HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 08/24/2005LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
August 24, 2005 Minutes
City Council Liaison: David Roy (970) 407-7393
Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (970) 221-6376
Commission Chair: W.J. "Bud" Frick, Jr. (970) 484-1467
SUMMARY OF MEETING: LPC enthusiastically liked the renovation plans for the Oak
St. Plaza. LPC gave final approval to rear addition at 630 Peterson St. LPC declined to
comment on proposed Human Rights Ordinance saying it was not within the purview of
the board to comment.
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order by Chairman Bud Frick
at 5:30 p.m. at 281 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Commission members Agnes
Dix, Heather Donahue, Alyson McGee, Earen Russell, and Ian Shuff were present. Angie
Aguilera was excused from the meeting. Carol Tunner represented City staff.
GUESTS: Craig Foreman, Manager of the Parks and Trails Systems, and Kathleen Benedict,
Senior Parks Planner for the Oak Street Plaza Renovation; Steve Josephs, Craftsmen Builders for
630 Peterson St.
AGENDA REVIEW: There were no changes made to the revised agenda. Tunner commented
that she had a roster for the Commission to review and wanted them to make any necessary
corrections. Commission members made corrections to their personal contact information.
PUBLIC INPUT: Frick asked if anyone present wished to address items within the purview of
the Commission if item did not appear on the agenda. There were no comments.
MINUTES: There were two corrections made to the July 27, 2005 minutes as follows: Pg.
3 - should be Linden Hotel rather than Linden House and Donahue mentioned that her
name was spelled with an "A" not an "O". Dix made a motion to approve the minutes with
the following corrections. Donahue seconded and the motion passed 6-0.
STAFF REPORTS: There were no staff reports
COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: There were no Commission member reports.
CURRENT REVIEW:
201 South College Avenue, Old Post Office — Renovate the Oak Street Plaza incorporating
the site of the Old Post Office Building — Complimentary Conceptual Review — presented by
Craig Foreman, Manager of the Parks and Trails Systems, and Kathleen Benedict, Senior Parks
Planner. Ms. Tunner explained the change in the review to complimentary. Complimentary
review means the Commission can comment on the project but is not authorized to approve the
proposal. LPC complimentary review is being done because this is a public project, and next to
a landmark. Tunner gave the history of the project and the property. The proposed project,
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August 24, 2005 Meeting Minutes
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according to City staff, will not be detrimental to historic fabric of the landmarked Old Post
Office. Therefore the plans can be approved administratively. The Old Post Office is also on the
State and National Registers, but since no state or federal funding is involved in the plaza
renovation, the Colorado Historical Society would defer to the City's review process. According
to Tunner, the project would also normally be reviewed by the State Historical Fund (SHF)
because four SHF grants were received by MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), the owners
of the Old Post Office. Tunner has spoken with Mark Wolfe, Director of SHF, and after
explaining what is being done to the building's non -historic fabric at the foundation level, the
SHF is satisfied that they do not have to review it.
Kathleen Benedict addressed the Commission and gave a brief background on the project. Oak
Street Plaza is considered a public park. Benedict stated the intention is to update the park. She
showed a Power Point presentation of the Master Plan for the plaza changes. The theme is
artistic whimsy and materials to be used will be top quality. Benedict showed the main
component of laminar flow fountains aimed at sculptural water stones designed by the artist that
designed Blue Bear at the new Denver Exhibition Hall. Benedict discussed the cobbled stone,
Lithocrete concrete ribbons with glass, and black granite paving patterns. There will be fog
effects in winter, and pop jets in summer. A stage facing east will be set at the west end of the
plaza, but it will be able to be reversed to face west and Oak Street if needed.
The design for the Old Post Office is to incorporate it into the plaza visually because the existing
site turns its back on the plaza. The design for handicap accessibility to the lower level north
east door of the Old Post Office will use a curving ramp that will be so gradual that it will not
need handrails. The City will take fee -simple ownership of the north and northeast landscape up
to the building and fund those changes, while MOCA will retain ownership of the southeast
courtyard and the DDA will fund landscape improvements to that corner of the building. The
bus shelter will be moved west approximately ten feet and be constructed in a new contemporary
design. New planters will be added to the north side of the plaza because the bank wants to
ensure their privacy.
Benedict said that the curved added steps to the north entrance of the Post Office would actually
only be one step. McGee asked about watering plants up against the Post Office. Benedict
confirmed that they would be drip irrigated so as not to damage the building's foundation.
McGee asked about changing the wing walls up against the Post Office — how would they handle
exposing unstuccoed surfaces? Benedict said there would be very little of that, but they would
match the stucco. Turner said these surfaces were not historically exposed and showed a picture
of how a hill rose up to long narrow basement windows originally. Shuff asked about the
proposed lighting. Benedict said they would be string overhead lights pulled tight with no sag.
Benedict said that MOCA would get an easement exchange of art pads in their landscape to be
used for displaying rotating statuary and a monument sign for the museum in the northeast
corner.
Tunner commented that staff believed the proposal met Standards 49 and 10 and the handicap
accessibility for the building was important and sensitively designed.
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August 24, 2005 Meeting Minutes
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PUBLIC INPUT: None.
The Commission felt it was a great project. Benedict and Foreman thanked the Commission for
their input.
630 Peterson Street, Addie R. Debolt House — Addition to Rear, Final Approval — Tunner
introduced Steve Josephs from Craftsmen Builders. The project was presented on April 27, 2005
and at that time the LPC had concerns with the proportions of south and east elevation windows
on the addition. Josephs was returning with the requested revisions to the windows. He had
made the changes, but said that the owners wanted the windows to be as high as possible.
PUBLIC INPUT: None.
Shuff liked the revised windows. Shuff made a motion to approve the proposal as submitted
for final review with no additional changes necessary. Dix seconded the motion. The
motion passed 6-0.
OTHER BUSINESS
Frick brought up a letter he had received from the Human Relations Commission regarding a
human rights ordinance that will be considered on September 6, 2005 by City Council. The
Landmark Preservation Commission was asked to write a letter to recommend the ordinance.
Shuff said that it was better considered by individuals, because it really wasn't within the
purview of the LPC to comment. All agreed.
Dix felt the article on signage from the Alliance Review was informative and recommended that
other Commission members read the passage.
Meeting adjourned at 6: 40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Connie Barnett, Recorder
Stacie Soriano, Minutes