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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 06/12/2002LANDMARK PRESERVATION Regular Meeting June 12, 2002 Minutes Council Liaison: Eric Hamrick (225-2343) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chairperson: Per Hogestad (416-7285) SUMMARY OF MEETING: Nix Farm Wildlife Habitat Garden accepted, with final documentation to be submitted for administrative approval along with alternatives for roof venting. Changes to approved plans for 525 Smith Street accepted with minor modifications. Gary Weeks added to the Pre -Qualified Consultants List. Notice of demolition will be given to neighbors of the original location of the Harmony Store. The Commission strongly supports National Register nomination for The Armory at 314 E. Mountain Ave. Periodic Review questionnaire will be updated before Commissioners appear before City Council on July 16. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order at 5:30 p.m. at 281 N. College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Angie Aguilera, Agnes Dix, Per Hogestad, Janet Ore, Carole Stansfield, and Myrne Watrous were present. W.J. "Bud" Frick was excused. Karen McWilliams, Carol Tunner and Rose Laughlin (intern) represented staff. GUESTS: Sue Kenney and Doug Moore, Natural Resources Department, and Steve White, Operations Services, for 1745 Hoffman Road, Nix Farm; Jim Boyd, owner, and Keira Harkin, designer, for 525 Smith Street, Coffin House; Gary Weeks, Weeks & Associates; Matt Baker and Eileen Bayens, Engineering Department, for Harmony Store. AGENDA REVIEW: The agenda had been revised to include a conditional waiver of portions of the Demolition/Alteration Review Process for notification for the Harmony Store. STAFF REPORTS: Ms. Tunner introduced Rose Laughlin, one of the two interns working part- time with the Preservation Office this summer. Both she and Darcy Gamble, are students in the graduate program at CSU. Conference information and a memo from the National Trust for Historic Preservation addressing the issue of why a local landmark designation does not constitute a "taking" were passed around. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: Myrne Watrous attended the Downtown Development Association meeting where plans for a play area in Old Town were discussed. Plans call for the area to replace a power pole and dead tree east of the Sangria Rose; $1500 has been allocated for design, and construction is to take place this summer, after New West Fest. The space seems awfully small for a play area, and there are no drawings or pictures available of the proposed design. Ms. Watrous recalled that the owner of Ben & Jerry's had approached the Commission previously about placing plastic animal -shaped structures in a play area, but she did not know if this was still being considered for the area now under discussion. Ms. Tunner reported that Chip Steiner of the DDA will attend the Commission's June 26 meeting to present more details on the play area. Landmark Preservation Commission June 12, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 2 • Agnes Dix reported on a field trip to Old Town Square with the City Manager. The purpose of the trip was to assess the condition of the area and determine ways to address existing problems. The sidewalks were of particular concern, especially the newly redone area around the Avery Block that has already begun to sink. The City is responsible for streets and intersections, while individual owners are responsible for the areas outside their property. She agreed with Ms. Watrous that the area designated for the playground was very small. Ms. Tunner urged the rest of the Commission to visit the proposed play area before the June 26 meeting, and to have questions ready for Mr. Steiner. She reminded members that issues of space and liability are outside their purview; they are only charged with addressing whether the project is appropriate within the Old Town Guidelines for historic buildings. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 24, 2002, minutes approved with minor grammatical, spelling and punctuation changes and the following corrections: Carole Stansfield suggested inserting the word "Old" in front of "Fort Collins High School" throughout, for clarity, and identifying Chip Steiner as "interim director" of the DDA. The last sentence in the first paragraph under 730 W. Mountain Ave. now reads: The applicant has also circulated a petition among his neighbors and the property owners within the area of notification soliciting their support of the project. Approved unanimously on a motion by Angie Aguilera, seconded by Ms. Stansfield. DESIGNATION: none CURRENT REVIEW: 1) 1745 Hoffman Mill Road, Nix Farm — Final review of plans for the demonstration backyard wildlife habitat presented by Sue Kenney, Environmental Education and Public Involvement Coordinator, and Doug Moore, Environmental Planner, Natural Resources Department. Signage has been approved administratively; Ms. Kenney distributed a color copy. There is one major change from the plan supported by the Commission at the March 13 conceptual review. The ground level patio/employee lunch area is moving to outside the back door of the Craftsman bungalow, into an area previously designated for possible future expansion, to allow HVAC equipment to occupy the northeast corner. Bicycle parking has also moved closer to the house for security reasons. The HVAC will be screened by shrubs once installed. The patio move now requires an informal shade structure, which Mr. Moore will bring back to the Commission when it is designed. Ms. Kenney distributed maps showing the landscape plan for the area around the building. Mr. Moore explained in detail the different habitats provided by the pond to the northwest of the building. Steve White, Project Manager for Operation Services for Nix Farm, explained the code requirements for roof vents for plumbing, heating and ventilation. He intends to make use of the existing chimney for one flue, but others are required by code to protrude 30" above the roof, and the attic has never been vented before. New plumbing vents made of PVC will replace the existing ones, and all vents will be painted to match the roof. The Commission expressed concern over the appearance and number of the flat, square attic vents, and asked Mr. White to research the possibility of replacing some of them with a single ridge vent along the roof line. He said the department had been working with that idea, and he will communicate with the architect on that issue. Per Hogestad asked to see the final configuration of the vents, and Mr. White agreed to present the shop drawings to a LPC subcommittee for review. On future projects, he will bring the mechanical drawings to the initial review, to help avoid surprises for the Commission. ' Landmark Preservation Commis 0 June 12, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 3 Mr. Hogestad also asked Mr. Moore to submit shop drawings of the pond and water feature to Ms. Tunner for the file, more for documentation than for additional review. Public input: none. Ms. Ore moved that the LPC accept for final review the wildlife habitat garden for Nix Farm, with the proviso that final documentation of the pond be submitted and an alternative to roof vents be submitted for administrative staff approval. Seconded by Ms. Dix. Approved unanimously, 6-0. 2) 525 Smith Street, Coffin House — Changes to approved plans presented by Jim Boyd, property owner, and Keira Harkin, designer. The final plans for additions to the rear of this house were approved by the Commission on May 9, on condition that administrative approval be given on dimensions, materials and notes on the drawings submitted. Administrative approval is pending, but three small changes have been requested. The first floor bedroom will be lengthened to 7 feet rather than the approved 4 feet to provide more flexibility in furnishings. Mr. Boyd explained that there is no difference in the amount of foundation work required for either length; Ms. Harkin added that the affected addition was not an original part of the house anyway. Mr. Boyd intends to align the angle on the gable to accommodate the greater length. Mr. Hogestad added a line to the drawings to indicate a modification to the gable overhang for weather protection. He would also like to replace the inoperable six -pane window in the first floor south porch addition -- again, not an original part of the house -- with a double -hung sash, to provide ventilation for the mud room. After discussion, he agreed to a one -over -one rather than the two -over -two window. Mr. Boyd also agreed to eliminate the requested sunburst design on the front -to -back gable over the addition. Public input: none. Ms. Aguilera moved that the LPC approve changes to the approved plans for 525 Smith Street with minor modifications as shown on the plans and a one -over -one window on the front of the south addition but no sunburst design on the rear gable. Seconded by Ms. Ore. Approved unanimously, 6-0. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 1) Design Assistance Program — Gary Weeks, Structural Engineer, appeared before the Commission to answer questions about his application to be added to the Pre -Qualified Consultants List of the City's Design Assistance Program. Ms. Tunner said DAP is in need of another structural engineer to keep pace with the number of projects in Old Town and she has encouraged Mr. Weeks to apply. He reviewed his qualifications and experience as outlined on his resume, which had been distributed to the Commissioners prior to the meeting. Although he has viewed the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Restoring Historic Storefronts video, he said he had little other exposure to those particular requirements. In response to a question from Ms. Ore, Mr. Weeks discussed the advantages of repairing Landmark Preservation Commis Pon • June 12, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 4 historic properties with original materials if possible, or, if not, using modern materials to make the repairs in a way that appears original. In the case of the Dr. Sadler house at Loomis and Mountain, Mr. Weeks was able to combine the two approaches by replacing foundation materials but leaving the cut sandstone exterior in place. Ms. McWilliams added that staff has utilized Mr. Weeks informally on a number of projects in the past. Public input: none. Ms. Aguilera moved that the LPC accept Gary Weeks as a participant on the Pre - Qualified Consultants List for the Design Assistance Program. Seconded by Ms. Dix. Approved unanimously, 6-0. 2) Harmony Store — Presented by Karen McWilliams, Preservation Planner, and Matt Baker and Eileen Bayens of the City Engineering Department. Update and Discussion of Ordinance Authorizing Its Sale or Other Disposition: Ms. McWilliams presented background on how the Harmony Store came to sit on the SouthRidge Golf Course. When the City obtained right-of-way for the upgrade of the intersection of Harmony Road at Timberline, it also became the owner of the historic building, which was moved on a temporary basis to SouthRidge. However, the original owner sold the property to which the Harmony Store was to be returned, and the new owner does not want the building. Since the move, the Engineering Department has continued to pay all of the building's maintenance costs, as well as for the monthly rent of the support beams upon which the building sits. Efforts have been underway since 2000 to find a buyer for the original property site or an appropriate new site for the building's relocation, with no results. The building is beginning to exhibit structural problems and must be moved to a permanent foundation to prevent further deterioration. The City is exploring one final effort to relocated the building to the site of the old Trolley Barn at Cherry and Howes Streets, the site of the future Transportation Museum. If this fails, the building will be offered for sale; if no buyer appears, the final option is the building's demolition. Council will finalize the offer for sale at its July 16 Council meeting. Ms. McWilliams added that she did not want to raise the Commission's hopes over the Trolley Barn plan, since the site in question is already slated for residential use, and the costs to the City associated with moving and redeveloping the Harmony store with no other funding source might be prohibitive in these times of tight budgets and reduced revenue. The final decision rests with the City Manager. Mr. Baker praised the efforts of Ms. McWilliams and Ms. Bayens over the past three -and -a - half years on behalf of the Harmony Store project. Mr. Hogestad added that the Commission recognizes all the work, effort and expense that went into finding a use for this historic building, and expressed regret that nothing more could be done. The Commission supports the plan to move the Harmony Store building to the Trolley Barn Site. If this effort should fail and the building go to bid, the Commission hopes that, should a buyer propose a historically appropriate new location or use, the City will support this buyer with some type of financial assistance. Public input: none. Landmark Preservation Commissi• June 12, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 5 b.) Waiver of a Portion of the Notification Requirement of the Demolition/Alteration Review Process: The City of Fort Collins Advance Planning Department is requesting a conditional waiver of a portion of Section 14-72(3)(b) of the Code, relating to the notification process for demolition or relocation, to protect against an arbitrary result. The code requires that all owners of record within 500 feet of the parcel upon which the building is located be notified. As the Harmony Store currently is located at Southridge Golf Course, the mailing would be based upon this location. However, it is the staffs opinion that a more appropriate notification would be those owners within 500 feet of the building's original location, at the corner of Harmony and Timberline Roads. In considering the request for a conditional waiver, the Commission needs to decide the decision would protect against an arbitrary result, and find that a conditional waiver does not significantly erode the spirit and purpose of the Code. Public input: none. Ms. Ore moved that the LPC accept a conditional waiver of portions of Section 14- 72(b) of the City Code (the "Demolition/Alteration Review Process"), to protect against an arbitrary result, for the demolition or relocation of the Harmony Store. Seconded by Ms. Dix. Approved unanimously, 6-0. 3) 314 E. Mountain Ave., Armory — Presented by Carol Tunner, Historic Preservation Planner. The historic National Guard Armory at 314 E. Mountain Ave. has applied for National Register status as part of the recent rehabilitation and federal tax credit application, and the Colorado Historical Society is seeking the LPC's recommendation. Ms. Tunner said staff strongly recommends the Commission support this nomination, based on several factors. The recent restoration is beautiful and beautifully done; the owners took it back to its original structure and rebricked the inside. The locally landmarked building is the oldest and only Armory left in the city, dating from 1907, designed by Arthur Garbutt, the local architect who was a protege of Montezuma Fuller. Public input: none. Ms. Watrous moved that the LPC strongly supports the National Register nomination for the historic National Guard Armory at 314 E. Mountain Avenue. Seconded by Ms. Dix. Approved unanimously, 6-0. OTHER BUSINESS: Periodic Review. Ms. Tunner presented the Commission's answers to the Periodic Review Questionnaire gathered during the May meeting, to be given to Council at its July 16 work session. She then presented comments from Joe Frank, who was unable to attend. He questioned whether it was a bad thing to be reactive, since the current surveying projects are being done in reaction to immediate needs, and it was a matter of focusing on priorities. Ms. Watrous disagreed, saying that that was exactly what the Commissioners meant, that we are only surveying now because buildings are threatened with development. Ms. Ore added that the Commission should be doing continual surveying in the urban growth area to know the existing inventory of historic buildings -- it's a basic tenet of preservation planning, and we should be doing more of it. Ms. McWilliams, speaking as the person who oversees surveying projects, pointed out that staff is doing as much as possible now. Landmark Preservation Commission June 12, 2002 Meeting Minutes Page 6 Mr. Hogestad suggested that the Commission take a more positive position in front of Council. Suggestions for improving the Period Review presentation included asking for more regular reports back from staff as projects are completed, complete with documentation in the form of digital photos, which could form the basis of an ongoing educational program for the Board and the public as well as better tracking of projects to completion. This in turn could help the Board make better decisions and recommendations. While this would require more staff time, it was also suggested devoting more intern resources to it. Other suggestions for increased Commission involvement in the educational program included writing columns on historic preservation and projects for the newspaper, and making sure that everyone on the Commission gets to visit projects such as The Armory. Ms. Tunner will update the answers to the questionnaire based on this input and return them to the Commission with next meeting's agenda. Meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Minutes prepared by Kate Jeracki submitted June 18, 2002