Wilson Avenue Landscaping Pond Infill (COA 2601053)

At a glance

What: Application, filed in response to a code violation, to approve existing landscaping at a property on Wilson Avenue, including the infill of an installed pond.
Where it stands: Continued on 10/15/2026 to the November commission meeting.
Next: Owner to send staff current photos showing the pond liner removed and the area regraded; owner to take the front landscaping question to code enforcement.

The property received code violations in 2019 (retaining walls and plantings without approval, paint, mortar, windows, roof tiles). A 2021 review was tabled while the property was enrolled in the city lead hazard reduction program, which approved the owner in 2024 and again in 2025 but funding has been delayed.
The district dates to 1990, so work after that without approval can be a violation even if first documented later.
Staff recommended continuing so the applicant can remove the pond liner, regrade and seed, and report program status.

The owner said the landscaping pre-existed his purchase and the pond has been filled and is now a garden; commissioners asked for updated photos because staff photos still showed liner and gravel.
A 2009 photo shown by staff showed grass at the location. Commissioners and staff explained they review only whether work is historically appropriate and cannot resolve code enforcement disputes; the owner should raise that with code enforcement.
Commissioners said the pond issue looks nearly resolved with photos, while the front landscaping remains open.

Historic Resources Commission 10/15/2026 meeting video (auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard).

About 17 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-15 - Historic Resources Commission	17

2026-10-15 - Historic Resources Commission - Continued to November; owner to submit photos of the filled pond area.