HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 03/09/2005LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
March 9, 2005 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 approved a letter to City Council opposing
repeal of the City sales tax on groceries, approved final plans including
revised railings for the porch at 601 W. Mountain Ave., and viewed a training
presentation on outbuildings in four Colorado cities and towns.
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order with a quorum present by
Chairman Bud Frick at 5:38 p.m. at 281 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado. Angie Aguilera,
Agnes Dix, Heather Donohue, Alyson McGee, Janet Ore and Ian Shuff were present. Carol
Tunner and Karen McWilliams represented City staff.
GUESTS: Sue Walker for 601 W. Mountain Ave.; Beth Arnold and Christine Parra, CSU student
observers.
AGENDA REVIEW: No changes
PUBLIC COMMENT: Chairman Bud Frick asked if anyone present wished to address items
within the purview of the Commission that are not on the agenda. There were no comments.
MINUTES: Minutes from January 26, 2005, approved as submitted.
STAFF REPORTS: Carol Tunner distributed copies of the August 11, 2004 meeting minutes
where the porch at 601 W. Mountain Ave. was initially reviewed. She also handed out an article
in the current New Yorker magazine on the Hotel California in Los Angeles
COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: Heather Donohue and Alyson McGee reported on Boards
and Commissions training they both attended as did staff Carol Tunner and Bud Frick at an
earlier session.
There was no quorum so the DDA did not meet
Agnes Dix reported that the deal to donate the Rule Farm to Crossroads Safehouse had fallen
through.
Alyson McGee presented a letter to City Council expressing the LPC's opposition to Ballot
Initiative 1, repeal of the Fort Collins City sales tax on groceries, on the April 5 ballot. She added
that she had checked with Dan Corson at the State Historical Fund and while a preservation
staff is not required for Fort Collins to maintain its Certified Local Government status, if staff is
eliminated as a result of budget cuts forced by Initiative 1, it is highly unlikely that the LPC could
continue its mission, which would eliminate CLG activities.
Janet Ore moved the LPC accept the letter expressing concerns on Ballot Initiative 1 and
forward it to City Council. Ian Shuff seconded and the motion passed unanimously, 7-0.
The Commissioners thanked Ms. McGee for drafting the letter
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March 9, 2005, Meeting Minutes
Page 2
CURRENT REVIEW
601 W. Mountain Ave., Aaron Kitchel House — Reconstruct Porch, Final Review for
Landmark No -Interest Loan Program — Sue Walker and Bud Frick, introduced by Carol
Tunner
Bud Frick recused himself from the discussions and voting because of a conflict of interest with
his involvement with the project. Angie Aguilera assumed the chair.
On August 11, 2004, the Commission conceptually approved the design with directions to
proceed to final review. Direction to the applicant was to keep it simple since no historic pictures
exist. When this project was granted a no -interest landmark preservation loan on February 9,
the Commission asked to see evidence of comparable porches from the same historical period
in support of the proposed round columns and square balusters. Staff has done much research,
requesting help from the Colorado Historical Society (no response), checking for similar houses
in the same period, looking in plan -book catalogs, checking the Secretary's Guidelines for
Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, and consulting the Queen Anne section of McAlesters' Field
Guide to American Houses.
Ms. Tunner showed slides of a wide array of corner porches to be found in Fort Collins, so that
the applicant and the LPC may work as a team to find a compatible design for the porch. She
pointed out that existing rehabilitation standards don't directly address this question,
recommending only that a new entrance or porch to replace one that is missing "may be a
restoration based on historical, pictorial, and physical documentation; or be a new design that is
compatible with the historic character of the building." The slides of existing porches in Fort
Collins showed an extremely wide variety of styles from the same period, some reconstructions,
some historic, some new.
After discussion of historical styles, the Commission agreed that when it came to corner
porches, anything goes. Modern building codes require a railing for any steps or porches over
30 inches high, and lattice skirting will cover most of the foundation.
Sue Walker presented samples of railings and columns produced by a supplier from Ohio with
experience in authentic restorations. The elements all fit together without nails or screws. She
described the work as low, simple, graceful and elegant, not fancy or ornate. But the balusters
are turned, and based on the comments from the Commission, she wanted to be sure they
would still be acceptable with the turned columns which she prefers.
Alyson McGee explained that she was interested in seeing precedents for whatever design was
chosen. Janet Ore was concerned that the design of the porch not look like it is from a different
era than the rest of the house. She was concerned that with the proposed square stair rail cap
the porch looked more Craftsman style than the Victorian -era house. Heather Donohue felt that
compatibility was in how the porch and the house go together; she felt that square balusters
would look clunky and that would be incompatible. Ms. McGee agreed, urging a design that
created harmony and balance. When Mr. Frick pointed out that the original ruling asked the
applicant to keep it simple, Ms. Donohue replied that the square balusters were too simple for
the house. Angie Aguilera suggested capping the square rail with a rounded cap, something
bigger, not fancy, not turned, but a globe. Ms. Walker liked that idea, agreeing that round
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March 9, 2005, Meeting Minutes
Page 3
columns and turned balusters would feel nice on the porch. Mr. Frick pointed out that the
tapered shape of the balusters picks up the shape of the segmental windows, too.
Dr. Ore felt with this presentation, enough precedents had been presented to make the case for
the turned balusters.
Public input: None.
Alyson McGee moved that the LPC accept for conceptual and final review the drawings
for the reconstruction of the porch at 601 W. Mountain with the following modifications: a
ball cap on the stair rail post and turned balusters, with the round columns as presented.
Heather Donohue seconded, and the motion carried unanimously, 6-0, with Bud Frick
recused.
Mr. Frick will bring in corrected drawings.
The Commission complimented Ms. Walker on the care and thought she is putting into this
pretty little house.
Mr. Frick resumed the chair for the rest of the meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS
Training — Power Point Presentation on Outbuilding Policy in the Cities of
Boulder, Crested Butte, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs — presented by Carol
Tunner
This presentation was originally produced for the February conference put on by
Colorado Preservation Inc. It reflected four different approaches to the preservation of
outbuildings in mountain towns dating from the mining era. Commission members felt
any attempts to preserve little garages in Fort Collins would require creating incentives
where there are none and compromises on lot line and many other issues.
2. Ethics Discussion — introduced by Bud Frick.
Bud Frick reported that the City Attorney has informed him that the Ethics Board has
determined that the LPC's Design Review Subcommittee cannot be reinstated or the
service provided by the full LPC because then some Commission members would have
more knowledge than others. Heather Donohue added that at the Boards and
Commission training, it was made clear that LPC members are not to visit sites under
discussion; if you do as an individual, it must be put on the record as soon as possible.
Alyson McGee said Commission -wide field trips must be videotaped. She expressed
concern that the LPC's mandate to promote preservation and educate the public about
its benefits seemed to be in conflict with City law against Commission members
advocating particular ideas. She asked Carol Tunner to invite Paul Eckman from the City
Attorney's office to a future meeting to discuss the issues of outreach and advocacy. Ms.
Donohue suggested having a representative from the City Attorney's office attend all
LPC meetings.
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March 9, 2005, Meeting Minutes
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Mr. Frick also talked about the conflicts faced by the architects on the Commission in
single -person firms when presenting projects for LPC approval, especially in light of the
Commission's mandated expert membership. According to the Ethics Board, LPC
members should not be presenting projects to the Commission and should leave the
room while such projects are discussed. Ian Shuff asked if the alternative was to turn
down clients with projects that could come before the Commission. At the very least, he
suggested, Mr. Frick as chair of the LPC should not serve in the Design Assistance
Program.
Meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Kate Jeracki, Recorder
March 30, 2005
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