeting, the Planning and Development Department found the proposed renovations inconsistent with Central Avenue Historic District Review Guidelines. The five-story addition is visually incompatible with adjacent buildings, the city said in its review of the application.
A six-story building would be two stories taller than the adjacent Nicholas Hotel building to the south, putting the addition in conflict with guidelines recommending new buildings be within one story of adjacent structures. According to the packet, the addition comprises a spa level, restaurant level and three hotel levels.
"The proposed five-story addition, which would make this a six-story structure, does not appear to be consistent with keeping surrounding buildings within one story of each other," the department's findings said. "It may be noteworthy to mention that the skyline of Central Avenue has the National Park as its backdrop. Increasing the height of the subject building will diminish Central Avenue visibility of the forested mountain behind."
The new storefront proposed for the building includes stucco that would cover existing brick and a fixed canopy with clay tile and exterior illumination.
"The proposal to cover existing brick with stucco/EIFS material and to install a large fixed clay tile awning appear to be inconsistent with the Central Avenue Historic District Design Review Guidelines," the city's findings said.
Third through sixth-floor balconies with wrought-iron railings are also inconsistent with review guidelines, the city said. They would extend into the city's right of way, requiring a right of way application to be filed with the city.
"The proposed balconies fail to demonstrate appropriateness and continuity within the district as a whole," the city's findings said. "A survey of the district demonstrates no other such balconies. The balconies introduce massing and scale visually incompatible with the adjacent environment.
"Balconies fail to demonstrate visual compatibility with the adjacent environment. Negative impact on the district as a whole outweighs the benefit to the subject building."
The building's classification as a noncontributing structure, one that neither adds to or detracts from the district's historic character, subjects it to a less stringent standard of review than contributing structures.