Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistoric Preservation Commission - Minutes - 05/17/2023Kurt Knierim, Chair Location: Jim Rose, Vice Chair Council Chambers, 300 Laporte Margo Carlock And remotely via Zoom Jenna Edwards Bonnie Gibson Anne Nelsen Andy Smith Staff Liaison: David Woodlee Maren Bzdek Vacant Seat Historic Preservation Manager Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 Minutes •CALL TO ORDER Chair Knierim called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. •ROLL CALL PRESENT: Margo Carlock, Bonnie Gibson, Kurt Knierim, Anne Nelsen, Jim Rose, Andy Smith ABSENT: Jenna Edwards and David Woodlee STAFF: Maren Bzdek, Heather Jarvis, Jim Bertolini, Yani Jones, Melissa Matsunaka •AGENDA REVIEW Ms. Bzdek stated there were no changes to the published agenda. •CONSENT AGENDA REVIEW No items were pulled from consent. •STAFF REPORTS ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. •COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA None. Historic Preservation Commission • CONSENT AGENDA 1. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF APRIL 19, 2023. The purpose of this item is to approve the minutes from the April 19, 2023 regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. 2. 127 N GRANT – SINGLE-FAMILY DEMOLITION NOTICE The purpose of this item is to approve the Single-Family Demolition Notice for 127 N Grant. Member Carlock moved to approve the consent agenda for the May 17, 2023 meeting as presented. Member Gibson seconded the motion. Yeas: Carlock, Gibson, Nelsen, Rose, Smith, and Knierim. Nays: none. THE MOTION CARRIED. • DISCUSSION AGENDA 3. REPORT ON STAFF ACTIVITIES SINCE THE LAST MEETING Staff is tasked with an array of different responsibilities including code-required project review decisions on historic properties, support to other standing and special work groups across the City organization, and education & outreach programming. This report will provide highlights for the benefit of Commission members and the public, and for transparency regarding decisions made without the input of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Jim Bertolini reported on design review highlights, specifically the East Myrtle alleyway improvements. He also reported on upcoming education programs as part of Preservation Month. 4. CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORIC CONTEXT – PROGRESS REPORT DESCRIPTION: The City of Fort Collins is completing a historic context study about civil rights history in our community. This project is being sponsored by the City's Historic Preservation Services division, with grant funding support from the State Historical Fund, as a way to help ensure that the places we highlight, and hopefully preserve, as important to Fort Collins are reflective of the full story of Fort Collins history. The history of Fort Collins is complex and diverse and includes many people and groups that have often been ignored by local historians and the City's Historic Preservation program in the past. This project seeks to help change that by documenting the history of discrimination and civil rights actions, and by identifying important historic places where those events and actions took place. Although only part of Historic Preservation's larger Full Story Fort Collins project, documenting discrimination and civil rights organizing is an important step towards telling histories more reflective of our community. The larger goal of the Full Story Fort Collins project is to help ensure that all Fort Collins residents feel connected to the story of the city and share a sense of belonging here. STAFF: Maren Bzdek, Historic Preservation Manager LEAD CONSULTANT: Steph McDougal, McDoux Preservation Staff/Consultant Presentation Maren Bzdek, Historic Preservation Manager, stated this item relates to the progress made to date on the civil rights history in Fort Collins. She stated work is being done to develop a series of outreach and educational programs under the general umbrella of Full Story Fort Collins to ensure an inclusive and equitable storytelling of the community’s history that supports a preservation program is in place. She noted the project was funded by a grant from the State Historical Fund. She outlined the public participation options. Steph McDougal, McDoux Preservation, commented on the information collected from community members related to this civil rights research and noted historic contexts are designed to be built upon. She discussed the seven historic context narratives that were developed to capture the history of the civil rights movement in Fort Collins and reviewed the project timeline. Additionally, she commented on the history of the civil rights movement in the United States noting it includes any legislation or activism that seeks to guarantee full and equal protection in American society for everyone. Ms. McDougal went on to detail the seven historic context drafts and noted individuals may belong to more than one group and discrimination can be complicated by one’s intersectionality with the groups. She stated the seven themes include the right to vote, fair housing, including racially- based deed restrictions and the inability of non-white Anglo people to get federally insured mortgages and insurance for most of the 20th century, access to equal education, including the lack of transportation from Tres Colonias to schools in other parts of town and the battle over the 1968 bond issue that ultimately paid for the construction of Fullana Elementary, public accommodation, which is the integration of public spaces, fairness in hiring and employment, criminal injustice, which can include violence against marginalized people, police harassment and over-policing, and incarceration, including the confinement of Japanese people to internment camps during World War II, and indigenous or Native American rights. Ms. McDougal stated a historic context study is a technical document that is used in the practice of historic preservation and historic contexts provide the basis for National Register of Historic Places nominations because they situate a particular historic resource within a context and allow for comparing and contrasting that particular resource with others within the context. She stated the types of properties that are associated with each of the seven themes have been identified in Fort Collins and have been inventoried for the City to be able to potentially designate new historic landmarks at the City level and create ways to interpret that history as well as potentially encouraging the nomination of those properties to the Colorado State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, she noted a subsequent report discussing interpretation strategies and opportunities is also being developed. Ms. McDougal noted there is a specific methodology outlined by the National Parks Service for this type of work. She outlined the way that methodology was applied to this project in Fort Collins, including the properties associated with each of the seven groups. She discussed the classification of the properties first by function or use then through various subcategories. She stated about two dozen identified properties remain standing, but noted the document is meant to be living; therefore, additional properties could be added in the future. Ms. McDougal discussed the information included for each property, in addition to priority level: street address, current and historic names for the property, whether the property is eligible for individual designation or nomination by the City, State, or National Register, whether the property would contribute to an existing or new historic district, property owner information based on tax assessor data, UTM coordinates, photos, and any other notes. She discussed examples of how the information has been outlined for specific properties. Public Comment Jerry Gavaldon, Museo de las Tres Colonias Board President, commented on his mother’s contributions to Fort Collins specifically as related to some of the property examples provided, including the Grace Presbyterian Church. He commended the work on this document. Commission Questions/Discussion Chair Knierim requested additional information on the disability rights category. Ms. McDougal replied disability rights were incorporated into the themes where information was found to make that possible, specifically within the theme of public accommodation having to do with transportation and access to buildings. Member Carlock asked if the historic context study will only include extant sites. Ms. McDougal replied the studies themselves looked at all of the sites that could be identified as being associated with the themes; however, the inventory of prioritized sites only includes extant sites. Chair Knierim asked about the timeline for the project moving forward. Ms. McDougal replied comments are being collected through May 26th and revisions will be made based on that input, then the new draft will be sent back to staff for a final review and the report will be put into its final format, likely at some point in the summer. Additionally, the report on interpretive and educational opportunities and strategies will also be provided in draft form and will be made available to the community for comments and a final report will be prepared for the grant funder. Member Nelsen commended the work and thanked staff for seeking the grant. Ms. Bzdek commented on the benefits of a grant-funded project in that a consultant with a different perspective and professional experience can be brought in for the work. She also commented on the development of the interpretive strategies and involvement of community partners that are traditionally engaged. Chair Knierim concurred this is exciting work and he appreciates the value placed on it by the community. 5. 232 E. VINE DR. – THE ALEXANDER AND EMMA BARRY FARM PROPERTY – APPLICATION FOR FORT COLLINS LANDMARK DESIGNATION DESCRIPTION: This item is to consider the request for a recommendation to City Council for landmark designation of the Alexander and Emma Barry Farm Property at 232 E. Vine Dr. STAFF: Yani Jones, Historic Preservation Planner COMMISSION’S ROLE AND ACTION: One of the Commission’s responsibilities is to provide a recommendation to City Council on applications for the designation of a property as a Fort Collins Landmark. Chapter 14 of the Municipal Code provides the standards and process for designation. At the hearing, the Commission shall determine whether the following two (2) criteria are satisfied: (1) the proposed resource is eligible for designation; and (2) the requested designation will advance the policies and the purposes in a manner and extent sufficient to justify the requested designation. Following its review, and once the Commission feels it has the information it needs, the Commission should adopt a motion providing its recommendation on the property’s Landmark eligibility to City Council. Staff Presentation Yani Jones, Historic Preservation Planner, outlined the role of the Commission and discussed the property location and showed photos of the site. She stated the property is significant under three standards: events, persons and groups, and design and construction. For events, the property is associated with the agricultural district that developed just north of the old fort site. Additionally, the property is associated with many owners, including the Barry Family, who farmed and ranched on the surrounding land. In terms of design and construction, the property is significant due to it being a very rare and early example of a farmhouse near the historic core of the city, it is also a good example of a Victorian farmhouse with Gothic Revival influences. Jones stated the property has a preponderance of integrity to convey its significance in varying degrees as described in the staff report and nomination form. She noted the shop building on the property is considered a non-contributing element. Applicant Presentation None. Public Comment None. Commission Questions Member Nelsen asked for further details about the land. Jones replied the lands of the west were not originally owned by the United States government but were taken from the Native Americans who inhabited the west and all of the United States and who were forcibly removed to reservations during the 19th century. She stated the government put in place several different pieces of legislation to incentivize white settlers to move west by giving them access to virtually free land. She stated the land was granted to Oliver Glenn through the Military Bounty Land Act of 1855 through that context. Commission Discussion Member Carlock stated she believes the property meets the criteria and is very worthy of landmark designation. Member Gibson commented on the architecture meeting criteria. Chair Knierim concurred and stated there are few examples of early agricultural history in this area. He stated he would support the designation. Member Smith commented on the significance of the property and on the willingness of the owner to designate. Member Nelsen concurred the property meets the designation criteria but noted it also has some negative history which should be acknowledged. She stated the property should be preserved, but it is difficult to celebrate it given it is on stolen land. Chair Knierim stated it is important to have that context when considering interpretation for these types of sites. Member Rose concurred with prior comments but noted there are some serious intrusions in terms of architectural integrity, including the addition on the north side of the home. He stated the materials are not appropriate in terms of a Gothic cottage. However, he stated he believes the property meets the criteria for architecture and design and the site is eligible as a landmark due to its unique approach to building a farmhouse. He stated he hopes landmarking the site will ensure its history will be portrayed in a way for the community to see how important it is given the home as it exists bears little resemblance to what it would have been as a farmstead. Member Carlock concurred with Member Nelsen that the origins of the property should be part of the story and questioned if that could be incorporated into the landmark designation itself as part of the events criteria in addition to the agricultural history. Member Gibson stated any nominations really should include a land acknowledgement component given the broader history. Member Gibson moved that the Historic Preservation Commission adopt a written resolution recommending that City Council adopt an ordinance to designate the Alexander and Emma Barry Farm Property at 232 East Vine Drive as a Fort Collins Landmark finding that this property is eligible for its significance to Fort Collins under standard one, events, standard two, persons and groups, and standard three, design and construction, as supported by the analysis provided in the staff report and landmark nomination dated April 20, 2023, and that the property clearly conveys the significance through integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association to a significant degree, and finding also that the designation of this property will promote the policies and purposes of the City as specified in Chapter 14 of the Municipal Code. Member Rose seconded the motion. Member Nelsen asked Member Rose if he wanted to amend the motion or reduce the scope of the designation given his earlier comments. Member Rose replied all seven elements of integrity are not required and stated the property has significance without question. He commented on the design being very unique for Fort Collins given its origins in the upper Hudson Valley. He stated he is not concerned about modifying the motion as stated. Member Nelsen asked if the motion should be amended to include wording regarding altering the language in the nomination form related to the land origins. Jones replied that would be helpful. Members discussed whether they would like to include a land origin addition to just this nomination or to all nominations henceforth. Member Carlock stated she did not believe a land acknowledgment needs to be included in all nominations moving forward, but believes it applies in this case. Member Smith expressed support for discussing whether to have a land acknowledgment as part of the Commission’s review criteria and as part of the justification for a nomination, so it is applied consistently. He noted it does seem to apply in this case given the land was only two ownerships removed from being native land to the construction of the farmhouse. Ms. Bzdek stated staff could prepare formal discussion points for a future work session. She also noted the City of Fort Collins is working on preparing its own land acknowledgment statement that will come with guidance for Boards and Commissions. Member Nelsen moved to amend the original motion to include, under standards one and two, the pertinent history of the land and acknowledging its native origins. Member Carlock seconded the motion. The vote on the amendment was as follows: Yeas: Carlock, Edwards, Gibson, Rose, Smith, and Knierim. Nays: none. THE MOTION CARRIED. Member Smith asked if the property owner would need to consent to the modification. Mr. Bertolini replied the property owner will be informed of the recommendation with the resolution and could always revoke their consent. The vote on the main motion was as follows: Yeas: Carlock, Edwards, Gibson, Rose, Smith, and Knierim. Nays: none. THE MOTION CARRIED. • CONSIDERATION OF CITIZEN-PULLED CONSENT ITEMS None. • OTHER BUSINESS None. • ADJOURNMENT Chair Knierim adjourned the meeting at 7:03 p.m. Minutes prepared by and respectfully submitted by Melissa Matsunaka. Minutes approved by a vote of the Commission on __________________. _____________________________________ Kurt Knierim, Chair