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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 04/23/2003LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting April 23, 2003 Minutes Council Liaison: Eric Hamrick (225-2343) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chairperson: Bud Frick, Jr. (484-1467) SUMMARY OF MEETING: LPC approved plans for awnings, storefronts, basement stairwell, exterior duct work and flood -proofing design for 261 S. College, Armstrong Hotel, and will send a letter to the City Engineering Department in support of storefront doors opening outward. LPC found 1001 Akin Ave. individually eligible for landmark designation, but that a planned addition would reduce the home's eligibility. LPC recommended repairing but not redesigning the front porch at 404 Whedbee. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order by Chairman Bud Frick, Jr., at 5:39 p.m. at 281 N. College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Angie Aguilera, Agnes Dix, Per Hogestad, and Myrne Watrous were present. Janet Ore and Carole Stansfield were excused. Karen McWilliams and Carol Tunner represented staff. GUESTS: Steve Levinger, owner, Mark Thorburn, University Designers & Builders, Dick Beardmore and Patrice Berglund, AE Design Associates, for 261 S. College, Armstrong Hotel; Terry Hubbard, owner, and David Hueten, architect, for 1001 Akin Ave.; Laurel Buchanan, owner, and Russ Larson, builder, for 404 Whedbee St. AGENDA REVIEW: Karen McWilliams announced that the Demo/Alteration Review preliminary hearings for 1427 W. Mountain and for 518 S. Howes had been removed from the agenda. MINUTES: The minutes of March 26, 2003, were unanimously approved as presented, on a motion by Myrne Watrous seconded by Angie Aguilera. STAFF REPORTS: Carol Tunner distributed copies of a brief letter from the Downtown Development Authority to the LPC regarding the DDA's recent visit to the LPC meeting, as well as a memo outlining the LPC's recommendations for future City Council policy to the City Manager, Mayor and Council. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: Myrne Watrous reported that City Council had discussed preserving the trolley tracks on East Mountain Avenue. Carol Tunner added that while the Engineering Department considered removing the tracks as part of the Streets Enhancement project, the LPC, Fort Collins Municipal Railway Board and Advance Planning staff all recommended keeping them in place. Advanced Planning has authorized $5,000-$7,000 to repair the Remington Street crossing, including the pavers. The LPC thought they should designate the tracks as historic, if a nomination is brought forward. Landmark Preservation Commission April 23, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 2 CURRENT REVIEW 261 S. College, Armstrong Hotel, Final Review -- Olive Street Storefronts, Awnings and Basement Stairwell, Flood -proofing Final Design and Exterior Ductwork in Light Wells, presented by Steve Levinger, owner, Mark Thorburn, University Designers and Builders, Dick Beardmore and Patrice Berglund, AE Design Associates; introduced by Carol Tunner. Mr. Beardmore announced that, although listed on the agenda, colors and fabrics for awnings and the screens would not be discussed in this presentation but at a later date. He also announced that the Storm Water Board had granted a flood -proofing design variance, which allows the existing window grates in the sidewalk to remain in place over the basement windows with the addition of sealed steel plate or structural glass rated to carry the weight of 2.5 feet of water. Mr. Beardmore also provided Commission members with information on the proposed flood door required on the Olive Street basement entrance and flood gates to be installed on all doors around the building. The railing on the basement stairwell will remain, as will the existing drain at the bottom of the stairwell. At the bottom of the stairwell, they will install a flood door to carry pressure of water. This may require the extension of the last step. Mr. Levinger said that when drainage work is completed on Magnolia Street, the property would no longer be in the floodplain, so this treatment is reversible. Mr. Frick was concerned that the solution of the basement windows and grates should consider easy clean -out for debris. LPC reviewed plans for heating and ventilation units. The first floor of the building is already pre -leased to commercial tenants, including a restaurant with major ventilation requirements. The existing, very visible rooftop swamp cooler unit will be removed, and two large units installed on a steel deck across the top parapet at the back of the light well. Catwalks from the third floor would provide maintenance access. The two -foot -square galvanized steel ductwork for the system will run up against the building on the exterior of the light wells, away from second- and third -story windows. Other smaller units dot the roof. According to Mr. Beardmore, all rooftop units will not be visible from the street; the ductwork will also be painted to reduce its visual impact. Design of the Olive Street storefronts will be standardized to the look of the first unit on the west end. Existing awning frames will be modified to a slant front, and these new awnings individualized to each storefront. New awnings will be fixed frame with open ends, a loose valance and a traditional slanted fabric. Modern blue tile on the fagade is still problematic. The applicant would prefer to remove these tiles, but if the underlying brick is damaged, the tiles will be left in place and painted to minimize their visual impact. Some tiles must be removed to Landmark Preservation Commission April 23, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 3 determine the condition of the brick; applicant will keep staff apprised of results of this exploratory research. The drawings for the Olive Street storefronts were discussed, and the conclusion was that drawings Aa and Ba are alternates depending on if the tile comes off smoothly and the brick is easily restorable. Awnings on upper residential floors will be seasonally operational, to help control heating and cooling passively. An historic picture shows one awning on an upper floor window. Tenant signs will be brought to the LPC for approval. Mr. Levinger confirmed that all tenants are aware their signs must comply with LPC guidelines and are subject to LPC approval. Mr. Beardmore explained that while the Building Code requires doors on spaces with occupancy of more than 50 open outward, the Engineering Department has concerns about the storefront doors on Olive Street opening into the public right- of-way. However, inward opening doors would require a vestibule treatment, which is not historic and would change the look of the project. According to Mr. Levinger, the sidewalk is wide enough for outdoor dining tables and tenants have expressed interest in sidewalk seating. So the wide sidewalks and basement entry should channel people away from the doors outward swing. He asked the Commission to write a letter of support to the Engineering Department to allow doors to open outward. Pubic input: None. Per Hogestad moved that the LPC approve plans for storefronts, awnings, flood -proofing, basement stairwell and exterior duct work for 261 S. College, Armstrong Hotel, as submitted, with the exception of colors and fabrics for windows and awnings, and send a letter of support to the City Engineering Department to allow storefront doors to swing out over the public right-of-way. Agnes Dix seconded. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0. DEMOLITION / ALTERATION REVEIW 1. 1001 Akin Ave., Preliminary Review -- presented by Terry Hubbard, owner, and David Hueten, architect; introduced by Karen McWilliams. This residence, on the corner of Akin Ave. and Gordon St., was constructed in the early 1920s. An excellent and locally rare variant of the Bungalow/Craftsman style of architecture, the house features an enclosed front entry porch with a hipped roof, and a hipped dormer on the fagade. The proposed addition would connect the house to the existing garage with a two-story addition, containing a bedroom on the second floor and additional living space and a new entry on the first floor. The addition is likely to reduce the home's eligibility from "individually eligible" to "contributing to a district." Landmark Preservation Commission April 23, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 4 Agnes Dix moved that the LPC find 1001 Akin Avenue is individually eligible for landmark designation, based on its architectural significance and high level of historical integrity. Myrne Watrous seconded the motion carried unanimously, 5-0. The applicant explained that the proposed addition is on the south side of the building. The existing front entry, which was possibly enclosed during significant interior alterations in the 1950s, will remain unchanged. Several Commission members expressed concern about adding a second story to the home. The existing home is only one story, and the addition would not be subordinate to the original. Also, there are virtually no two-story houses in the neighborhood, so it would also not be compatible with the neighborhood characteristics, and the property's corner location makes the addition visually prominent. Bud Frick and Per Hogestad questioned the scale of the proposed roofline and the gable end of the addition rising above the historic structure. Mr. Hogestad asked if there was any way to capture additional space on the first floor. The applicant explained that the proposed floorplan was designed to give access to the backyard from the house; with this plan, moving the bedroom to the first floor would give access only through the bedroom. There is no possibility of lowering the existing floor because of floodplain constraints; moving the garage is not economically feasible. The house also presents some structural constraints on other options. David Hueten asked for clarification on the demolition/alteration review process. Karen McWilliams explained that the process has been in place since 1996. All properties 50 years old or older are reviewed. Each house is treated individually and discussion concerns what is historically appropriate for that house. Mr. Hueten said the plans submitted to the Commission were not the final ones, and that some modifications had already been made to the roof. However, the height of the addition had not been modified, and that remains an issue. Public input: None By consensus, Commission members agreed that the addition as proposed would reduce the eligibility of the home at 1001 Akin Avenue from individual to contributing to a district. No agreement was reached with the applicant on a mutually acceptable solution that would retain the building's significance and integrity. The application now proceeds to a Final Hearing. 2. 404 Whedbee, Preliminary Hearing -- presented by Laurel Buchanan, owner, and Russ Larson, builder. The property, built around 1908, is designated on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. In 1998, its eligibility was re-evaluated, and was found to retain its eligibility as a contributing element of the Laurel School Landmark Preservation Commission April 23, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 5 National Register District. The owner is proposing to alter the dimensions and appearance of the front porch, which would likely affect the house's current level of eligibility. Plans call for the existing porch to be removed and rebuilt, expanding on both sides to cover the full fagade of the house. Double French doors would replace the existing single door entry, and the original windows would be replaced with new vinyl windows. The double door would have scrollwork screens that echo the (non -original) design on the front gable above the porch. The presumed original design of the porch can be seen on the house next door, which is the mirror image of this property. Russ Larson explained that the porch is badly in need of repair, because when a previous owner enclosed it, the work was not done correctly. The front has settled by four to five inches, giving the porch a definite slant, and the floor is rotted because there was no allowance made for air circulation under it. As part of the repair work, the owner would like to add a foot -and -a -half of width to each side to make the space more useable. The double doors are also more practical for moving things in and out of the house, and the owner feels the scrollwork screens would make the house more attractive. At the urging of the Commission, she will retain the existing windows. Commission members expressed concern that the proposed redesign would not be in keeping with the architectural style of the home. Agnes Dix suggested doing the needed repairs to stabilize the porch and keeping the look the same so the owner could use funds from the Colorado State Tax Credit Program and other financial incentives to help defray the cost. Laurel Buchanan asked why something that was inadequate when it was built 50 years ago should be preserved, when she wanted to replace it with something better. Commission members explained that the proposed replacement would alter the appearance of the home, be inappropriate for its architectural style, and impair its historical integrity. Ms. Dix added that the Commission would likely support taking the porch back to its original appearance, like the house next door, which is not enclosed. Ms. Buchanan wants an enclosed porch, just one of better quality than what is there now. Public input: None By consensus, Commission members felt that with the porch redesign as proposed, the property would no longer be a contributing element of the Laurel School National Register District. Ms. Buchanan asked for clarification on the time frame for the steps involved in proceeding to a Final Hearing. Karen McWilliams explained that the final hearing Landmark Preservation Commission April 23, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 6 requires a fee of $250. Once the applicant has provided the required documentation of the property and neighborhood, and the plans for the alteration fully approved, then 30 days' public notice must be given of the Final Hearing. The Hearing can take place at the first meeting of the LPC after the 30 days have elapsed. Ms. Buchanan said she understood what the Commission was saying, and why the historic character is important. She thinks she will retain the existing porch, and not bump it out on each end. She would also keep the existing windows, and the door configuration, although the historic door may be too badly deteriorated to keep. Mr. Larson said he would redraw the repair plans keeping the design as is, with the additional of latticework or some other treatment at the bottom of the porch to allow for air circulation. Ms. Buchanan confirmed with the LPC that this element can be more decorative than the concrete next door, and that Ms. McWilliams has a wide selection of acceptable exterior paint colors from which to choose. Ms. Buchanan will consider the suggestions from LPC members and inform Ms. McWilliams of her decision before proceeding with the process. Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki, Recorder April 28, 2003 (ij- lj��