PRESCOTT – The Prescott Planning Commission met on Monday, May 1 to discuss the proposed Waltz Ace Hardware Store project and addition in the former Churchill Market building at 1003 Campbell St.

City Planner Carter Hayes, City Administrator Matt Wolf, Mayor Robert Daughtery, council representative John Peterson and plan commission members Kate Otto, David Hovel and Steve Most were in attendance. Rick Miller and Joshua Gergen were absent. The site plan was reviewed for the store, including the concept plan for the project that was approved at the Dec. 5 meeting.

The store will be the second owned by Kayla and Casey Waltz, who also own the Ace Hardware in Ellsworth.

The building addition is proposed to be 30 feet in height (which is 13 feet above the existing structure) and constructed of steel siding material. In relation to parking, the previously approved concept plan requires the site to have 21 spaces.

Hovel expressed his concern that the façade of the building facing Campbell Street should match the style of the current building. Talk then focused on whether the building addition should have horizontal log style like the front of the current building or be allowed to have steel. As members expressed that they were fine with the project using steel, Hovel vehemently disagreed.

“Do we want to be tin city? We have enough tin buildings,” he said. “We are trying to make the city look nicer. I say what faces Campbell Street should match.”

Peterson agreed that he would like to see something on the part of the building facing Campbell Street that is congruent with the existing building.

“As long as it’s color complimentary, it will look good amongst itself,” Most chimed in.

Hovel chuckled, “I’m not saying I’m right; I’m just saying I don’t agree with you guys.”

Hovel was adamant that he wanted to see log on the front of building.

“It’s nice to try to get the city to look nicer. Either you have architectural design, or you don’t. That’s how I look at it,” Hovel explained.

As commission members mentioned the other steel buildings in the area, Most added, “It’s a hardware store so it’s a little fitting.”

Jay Welter, one of the partners who own the building, said they have worked hard to bring Ace Hardware to Prescott.  

“We all live in Prescott, and we want to leave Prescott better than we inherited it.” He continued, “This is the same material that the First Adventures Day Care is built out of.” Regarding further delays he said, “If we don’t get out of this tonight, the fall opening is shot.” “This comes down to personal preference at some point,” Peterson remarked.

Hovel made a motion to approve a resolution with the stipulation that the steel matches the color within reason to the front of the building or they can put logs to match the front of the building. Most seconded that motion.

“It’s all subjective,” Otto spoke up.

As the commission members continued to express their need to visually see the colors, they used Google Street View and determined that the roof is forest green. Peterson and Otto remarked that they are in favor of not requiring log. The gables are still the log look, but they decided they want either brown or green trim. When asked for his thoughts, Most commented that much of this is open to interpretation to what looks good.

“I think that tin for a hardware store won’t be bad especially since it’s the back of the building,” he said.

He then added that the color could be complimentary or brown to match. When the rest of the commission members pushed to add that a complementary color is allowed, Hovel complained that if they amended the motion to say complementary color then they aren’t setting criteria for future projects. He then said there’s a new building going in and it should match the existing building.

“How do you want it to match,” Otto asked Hovel. She then added, “Why don’t we have plans or something more solid for us to look at? A rendering would have helped a ton.”

 Welter remarked that the project’s contractor could get a close match to the brown on the front.

“We can also stain the wood to match the metal,” he added.

Hovel said he wanted the gable end to be brown if they want to have the soffit in a green to match the other roof line.

“We want it to look good,” Welter spoke up as commission members continued to discuss the colors. All agreed on the previous motion, and the motion carried.