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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCultural Resources Board - Minutes - 10/04/1978CULTURAL RESOURCES BOARD MEETING sunm y Minutes October 4, 1978 7;30 p,m. Ludlow Roans resent; Cultural Resources Board- Ray Dixon, .lack Curfnan, Colleen Cassell, Martha Trimble, Ross Loanis Absent: Pauline Birky/Kreutzer Staff- John McGraw, Ellen Thexton, Jim Woods, Don Deagle, Edwina Echevarria Urban Renewal Authority- Randy Larson, John Baskett, Dick McCormick, Ray Gi.le, Don Colson, Margaret Mitchell Absent: Ion Wipple Guests: Langdon Norris, Denver architect; Jim Kane, Historic Landmarks coordinator for Fort Collins City; George Dewey, from the Co -Op The meeting consisted of two parts. The first part was a joint meeting between the Cultural Resources Board and the Urban Renewal Authority; the second part was the regular Cultural Resources Board meeting. I Joint Meeting with the Urban Renewal Authority A. Briefing by Don Deagle, Assistant City Attorney for the City. Mr. Deagle related the distinctions between national, state and local landmark designations and what each entails. He remarked that state and federal designations are primarily oriented toward giving tax incentives or disincentives to the developer. State designation also allows variances from building code requirements, except those that relate to safety and fire protection. Local designations usually carry more power and can impose some restraints upon what you can and cannot do in terms of building. Pursuant to our own ordinance, a locally - designated building cannot be altered on the exterior or demolished without a review by the Cultural Resources Board. Also pursuant to our own ordinance, voluntary and involuntaxy designation, are both possible,. the latter being very cimbersane, with the power of the Cultural Resources Board limited to delaying the building permit, thus promoting negotiation and conpromise. In rare instances, the City could actually acquire the property in order to preserve the neighborhood. Involuntary designation has never been exercised by the City and the City is not highly disposed toward that route at this time. Questions and camients on this topic and also on the relationship between the CRB and the Urban Renewal Authority then followed. Ross Loomis pointed out that designation cannot be forced on a whole district. Mr. Deagle stated that he sees no problem in the Downtown District qualifying for local designation. Housing Rehabilitation Director Jim Woods announced that an Old Town association has now been formed. Margaret Mitchell, of the URA, asked the questions, "Do we want authority or do we want to continue to be advisory only?" Mr. Loomis thanked Mr. Deagle for his presentation and expressed his appreciation to the URA for the joint meeting. II Cultural Resources Board meeting A. Mr. Loomis introduced Charles Rapp, of EDAW, Inc., who then presented his firm's proposal (with visual aids) to purchase and remodel a building in the "Semerad" block in the Downtown District, for use as EDAW's professional office. t Cultural Resources B41 Meeting, October 4, 1978 • Mr. Loomis stated that it appeared that the Design Guidelines were being followed by EDAW. Mr. Curfman made the suggestion that Mr. Rapp's scale model be photographed and used as an educational example of the Design Guidelines. Mr. Dixon expressed his concern, "What's to keep a big developer fram caning in with its plan and the Urban Renewal Authority condemning individual properties in favor of the big developer's plan?" B. Jack Oliver then presented to the Cultural Resources Board the concept of Midtown, stating that the concept is in the initial stage of public relations. Midtown consists of a 61-block area, with 811 buildings; 155 businesses are in the defined area. Mr. Oliver stated that the boundaries of the potential historic landmark district were proposed by the State Historical Society and that the inventory of the area has shown that there are 540 structures therein that are historically significant. Mr. Oliver stated that four historically appealing structures are ready for the bulldozer. He didn't know what, if anything, could be done about this situation. Mr. Irxmts suggested that perhaps Mr. Oliver could approach the city council to test its feelings on the matter. Other suggestions were: maybe a moratorium on demolition could care about, and maybe the media could influence actions on premature demolitions. Mr. McGraw suggested that the process for designation of individual buildings be accelerated and eventually the whole district could be designated. C. Avery House parking lot - John Power, Chairman of Poudre Landmarks Foundation, presented a copy of a letter addressed to himself from June Bennett, Project Director of the Foundation, in which Mrs. Bennett related her conversation with Mike Quinn, of the State Historical Society. Mr. Quinn suggested and Mrs. Bennett agreed to the following for the Avery House parking lot: "Asphalt the drive, cover with a coating of tar onto which gravel about V in diameter is sprinkled in the same manner that aggregate is made." "...asphalt would be a suitable material in the parking lot itself because of the fact that it will be fenced off." Ray Dixon made the motion that Jack Curfman's Avery House parking lot design proposal be approved and that the specifications for the surfacing of the lot be those proposed by Michael Quinn of the State Historical Society, as stated in June Bennett's October 2, 1978, letter to John Power. The motion was seconded by Colleen Cassell. Vote: All ayes except Mrs. Trimble, who abstained until the cost is known. Notion passed. Mr. Power then announced that his target date for work to begin on the 2 east rooms in the Avery House is Jan. 1, 1979 and that work be completed by April 1, 1979. D. Frank Johnson's resignation from the Cultural Resources Board Mr. Johnson's letter of resignation, effective September 1, 1978, was acknowledged.by the Board, Martha Trimble made the motion that Frank Johnson's resignation be accepted with great_ reluctance. Jack Curfman seconded. Vote: Ayes - unanimous The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Edwina Echevarria Secretary to the office of Cultural Affairs