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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 01/31/2001LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Special Meeting January 31, 2001 Minutes Council Liaison: Scott Mason (226-4824) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chairperson: Per Hogestad (416-7285) SUMMARY OF MEETING: The LPC viewed materials on alley house design, presented by Mr. Cameron Gloss, Current Planning Director. The LPC reviewed the design of two alley houses under consideration to be built at 208/214 Peterson Street. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: 5:36 p.m., at 281 North College Avenue Ore, Agnes Dix, Myrne Watrous, W.J. Per Hogestad was absent. Carol represented staff. W.J. (Bud) Frick called the meeting to order at Commission members Angela Milewski, Janet (Bud) Frick, and Angie Aguilera were present. Tunner, Karen McWilliams, and Joe Frank GUESTS: Nancy Kinney, citizen; Bob Hand, citizen; Donald Smith, developer; John Glass, citizen; Chuck Mabarak, citizen; Wayne Carpenter, citizen for 208/214 Peterson Street; and Mr. Cameron Gloss, Current Planning Director. AGENDA REVIEW: None STAFF REPORTS: None COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: None APPROVAL OF MINUTES: None submitted. DISCUSSION ITEM: ALLEY HOUSE DESIGN PRESENTATIONS: Mr. Cameron Gloss continued his presentation from the last LPC meeting, January 24, on design ideas for alley houses with a Powerpoint presentation of historic houses as a point of reference. Original alley houses, as shown, were very small with detached garages or outside parking. In 1991, rezoning allowed for larger houses to be built on small lots. Concern over parking issues led the City to make changes to the threshold for minimum lot area per unit. A 1993 emergency city ordinance limited the size of alley houses to 800-sq. ft., including garage. Building standards at that time in Boulder allowed for 1600 sq. ft. alley houses, not including garage. This decreased the attractiveness of those areas, with alley houses seeming to loom over original houses. The maximum size in Boulder was then reduced to 1200 sq. feet for alley houses. Landmark Preservation Commission January 31, 2001 Meeting Minutes Page 2 Techniques were suggested to reduce perceived scale of building faces, for example, lower overall height, reduced eave heights, and trim bands. In the Prospect Development, Longmont, Colorado, alley house designs include a 1.5 story element, rather than a full two-story. Other design aspects include individual garage doors, outdoor space created by decking, specific window sizes, and low plate heights. Notice is taken of the scale relationship between front and rear houses. A comparison was shown using the Mill Development, Longmont, Colorado. These feature a full two-story alley house in which the human scale of the development is lost, and the cumulative effect is extreme. Alley and alleyscape is unattractive. Further examples were shown, focusing on the compatibility of alley houses with a small front house. Units on Whedby Island, Washington featured alley houses of 600- 900 sq. feet, with 2nd floor lofts allowing for living space within the roof area rather than having a full second story. Features to take advantage of all the space possible include a built-in kitchen seat area. For alley houses with larger sq. footage, Mr. Gloss showed some examples of houses of 2200 sq. feet. These houses are spread out but have connecting hallways between living areas, which break up the mass of the building. Ms. Ore asked if the City is thinking of proposing alley house standards. Mr. Gloss replied that they are thinking about it. The City Planning and Zoning board has asked the Current Planning staff to come up with new standards, but he is currently unwilling to propose actual square footage limits. Mr. Mabarak, citizen, asked if there are many requests from other citizens wanting to build these types of homes? Mr. Gloss replied that there are some requests from citizens, but more pressing concerns are coming from the development community, where they wish to build alley houses that are larger than 800 square feet, and on lots that would allow for larger dwellings. Mr. Gloss went on to say that the minimum lot area per unit that is needed to build an alley house had been 4500 sq. ft. of lot per unit, but in 1994 this was changed to greater than 5000 sq. feet per unit. Most lots are 50 x 190 and therefore do not qualify for building an alley house. Public input: Many questions were raised; what kind of square footage would be appropriate? What kind of architectural details? Are fire sprinkler systems necessary where alleys are narrowed? How will alley houses be addressed, 1231/2, or 123A, for example? Further questions were raised about parking, landscape criteria, any needed separate services, units being used as home offices or studios, and alley houses being turned into rentals. ' Landmark Preservation Commission January 31, 2001 Meeting Minutes Page 3 Mr. Gloss concluded by saying that the City relies on the Commission to determine whether or not the proposed alley houses are compatible with the image the City wants to encourage within historic neighborhoods. It is not clear at this time whether the City desires guidelines or standards, but the Planning and Zoning Board wanted design standards as opposed to guidelines. The public may not welcome government input in this, and at the moment it could go either way. CURRENT REVIEW: Complimentary Review. 208/214 Peterson. Mr. Don Smith presented for review the design of buildings to be constructed at the rear of two lots at 208 and 214 Peterson Street. Four houses will then be located on these two lots. The front, historic houses have been renovated, and Mr. Smith desires to replat the lots, pave the alley, landscape what will become an open courtyard, and include a 50 ft. setback for utilities. The sewer line has been laid, and electrical power has been established underground. The current owner would like to build units off the alley with estimated values between the high $200,OOOs and low $300,OOOs. A neighborhood meeting was held the previous evening in which these plans were reviewed by the neighborhood community. The owners want to avoid building rental units in the alley, though the possibility is open that the result will be an owner -occupied front home, with the alley house being a rental unit. Currently, Mr. Smith is considering two units of 1400 sq. feet each, with basements, connected by garages,. The front elevation, facing west, will be identical to the one at 217 Whedbee. These will have hardwood lap siding, asphalt shingles, with double hung wood windows. On the south side, another gable will be added to break up the look of the side of the dwelling. The pitch of the roof will be 8/12. The second element will be 20 ft. back from the front unit, stepped back to break up the line. Gable roofs will be over the garage doors. Mr. Frick asked if there will be anything in the gable. Mr. Smith replied than an air vent or window will be added to the gable if the Commission wishes. Utilities and drainage plans have been submitted to the City. The designers of these new units would be willing to redesign, taking into account the alley house designs ideas that have been presented to the Commission. Ms. Milewski commented that units designed with separate garages will take up more of the space of the lot. She suggested a garage under the living space. Mr. Smith replied that this design would make the units two full stories. Mr. Frick suggested that they put the garages in the back and keep the living spaces in the front of the lot. This would eliminate the need for a driveway through the middle of the lot, and all the units could face into a central courtyard. Ms. Ore commented, as a historian, that separate small buildings with garages located on the alley fit in the historical context. This is similar to what would have been built in the back of the alley in the past. Landmark Preservation Commission January 31, 2001 Meeting Minutes Page 4 Ms. Watrous raised the issue that there is no assurance that the back house would remain a rental with the owner living in the front dwelling. Mr. Smith replied that the back house will be designed in such a way that it wouldn't be profitable to sell as a rental. Further concerns were raised by Ms. Watrous that parking spaces for four cars will not be enough. Four dwellings will end up needing four more spaces. Mr. Smith replied that only four spaces are required, but allowed that more parking may be desirable. The dimensions of the lot could allow for four spaces in the garages, plus 3 uncovered spaces, still allowing for al ft. easement. How big would houses in back be? 800-sq. feet. Like the alley houses that have come under discussion. Public Input: Nancy Kinney, citizen, asked for clarification that the front property would be owner occupied while the rear house would be a rental. Mr. Smith said that this was the expected outcome. It was reiterated that the proposal of separate garages matches historical property use. The outbuildings can also sere as a barrier and the owner can landscape the inner court. The garages can be made to look like a row of small houses. Ms. Kinney voiced her concern about how will it look not just from the alley, but from everywhere else. If the whole lot is filled up with small garages, little open space will remain, resulting in an unattractive overall look for the neighborhood. A further concern was raised about how the alley will be changed by an increased number of buildings being located on it. They alley will be different, more people will use it, and the alley will become the alley house's street. Ms. Ore said that in the past there were buildings in alleys, small granny flats, carriage houses, etc. Mr. Smith asked if he is heading in the right direction as to the design of the alley houses. Mr. Frick replied, "yes," and the Commission agreed. Meeting adjourned: 7:10 p.m. Minutes submitted by Connie Merrill, Secretary.