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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 07/24/2002r� LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting July 24, 2002 Minutes Council Liaison: Eric Hamrick (225-2343) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chairperson: Per Hogestad (416-7285) Summary: The LPC approved relocation of the Harmony Cash Store to 1513 E. Mulberry Road. They approved location and appearance of a deck and patio at the Nix Farm, 1745 Hoffman Mill Road. They determined that they did not have to review interior testing of adobe on the Romero House, 425 Tenth Street. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Per Hogestad called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m., at 281 N. College Avenue. Commission members Angie Aguilera, Agnes Dix, Bud Frick, Per Hogestad, Janet Ore, Carole Stansfield and Myrne Watrous were present. Carol Tunner and Karen McWilliams represented staff. GUESTS: Matt Baker, Street Oversizing Coordinator, Engineering Department, for the Harmony Cash Store; Doug Moore, Environmental Planner, Natural Resources Department for 1745 Hoffman Mill Road, The Nix Farm; Eric Logan, Architectural Preservation Institute, for 425 Tenth Street, The Romero House. AGENDA REVIEW: Addition of agenda item: Preconceptual Review of Northern Hotel handicapped accessibility. STAFF REPORTS: Ms. Tunner announced that there will be an annual meeting of Colorado Preservation Inc. in Steamboat Springs on September 20-22, 2002. Ms. Tunner also announced that on August 1, the Planning and Zoning Board will be holding a hearing at City Council chambers regarding the Fort Collins High School addition plans. The public will be allowed to speak at this hearing. COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: None Approval of May 22 Minutes. Ms. Dix pointed out that the minutes need to be changed from "Straus cabin" on third line, first page to "Strang cabin". Ms. Aguilera moved that the LPC approve minutes as amended. Seconded by Ms. Ore, and approved unanimously, 7-0. DEMOLITION/ALTERATION REVIEW PROCESS: Public hearing — Harmony Cash Store Relocation to Fort Fun, 1513 E. Mulberry Street. The Harmony Cash Store was originally located at the northwest corner of Harmony and Timberline Roads. Street improvements led to the building being moved off its original site to a temporary location at Southridge Golf Course. Efforts to return the Landmark Preservation Commission • • July 24, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 2 building to its original location were not successful, and the building was offered for sale through the public bid process. The successful bidder, with a bid of $8,333, was Fun Fortress, LLC. The store will be moved to its new location at 1513 E. Mulberry on or about July 25, where it will be incorporated into the amusement theme park. Because it is an eligible building, before being moved, the item must come before the LPC. Staff and the LPC agreed that the building will no longer be eligible after it is moved. The property has been fully documented, including photographs. Ms. Ore was told, in response to her question, that the LPC will no longer have any purview over the building once it's moved, as it will be located outside the city limits. Also, if it is not eligible for designation, the LPC will not need to review any changes. Ms. Watrous asked if the LPC could recommend that a sign be put on the building to describe its history. She was informed that that the new owners have plans to make the public aware of its history. No public input. Ms. Aguilera moved that the LPC approve the relocation of the Harmony Cash Store to 1513 E. Mulberry St. Seconded by Ms. Ore, and approved unanimously, 7-0. CURRENT REVIEW: 1) 1745 Hoffman Mill Road, Nix Farm. Change location and approve design of flagstone patio and wood -type deck (composite decking material) from the approved plans. (Doug Moore — Environmental Planner, Natural Resources Dept.) The Natural Areas Program would like to change the location of the LPC approved flagstone patio from the back of the west farmhouse to the nature area gathering space, and the location of the wood deck from the gathering space to the back of the house. After reviewing the design needs for the building, they found that two concrete stoops off of the back steps would be required, but these would intrude upon the flagstone patio. Because of this, they would like to put in the deck instead of the stoops and patio. The patio planned for the northeast location will be 10 ft. in diameter, and smaller than originally planned. The wood deck will now be composed of a composite decking material made of recycled plastics and wood chips. As of this time, they prefer the ChoiceDex brand, in brown color. Slides were shown of a deck at Coyote Ridge, which is made of the same material, and of a bench which will be like the ones planned for Nix Farm. The Natural Resources Department would like the decking material to be ChoiceDex, which they can point out to visiting groups as a good, recycled material. The material is expensive to buy, but needs almost no maintenance, and a color sample will be brought before the LPC in the future. ~ Landmark Preservation Commission • • July 24, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 3 Ms. Ore said that this is a Craftsman house, and they usually didn't have decks. If they had one, they would have been made of wood. She felt that the proposed deck looked like a modern, Post WWII feature, being put on a historic house. Mr. Frick commented that it is on the back, not the front, which makes a difference. Ms. Ore said that she didn't like that they have chosen a material that is not natural. They have done such a great job on the landscaping, so that it fits in well with the house, but the decking material doesn't because it is a synthesized product. Mr. Hogestad said that the Rigden farm also used a composite product. He asked if they are going to use redwood posts for the railing. Mr. Moore replied that they could, if that's something the Board would like them to do. He went on to remind the LPC that they felt the main purpose of the garden is for it to be a background wildlife project. In this case, they are trying to preach the message of recycling and green architecture. Ms. Ore agreed that they have done a nice job on the property, but said that she felt that the synthetic materials compromise what they've done on the rest of the building. Ms. Watrous said that she agreed with Ms. Ore. She felt that on this house the composite materials gentrify the house. Also, the way the house is set, all alone in a field, there's not all that much difference between the front and the back. Mr. Frick pointed out that they don't need a railing because it's less than 30 inches off the ground. The rail is what makes the deck really show up. A tilted railing, like the one proposed, looks very 1950s. It works on Coyote Ridge but may not work on this house. He added that he would be more comfortable with a mission style railing, with flat benches against the railing. Ms. Aguilera said that neither one of them match the building. Ms. Ore said that many porches on buildings of this era have a square balustrade. Mr. Moore said that they need an area where the staff can go out, to smoke, if need be, and where they can sit and have a space to meet. The other side of the stairs will have bicycle parking for the staff. Mr. Frick asked if they can still have the deck the way it is, but either not have backs to the seating at all, or the backs made of the railing. Mr. Hogestad added that If comfort is an issue, they could put a railing on the outside, and put the slanted backs on the benches in the interior. Mr. Moore also described the pavers, which will be made out of acrylic, in the shapes of animals. There will be a heavy acrylic pieces over the top to protect them. According to the artist, the eye in the fox paver will have a light behind it, so it will look like it glows. No public input. Ms. Ore moved that the LPC approve the deck on the rear of 1745 Hoffman Mill Road, the Nix Farm, with the following conditions: 1) the balustrade on the deck be perpendicular to the deck, 2) it have a balustrade made with balusters in Craftsman style made either of wooden material or the ChoiceDex. Seconded by Ms. Watrous. • Landmark Preservation Commission • • July 24, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 4 Mr. Frick added a friendly amendment that the benches be inside the railing, without backs, and not integral to the railing. Clarification is also needed on the wood to be used on the posts, either cedar or redwood. Ms. Dix added a friendly amendment that the LPC approve the change in location and configuration of the flagstone deck. Approved unanimously, 7-0. Ms. Aguilera said that it is unfortunate that they came to the LPC two weeks previously for input, went and spent money on the design, and since the LPC never told them "in like kind," has now not approved of their design. She said that the LPC should have referred them to the Secretary's Standards. Mr. Hogestad said that previously, the LPC did not have anything to respond to. The Natural Resources Department only said that they wanted to add a deck, and the LPC did not have a clear idea of what they meant by that. Ms. Ore added that she believed that legally, the LPC must have something they can respond to before giving their input. She added that Ms. Aguilera is right, the LPC is not a design board, but is only there to preserve historic structures. It would perhaps be better to make the motions more tied to the Standards, and spend less time tinkering with possible designs. 2) 425 Tenth Street, Romero House — Design Review Approval for the Impact of Testing for an Adobe Workshop. (Eric Logan, Architectural Preservation Institute.) The Poudre Landmarks Foundation is sponsoring a free Adobe workshop at the Romero House on July 26-27, 2002. The workshop will be conducted by the Architectural Preservation Institute at CSU. They had planned to remove pieces of plaster (covering the adobe) to access the adobe underneath, until they learned that there was asbestos in the plaster. Now they are requesting permission to drill five to ten 3/8-inch holes (within 3 feet of the floor) in the plaster inside the house and into the underlying adobe to see what condition the adobe is in. A visitor from New Mexico, who is a specialist in adobe, is coming up and will do this during the workshop. They want to do these interior holes so that even when they are patched, the moisture won't come in. Mr. Frick asked if they will patch the holes. He was told that this is still under discussion. Because all the patching is going to be done in the near future anyway, the would like to leave them open now; they will get patched when all the other places get patched. The walls are about ten inches thick, and the holes won't go all the way through. The technique is called "resistance drill testing" which really means that they drill into the Landmark Preservation Commission • • July 24, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 5 adobe to see how easy the drill goes in. Ms. Dix asked if there will be any analyses of the mud. She was told that these analyses have already been done. Mr. Hogestad said that he didn't think that this work would be under the purview of the LPC, since it's all inside. However, he is glad that they came before the LPC. No motion was needed and the LPC thanked Mr. Logan for coming in to share this with the Commission. Other business: 1) Mr. Frick requested that Staff make sure that the LPC reviews the new Young's Pasture submittal. 2) Ms Tunner said that she had had a visit from the designers involved with the Northern Hotel. The space where the dome is was originally planned to remain an open space. Now they have a tenant who wants to lease it. Therefore, they feel they will need additional restrooms for leasing space, and will also need handicapped access onto Walnut Street. They would like to place a 10-foot-long ramp there, probably concrete, in addition to a required 5-foot-wide stoop. Another option is to make the existing bathroom larger, so other tenants could use it as well, but even so they will still need a handicapped ramp. The design will be by Tom Fischer of Cobalt Construction. The LPC questioned the need for the additional handicapped access, as it looked like there is an interior solution to allow for handicapped access through the building. 3) Ms. Dix and Ms. Stansfield reported on their impressions of the City of Ft. Collins Boards and Commissions periodic review. Mr. Hogestad and Mr. Frick talked for about 15 minutes and said the LPC requires additional funds. Mr. Fischbach said he'd have to talk to staff to see what the money would be used for. The Commission members felt that their input was well received and the Council members spoke highly of the Commission. Meeting adjourned: 7:30 p.m. Minutes submitted by Connie Merrill, Recorder.