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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 07/28/2004LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting July 28, 2004 Minutes City Council Liaison: David Roy (407-7393) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chair: W. J. "Bud" Frick, Jr. (484-1467) SUMMARY OF MEETING: LPC recommended designation of 140-142 S. College Ave., the Alpert Building, as a Fort Collins Landmark, and added Mikal Torgerson to the Pre -Qualified Consultants List of the Design Assistance Program. LPC also had a training presentation on archeology and historic preservation and discussed proposed code changes. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order with a quorum present by Chairman Bud Frick at 5:30 p.m. at 281 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado. Angie Aguilera, Agnes Dix, Per Hogestad, Janet Ore and Ian Shuff were present. Myrne Watrous has submitted her resignation to the City Clerk. Joe Frank, Karen McWilliams and Carol Tunner represented City staff. GUESTS: Mikal Torgerson, M. Torgerson Architects, for Design Assistance Program. AGENDA REVIEW: Karen McWilliams pulled the designation of 1502 S. College Ave., the Arthur and Dorothy Whistleman House, from the agenda. The owners have concerns about designation after speaking with the Colorado Historical Society. Carol Tunner added Myrne Watrous' resignation to Other Business. MINUTES: The minutes of June 9 were amended as follows: Under Agenda Review, second sentence now reads: Ms. McWilliams reported that the City Attorney's opinion is that the LPC should not be undertaking reviews on a complimentary basis because it is not one of the functions of the Commission identified in the Municipal Code. In Commission Member Reports, "the Hattie House" should be "the Hattie McDaniels House" throughout. Under Code Changes, in the first paragraph, "the Code' should be "the Land Use Code." In the second paragraph, the second sentence now reads: Ms. McWilliams pointed out that under the current Municipal Code, staff is required to look at all buildings that are individually eligible. And in the fourth paragraph, fourth line: add "individually" before "eligible." Agnes Dix moved the LPC accept the minutes as amended. Angie Aguilera seconded, and the motion carried unanimously, 6-0. STAFF REPORTS: Carol Tunner announced various upcoming conferences. She also reminded Commission members that the deadline for nominations for Colorado's Most Endangered Places is August 2. Agnes Dix and Karen McWilliams volunteered to accompany Ms. Tunner to the Northern Colorado Preservation Commission Forum in Berthoud on August 7. Ms. Turner also pointed out a useful article in the 2003-04 Landmark Preservation Commission July 28, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 2 Winter issue of the Colorado Preservationist by Dan Corson on how CLGs fuel economic energy in communities around the state, which featured Fort Collins and a quote from Ms. Tunner. Karen McWilliams reported the City Council had granted the appeal of the LPC's decision on the Rule property. She also said that the City has recently seen increased interest in redevelopment in the downtown core area that would involve buildings of three to five to seven stories in the next year. Staff is trying to be proactive on this issue and will be commenting on the projects as early as possible. The height ordinance worked on by the LPC last year has not yet gone into effect, according to Joe Frank, but is in the Strategic Plan. Mr. Frank said that these projects will come before the LPC for advisory review, not development review; the Planning and Zoning Board will be making formal recommendations to City Council. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: Agnes Dix shared a Denver Post article on the Rule case. As training for the LPC, she then presented a comprehensive report on recent articles on the relationship between archeology and historic preservation, and recommended steps for commissions to get more involved in saving buried sites. She mentioned a recent $100,000 grant to the local River West Homeowner's Association for the preservation of the Kaplan Homes bison kill site in Windsor, discovered in 1989 during homebuilding operations and now on the National Register. Ms. Dix urged members to tour the site, which dates back about 2000 years. The exhibit about the site currently at the Colorado Historical Society museum will also travel to schools around the state. Carol Tunner thanked Ms. Dix, and reported that this will count as a CLG training tool. She asked other members to look for interesting topics to share. DESIGNATION 140-142 S. College Ave. — J. I. Alpert Building — W.J. Frick, Jr., architect, acting as owner's representative; introduced by Karen McWilliams. Mr. Frick completed a Conflict of Interest form to be filed with the City Clerk's Office and relinquished the chair of the LPC to Vice -Chair Angie Aguilera. The Alpert Building at 140-142 S. College Ave. retains excellent physical integrity and is a fine example of early 20th century commercial architectural design in Fort Collins. It is also a noteworthy example of the work of the city's most famous architect, Montezuma Fuller, and was one of his final designs as a professional architect. The building is also historically important for its role in the development of the flourishing commercial district that grew along the College Avenue corridor, displacing Old Town as the commercial center. The property is significant for its association with Joseph I. Alpert, a German from Russia who arrived in Fort Collins in 1903 and became a highly regarded businessman. His principal business, renamed the Electric Shoe Shop in 1917 when it Landmark Preservation Commission July 28, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 3 moved into this building, saw 78 years of continuous business at this location, until about 1982. The original construction date for the Alpert Building is unclear. Larimer County Assessor's records provide 1915 as the date of construction; however, Sanborn maps show a one-story building with a similar footprint on this lot as early as 1906. A second story was added on at an unknown time. In 1924-25, Alpert hired Fuller to remodel the building, which included renovating the facade, adding more retail space in the basement and adding a third story. Fuller passed away in 1925, making this one of his final projects. Since then, the Alpert Building has seen very little in the way of alterations. Two notable extant features are the centrally located roof top flag pole and the two tiled entries. Both entries are paved with small beige tile; the north entry contains two small black and white terrazzo panels, one reading "Alpert Building" and the other "Electric Shoe Shop." Staff highly recommends approving this request for Fort Collins Landmark designation of the Alpert Building, for its significance under Landmark Standards (1), (2) and (3). Bud Frick pointed out that the designation request does not include the garage at the back of the building, because the date of its construction is uncertain. He added that the owner wants to bring the interior back to its historic condition, leaving the front unchanged but remodeling the apartments. The transoms look just like the ones on the recently refurbished Armstrong Hotel, and they are using that as a pattern for restoration. He confirmed that the unusual design that brings light from the roof down to the first floor will be retained, and that the terra cotta and tile details are in good shape. Members recalled the many businesses and uses of the building over the years; Mr. Frick said plans call for the current business, Esscentials, to expand into the basement with spa services. Public input: None. Janet Ore moved the LPC recommend to City Council the request for Fort Collins Landmark designation of the Alpert Building, 140-142 South College Avenue, for its significance under Landmark Standards (1), (2), and (3). Agnes Dix seconded, and the motion carried unanimously, 6-0. Dr. Ore added that it is a great building, and Mr. Hogestad was happy to have a building from this era designated. Mr. Frick relieved Ms. Aguilera of the duties of the chair to continue the meeting. DISCUSSION ITEMS Design Assistance Program — Review of Mikal Torgerson of M. Torgerson Architects for the Pre -Qualified List of the DAP — introduced by Carol Tunner. Ms. Tunner presented Mr. Torgerson and his credentials, sharing photos as he reviewed some of his notable projects. She also provided Commission members a Landmark Preservation Commission July 28, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 4 template of suggested questions to use while interviewing him for inclusion on the list of pre -qualified consultant for the Design Assistance Program. Mr. Torgerson, currently chair of the Planning and Zoning Board for the City of Fort Collins, has appeared before the LPC on restoration projects in the past, including the Old Woolworth Building at College and Mountain and First Baptist Church. He has worked on many adaptive reuse projects around town, converting old boarding housing into office space, for example, and has experience working with State Historic Fund grants. Mr. Torgerson added that he has been in negotiations with the Rule family to move the house and barn to a piece of property he owns at Laporte and Taft Hill Road. Janet Ore asked Mr. Torgerson about his familiarity with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for preservation. He said he has worked with them a lot, agrees with the philosophy, and believes that beneficial occupancy of a landmark is the best form of preservation. Even on projects not involving state or local historic funds or designations, he has done work entirely consistent with the Standards. While there is always interpretation involved in any project, he said he is not a "rip -and -strip" person, and would not do anything he is opposed to simply at the request of a client. Public input: None. Janet Ore moved the LPC approve Mikal Torgerson of M. Torgerson Architects for inclusion on the Pre -Qualified List of the Design Assistance Program. Angie Aguilera seconded, and the motion carried unanimously, 6-0. Code Changes — presented by Karen McWilliams. The Commission discussed Ms. McWilliams proposed changes to the City Code and to the Land Use Code. The changes were based on previous LPC discussions, summarized in a memo distributed to members. In general, the changes were designed to focus staff and Commission resources on highly significant properties. One suggestion was establishing a hierarchy that would remove all single-family dwellings, which, while being altered, would remain single family dwellings and are not being redeveloped, from the review process with the exception of those individually eligible for listing on the National Register and those properties already designated on the State or National Registers. Other proposed changes were to develop a mechanism to notify owners of significant properties; reinstate a design review subcommittee of the LPC to provide complimentary reviews to owners voluntarily seeking advice; process reviews through the existing Land Use Code review criteria; adding economic hardship as a criterion for Waivers of Condition or as a mitigating factor; raise the standards for designation; increase educational efforts and the amount of incentives available to those who choose to designate their property; and finally, that buildings constructed since 1945 should not be reviewed until appropriate contexts have been developed, although they meet the 50-year rule. Landmark Preservation Commission July 28, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 5 The Commission discussed the proposals. Janet Ore felt once the Commission had made a determination of eligibility, owners should not be able to challenge it. Staff and the Commission have a high level of professional expertise that goes into making a determination. Joe Frank pointed out there is a difference between determination and designation, and that it is important to notify owners of the intent. Bud Frick suggested two notices: one that the property had been surveyed and here are the results, and one when the property changes hands. Karen McWilliams added that if property owners can bring in additional information not included on a survey, the LPC should be able to reconsider. She explained the system that starts with local surveys. If the survey reveals buildings that could be eligible, those are brought before the LPC for review. Once the LPC accepts the results, the results are sent, with Commission comments, to the Colorado Historical Society, which then reviews the entire survey and enters all the properties it contains into its database. The state is primarily concerned with properties eligible for the National and State Register or contributing to a National or State Register District. In the case of the Buckingham/ Alta Vista/ Andersonville neighborhoods, for example, staff held neighborhood meetings to let residents know the survey had been done, and if they disagreed with the results, how to go about disputing them. If an owner presents additional information, that could also be sent to the state for further review. Dr. Ore asked about the process when no survey has been done, suggesting it was important for the City to get such surveys completed early. Dr. Ore also asked if economic hardship would also become part of the consideration for local grant and loan programs. Mr. Frank suggested that making such determinations would be complex, and perhaps training from Dan Corson to help Commission members understand the process of making such determinations would be in order. He added that Maurice Head in Advance Planning could do such analyses. It was also suggested asking DAP consultants to donate their time to the design review committee as a condition of being included on the pre -qualified list. Ms. Tunner said that this would require changing the program. The major object of the changes, according to Ms. McWilliams, is to get the Municipal Code and the Land Use Code to match. At a minimum, the review process should be taken back to the way it was before single-family dwellings were added to Section 3.4.7 of the Land Use Code. Dr. Ore agreed, noting that with the changes, the LPC would be fighting harder for fewer buildings, but would have better tools with which to fight. Ms. McWilliams added that the educational component of the changes would be the crux of everything; Mr. Frick pointed out that Historic Fort Collins has a dozen videos and slide shows available for presentations. Angie Aguilera was concerned that making such sweeping changes now, in light of the Rule decision, was going to look like the LPC was making changes just because it lost the appeal before Council. Dr. Ore said the LPC had been following the rules that Council had put in place, which offered few alternatives. Mr. Frick said that with the changes, it should be clear that the LPC is working to clean up the Code. Ms. Aguilera Landmark Preservation Commission July 28, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 6 agreed, but said the timing was terrible. Mr. Frick said it was important to offer alternatives, such as documentation and demolition. Ian Shuff added that by making review voluntary, there may be more interest than with the current mandatory system. The LPC also brainstormed ideas for incentives, enforcement, a possible checklist for determining eligibility, when to involve the LPC in disagreements, how to treat locally landmarked buildings not eligible for the National Register, and the importance of offering owners of significant properties access to free professional design help. Mr. Frank outlined the timeframe for the process: Final proposed language for the changes, incorporating ideas from tonight's discussion, will be presented for review and input at the next LPC meeting, August 11. City Council has scheduled a study session on the subject August 24, to provide staff with direction on drafting a final ordinance. Mr. Frank would like to have LPC members attend this study session, seated at the staff table, if possible. Mr. Hogestad asked Mr. Frank if it would be possible to have the LPC's City Council Liaison attend the next meeting to discuss the decision to grant the Rules' appeal. Mr. Frank and Mr. Frick will both contact David Roy to extend the invitation. Dr. Ore complimented both Mr. Frank and Ms. McWilliams for their poised, professional presentation at the City Council appeal hearing as well as all the work done on the Rule case. OTHER BUSINESS Carol Tunner read the letter from Myrne Watrous resigning her seat on the Commission. Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki, Recorder August 20, 2004