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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/2016 - Building Review Board - Agenda - Regular MeetingCommunity Development & Neighborhood Services
281 N. College Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2740
970.224.6134 - fax
fcgov.com
BUILDING REVIEW BOARD
March 7, 2016
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Council Chambers
300 Laporte Ave
AGENDA
1. Coy-Hoffman Silos - Woodward Inc. second round appeal to Building Review Board as
remanded by City Council on January 19, 2016 (Case #2015-02)
City Council January 19, 2016 Meeting – Woodward Silos
(Link to material that was presented to BRB 10-29-2015 and City Council 01-19-2016)
http://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/agendas.php
*** Check back for updates
Community Development & Neighborhood Services
281 North College Avenue
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
970.416.2740
970.224.6134- fax
fcgov.com
Planning, Development & Transportation Services
Building Review Board
March 7, 2016
Reference: Coy-Hoffman Barn Silos
1041 Woodward Way
Fort Collins, Colo. 80524
On January 19, 2016 the Fort Collins City Council, having heard Woodward’s appeal to the
Building Review Board’s (BRB) October 29, 2015 decision to uphold the building official’s
declaration that the Coy/Hoffman silos are “dangerous” and not an “imminent danger”,
remanded the case back to the BRB.
The remand is for the BRB …to receive and consider evidence and analysis regarding the
effects of natural conditions and events of a one in ten-year probability on one or both of the
silos to consider whether one or both poses an imminent threat or danger as that term is defined
in the International Property Maintenance Code.
The engineering firms of JVA and Exponent have completed and submitted their analysis. Both
firms agree that of the natural events that Council asked to be reviewed, wind is the likely force
that would have the greatest impact on the structures. While JVA voices concerns over the
general condition of the silos, Exponent believes that the silos will resist the one in ten-year
probability of a wind event.
The adopted 2012 International Building Code (IBC) is the general building code of the City of
Fort Collins and lists all administrative sections and references to all other construction related
codes, IBC 104.1 states:
“104.1 General. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to enforce the
provisions of this code. The building official shall have the authority to render interpretations of
this code and to adopt policies and procedures in order to clarify the application of its provisions.
Such interpretations, policies and procedures shall be in compliance with the intent and purpose
of this code. Such policies and procedures shall not have the effect of waiving requirements
specifically provided for in this code.”
The building official’s classification that the silos are dangerous vs imminent danger is based on
the definitions provided in the adopted 2006 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC).
The IPMC provides terms, that the building official uses to classify a structure’s stability. From
the least concerning to the most concerning, in terms of the life, health, and safety of the
occupants or the public, the terms are:
Building Review Board
Woodward Coy-Hoffman Silos
March 7, 2016
- 2 -
108.1.1 Substandard structures. A substandard structure is one that may pose a risk to
the life, health, property or safety of the occupants thereof or the public, even though it does not
constitute a dangerous structure as defined in Section 108.1.5, either because the structure lacks
the equipment necessary to protect or warn occupants in the event of fire, or because it contains
substandard or missing equipment, systems or fixtures, or is damaged, decayed, dilapidated, or
structurally unsound.
Chapter 2 Definitions SUBSTANDARD. Condition(s) that through neglect,
deterioration, or damage no longer meet the minimum requirements of the currently adopted
code as it relates to the specific condition(s) identified. Even though such condition(s) may not
be found dangerous at the time of their discovery, such condition(s), if not corrected, may pose a
risk to the health and safety of the public, the occupants or property thereof pursuant to Section
108.1.5.
108.1.5 Dangerous structure or premises. A structure or premises is dangerous if any
part, element or component thereof is no longer within its serviceability limit or strength limit
state as defined in this code or, when considered in totality, the structure or premises pose an
imminent threat to the health and safety of the public or the occupants of the structure or
premises as referenced in Appendix A of this code.
Chapter 2 Definitions LIMIT STATE. A condition beyond which a structure or
member becomes unfit for service and is judged to be no longer useful for its intended function
(serviceability limit state) or to be unsafe (strength limit state).
Chapter 2 Definitions IMMINENT DANGER. A condition which could cause serious
or life-threatening injury or death at any time.
Within the definition of “dangerous” the first part describes the limit state condition, while the
second part applies a higher standard of hazard, that being when considered in totality; the
structure poses an imminent threat. Imminent danger is not interpreted to be a condition that
could happen at some point in time and under various conditions, but rather a condition so
hazardous that it could cause injury or death at any time.
Having reviewed the latest engineering reports I find no information that would change the
classification dated September 18, 2015, that the silos are dangerous and not an imminent
danger. Therefore, my original classification dated September 18, 2015, remains in effect and I
am not taking any action to modify or change it.
The remand hearing will be a continuation of Woodward’s original Notice of Appeal to the BRB
dated September 28, 2015, that the building official failed to properly interpret and apply
relevant provisions of the City Code, the Land Use Code, and the Charter. Specifically Section
14-71(b) of the City Code; Section 5-47(15) of the City Code, amending Section 111 of the 2006
International Property Maintenance Code
Failure Analysis Associates
Evaluation of Woodward Silos
at the Coy-Hoffman Farm
1041 Woodward Way
Fort Collins, Colorado
First Supplemental Report
1505711.000 - 0075
Evaluation of Woodward silos
at the Coy-Hoffman Farm
1041 Woodward Way
Fort Collins, Colorado
First Supplemental Report
Prepared for
Mike Gebo
City of Fort Collins
Chief Building Official
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
Prepared by
Exponent Failure Analysis Associates
2595 Canyon Blvd, Suite 440
Boulder, CO 80302
February 29, 2015
Exponent, Inc.
1505711.000 - 0075 ii
Contents
Page
Acronyms and Abbreviations iii
Limitations iv
1 Introduction v
1.1 Purpose v
2 Exponent Response to JVA Calculations 1
3 Exponent’s Structural Analysis 3
3.1 Rain Loading 3
3.2 Hail Loading 3
3.3 Snow Loading 3
3.4 Flood 3
3.5 Freeze/Thaw and Frost Depth 3
3.6 Vibrations 4
3.7 Seismic 4
3.8 Wind 4
3.8.1 Analysis 4
3.8.2 Historic Wind Data 5
4 Summary 7
Appendix A Calculations
Appendix B Colorado State University Wind Speed Records
1505711.000 - 0075 iii
Acronyms and Abbreviations
ACI American Concrete Institute
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
ICC International Code Counsel
IBC International Building Code
IPMC International Property Maintenance Code
UBC Uniform Building Code
SPCC 2008 City of Fort Collins Structure and Premises Condition Code
1505711.000 - 0075 iv
Limitations
This investigation addressed specific concerns at the subject property, and may not be adequate
for other purposes. Use of the findings, conclusions, or recommendations presented herein for
any other purpose is at the sole risk of the user.
Exponent has no direct knowledge of, and offers no warranty regarding, the condition of
concealed construction. Comments regarding concealed construction are professional opinions,
derived in accordance with current standards of professional practice based on our engineering
experience and judgment. Changes in the conditions of the subject property may occur with
time due to natural processes or works of man. Accordingly, the findings of this report may be
invalidated, wholly or in part, by changes beyond our control.
Recommendations for repair of damage have been developed with the objective of restoring
safety, serviceability, and appearance, utilizing established methods and materials.
Implementation of the repairs recommended herein may require additional architectural,
engineering, and/or regulatory considerations, development of design drawings and
specifications, and compliance with local building codes.
The findings herein are made to a reasonable degree of engineering certainty based on
information available to Exponent as of the date of this report. Exponent may supplement this
report to expand or modify our findings based on review of additional information as it becomes
available.
Due to the limited scope of this investigation and the fact that the review of an existing building
requires that certain assumptions be made regarding existing conditions, and because some of
these assumptions may not be verifiable without expending significant sums of money or
destroying otherwise adequate or serviceable portions of the building, this report shall not be
considered a guarantee or warranty of the current or future behavior of the structure.
The opinions and comments formulated during this assessment are based on observations and
information available at the time of the investigation. No guarantee or warranty as to future life
or performance of any reviewed condition is expressed or implied.
1505711.000 - 0075 v
1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
At the request of the City of Fort Collins Building Department, Exponent Failure Analysis
Associates (Exponent) conducted an evaluation of two historic concrete silos at the new
Woodward, Inc. (Woodward) corporate campus under construction at 1041 Woodward Way in
Fort Collins, Colorado. The objective of our retention was to evaluate the historic silos for
visual indications that they are unsafe or dangerous. Exponent’s scope of services included
document review, site observations, and report preparation.
On August 13, 2015 Exponent issued a report of findings regarding the silos. Significant
opinions from that report are as follows:
The silos are in poor condition and have experienced significant deterioration.
Based on the observed and reported conditions, it is our opinion that the existing
conditions more likely than not meet the requirements of dangerous from both the SPCC
and the 2012 IBC
The deteriorated and displaced wood framing along the side of the CIP concrete silo, and
at the top between the two silos, create falling-object hazards.
(SPCC Appendix A, A104.3)
The erosion and deterioration of the base material will eventually lead to collapse, or
partial collapse, under the self-weight (dead load) of the unreinforced/lightly reinforced
concrete itself. (SPCC Appendix A, A104.5)
The conditions pose a significant risk of imminent collapse under design-level wind
loads. (SPCC Appendix A, A104.4)
As long as people are not allowed to occupy the fall zone of the silos (this can be
accomplished to some extent by appropriately fencing off the silos and replacing
vegetation with maintenance-free landscaping), then a life safety hazard would not exist.
The silos are exempt from repair or replacement requirements as long as the life safety
hazard is mitigated. Temporary shoring and bracing, or other protective measures,
should be considered when personnel enter the fall zone.
Subsequent to our report we issued several emails to Mike Gebo, CBO. Significant opinions
from those emails are as follows:
While the swiss hammer readings are helpful we do not often rely on them for actual
concrete strength numbers without lab testing to corroborate the results. We have seen
the reported compressive strength numbers differ greatly from hammer readings.
Without performing any analysis it is likely that the silos cannot resist modern day
design forces from wind or seismic events. Further, it is likely that when the silos were
newly built they could not resist modern day design forces. This is true for older
structures all over the USA but we don’t have a habit of bulldozing them or claiming
1505711.000 - 0075 vi
“imminent danger” until there is a real risk of collapse under self-weight or every day
loads.
Adhering to the imminent danger definition in the IPMC “IMMINENT DANGER. A
condition which could cause serious or life-threatening injury or death at any time”,
Exponent finds that imminent danger does not exist. JVA’s conclusion that the silos
could collapse under 120-130 mph wind speeds does not meet the required criteria of
“any time” since the chances of design wind speeds occurring at any time are relatively
slim. There is a risk, however slim, the silos could collapse at any time and it is for this
reason that the silo collapse zone should be fenced off as we recommended in our report
The City of Fort Collins has recently requested that Exponent perform structural analysis on
both silos to determine the likelihood of failure in loading events that have a 10 year recurrence
interval. The loading events Exponent was asked to consider are as follows: rain, hail, snow,
wind, seismic, flood, and vibration, as well as freeze/thaw action. Further, Exponent was asked
to review and comment on calculations performed by Woodward’s structural engineer, JVA
Consulting Engineers (JVA).
The purpose of this supplemental report is summarizing the findings from our structural analysis
and to comment on JVA’s calculations.
1505711.000 - 0075 1
2 Exponent Response to JVA Calculations
Exponent was provided with a 35-page package of calculations prepared by JVA, dated January
20, 2016, which analyzed the stave silo under wind speeds having approximately1 10-, 300-, and
700-year return periods. JVA appears to have made some errors in their calculations, including
the use of incorrect reduction factors, misapplication of an air density reduction ratio, and a
novel application of the code’s wind load provisions. However, the errors generally cancel each
other out, and JVA arrived at compressive stresses in the silo walls very similar to those
determined by Exponent for winds having 10-, 300-, 700-, and 1700-year return periods.
Exponent and JVA also arrived at similar estimates of the compressive stresses due to the silo
self-weight, which were roughly 2.5 to 3-times the 10-year wind stresses. JVA has not provided
Exponent with calculations for the cast-in place (CIP) silo, although it is understood that such
calculations exist.
Although Exponent and JVA generally agree upon the stresses the silos will be subjected to
under self-weight and wind loading, there is a difference in opinion regarding the strength or
capacity of the silo walls to resist those stresses. JVA’s analysis method shows that the stave
silo is overstressed, and therefore likely to collapse, during a 10 year wind event. JVA’s
analysis of the stave silo’s ability to resist the applied loads generally follows methods used for
new structures. Such analyses are intrinsically very conservative to address uncertainty and
provide high reliability for long service lives, and were made even more so with JVA’s use of
overly-conservative assumptions and input.2 While perhaps appropriate (if still highly
conservative) for new structures, Exponent’s experience performing analysis of in-service,
damaged structures has shown that such “design” calculations are not necessarily good
predictors of actual structural behavior. This finding is confirmed by simply taking JVA’s
analysis and inputting loads that the silo is known to have resisted in the recent past (last 60
days). JVA’s analysis that they use to show the stave silo to be unsafe in a 10-year wind event
likewise predicts that the silo would have collapsed during recent wind gusts of nearly 40 miles
per hour recorded at nearby Fort Collins-Loveland airport.
Although simplified analytical methods can provide some insight into structural behavior, they
often ignore structure’s inherent redundancy and result in conservative predictions. Although it
may appear to be a simple structure, the behavior of the stave silo under wind loads is expected
to be complex, and more-advanced techniques than those employed by JVA are required to
accurately predict failure. In the absence of rigorous testing and a detailed computer model, it is
Exponent’s opinion that an accurate analysis of the safety and stability of the silos should
1 The Colorado front range is identified as a special wind study area, and wind maps are available through the
Structural Engineers Association of Colorado that identify wind gusts of 10-, 300-, 700-, and 1700-year return
periods for the Fort Collins area. JVA’s selected wind speeds are close, but not equal to, these wind speeds, and
therefore the return periods are approximate.
2 JVA’s analysis focuses on localized, inward buckling of individual concrete staves near the base of the silo as
their predicted failure mechanism. It is Exponent’s opinion that JVA has misapplied code equations and made
several highly conservative assumptions in making this prediction, including ignoring that the loss of section on
the interior of the staves tends to preclude inward buckling under compression.
1505711.000 - 0075 2
consider their observed behavior and their proven ability to resist known loads in the recent
past.
1505711.000 - 0075 3
3 Exponent’s Structural Analysis
3.1 Rain Loading
The building codes require rain loading be considered for structures that can hold rain (like a
building with a roof) and possibly cause a collapse. Exponent determined that since the silos do
not have a roof there is no possibility that the weight of rain could adversely affect the silos.
Another possible collapse scenario due to rain is long term deterioration of the structure due to
prolonged rain exposure. Deterioration due to rain is a very long-term phenomenon that can be
mitigated by properly maintaining the silos.
3.2 Hail Loading
While structures have been known to collapse due to hail events, the collapse mechanism is due
to inadequate roof overflow drains and hail blocking primary roof drains thereby allowing water
to pond on a structure and collapse the roof, as opposed to physical impact loads. Thus, this
loading scenario is similar to rain which Exponent concluded that there is no possibility that the
weight of hail could adversely affect the silos due to the absence of a roof.
3.3 Snow Loading
While structures can collapse due to snow events, the collapse mechanism is due to structural
overload by accumulating snow. The silos do not have the surface area or irregularities that
would allow significant accumulation of snow. Thus, Exponent concluded that there is no
possibility that the weight of snow could adversely affect the silos.
3.4 Flood
In their meeting the City Council contemplated flood loading scenarios on the silos and the
possibility of the silos being in the 10-year floodplain. Exponent has not researched the
floodplain for this site. However, Woodward’s representative stated that the silos are not within
100-year floodplain and that currently there is a pending action with FEMA to revise the
floodplain maps to reflect this. It follows that the silos would not be affected by a 10-year floor
event.
3.5 Freeze/Thaw and Frost Depth
In a recent meeting with Woodward and JVA, Exponent was asked to consider freeze/thaw
action on the silos and the possibility of frost heave at the foundation level.
In order to consider the possibility of frost heave affecting the silos Exponent requires more
information as to the depth and dimensions of the silo footings. Given the age of the silos it is
unlikely the footings meet current foundation depth requirements associated with potential frost
heave. Frost heave causes movement of the ground that can raise and lower a structure. If such
movement is not uniform across the structure due to uneven soil conditions, temperature and
1505711.000 - 0075 4
moisture exposure, structures could become out of level. The finding that the silos have
successfully resisted frost heave for over 100 years is evidence of their ability to reliably resist
this mechanism. Further, frost heave is an unlikely scenario to cause collapse of a silo.
Freeze/thaw action in concrete is a well-known deterioration mechanism that can result in
surface scaling and a gradual reduction in the thickness of an exposed element. Northern
Colorado has some of the highest levels of freeze/thaw cycles in the United States. Freeze/thaw
action is a long-term phenomenon that can be mitigated by properly maintaining the silos. As
stated in our prior report, if the silos are not repaired and maintained they will continue to
deteriorate and will collapse at some point. However, Exponent determined that there is not an
immediate threat of failure from freeze/thaw.
3.6 Vibrations
In their meeting the City Council contemplated vibrations from nearby roadways and the
possibility that those vibrations could cause the silos to collapse. Exponent finds that the silos
are not in a precarious situation such that vibrations could cause their demise. The vibrations
from the use of heavy construction equipment at the nearby (within 100 feet) campus, including
vibrations induced by the use of a core drill to extract concrete samples from the silo walls,
likely outweigh vibrations from the nearest roadways (over 500 feet), and the silos have
successfully resisted those vibrations. Vibrations from roadways are not a cause of structural
failure and are not a loading scenario considered by building codes or industry standards.
3.7 Seismic
New structures are typically designed to remain “life-safe” in a seismic event having roughly a
500-year return period. Both JVA and Exponent found the design earthquake loads to be less
than the wind loads from a 300-year wind event. Ground accelerations for return periods other
than 500-years can typically be estimated from data available from the United States Geological
Survey (USGS). However, in a low-seismic area such as Colorado, a 10-year event is so small
that ground motions are not documented by USGS. The shortest return period for ground
motions documented in the Fort Collins area is 20 years, which corresponds to an acceleration
of less than 0.5-percent of gravity. Therefore a seismic event of 10-year return period poses no
threat to the silos.
3.8 Wind
3.8.1 Analysis
Since Fort Collins and the rest of the Colorado Front Range is located in a “special wind study”
area, Exponent used design wind speed maps available from the Structural Engineers
Association of Colorado in its analysis. In addition to the typically used design wind speeds for
new structures (300-, 700-, and 1700-year return periods), these maps include 10-year return
period gusts, which are estimated at 85 miles per hour for the Woodward site. Based on this
wind speed and using the same general, simplified technique used by JVA in their analysis,
Exponent has estimated that a compressive stress of up to 50 psi could be produced at the base
of the stave silo in a 10-year wind event, which would be added to a compressive stress of
1505711.000 - 0075 5
roughly 120 psi due to self-weight.3 For the similarly-sized, but thicker-walled, cast-in-place
silo, the 10-year storm generates a compressive stress of under 20 psi, which is added to a self-
weight stress of just over 100 psi.4 It should be noted that the wind stresses are localized
maximum stresses (these gradually decrease away from the leeward/downwind side of the silo),
and are small relative to the generally uniform self-weight stresses that the silos resist every day.
Compressive tests of concrete samples taken from each silo suggest a minimum compressive
strength of 1720 psi for the stave silo and 1390 psi for the cast-in-place silo. Although testing
was limited and the entirety of this tested strength is typically not available or considered for
design of actual concrete elements,5 the sum of the predicted 10-year wind and self-weight
stresses is less than 10 percent of the minimum tested compressive strength for either silo.
Exponent’s wind calculations are attached as Appendix A.
Based on these results, Exponent concludes that both silos are capable of withstanding
windstorms having a 10-year return period. Higher wind speeds, on the order of those used for
design of new structures, may induce more-significant deformations and global instabilities in
the silos that are not accounted for by the simplified analysis methods. A more-advanced
computer analysis6 would be required to assess the validity of the simplified analysis for high
winds.
3.8.2 Historic Wind Data
Exponent has obtained weather records from two stations located near the Woodward property:
Colorado State University (CSU) and Fort Collins – Loveland Airport (KFNL). The higher-
resolution, hourly wind speed recordings from CSU7 over the last 20 years are plotted in
Appendix B. As noted in the plot, the silos experience winds on the order of 40 mph on a yearly
basis, and have experienced stronger winds in the recent past. The strongest winds recorded in
the last 10 years were on the order of 60 mph were recorded in 2008 and 2011. The last time
winds were recorded on the order of the 85 mph (the 10-year wind speed estimate) was 1999,
when a gust of 83 mph was recorded. Although the condition of the silos have likely
deteriorated somewhat in the interceding years, the primary cause of the loss of strength in the
silos, silage acids, have since been mitigated. Thus, the silos that resisted 80+ mph winds in
1999 are likely to be very similar in condition to the silos that stand today.
3 An average wall thickness of 1 inch was assumed at the base of the stave silo.
4 An average wall thickness of 2.5 inches was assumed at the base of the cast-in-place silo.
5 Considering the actual conditions observed and the local buckling resistance inherent in a shell structure,
Exponent estimates that about one quarter to one third of the compressive strength is effective in resisting
compressive stresses in the silo walls, or roughly 450 to 600 psi.
6 Nonlinear finite element analysis and wind pressure formulations that capture in-wind deformation specific to
hollow cylindrical structures are recommended.
7 Available through: http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/
1505711.000 - 0075 6
More recently, wind gusts as high as 39 mph were recorded at nearby Fort Collins Airport on
February 18, 2016,8 suggesting that the silos, in their current condition, are capable of
withstanding significant, but fairly routine wind loads without collapsing.
8 https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KFNL/2016/2/18/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Fort+Collins-
Loveland+Municipal&req_state=CO&req_statename=Colorado&reqdb.zip=80528&reqdb.magic=5&reqdb.wm
o=99999
1505711.000 - 0075 7
4 Summary
Exponent finds that JVA’s calculations are overly conservative and not consistent with the
known performance of the silos in wind. The simplified structural analysis of the silos to date,
particularly the stave silo, is not a reliable predictor of the actual silo performance; a reliable
evaluation would require gathering substantially more information on the strength of the silos
and performing more detailed analyses. For these reasons Exponent cautions against putting too
much emphasis on the simplified calculations. In the absence of more supportable calculations
the finder-of-fact should focus on the past performance of the silos, specifically their ability to
resist high winds, as the best indicator of their risk of failure. Based on our site observations
and the silos’ ability to resist certain wind events it is our opinion that the silos can be repaired
in-place and that they are not an imminent danger.
Appendix A
Calculations
Appendix B
Colorado State University
Wind Speed Records
11/2/2008, 61.5 mph
6/6/2011, 57.7 mph
1/10/2014, 40.5 mph
6/14/1999, 82.7 mph
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
J-96 J-97 J-98 J-99 J-00 J-01 J-02 J-03 J-04 J-05 J-06 J-07 J-08 J-09 J-10 J-11 J-12 J-13 J-14 J-15 J-16
Hourly Wind Gust Speed (mph)
Month and Year
Wind Gusts at CSU Ft. Collins Campus
Peak Gusts: 2006 to 2016 (mph)
Peak Gusts: 1996 to 2005 (mph)
BOULDER I FORT COLLINS I WINTER PARK
JVA, Incorporated
25 Old Town Square
Suite 200
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Ph: 970.225.9099
Fax: 970.225.6923
Toll Free: 877.444.1951
Web site:
www.jvajva.com
E-mail:
info@jvajva.com
March 1
st
, 2016
Wayne M. Timura, PE
Next Level Development, Inc.
735 Lancers Court West
Suite 100
Monument, CO, 80132
Regarding: Coy-Hoffman Barn Silos - Structural Assessment – Summary of Calculations
JVA, Incorporated Project Number: 17629.11
Dear Mr. Timura,
Per your request, we have summarized the results from our calculations for each of the Silos. The
general results and conclusions for each are presented below, and the calculation summaries are
attached to this letter as Exhibit A.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS – STAVE SILO:
o Baseline assumptions:
o f’c = 2000 PSI.
o Remaining effective Stave thickness at critical section = 1.”
Risk Category Wind Speed Stress Level/
Overstress Percent
Methodology
At Risk Category II
Wind Speed
130 MPH Ultimate 1.96 / 96% overstressed ACI Chapter 22
At Risk Category II
Wind Speed
130 MPH Ultimate 1.81 / 81% overstressed ACI 313* and Euler
Buckling Equation
At Risk Category I
Wind Speed
120 MPH Ultimate 1.82 / 82% overstressed ACI Chapter 22
At Risk Category I
Wind Speed
120 MPH Ultimate 1.65 / 65% overstressed ACI 313 and Euler
Buckling Equation
10 year recurrence
interval Wind Speed
85-90 MPH Ultimate
Wind Range
1.54 / 54% overstressed ACI Chapter 22
10 year recurrence
interval Wind Speed
85-90 MPH Ultimate
Wind Range
1.33 / 33% overstressed ACI 313 and Euler
Buckling Equation
*ACI 313 Chapter 5 specifically addresses Stave Silos.
CONCLUSIONS FROM CALCULATION RESULTS – STAVE SILO:
BOULDER I FORT COLLINS I WINTER PARK
a) The effective Stave thickness at the critical section may be as consistently thin as ½”
around most of the perimeter approximately 15” above the base.
b) The concrete strength at this critical section is likely (much) less than 2000 PSI. It is soft
to the touch. Paste and aggregate easily flake away when touched. The cement paste feels
to the touch similar to type K (+/- 75 PSI) and type O (+/- 300 PSI) masonry mortars.
c) Due to the significant loss of concrete thickness (from 2 ½” to as little as ½” near the
base), the staves are no longer mechanically attached to adjoining staves. The tongue and
groove type mechanism that initially connected the staves and helped redistributed loads
no longer exists due to the loss of concrete section. Therefore, this lack of load sharing
could create a non-ductile failure created by Staves progressively buckling around the
perimeter of the Silo.
d) The lack of mechanical attachment between Staves also means the Staves are no longer
laterally braced.
e) In this situation there are certainly Second Order Effects present and these effects will
add to the stresses calculated.
f) Continuing deterioration of the exposed cement paste due to freeze-thaw cycles that
occur almost daily from October through April.
When considering the calculation results along with the six (6) critical items listed above, we
conclude the Stave Silo could fail under loading associated with a 85-90 MPH 10 year
recurrence interval type wind event or similar loading.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS – CAST-IN-PLACE SILO:
o Baseline assumptions:
o f’c = 1500 PSI
o Remaining effective concrete thickness at critical section = varies from 0” to 3”.
o For City of Fort Collins adopted IBC 2012 Seismic loading, overstress at 2” section =
approximately 1.53 (53% overstressed) using ACI Chapter 22.
o At 10 year recurrence interval Wind Speed (85-90 MPH Ultimate), overstress at localized
2” sections = approximately 1.29 (29% overstressed) using ACI Chapter 22.
CONCLUSIONS FROM CALCULATION RESULTS – CAST IN PLACE SILO:
It is more difficult for us to generate definitive calculations on the Cast-In-Place Silo because of
the unknowns regarding the base conditions. There are significant void spaces at the base
(meaning absolutely no contact with the foundation). The Exponent Report estimates
approximately 25-30% of the base is no longer in contact with the foundation. We did not
precisely measure the voids, but based on our visual observations, we generally agree with the
Exponent approximation. Unfortunately, the voids are not uniformly distributed around the base
perimeter. A significant percentage of the voids are grouped together in an approximately 60
degree wedge area on the west-northwest side on the silo.
BOULDER I FORT COLLINS I WINTER PARK
More importantly, it’s very difficult to get definitive measurements and ascertain the quality of
the remaining concrete that is in contact with the base due to loose dirt, sediment, and other
debris that has accumulated over time. We believe that the remaining contact thickness adjacent
to many of the voids is very thin (2” or less). While the Cast in Place Silo does have the ability to
redistribute loads, stresses will still concentrate immediately adjacent to the voids. In our
opinion, this will cause localized areas that will be overstressed in the 85-90 MPH 10 year
recurrence interval type wind event.
When considering the deterioration of the reinforcing steel at the base, lack of positive
attachment to the foundation, voids at base, grouping of voids at base, and the uncertainties of
the base concrete adjacent to these voids in general, coupled with the calculation results, we
conclude the Cast in Place Silo could also fail under loading associated with an 85-90 MPH wind
range type event or similar.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions pertaining to this Report.
Sincerely,
JVA, INCORPORATED
By: _______________________________
Steve Carpenter, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Project Manager
BOULDER I FORT COLLINS I WINTER PARK
EXHIBIT A
CALCULATION SUMMARIES
(See attached.)
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Fort Collins, Colorado
March 2014
Project No. 1324
Coy-Hoff man Farm
Historic Structure Assessment
FINAL
COY-HOFFMAN FARM
HISTORIC STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
Fort Collins, Colorado
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Executive Summary 1
Building Survey Summary
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Research Background/Participants 5
1.2 Building Location/Vicinity Map 7
1.3 Assessment Criteria 8
2.0 History and Use
2.1 Construction History and Architectural Significance 10
2.2 Proposed Program 16
2.3 Drawings of Existing Conditions Attached
3.0 Structure Condition Assessment
3.1 Site 17
3.2 Barn Foundations 20
3.3 Barn Structural System 21
3.4 Building Envelope – Barn Exterior Walls 25
3.5 Building Envelope – Barn Roofing and Waterproofing 26
3.6 Barn Windows and Doors 27
3.7 Barn Interior Finishes 30
3.8 Barn Mechanical Systems 32
3.9 Barn Electrical Systems 32
3.10 Concrete Silos Structural Systems 33
3.11 Milk House Foundations 35
3.12 Milk House Structural System 37
3.13 Building Envelope – Milk House Exterior Walls 38
3.14 Building Envelope – Milk House Roofing and Waterproofing 39
3.15 Milk House Windows and Doors 40
3.16 Milk House Interior Finishes 41
3.17 Milk House Mechanical Systems 42
3.18 Milk House Electrical Systems 43
4.0 Analysis and Compliance
4.1 Hazardous Materials 44
4.2 Building Code Compliance 44
4.3 Zoning Code Compliance 45
4.4 Accessibility Compliance 45
4.5 Existing Materials Analysis 46
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment
5.0 Preservation Plan
5.1 Prioritized Work 47
5.2 Phasing Plan 48
5.3 Estimated Construction Costs 49
Historic Photo Documentation
Photo Documentation
Technical Literature References 52
Terms and Definitions 54
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (for reference) 55
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 1
Executive Summary
The Coy-Hoffman Farm is an important landmark in the history of early Fort Collins, Colorado, significant
for its association with John G. and Emily Coy, an early pioneer farming family in Northern Colorado. The
original homestead has been reduced in acreage over time, and has suffered the loss of the original farm
house and other outbuildings. The original 1866 stone and timber barn, two concrete silos and a circa 1900
brick masonry milk house remain of the structures that contribute to the historic landmark designation of
the property. The milk house will be relocated as a part of this work, but will be located within the
designated portion of the property, and situated in the same orientation to the other buildings as it
currently is.
In general, the remaining historic buildings of the Coy-Hoffman Farm are in good structural condition, due
to the quality of the original construction and a 1995-1997 grant-funded stabilization and restoration
project, but have a range of preservation issues related to aging and weathering over almost 150 years of
use. Much of the farm buildings' exterior and interior form and character defining materials, features and
historic fabric remain intact. The grant work was accomplished in a manner that retained the barn's
character defining structural expression and exterior appearance.
The intent of the historic preservation efforts outlined in the HSA will be to preserve and/or rehabilitate
the barn, silos and milk house, while allowing Woodward Inc. to explore creative ways to adaptively reuse
the buildings and structures in their new corporate campus. All preservation and rehabilitation will be
undertaken to protect the historic resources, with sensitivity to the buildings' historic materials, designs
and appearances.
This report is based upon field observations and field measurements made on September 18, 2013, but
without the benefit of excavation or selective demolition to verify some of the architectural and structural
assumptions. The following is a summary of results based upon our research, field observation and
assessment of the building:
Landmark Status: A part of the Coy-Hoffman Farm property was listed in the State Register of Historic
Properties in June 1995. The designated site did not include the entire farm, incorporating the land and
buildings within a restricted rectangular area encompassing the barn, milk house and silos, as a way to
include and protect the surviving significant buildings and structures along with a modest buffer of open
space.
History: The Coy-Hoffman Farm has been recognized as one of the earliest homesteads in the region,
holding one of the oldest water rights claims along the Cache la Poudre River. The surviving buildings and
structures represent this important history and convey a sense of the area’s agricultural heritage.
Architectural Significance: The 1866 Coy-Hoffman barn is one of the oldest agricultural buildings still
standing in northern Colorado. It is also one of the finest and earliest surviving examples of German style
barn architecture in the state. The silos and milk house represent the ongoing improvement of early
farmsteads as their owners sought to enhance their agricultural operations throughout the late 1800s and
early 1900s. Because these features survive among a greatly reduced number of historic farmsteads in the
Fort Collins area, and since the barn in particular was constructed during the earliest period of settlement,
the site is significant today as a good representative example of pioneering and early agricultural
development.
Use: The barn, milk house and silos were originally constructed as part of a working farmstead. They were
preserved, but unused except for grounds maintenance storage, when the property was acquired by the
City of Fort Collins and redeveloped into a golf course in the early 1990s.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 2
Proposed Program: Woodward Inc. is dedicated to preserving the historic buildings, and has gone to great
extents to design their new Technology Center facilities and parking around the buildings in a sensitive
way. They are currently exploring possible adaptive reuse ideas that will return the buildings to beneficial
uses while retaining their historic appearance and integrity.
Condition Assessment: The remaining historic Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings are in fair to good structural
condition. Architecturally, much of the original, character-defining exterior and interior spaces, room
configurations, materials, features and details remain intact. Rehabilitation or preservation work is needed
to address structural and moisture issues to prevent further damage and deterioration from occurring.
All preservation design and construction shall be done in compliance with the requirements and
recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for
Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.
Site: The immediate site around the buildings has not been significantly modified from when
the structures were part of the working farm. Regrading improvements proposed as part of the
Woodward redevelopment should be completed to improve surface drainage away from the
buildings. Relocation of the milk house is being undertaken as a part of this redevelopment.
Foundations: The sandstone foundations are generally structurally sound, but exhibit some
deterioration from the lack of adequate drainage away from the buildings. Repointing is
recommended for the rough coursed sandstone foundations.
The concrete foundations supporting the silos require further structural analysis and possibly
additional structural support.
Building Structural System: The barn and milk house are in good structural condition,
particularly as a result of the 1995-1997 stabilization work. Additional structural investigation
is recommended during the design phase to verify the depth of footings for the barn and to
analyze the structural stability of the concrete silos.
Building Envelope – Exterior Walls: The sandstone and timber walls are structurally sound,
but exhibit some deterioration from weathering. Repointing of the sandstone walls and repair
and/or replacement of some wood plank siding and trims are required.
The brick masonry of the milk house requires repointing and some reconstruction of damaged
brick.
Building Envelope – Roofing and Waterproofing: The barn was reroofed in 1995-1997 using
taper-sawn Cedar shingles. This roofing remains in good to fair condition, with some evidence
of missing and damaged shingles. The building has no insulation in its walls or roof
construction.
The milk house is roofed with Cedar shake shingles that are in poor condition, and full
reroofing with taper-sawn Cedar shingles is recommended. The building is lacking adequate
attic ventilation and insulation.
Neither of the buildings have gutters or downspouts. While roof runoff is contributing to the
deterioration of the stone foundations and walls of the barn, gutters and downspouts are not
appropriate on a pioneer barn, and are only recommended if they are determined to be
absolutely necessary to the functionality of the proposed adaptive reuse.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 3
Windows and Doors: Most of the windows appear to be original to the construction of both
buildings and should be retained. These windows and exterior frames, casings and sills should
be repaired as necessary, then rehabilitated.
Original wood doors of the barn also appear to be original, and should be retained,
rehabilitated and possibly fixed in an "open" position to allow the openings to be fitted with
modern doors and glazing as needed for an appropriate adaptive reuse.
Interior Finishes: The interior walls and room configurations of the barn remain true to the
original construction. The interior of the milk house is a single room, and original plaster
finishes may remain beneath non-original paneling. The paneling should be removed and the
plaster repaired as necessary.
Original materials that are in good condition should be retained and preserved to the greatest
extent feasible as a part of any adaptive reuse.
Mechanical Systems: The barn has no remaining evidence of any mechanical system or
equipment. The milk house retains a small, non-operable thru-wall heating unit that is not
historically significant and may be removed. Likewise, neither building appears to have had
any type of indoor plumbing systems.
The mechanical and plumbing systems needs will be dictated by the selected adaptive reuse
for the buildings.
Electrical Systems: Remnants of electrical service remain in both of the buildings. They will
require new electrical power and lighting systems as a part of any adaptive reuse, and may also
require new emergency lighting, lighted exit signage, and fire alarm systems. Exterior lighting
should be designed and selected to be sympathetic with the historic character of the buildings.
Hazardous Materials: Asbestos, lead-based paint and other hazardous materials may be
present in some of the interior materials of the milk house, and further testing is
recommended.
The exterior wood siding of the barn is heavily weathered, and any lead-based paint may no
longer exist. However, this determination should be made by the owner's independent testing
agent.
Building Code Compliance: The Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings would be classified as Type V-B
(non-rated, combustible) construction. Building code compliance issues related to adequate
secondary egress from the upper level of the barn will need to be addressed if any public use is
anticipated for the hay loft area.
Zoning Compliance: The site is located within the city limits of Fort Collins and is zoned RC-
River Corridor. It is our understanding that the Woodward site, with its multi-use "campus"
development approach, was granted a special "addition of a permitted use" during the City's
planning approval process. This allowed a number of additional uses to be added to those
normally allowed by right in the RC zone, including conference centers and research facilities.
Accessibility Compliance: The Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings are currently not handicapped
accessible. If the anticipated adaptive reuse will include public or staff access, adequate
accommodations will be required for handicapped accessibility.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 4
Existing Materials Analysis: Specific materials analysis, such as a mortar mix analysis, forensic
structural analysis of the silos, and microscopic paint analysis, should be undertaken during the
design phase of any preservation treatment.
Funding: The most significant preservation needs are identified in the "Critical" or "Serious" category
related to drainage, structural and building code compliance improvements, allowing the project to be
planned and completed in two or more phases.
While Woodward Inc. will participate in funding the restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic Coy-
Hoffman Farm buildings, it is anticipated that the company may seek grant assistance from the State
Historical Fund of History Colorado in the coming years.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 5
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Research Background/Participants
The purpose of this project is to provide an Historic Structure Assessment (HSA) of the
remaining historic buildings and structures of the Coy-Hoffman Farm, a part of the new
Woodward Inc. Technology Center site. All future rehabilitation and preservation work
should consider the recommendations of this HSA report, which has been completed using
procedures and methods established by the History Colorado's State Historical Fund (SHF),
consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines
for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.
This document provides an examination of the historic barn, silos and milk house and
includes a status or rating of each of its physical features and elements. An itemized
course of action needed to correct any deficiencies has been created. From this work, the
initial preservation strategies and priorities for stabilization, rehabilitation and/or
restoration of the structure have been developed.
Ultimately, this HSA report is intended to assist Woodward Inc. in the development of a
comprehensive Master Plan for preservation of the buildings and their immediate site. The
HSA findings are provided to direct any future design and preparation of construction
documents, and to consider the future welfare of the structures, as well as issues relevant
to ongoing maintenance.
This Historic Structure Assessment was completed by Aller•Lingle•Massey Architects P.C.
with the assistance of several subconsultants. Support in assessing the existing structural
systems and conditions was provided by Eric Moe, P.E., structural engineer, who also
provided guidance and recommendations for moving the historic milk house building.
Assistance with site related information and documentation was provided by BHA Design
Inc., Woodward's planning consultant.
Historical research on the Coy-Hoffman Farm was completed by Tatanka Historical
Associates, historic preservation consultants, who also provided support services and
contributed to the writing of this report.
Archival research was completed for this project through the location of both published
materials and unpublished documents gathered from area libraries and archives. Primary
among these were the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the City of
Fort Collins, and the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. The results of the field analysis and
archival research are presented in this report.
Representatives of these firms visited the site on September 18, 2013, and completed field
documentation of the barn, milk house and silos, collecting field measurements and digital
photographs of historic elements and relevant character-defining materials and features.
The weather on September 18 was clear, with temperatures ranging from 60-65.
Although the site previously held other buildings that were once part of the farmstead,
these are the only remaining built features that were associated with the property during
its historic period from the mid-1860s through the 1980s.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 6
This project was funded by Woodward, Inc., which recently acquired the site and is
currently redeveloping the former Coy-Hoffman Farm into its new Woodward Technology
Center. As stated in the firm’s marketing materials, Woodward “integrates leading-edge
technologies into fuel, combustion, fluid, actuation, and electronic control systems for the
aerospace and energy markets.” When the project is completed, the campus will include
the company’s international headquarters, along with facilities for research, development
and manufacturing. The historic Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings are being integrated into the
site plan as a centerpiece of the development, with the goal of preserving their
architectural integrity and eventually adapting them for new uses. Because these new uses
have yet to be determined, this report addresses the current condition of the buildings and
structures, along with their preservation needs.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 7
1.2 Vicinity Map
Site Description
The Coy-Hoffman Farm site is located west of N. Lemay Avenue and south of E. Lincoln Street,
approximately one mile east of downtown Fort Collins, Colorado.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 8
1.3 Assessment Criteria
After evaluation in the field, each feature and element has been assessed to determine the
appropriate course of action based upon its significance or importance to the property and
its existing condition. Recommendations included in this report are based upon the
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating
Historic Buildings, as follows:
Preservation
Preservation places a high premium on the retention of all historic fabric through
conservation, maintenance and repair. It reflects a building's continuum over time,
through successive occupancies and the respectful changes and alterations that are made.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation emphasizes the retention and repair of historic materials, but more latitude
is provided for replacement because it assumes that the property has suffered more
deterioration prior to work. Rehabilitation allows for an efficient contemporary use
through alterations and additions.
Both Preservation and Rehabilitation standards focus attention on the preservation of those
materials, features, finishes, spaces and spatial relationships that, together, give a
property its historic character.
Restoration
Restoration focuses on the retention of materials from the most significant time in a
property's history, while permitting the removal of materials from other periods.
Reconstruction
Reconstruction establishes limited opportunities to "recreate" a non-surviving site
landscape, building, or missing feature or element in new materials.
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation notes in its introduction that in
Rehabilitation, "historic building materials and character-defining features are protected
and maintained as they are in the treatment Preservation; however, an assumption is made
prior to work that existing historical fabric has become damaged or deteriorated over time
and, as a result, more repair and replacement may be required". In giving this latitude,
the Guidelines for Rehabilitation includes the following hierarchical methodology:
1. Identify, Retain and Preserve Historic Materials and Features
Similar to Preservation, it is essential that during any rehabilitation that
recommendations "identify the form and detailing of those architectural
materials and features that are important in defining the building's historic
character and which must be retained in order to preserve the character".
2. Protect and Maintain Historic Materials and Features
After identifying those materials and features that "are important and must be
retained in the process of Rehabilitation work", their protection (i.e.,
"generally involves the least degree of intervention") and maintenance is
addressed.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 9
3. Repair Historic Materials and Features
When the physical condition of "character-defining materials and features warrant
additional work", repair is the next recommendation.
4. Replace Deteriorated Historic Materials and Features
Rehabilitation guidance is provided for replacing features because the level of
deterioration or damage precludes repair. While replacement of extensively
deteriorated character-defining features may be considered, removal should not be
recommended if the material or feature "could reasonably be repaired and thus
preserved".
5. Design for the Replacement of Missing Historic Features
If an entire feature is missing, one that has important architectural significance, then
the Rehabilitation guidelines allow for its replacement when adequate historical
documentation allows the replaced or new design to take into account the "size, scale
and materials of the historic building, and most importantly differentiated so that a
false historical appearance is not created".
6. Alterations/Additions for the New Use
Continued use of a structure often requires alterations, additions and/or adaptive
reuse. In these cases, the Rehabilitation guidelines provide that new additions should
be avoided and considered "only after it is determined that those needs cannot be met
by altering secondary" features or spaces. If required, then additions and alterations
should be "clearly differentiated from the historic building and so that the character-
defining features are not radically changed, obscured, damaged or destroyed".
All preservation construction work undertaken in response to the recommendations contained
in this HSA report should be performed in compliance with the requirements and
recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 10
2.0 History and Use
2.1 Construction History
The Coy-Hoffman Farm is located due east of downtown Fort Collins, and encompasses the
open expanse of land west of Lemay Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and the north bank
of the Cache la Poudre River. The collection of historic resources there, consisting of a
large barn, two silos, and a milk house, is visible from the nearby arterial roads as well as
from the well-traveled Cache la Poudre Trail that runs along the river. For more than 150
years, the site has been recognized as one of the earliest homesteads in the region, also
holding one of the oldest water rights claims along the river. The surviving buildings and
structures therefore represent this important history and convey a sense of the area’s
agricultural heritage.
Construction History and Context
John G. Coy was born in Oswego, New York in 1834 and as a young man spent time in
California, where he attempted to mine and made a living splitting and selling shingles. In
1862, he returned east to marry English immigrant Emily Adams. Following their wedding,
the couple loaded a wagon and headed west, intending to make it all the way to
California. Events along the trail delayed their travel plans as they were held up and
robbed of their shotgun in Missouri and then lost some of their livestock in Nebraska,
possibly to cattle rustlers or Native American raiders. Arriving in the recently established
Colorado Territory, they traveled up the Cache la Poudre River and on August 1, 1862
reached a spot several miles east of the Rocky Mountain foothills where they planned to
winter before proceeding to California the following spring.
Although the Coys intended to continue on, their journey to California was abandoned in
favor of claiming a parcel of rich farmland along the Poudre River. John constructed a
small homestead cabin in the bottomlands until their finances improved and they could
erect a more substantial house. At that time, the surrounding country was mostly empty,
treeless land occupied by wild animals, Arapahoe Indians, and no more than a dozen
widely separated settlers trying to eke a living from the land. In addition to building the
cabin, John went to work preparing the soil and planting the fields north of the river with
hay, a cash crop that could be sold for livestock feed.
In 1864, the federal government established the Fort Collins military post less than one
mile upstream from the Coy Farm along the south bank of the river. The cavalry soldiers
stationed there were tasked with protecting the overland mail service and area settlers
from the threat of Indian attacks that failed to materialize. Nevertheless, the soldiers
needed to feed their horses, and the Coys supplied the fort with hay grown on their farm.
In addition, John transported hay by wagon southward to Denver and Golden, and to the
booming mining camps in the mountains above.
Around 1866, John erected a large barn on the property. This was situated on slightly
higher ground north of the river and homestead cabin so that it would avoid floods.
Sandstone for the lower walls was collected from the foothills to the west, where
commercial quarries were soon to be located. Around that same time, a few small
sawmills were beginning to operate in the area, and lumber for the barn was probably
acquired from these operations. The building included ground floor space for horses and
to store agricultural products. Above this, the soaring loft was designed with an open plan
that allowed it to hold a large amount of hay.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 11
Over the following years, the Coys developed a farmstead around the barn. With their
agricultural enterprise becoming established, in 1869 they constructed a new family home
a short distance northeast of the barn. This two-story building faced toward the northeast
and was constructed with exterior walls that were either made of concrete or covered
with grout that was lined to look like stone. It provided the family with much improved
living conditions compared to the small homestead cabin they had resided in the previous
seven years. The home was added onto and remodeled a number of times. By the late
twentieth century, it was so changed that the building was almost unrecognizable except
for its basic shape. It was demolished in 1991 after the property ceased to be used as a
farm.
Throughout the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, John Coy became a prominent member
of the community as the town of Fort Collins emerged after the military post closed in
1867. He served as a Larimer County commissioner and president of the Larimer County
Fair Association. John was also instrumental in establishment of the Colorado Agricultural
College in Fort Collins (now Colorado State University), and was active in the Larimer
County Stockgrowers Association. In 1884, he helped organize the Farmers’ Protective
Association to protest price fixing by local flour mills. This led to construction of the
Harmony Mill, which continues to stand at Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street. The Hoffman
name entered the family’s history when local miller John Hoffman married the Coy’s
daughter Frances. In 1894, he built the Hoffman Flour & Feed Mill, which was located
across the river just south of the Coy farm (this was demolished in the 1950s and the site is
now occupied by the Mulberry Wastewater Treatment Plant).
Around 1900, as John Coy continued to improve his farmstead he constructed a milk house
between the house and the barn. This small masonry building allowed the family to store
fresh milk from their cows in cold temperatures until it could be transported to a local
dairy to be bottled or made into cheese and butter. Milk houses also isolated the product
from barnyard smells and microbes. By around 1910, a tall shed-roof addition had been
constructed on the north side of the barn, possibly to shelter farm implements. A loafing
shed and livestock pen were also constructed on the south side of the building. In 1912,
the year he died, John erected the first of two concrete silos that would be located just to
the west of the barn. The second silo was also constructed during the 1910s, possibly
around 1913.
Following John’s death, the property remained in the Coy-Hoffman family and they
continued to operate the farm through the late 1980s. For more than 120 years, it
supported the family by allowing them to produce an abundance of livestock, including
both cattle and sheep. In addition, the surrounding fields were planted with hay, alfalfa,
corn, potatoes, onions, and other crops that could be transported to market and sold for a
profit.
By the 1980s the site was in use as a sod farm. In 1992, it was converted into the Link-N-
Greens golf course, the same year that the barn, silos and milk house were determined to
be eligible for the State Register of Historic Properties. While the golf course preserved
the site’s open, rural setting, the historic features were rapidly deteriorating. The barn,
in particular, was in bad shape by that time, needing immediate attention to avoid its loss.
Its roof was heavily damaged, segments of the exterior plank sheathing were missing, the
hayloft floor and framing were in terrible shape, and the windows and doors were open.
These allowed water to infiltrate the building, causing deterioration to progress rapidly.
Without attention, the roof and hayloft were sure to collapse at any time.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 12
In 1994, a structural study was completed on the barn to determine its preservation needs.
This was paid for by a grant of about $15,000 from the Colorado State Historical Fund. The
study concluded that due to the rate of deterioration seen on the building, it would be
unlikely to last another five years. Action was needed, and as quickly as possible. In early
1995, the Fort Collins Historical Society applied for and was awarded a restoration grant
from the State Historical Fund. In total, the project cost was estimated to be just under
$68,000, with almost $52,000 of that in the form of a state grant. The goal of the project
was to sensitively return the prominent and historically important barn to a condition of
structural and architectural integrity.
Peter Haney, a respected Fort Collins timber-framing specialist, worked on the project
together with the Center for the Stabilization and Reuse of Important Structures at
Colorado State University. In addition to addressing the building’s structural problems, the
project was used as a workshop on timber framing and repair. Work completed on the
building between 1995 and 1997 included making repairs to the stone foundation wall,
addressing problems with structural framing in the hayloft, and rebuilding the deteriorated
roof. Despite its poor condition, what had kept the barn standing for so many years was its
strong skeletal structure of hewn posts and beams with mortise and tenon joints. It was
also kept standing as a picturesque element of the golf course landscape. Although much
work was completed at that time, the entire barn was not restored, and no action was
taken to address the silos and milk house.
The Barn
One of a small number of barns that remain standing in the Fort Collins area, the Coy Barn
is the most prominent feature on the site. This large building faces toward the northeast.
Resting upon a stone foundation that projects horizontally from the walls above by several
inches, the building has a footprint of approximately 30’ x 65’. Its lower walls are
constructed of roughly cut blocks of native sandstone assembled with coarse-grained
mortar and laid in linear coursing. Above the main level, the hayloft walls are finished
with unpainted vertical boards that overlap the tops of the stone walls along each
elevation.
The roof is side-gabled with a steep slope, has overhanging eaves with exposed rafter ends
and purlins, and it is finished with wood shingles. Large gabled hay hoods supported by
wood braces project from the east and west ridgelines. These protected the protruding
ends of the hay rail and provided shelter to men working to raise and lower hay between
the loft and the ground.
The building’s north elevation holds a wide main floor entry toward its east end. The size
of the entry suggests that it was used for horses to enter and exit the building. It consists
of a pair of vertical wood plank swinging doors that are strengthened on the interior with
diagonal plank bracing. There are no windows on this elevation. The upper wall has a
long horizontal ghost mark where the roof of the shed addition connected to the building.
Additional evidence of the addition’s size and placement is found in the form of its stone
foundation, which is partially exposed near the barn’s northwest corner (a vertical bolt
there may have secured a sill plate). The faint line of the addition’s foundation can be
followed from this corner to the north and then east, and many of its stones are likely to
remain just beneath the surface of the ground. The addition deteriorated over the years
and was removed in 1991, the same year that the farmhouse was demolished.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 13
On the east, the barn holds no main floor entries. Instead, the stone wall there is
punctuated by three windows that have been boarded closed. Behind the boards, the
original four-light fixed windows remain in place (these are exposed on the barn’s
interior). The windows retain their original wood frames and surrounds, along with wood
sills and segmental arched stone lintels. Small square nails forged by a blacksmith are
particularly evident in the woodwork around these windows. The hayloft wall on the east
elevation contains three centered and stacked pairs of wood plank swinging doors that rise
from the hayloft floor to the hay hood.
The south elevation holds a wide main-level entry with a pair of vertical wood plank
swinging doors that appear to have been made non-operable many years ago. This is
situated directly across from the entry on the north elevation, and the opening is large
enough for horses to have accessed the building. No windows are located along this
elevation.
On the west, the barn holds a main floor entry that contains a vertical wood plank
pedestrian door assembled with blacksmith-forged nails. It is set into a wood frame and
has an early transom light above that has been boarded closed. The stones that enframe
the slightly recessed entry were cut on a diagonal. Flanking the entry are two small,
deeply set four-light fixed windows located high in the stone wall. These have wood
frames and surrounds, along with wood sills. As on the east elevation, the hayloft wall
above holds three centered and stacked pairs of wood plank swinging doors that rise from
the hayloft floor to the hood.
The interior of the barn’s main level has a dirt floor with some areas covered with wood
planking. Its outer stone walls and interior wood post and beam structure are exposed.
The main level is divided into three distinct rooms from east to west. These are separated
from one another by approximately 6”-thick boxed wood dividing walls and doors, all of
which may have been insulated with concrete. The eastern room contains the remnants of
horse stalls with wood feeding troughs. A large vertical wood chute located along the east
wall allowed hay to be dropped from the loft above to the feeding troughs below. The
central room, which stayed cool and allowed no light to infiltrate, was reportedly used for
the storage of potatoes and probably onions. Finally, the western room was used as a
granary. Some of the exterior walls in these rooms are lined with wood planking. Sections
of boxed grain chutes also remain there on the floor.
On the hayloft level, the original wood flooring, wood plank walls, knee braces, and eight
post and beam H-bents remain exposed. Its heavier framing involved mortise and tenon
joints held together with wooden pegs rather than nails. Also original are the heavy
diagonal timber braces at the margins of the walls and roof. The upper part of the hay
chute is present along the east wall. Much of the critical preservation work completed in
1995 can be seen in the hayloft, where the newer, light-colored wood is easily
distinguished from the darker, aged members. At that time, much of the roof had to be
rebuilt with dimensional lumber to replace heavily deteriorated rafters and decking.
However, some of the original rafters and decking that retained their structural integrity
were left in place. Where necessary, some of the wall girts were replaced with heavy
timbers. Finally, timber stud framing was installed in the eastern half of the hayloft to
support the tall roof above.
An antique piece of horse-drawn agricultural equipment is stored in the hayloft. This is an
early horse-drawn grain drill manufactured by the Sucker State Drill Company of Belleville,
Illinois (patent date 30 March 1869) that was used to plant grain seeds in furrows in the
crop fields. While it might have been brought west by wagon during the early 1870s, it is
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 14
possible that John Coy ordered this piece of equipment from a catalogue and had it
delivered by train to Fort Collins later in the decade (the first train line extended into the
area in 1877). This is an exceptional piece of antique agricultural equipment that is
historically associated with this site and it should not be discarded. Instead, it should be
cleaned for display and interpretation along with the surviving buildings and structures,
with care taken that it not be left exposed to theft or the elements.
The Silos
Two concrete silos, both about 32’ tall and resting upon concrete foundations, stand side
by side off the barn’s northwest corner. The eastern silo, built by John Coy in 1912, is
constructed of cast-in-place concrete. This is reinforced on the exterior with a series of
fourteen horizontal metal rods that wrap around the silo at regular intervals and are
secured with metal connectors at their threaded ends. A tall rectangular opening runs
from base to top up the silo’s eastern face, spanned by a series of horizontal metal rods.
Mounted outside this opening is a deteriorated square wooden enclosure. Metal pipe posts
supporting woven wire fencing rise from the top of the silo, which currently has no roof.
Coy’s son, John E. Coy, reportedly constructed the western silo around 1913. This is a
concrete stave silo that is reinforced on the exterior with a series of thirty-six horizontal
metal rods that are securing with metal connectors. The north face has a series of square
openings that run from base to top, each of which is surrounded by a hexagonal metal
frame that also secures the reinforcing rods. Arched segments of corrugated and sheet
metal run up the silo’s exterior and cover many of these openings. Remnants of wood
framework of unknown use extend between the tops of the two silos.
The Milk House
This small masonry building is located northeast of the barn, faces toward the northwest,
and for over ninety years stood in the farmhouse’s rear yard. At the present time, it is in
the process of being moved closer to the barn and silos. The milk house has a footprint of
approximately 12’ x 12’ and rests upon a sandstone foundation that projects outward a
couple of inches from the base of the walls. These walls are constructed of brickwork laid
in common running bond coursing. The building has a front-gabled roof that is finished
with shallow boxed eaves and wood shingles.
The entrance on the north elevation holds an older (circa 1950s) but non-original wood
panel door with diamond lights in the upper half. It also has a stone threshold, wood
frame, and brick segmental arch lintel. Above this, in the gable end wall, is a small
rectangular window that has been boarded closed but retains its wood sill and brick
segmental arch lintel. To the left of the door is a metal insert in the brick wall that is
stamped with the name “Empire.” Although the exact use of this feature is currently
unclear, it may be associated with the Empire Cream Separator Company of Bloomfield,
New Jersey, which maintained a sales office in Denver. The firm manufactured equipment
such as cream separators, milking machines, and even small gasoline engines for use in
dairy operations of all sizes.
Although the east elevation holds no doors or windows, the south and west elevations both
contain windows. The south elevation has a small single-light window with a wood frame
and sill, wood surrounds, and a brick segmental arch lintel. Above this, the gable end wall
contains another window with similar features, although it is boarded closed. At the base
of this wall just above the stone foundation is a clay drainpipe that accommodated
washing of the building’s interior floor. The west elevation holds a non-original horizontal
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 15
band of three fixed windows with wood frames and sill, and wood surrounds.
The interior of the building has a sandstone floor, plastered walls (partially covered with
non-historic wood paneling), a plastered ceiling, and a set of built-in beadboard cabinets.
Sandstone pavers are also present outside the front of the building.
Historical & Architectural Significance
For a short time after it was constructed in the 1860s, the Coy-Hoffman barn was one of
the largest buildings in Larimer County, if not the single largest. It is also one of the oldest
barns still standing in northern Colorado today. The two-level barn was constructed with
sandstone walls that encompassed ample main floor space, along with a large wood frame
hayloft above. John Coy used his skills and employed labor-intensive post and beam
construction on the building, which involved cutting mortise and tenon joints, and then
assembling the structure with wooden pegs rather than nails.
Before long, livestock pens and a loafing shed were added south of the building. A tall
shed addition, possibly used to shelter farm implements, was also constructed off the north
elevation. Although these additions were removed decades ago, they left the barn looking
much like it would have when it was constructed in the 1860s. Today, the barn represents
1860s pioneer construction techniques and the use of local materials and craftsmanship. It
also exhibits elements of the two-level German style of barn construction as it appeared in
places such as New York, Coy’s home state, and the surrounding northeastern region. Here
in northern Colorado, he gave it a western twist with the addition of projecting hay hoods
at either end.
The silos and milk house represent the ongoing improvement of early farmsteads as their
owners sought to enhance their agricultural operations throughout the late 1800s and early
1900s. Because these features survive among a greatly reduced number of historic
farmsteads in the Fort Collins area, and since the barn in particular was constructed during
the earliest period of settlement, the site is significant today as a good representative
example of pioneering and early agricultural development.
For these reasons, a nomination to have the historic barn, silos and milk house listed in the
State Register of Historic Properties was prepared and submitted to the Colorado Historical
Society in March 1995. The site was determined to be eligible under Criterion A for its
association with early settlement and high plains agriculture as one of the oldest surviving
agricultural complexes in the region; under Criterion B for its association with prominent
pioneer farmer John G. Coy and his family; and under Criterion C for its architectural style,
age and method of construction.
On June 14, 1995, the property was officially listed in the State Register of Historic
Properties (Site #5LR1568). However, the designated site did not include the entire farm.
Instead, it incorporated the land and buildings within a restricted rectangular area
measuring 375’ from east to west, and 450’ from north to south. This relatively small
landmarked site encompasses the barn, milk house, and silos, and was conceived to include
and protect the surviving significant buildings and structures along with a modest buffer of
open space.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 16
2.2 Proposed Program
The Coy-Hoffman barn, silos and milk house are all solid buildings and structures that are
in relatively good condition, but require additional preservation efforts given their historic
significance and importance to the Fort Collins community. The fact that they remain
standing today is remarkable, a testament to the quality of their original construction, the
care they received when in use, the partial restoration completed on the barn in the
1990s, and a bit of luck that kept them from being demolished when the site was
converted into a golf course. Many farmsteads in the Fort Collins area have already been
lost, making this site all the more important to keep intact.
Not only will the barn, silos and milk house become central, scenic features on the
redeveloped Woodward site, but they are particularly important as they form a designated
landmark listed in the State Register of Historic Properties. Since the State Historical Fund
invested in the barn’s preservation almost two decades ago, it will take an interest in how
the buildings are treated in the future. And as the local agency interested in such matters,
the Fort Collins Landmark Preservation Commission will need to be consulted periodically
regarding planned preservation efforts and changes involving adaptive reuse.
Preservation Treatments
The primary goal for the barn, silos and milk house will be to preserve and maintain them
as physical remnants of the area’s pioneer agricultural heritage. After more than a
century of use, abandonment, and exposure to the elements, the buildings and structures
exhibit various problems that will require attention in the coming years. While future uses
have yet to be identified, carefully planned and executed preservation and adaptive reuse
will ensure that they remain standing for the benefit of the community and the enjoyment
of employees and visitors to the Woodward campus.
This report provides a detailed picture of the current condition of the buildings and
structures on the site, addressing particular areas and elements of concern. While some of
their deficiencies are related to age and use, others are the result of weathering and
exposure to the elements. In addition to describing these conditions in detail, the Historic
Structure Assessment provides recommendations for rehabilitation along with associated
priorities and costs. This is done with the goal of providing in-depth analysis that will
guide rehabilitation efforts through the use of appropriate historic preservation methods.
All planning and rehabilitation will be undertaken with sensitivity to historic materials,
design and appearance. Future work will be undertaken in such a way that historic fabric
and integrity are protected.
While Woodward Inc. will participate in funding the restoration and adaptive reuse of the
historic Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings, it is anticipated that the company may seek grant
assistance from the State Historical Fund of History Colorado in the coming years.
EL1
2
EL2
EL1 1
2
66' - 2"
30' - 2" 17' - 0"
26' - 0"
17' - 7" 18' - 1"
27' - 2"
CONCRETE SILOS
DIRT FLOOR
2x12 WOOD
BOARD FLOORS
@ AT STABLES
CONCRETE CURB W/
PLYWD COVER INSIDE
WOOD FEED BIN
VERTICAL CHUTE GOING
TO LOFT ABOVE
WOOD FRAMED INTERIOR
WALLS W/ CONC. INSUL.
ORIG. BARN DOOR OPNG.
CLOSED OFF W/ WOOD SIDING
INTERIOR WOOD WALLS
35' - 0"
SANDSTONE FOUNDATION STONES
REMIANING FROM MISSING NORTH
LEAN-TO STRUCTURE
PR: 4'-0"x8'-0" BARN DOORS
2x FRAMING UP TO ROOF STRUCTURE
CHUTE EXTENDING
TO FEED BIN BELOW
PROJECT
DATE
DRAWN
FILE NAME: PRINTED
712 WHALERS WAY SUITE, B-100
FORT COLLINS, CO 80525
(970) 223-1820
www.aller-lingle-massey.com
2/10/2014 2:05:44 PM
HISTORIC STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
1324
ksj
02/10/14
COY- HOFFMAN FARM
FLOOR PLANS
FP1
C ALLER-LINGLE-MASSEY 2014
1324−C−H BARN.rvt
FP1 SCALE: 1/8" = 1'-0"
1 MAIN FLOOR PLAN
FP1 SCALE: 1/8" = 1'-0"
2 HAY LOFT FLOOR PLAN
NORTH
PROJECT
DATE
DRAWN
FILE NAME: PRINTED
712 WHALERS WAY SUITE, B-100
FORT COLLINS, CO 80525
(970) 223-1820
www.aller-lingle-massey.com
2/10/2014 2:05:44 PM
HISTORIC STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
1324
Author
02/10/14
COY- HOFFMAN FARM
SITE PLAN
SITE
C ALLER-LINGLE-MASSEY 2014
1324−C−H BARN.rvt
EL.
MILK HOUSE MAIN FLOOR
100' - 0"
DOUBLE BRICK
ARCHED LINTEL
WOOD WINDOW
(BOARDED OVER) IN ATTIC
METAL FLUE VENT
CLAY DRAIN PIPE
WOOD COVER PLATE
PAINTED WOOD FASCIA &
BOXED EAVE TRIM
BRICK BOND COURSE, TYP. RESIDENTIAL STYLE
HALF-LITE DOOR
MULTI-WYTHE BRICK
MASORY IN RUNNING BOND
BRICK BOND
COURSE (TYP.)
PTD. WOOD FASCIA &
BOXED EAVE TRIMS
CLAY DRAIN PIPE
WOOD CASING & SILL
INSWING WOOD
CASEMENT WINDOW
W/ SINGLE GLASS
MULTI-WYTHE
BRICK MASONRY
IN RUNNING BOND
SINGLE BRICK
ARCHED LINTEL
WOOD WINDOW (BOARDED
OVER) IN ATTIC
EL.
MILK HOUSE MAIN FLOOR
100' - 0"
FIXED SINGLE PANE WINDOWS
2x WOOD BUCK FRAMES & SILL
CEDAR SHAKE ROOFING
EL1
2
EL1
EL1
4
3
12' - 5"
12' - 5"
EL1 1
SANDSTONE PAVERS
(TO BE SALVAGED)
THRU-WALL UNIT HEATER
(NOT OPERABLE)
CONCRETE SLAB
PAINTED OPEN SHELVING
(6 SHELVES)
CABINET
PROJECT
DATE
DRAWN
FILE NAME: PRINTED
712 WHALERS WAY SUITE, B-100
EL.
ROOF BRG.
120' - 0"
EL.
MAIN FLOOR
100' - 0"
EL.
HAY LOFT
110' - 2"
OPEN BEHIND HAY HOOD
10" / 12"
EL.
MAIN FLOOR
100' - 0"
EL.
HAY LOFT
110' - 2"
DOUBLE VERTICAL
WOOD BOARD DOORS
WOOD SHINGLE ROOF
HAY HOOD
WOOD BRACKET
UNFINISHED WOOD
CORNER TRIM
UNFINISHED VERTICAL
WOOD SIDING BOARD
8' - 4"
STONE
'JUMP FORM' CAST-IN-
PLACE CONCRETE SILO
CONCRETE PREFAB.
STAVE SILO
METAL CHUTE
42' - 0"
45' - 0"
LOCATION OF POSSIBLE LOFT
DOORS ( NOW REMOVED)
LINE OF NORTH LEAN-TO ROOF TIE-IN
(LEAN-TO SHED NOW MISSING)
PROJECT
DATE
DRAWN
FILE NAME: PRINTED
712 WHALERS WAY SUITE, B-100
FORT COLLINS, CO 80525
(970) 223-1820
www.aller-lingle-massey.com
2/10/2014 2:05:33 PM
HISTORIC STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
1324
KSJ
02/10/14
COY- HOFFMAN FARM
EXTERIOR
ELEVATIONS
EL1
C ALLER-LINGLE-MASSEY 2014
1324−C−H BARN.rvt
EL1 SCALE: 3/32" = 1'-0"
EL.
MAIN FLOOR
100' - 0"
EL.
HAY LOFT
110' - 2"
SANDSTONE FOUNDATION
WOOD WINDOW W/ TIMBER
SILL
SEGMENTAL STONE ARCH
UNFINISHED WOOD
CORNER TRIM
UNFINISHED VERTICAL
WOOD SIDING BOARD
TRIM BOARD UNDER
SOFFIT
HAY HOOD
ROUGH COURSED
SANDSTONE MASONRY WALLS
10" / 12"
HAY LOFT DOORS
EL.
ROOF BRG.
120' - 0"
EL.
MAIN FLOOR
100' - 0"
EL.
HAY LOFT
110' - 2"
PRE-FAB. CONCRETE STAVE SILO
CAST-IN-PLACE 'JUMP FORM' CONC. SILO
BARN DOORS FIXED IN PLACE
PROJECT
DATE
DRAWN
FILE NAME: PRINTED
712 WHALERS WAY SUITE, B-100
FORT COLLINS, CO 80525
(970) 223-1820
www.aller-lingle-massey.com
2/10/2014 2:05:44 PM
HISTORIC STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
1324
Author
02/10/14
COY- HOFFMAN FARM
EXTERIOR
ELEVATIONS
EL2
C ALLER-LINGLE-MASSEY 2014
1324−C−H BARN.rvt
EL2 SCALE: 3/32" = 1'-0"
1 EAST ELEVATION
EL2 SCALE: 3/32" = 1'-0"
2 SOUTH ELEVATION
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 17
3.0 Structure Condition Assessment
The existing conditions of the Coy-Hoffman Farm, as well as its site elements were evaluated using
the following criteria. The terms have been taken from the SHF Annotated Scope of Work.
A feature or element is evaluated in Good Condition when:
the element is intact, structurally sound and performing its intended purpose;
there are few or no cosmetic imperfections;
the element needs no repair and only minor or routine maintenance.
A feature or element is evaluated in Fair Condition when:
there are early signs of wear, failure or deterioration, though the element is generally
structurally sound and performing its intended purpose;
there is failure of a subcomponent of the element;
replacement of up to 25% of the element or replacement of a defective subcomponent
is required.
A feature or element is evaluated in Poor Condition when:
the element is no longer performing its intended purpose;
the element is missing;
deterioration or damage affects more than 25% of the element and cannot be adjusted
or repaired;
the element shows signs of imminent failure or breakdown
the element requires major repair or replacement.
3.1 Overall Site
The remaining Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings are located in the heart of the approximately
38-acre site that is currently being redeveloped as the new Technology Center for
Woodward Inc. The redevelopment proposal has just gone through a rigorous review and
approval process with the City of Fort Collins, with the historic farm buildings being
preserved and the expansive office, research and manufacturing facilities and their
associated parking lots and service access areas laid out to preserve both the historic
buildings and the riparian natural areas adjacent to the Poudre River. Prior to this
redevelopment, the property had been owned by the City of Fort Collins and used as a par-
3 golf course known as Link-N-Greens.
The large stone and timber barn and the two concrete silos are intended to remain in their
current locations; however, the milk house will be relocated to a site within the
designated site listed on the State Register of Historic Properties. (Refer to the site plan
attached with the drawings in this report for the proposed site of the relocated milk
house.) Two other farm buildings, a smaller wood-framed barn and a garage, are not part
of the site's historic designation and will be dismantled.
On the day of our field work, portions of the site were in the process of being regraded,
with some trees being cut and chipped to make way for the redevelopment. The
immediate areas around the historic farm buildings were being enclosed with temporary
chain link construction fencing to both secure and protect them during construction.
(Refer to photos #B001-B003, S001 and M001-M003)
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 18
Very little of the original site features remain from when the farm was used for its
historical agricultural use. Remnants of corral fencing and gates lie immediately to the
west of the large barn, constructed of round wood poles with let-in wood pole rails and
metal strap hinges. Only one gate and a partial section of fence remain. (Refer to photo
#B013) Several irregularly shaped flagstone paving slabs remain on the entrance side of
the milk house. (Refer to photos #M008A)
Condition: Good. The few site features that remain are in fairly good condition. The wood
fencing and gate are not heavily weathered, although so little remains that they cannot be
reconstructed in any meaningful way.
Recommendations: When the milk house is excavated and relocated, it should be sited
and oriented (north-south and east-west) to match its historic orientation and relationship
with the barn and silos. This is further discussed in Section 3.11 below. The original
flagstone paving slabs should be salvaged when the milk house is excavated and relocated,
then reinstalled in their original location and orientation (relative to the building) after the
building is placed upon its new foundation structure.
The remaining sections of historic corral fencing and gates should be preserved and stored
in the barn for interpretation.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #2, 3,
5, 6 and 7. (The complete list of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for
Rehabilitation has been included at the end of this report for reference).
Grading and Drainage
The immediate site around the farm buildings has very little slope. The southeast corner
of the barn drops approximately 16" at the southwest corner and approximately 12" lower
than the building’s foundations along the walls. (Refer to photos #B004, B005 and B015)
Most of the original farmstead site had been modified when it was redeveloped as a golf
course, and will be modified again through this redevelopment. The new site grading
proposal has just gone through extensive review by the City of Fort Collins engineering,
storm water and flood plain staffs, with the site drainage plan retaining the natural grades
around the historic buildings while removing them from the 100-year flood plain. (It should
be noted that the flood waters of the September 11-13 floods that inundated much of the
northern Front Range came to within 100' of the buildings, but did not cause any damage.
Some experts considered this a 500-year storm event in the Fort Collins area.)
Condition: Good. We believe that the regrading that is proposed as part of the overall
Woodward campus site redevelopment will adequately drain the site away from the
foundations of the historic farm buildings, and protect them to the extent feasible from
future flood events.
Recommendations: None, other than fully implementing all of the grading and drainage
improvements required by the City of Fort Collins. We assume that as a part of this, the
area immediately around the barn and silo will be sloped to improve drainage away from
the foundations.
The Contractor should be made aware of the potential for historical resources in the
immediate vicinity of the historic farm buildings. If historical or archaeological resources
are encountered during excavation or construction, the Contractor shall stop work and
notify the owner and the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 19
Historical Society.
Site Utilities
Only remnants of natural gas and electrical services to the barn and milk house remain.
Refer to Sections 3.8, Mechanical, and 3.9, Electrical, for descriptions of these site
utilities.
Condition: Not applicable.
Recommendations: We assume that the provision for new utilities to serve the proposed
adaptive reuses for either the barn or milk house will be fed from the primary utility
services within the adjacent Woodward administrative building. If trenching for new site
utility work is performed, archaeological monitoring should be considered, and the
Contractor made aware of the potential for historical resources on the site. If historical or
archaeological resources are encountered during excavation or construction, the
Contractor shall stop work and notify the owner and the Office of Archaeology and Historic
Preservation, Colorado Historical Society.
Landscaping
Sparse turf grasses and weeds remain around the two farm buildings and silos. Two large,
16"-30" caliper multi-trunk Ash trees remain to the north of the barn and are flagged to
remain. Other trees that were planted as a part of the golf course development are
intended to be either transplanted or cut and their wood milled for plank flooring
materials, or chipped for landscape mulch. (Refer to photos #B001-B007)
The site is no longer irrigated with an underground irrigation system.
Condition: Fair. Much of the irrigated turf grasses have been overtaken by weeds in the
one season since the golf course closed. The remaining Ash trees that are targeted to be
preserved appear healthy, although their multi-trunk and random growth patterns signal
that they originally grew as "volunteers" along the foundations of the now-gone lean-to
implement shed.
The ongoing presence of turf grass along the building perimeters is problematic, even with
the lack of an underground irrigation system. The grass holds moisture along the
foundations and prevents roof runoff from draining quickly away from the building.
Recommendations: The existing trees should be maintained as long as possible. Saplings
growing adjacent to the barn's foundations should be cut and removed to prevent damage
to the foundations.
If turf grasses are not proposed to be removed in the immediate vicinity of the building's
foundations, we recommend that it should be stripped away from the building’s perimeter
to a minimum dimension of 4'-0", and wood or rock mulch added to create a “dry zone”
around the buildings. If rock is selected, it should be neutral in color.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 20
3.2 Barn Foundations
Perimeter Foundation Drainage
No evidence of an underground perimeter foundation drain is present around the existing
barn, milk house or silos. Due to the age and original agricultural use of the property, it is
unlikely that any subterranean perimeter drain system exists.
The immediate site is generally flat with minimal slope to discourage the presence of
moisture adjacent to the building foundations. No topographic survey information is
available, but in general surface water flows away from the foundations with a slope less
than 1/2" per foot. The overall site currently slopes from the northwest to the southeast.
The site around the barn and silos is currently not irrigated or landscaped, although
presumably, some irrigation would have occurred when the site was incorporated into the
golf course.
Condition: Fair to poor. There are currently no gutters with downspouts on the barn, and
historically were not typical on barns or other agricultural outbuildings. Water from the
roof drains directly next to the building without a concrete apron, splash pans or sufficient
backfill slope to prevent moisture accumulation next to the foundations.
Moisture around the apron of the barn over its lifetime appears to have caused damage to
lower portions of the stone masonry. Over time, moisture in the masonry will promote the
deterioration and weakening of the mortar joints. The presence of excess water next to a
structure is generally the cause for most foundation problems in this region due to the
local climate, soil conditions and freeze/thaw cycles. Moisture is most harmful during
freeze-thaw cycles, as trapped water in the stone and mortar expands when frozen causing
the mortar to weaken, eventually spalling and failing.
Recommendations: Improvements are recommended to prevent future damage to the barn
and keep roof and storm water runoff from continuing to flow adjacent to the building’s
foundations. To minimize the presence of moisture next to the foundation and the lower
portion of the stone masonry, a "dry zone" should be created around the barn to keep
runoff away from the foundations.
Foundation System
The following structural observations are made without the benefit of selective demolition
or excavation adjacent to the foundations to expose concealed structural conditions.
The barn is supported by a stone foundation, constructed of roughly coursed sandstone, in
sizes ranging from 2-1/2"-12" high x 4"-30" long. The foundations are stepped out
approximately 4"-5" from the balance of the walls above, creating a raised water table.
The stone foundation is only visible on the east and south facades. The depth of the
foundation walls cannot be determined. (Refer to photos #B015, B017, B018 and B024)
The foundation measures 30" wide at the access door on the west facade, extending 8" on
either side of the 20" thick stone masonry wall at the first/main level. Based on the
overall dimensions of the foundation and mass of the structure, it is assumed smaller and
larger stones have likely been used. While most of the foundation stones have been
roughly coursed, with flat or parallel top and bottom surfaces, some large rubble stones
without adjoining sides at right angles have been used intermittently.
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It should be noted that remnants of the sandstone foundation for the lean-to shed on the
north side of the barn remain on the site. The shed appears in a historical painting of the
barn, attached as historical image #H004. Anchor bolts remain in a couple of sections of
the wall along the west side, as well as evidence in the remaining original wood siding
where the roof of the shed tied into the barn. We did not observe any evidence of the
loafing shed that was attached to the south side of the barn that appears in the historical
photograph #H002.
Condition: Fair. As previously mentioned, minimal observation of the foundations could
be completed due to the building's foundation only being exposed to view on the east and
south facades. The stone, where visible appear to be sound, with minimal evidence of
movement, shifting, settlement, cracking or defacing. Mortar joists were likely never
dressed and it is not known how the mortar joints at the foundation were originally
finished due to the current moisture damage.
Recommendations: The deteriorated mortar joints of the stone should be repointed and
repaired to match the historical construction. To determine the original construction
techniques, it is recommended that a narrow, deep excavation occur adjacent to one of
the foundations to view the original wall construction.
Backfill
Backfill is discussed in the Perimeter Foundation Drainage section above. Current
geotechnical standards generally specify a minimum of 6" slopes away from the building
within the first 10' of grade adjacent to the foundations.
Condition: Inadequate now, but will become good when the drainage improvements
required by the City of Fort Collins are implemented.
3.3 Barn Structural System
The following structural observations are made without the benefit of selective demolition
or excavation adjacent to the foundations to expose concealed structural conditions.
The barn is a unique combination of load-bearing stone masonry at the first or main level,
with a heavy timber-framed hay loft and gable roof. The superstructure is a gravity and
lateral load-bearing, multi-wythe stone masonry structure with wood timber roof trusses
and floor joists. Standard construction practices have been followed for both rough
masonry and timber structures built in the late 1800s. Conventional stone masonry
construction consists of roughly coursed sandstone masonry, built-up of multiple wythes
with arched stone lintels. The walls are constructed of 2-3 wythes of stone units, with the
wythes interconnected with single stones extending from the interior to the exterior face
of the walls. The typical stone masonry wall construction appears to be about 20" thick.
(Refer to photos #B001-B010, B013-B019 and B030)
Segmental arched stone lintels provide headers over the windows on the east elevation
(Refer to photos #B014 and B015), while wood lintels exist at all other door and window
openings on the south, west and north facades of the barn. (Refer to photos #B017, B019
and B020) The door openings on the main level are full height and the stone masonry is
detailed with bevels on either side of the opening back to the wood door jamb. (Refer to
photos #B023 and B024) It appears the two window openings in the west elevation were
cut into the building after the original construction. The stones around these openings
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have not been faced with the same quality of workmanship as compared to the other stone
openings, and the mortar joints are in poorer condition. (Refer to photos #B020-B022)
Their unusual placement so high on the wall also indicates the lack of understanding and
experience in stone construction compared to the original construction. This work was
likely completed by someone other than a trained stone mason.
In masonry construction, lateral systems normally include a designated section (shear wall)
in the masonry where no openings are present. The north, south, east and west walls all
have uninterrupted sections of masonry along the length of the walls and corners of the
barn.
The wood timber framing throughout the barn is built on approximately 10' grids
perpendicular to the ridgeline of the gable roof. Primary framing members, either trusses
or girders, sit on this grid supported by columns, while secondary framing members span to
this grid. The roof structure consists of built-up wood timber trusses spanning north-south
across the entire structure on the grids. (Refer to photos #B048-B052)
It should be noted that the structure underwent substantial rehabilitation and
reconstruction in 1996 as part of a grant-funded project. It appears repairs followed the
details and intent of the original construction, with some new construction to improve the
performance of the structure. Minimal variance is observed in the materials, dimensions
and connections of the rehabilitation or new construction. (Refer to photos #B048-B052)
Condition: Good to fair. As noted above, remedial structural repairs were made in 1996
that addressed what we assume were significant structural concerns. The extent of both
replacement of original structural framing members with in-kind construction, as well as
remedial internal framing, signals that there was either considerable structural or moisture
damage to the exterior frame of the barn.
The eastern two thirds of the loft is approximately 50% replacement material, including
50% new skip sheathing. The western third is up to 90% new material, including rafters,
intermediate horizontal timbers and skip sheathing.
Given the age of the structure and the low evidence of diagonal cracking in the mortar or
the stone masonry, the lateral load capacity is assumed to be adequate. No structural
analysis or testing was performed to verify the capacity of the stone masonry. The stone
masonry is in fair condition, with no significant structural cracking or displacement.
The general appearance of the timber framing appears to be both sound in regards to
capacity and geometry. No excessive sagging and deterioration in the framing due to
moisture or damage was observed.
Recommendations: Refer to more detailed recommendations below and in Section 3.4.
Floor Framing Systems
The upper floor (hayloft) framing consists of 3x8 floor joists at 18" o.c. spanning east–west
for approximately 10', bearing on the stone perimeter walls. Typically, a dropped 6" x 8"
timber beam spans between interior columns to support the floor joists. The floor joists
are sheathed with 1x5 wood plank flooring.
The main level of the barn is divided into three sections. The eastern section is an open
area with large barn doors on the north and south facades. Four interior columns existed
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in the first three westernmost bays. At some point, two of the columns in the second
column line were replaced, using smaller 4" by 4" posts. The original columns could have
been replaced due to rot, damage or possibly settlement of the foundations. The original
column bases can be seen where a new smaller column sits on top of a stub and frames to
the bottom of the timber floor beams. The original columns were approximately 6-1/2" x 6-
1/2" with 1" chamfers on all four corners. (Refer to photos #B031-B033, B038-B040 and
B043-B047)
A unique detail at the center span of each grid is a stacked timber beam. The stacked
beam was likely used to allow a large center span at each bay, while increasing strength
and limiting defection along the beam line and helping reduce the beams sizes required to
support the loads above. (Refer to photos #B031, B032, B044 and B045) Three 2x8x6 blocks
were notched between the stacked beams to keep them interlocked. This detail is seen at
each column line/grid throughout the barn. In most cases the blocks are now missing; it is
not clear how or why they are not present. The stacked beam is missing in the second
column line from the west where the columns have been replaced.
The interior or middle section of the barn consists of two bays, and has been enclosed with
interior walls. The columns and beams at these walls have been incorporated into the
walls with vertical infill studs and horizontal 1x siding on both sides of the wall. The
resulting stay-in-place form has been filled with concrete. This detailed construction is
unique and could possibly be used to insulate the interior section of the barn from extreme
hot or cold temperatures. The walls do not appear to be original, but might have been
placed shortly after the construction of the barn, due to the appearance of the matching
materials and the existence of the original columns and stacked beams. (Refer to photos
#B037-B042)
The remaining column lines of the barn appear to have been originally constructed with
four columns at each beam grid. The columns are either 6" x 8" or 6-1/2" x 6-1/2". These
columns are approximately 4'-8" to 5'-8" o.c. north-south. Many of the columns have been
reinforced with 2x material to repair damage due to animals, moisture at the base, or
other causes.
Roof Framing Systems
The barn's steeply gabled roof is framed by 2" x 6-1/2" roof rafters at 24" o.c., spanning
parallel to the slope of the roof and running from eave to ridge. It appears that more than
two-thirds of the rafters were replaced during the previous structural rehabilitation. The
rafters are supported by 3x8 beams at quarter points of the tied roof truss/arch. The tied
truss is built with mortise-and-tenon 6-1/2" x 8" top chords. On the easternmost four bays
of the barn a 6-1/2" x 8" truss tie frames to the top chord just below the quarter points of
the roof truss, and on the east end of the barn a 3” x 8” tie frames just above the quarter
points. In addition, on the west portion of the barn the roof purlins have a 3" x 8" tie at
approximately 4’ from the ridge of the barn. It is not known why the different framing
conditions were used on either end of the barn. (Refer to photos #B048-B052)
Timber columns supporting the roof trusses and end walls are all 6-1/2" wide x 8” deep (8”
in the dimension of the wall) with applied haunches, extending full height. The original
roof sheathing consists of 1x12 skip sheathing and Cedar shakes. It appears that at least
half of the original roof sheathing was replaced during the structural rehabilitation with
new 1x8 wood skip sheathing.
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Lateral stability of the upper portion of the barn is provided by a combination of diagonal
bracing in the wall and braces out of plane (perpendicular to the wall), in combination with
roof trusses and floor beams. Braces in the wall, framed to the column, and wind girts are
typically 4x4s. Braces framing from the exterior columns to the trusses are typically 6-1/2"
x 8". Braces to the floor beams are 4" x 6-1/2". The brace connections use a mortise-and-
tendon joint at the wall and a combination of mortise-and-tenon with steel tension rods at
the brace from the column to roof truss, due to the oblique angle of the connection. Some
connections have also been reinforced using 3/4" diameter thru bolts. (Refer to photos
#B049 and B050)
The gable end walls are similarly framed, using 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" horizontal timbers that
frame into 6-1/2" x 6-1/2" vertical timbers at the jambs of the large loft doors. (Refer to
photos #B050 and 057)
New wood framed interior partition walls have been built within the eastern two thirds of
the hayloft, presumably when the barn was structurally rehabilitated in 1995-1997. These
walls are framed of modern 2x6 members at 16" to 20" o.c. Locations for the new wall
framing are aligned with the roof beams at quarter points and adjacent to the exterior
north and south bearing walls of the four eastern column bays. The existence of the walls
and their location do not match the historical use of the structure, and are not supported
by a reinforced floor member below. If the walls were built to carry gravity loads from the
roof, it is reasonable to assume that a new or reinforced floor/transfer member would
likely have been required to carry the additional loading. The purpose of the new wall(s)
and braces could be to laterally strengthen the eastern portion of the barn, since much of
western end of the barn was rebuilt during the renovation; however, this is somewhat
speculative. The original tie rods were reinstalled on the western bays of the loft, but are
missing from the eastern sections where the new framed walls were built. (Refer to photos
#B012, B048, B051 and B052)
Condition: Good. The original structural floor and roof framing, in conjunction with the
rehabilitation construction completed in 1995-1997, appear overall to be sound and in good
condition.
Recommendations: None. If this structure is to be occupied or renovated for an adaptive
reuse, it is recommended that a complete structural gravity and lateral analysis be
completed by a licensed professional structural engineer.
At this point it should be assumed that sections of the hay loft floor cannot be cut and
removed for stair openings, etc. without adequate bracing or new shear walls so as not to
compromise the structural integrity of the barn. Prior to any structural modifications, the
structural engineer should detail, supervise and review all design work and observe the
procedures implemented during construction.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
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3.4 Building Envelope – Barn Exterior Walls
As described above in Section 3.3, the exterior walls of the barn are a combination of
rough coursed sandstone and wood timber construction. The upper level of timber
construction is sheathed in 1x vertical wood boards, in random widths ranging from 9" to
12". The siding boards are installed vertically side by side with butt joints, with the joints
not covered with battens or in some other way "weatherized". The siding has been
typically installed as full length boards, and is nailed at the top plate, bottom plate and
two intermediate blocking lines along the length of the boards. The external corners are
trimmed with simple 1x6 wood trims with butt joints, matching the fascia boards. The
siding was originally painted (or at some time during the life of the building), but is now
heavily weathered with only scarce evidence of remaining paint. (Refer to photos #B001-
B012, B014, B017, B019-B021, B025 and B028)
The main level walls are constructed of full height roughly coursed sandstone, in sizes
ranging from 2-1/2"-12" high x 4"-30" long. Mortar joints range from 1/2" to 2-1/2" wide,
and are generally tooled flush with the faces of the adjacent stone units. (Refer to photos
#B004-B010, B013-B019, B021-B026 and B030) The original window openings in the east
facade have segmental arched stone lintels with a center keystone, set slightly corbelled
out from the face of the wall. (Refer to photos #B014A and B015A)
A framed hay hood exists on both the east and west gabled facades, and support pulley
attachments for transferring the hay into the loft through a large vertical hinged door.
The hood is framed of cantilevered 6-1/2" x 8” wood timbers with braces back to the
vertical columns. Vertical exterior sheathing is supported laterally by horizontal 2x6 girts
framing between columns at approximately 3’ o.c. The hay hoods are sheathed in 1x12s
matching the balance of the hay loft level. (Refer to photos #B001, B002, B004-B007,
B010, Bo14 and B028)
Condition: Fair. As discussed in Section 3.3, the stone and timber framed walls are
generally in good to fair condition. Based upon the condition and coloration of the wood,
it appears that approximately 5% of the original siding was replaced with in-kind material
as a part of the 1996 restoration, primarily on the north and south facades.
The sandstone walls exhibit the typical weathering of the mortar joints that is common in
stone construction of this age. Most of the moisture damage has occurred along the top
courses of the walls, along the base within 24"-30" of the ground where roof runoff has
splashed back against the walls, and around window and door openings. (Refer to photos
#B014-B018 and B020-B022)
Approximately 90% of the mortar is intact, but deteriorated. Mortar in the remaining 10%
of the head and bed joints is completely missing. The existing lime mortar that remains is
soft and flaking in many locations. (Refer to photo #030 for typical condition)
The wood siding is in similar condition, with approximately 5% of the boards split, broken
or missing. (Refer to photos #B006, B014, B017, B019 and B019A) The siding was installed
at the hayloft level with simple, common butt joints with no attempt to prevent moisture
penetration. Light streams through these joints, as evidenced in photos #B048-B052.
Recommendations: Repointing of the deteriorated stone masonry mortar is required. It is
estimated that approximately 50-60% of the mortar requires repointing.
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Only selective repairs to the exterior wood siding and trims and replacement of missing
planks are needed at this time. If replacement of any particular board is warranted, the
new materials should match the existing in width, thickness and species, as was done in
the 1995-1997 restoration. Painting or other exterior finish is optional, and the siding
could remain in its current unfinished condition is desired. If a new painted finish is
desired, a microscopic paint analysis is recommended in order to determine the original
color(s).
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 7. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible. A
mortar analysis of the existing mortar used in the stone foundations and walls should be
completed to guide the composition of the repointing mortar.
3.5 Building Envelope – Barn Roofing and Waterproofing
The roof of the barn is a simple side-facing gable roof, with shallow exposed eaves and a
simple 1x6 wood fascia with butt joints. The roof is covered in newer taper-sawn Cedar
shingles, dating to the 1995-1997 grant project. All of the roof eaves drain off the roof
edge without gutters. The eave and rake ends are all flashed with newer galvanized sheet
metal drip flashings, probably dating from the time the Cedar shingles were installed.
There are no roof penetrations remaining from any original mechanical equipment. (Refer
to photos #B002-B005 and B010-B012)
The roof is not ventilated along the ridge or by means of roof jacks. There is no attic, and
the underside of the exposed roof framing is not insulated.
Condition: Fair. The Cedar shingles are in good to fair condition, but exhibit some cupping
and breakage. Approximately 5% of the ridge shakes are missing toward the west end
where they are subject to more wind exposure, and have not been repaired or replaced.
The wood fascia is in fair condition. Light penetrating the roof can be seen from within the
loft where shingles are missing.
The lack of gutters and downspouts is contributing to the deterioration of the sandstone
foundations and base of the walls.
Recommendations: New Red Cedar taper-sawn shingles should be installed to replace the
damaged or missing shingles, replicating the size, thickness and exposure of the 1995-1997
shingles.
The installation of new gutters and downspouts might help address the drainage and
foundation deterioration issues mentioned in earlier sections of this report. However,
since the barn was originally built as a pioneer barn, it would not have had gutters and
downspouts. Installing them would actually be detrimental to the historic character of the
barn. We recommend that gutters and downspouts be installed only if it is determined
that they are absolutely necessary to the functionality of the proposed adaptive reuse.
Since the original barn did not have gutters, the style and dimensions of the gutters and
downspouts will not be based on remaining physical or photographic evidence; however, a
half-round gutter profile in a simple unfinished or pre-weathered galvanized metal may be
an appropriate selection. Downspouts should be a round corrugated profile in the same
material, located so as to be as inconspicuous as possible.
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The wood fascia should be retained, but materials repaired as necessary. It does not
appear that any of this work is beyond the point of being repaired, but if more serious
moisture damage is uncovered during the preservation work, the damaged materials should
be removed and replaced in kind.
Depending upon the anticipated adaptive reuse, attic ventilation may be required if an
attic is created. If this is done, ventilation could be addressed in an inconspicuous manner
by adding a ventilated ridge shingle system or the introduction of small roof jacks, painted
to blend with the shingles. Gable end vents could also be added to the east and west
gables of the barn, located within and shielded from view by the hay hoods.
Also depending upon the adaptive reuse that is pursued, the addition of some kind of roof
or attic insulation is recommended. Refer to Section 3.7 for further discussion about
retaining the original, exposed interior materials.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
3.6 Barn Windows and Doors
Windows
The barn contains a variety of window types, all of which are original to the building at
some point in its history. The east facade of the main level contains three symmetrically-
placed, single 2 over 2 fixed wood windows with clear single-pane glass, which are
probably original to the 1866 construction and exposed to view from the interior of the
barn. The window openings are located in the sandstone walls and are supported by
segmental arched lintels. The windows are framed with simple square wood timber sills,
jambs and arched-top headers built up of 1-1/2" x 3" wood members. The sills extend into
the stone approximately 2" at each jamb. All three exhibit the use of forged blacksmith
nails. (Refer to photos #B004, B009, B014-B016, B031, B034, B035, B063 and B064) These
windows are set to within 1" of the outside face of the stone wall, and are currently
covered with unpainted plywood to the exterior. The deep sills to the inside are stone.
New wood stops have been added to the interior.
The west facade contains two smaller 24" x 24" single lite fixed wood windows with only
rough 2x wood buck frames. These windows appear to have been cut into the stone
masonry after the barn's original construction, due to their placement, the lack of arched
lintels and overall poorer workmanship. (Refer to photos #B001, B007, B020, B021, B061
and B062) These windows are set at the center of the depth of the stone wall, and are not
covered by plywood.
The north and south facades of the main level and the gable ends of the hayloft level do
not contain any windows.
Condition: Fair. As far as can be observed, the wood windows appear to be structurally
sound and are in fair condition. The exterior face of the east window sashes could not be
observed. The exterior wood window frames, sills and casings are weathered, but are
generally intact and remain structurally sound. Window putty is generally in poor
condition.
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Recommendations: All of the original wood sash windows should be retained. These
windows should be repaired where necessary, then scraped, prepped and repainted. The
plywood should be removed from the east windows, and the windows repaired as may be
necessary.
The exterior wood frames, sills and casings should also be scraped, prepped and repainted.
Glass panes should be reputtied where needed. All windows and frames should be
recaulked.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
Exterior Doors
The barn contains a variety of door types typical of an agricultural building. The long north
and south facades contain two large paired 4'-0" wide x 8'-0" high outswinging barn doors,
aligned across the east stable room. The doors are constructed of 1x vertical wood plank
siding that matches the balance of the wall siding on the hayloft level above, nailed to the
outside of 2x wood horizontal and diagonal cross-buck framing. The northern pair of doors
are hung on steel strap gate-type hinges, but the southern pair have been fixed in place
and are no longer operable. There is no evidence of remaining hardware on this pair of
doors. (Refer to photos #B002-B005, B008, B010, B017-B019, B025-B027, B031 and B053)
The north wall of the hayloft has been framed to suggest that a pair of doors might have
existed on this facade, aligned with the pair of doors below. The doors no longer exist and
the opening has been infilled with siding to match the balance of the wall.
The west facade contains a single inswinging wood door, 3'-6" wide x 6'-8" high, set into a
wooden buck frame in a larger 4'-2" x 8'-0" high opening in the stone. This suggests that the
door may have originally been larger. (Refer to photos #B001, B023, B024, B046 and B047)
This door is constructed similarly to the large north and south doors, with 1x vertical wood
plank siding nailed to the outside of 2x wood horizontal and diagonal cross-buck framing,
and are hung on steel strap gate-type hinges.
All of the lower level doors have no exterior or interior casings, just the rough 3x wood
buck frames.
The hayloft contains a combination of large outswinging hay doors and man doors, with
dimensions and construction that is the same on both the east and west gable ends of the
barn. The lower pair of hay doors are framed to the intermediate 6-1/2" x 6-1/2" wood girt
to 6'-0" above the floor line of the loft, then the upper pair of doors extend to the roof.
These doors are also constructed similarly to the large north and south doors, with 1x
vertical wood plank siding nailed to the outside of 2x wood horizontal and diagonal cross-
buck framing, and are hung on steel strap gate-type hinges. (Refer to photos #B001, B004-
B007, B009, B011, B027, B029, B048, B050, B057 and B058)
Condition: Fair. While the existing original doors remain and are generally operable, they
are heavily weathered.
Recommendations: Based upon the way the barn is oriented to the proposed Technology
Center, it is likely that the north door will be the primary access into the building for any
adaptive reuse. This door would not be protected from roof runoff without the installation
of gutters, or possibly the design of a modern hood as an entry element over the door.
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It is unlikely that a desirable public adaptive reuse will be able to take advantage of the
existing historic barn doors as they are currently configured. If smaller, more durable
doors and hardware are necessary, we recommend that the door style and construction be
designed to be sympathetic to the building's period of original construction and integrity.
One alternative that could be considered is to fix the swinging barn doors in their open
position (laid back flat against the outside of the stone walls), then infilling the openings
with modern architectural storefront framing, glass and doors, or some other clearly
contemporary construction. This approach would be considered a historic rehabilitation, as
opposed to a restoration.
The hayloft doors should be retained and fixed in place. Similar to the barn doors below, if
the loft is to be used and windows are desired, the hay doors could be fixed in an open
position and the openings infilled with glass. These modifications would also be considered
a rehabilitation as opposed to a restoration.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #3, 5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
Interior Doors
The only interior doors in the barn are two sets of paired 1-10" x 6'-8" high swinging doors
on either side of the central cold storage room. These have been fabricated with 1" x
5/1/2" wide tongue-in-groove wood siding on both sides of conventional framing, creating a
unique hollow door approximately 5-1/2" thick. This construction assumes that the cavities
have been filled to complement the concrete insulated walls in these locations (refer to
Section 3.7 below), but it could not be confirmed what the core material might be. The
tongue-in-groove cladding has been installed diagonally on the eastern pair of doors, and
horizontally on the western pair, which suggests they may not have been built or installed
at the same time. (Refer to photos #B033, B037, B045, B054 and B055)
These doors are hung on a pair of simple metal strap hinges and were secured with gate
hooks and eyes. Only parts of the original hardware remain. (Refer to photos #B054, B055,
B059 and B060)
Condition: Fair. While the existing original doors remain and are generally operable, they
are heavily weathered.
Recommendations: Similar to the exterior doors, it is unlikely that a desirable adaptive
reuse will be able to take advantage of the existing historic interior doors as they are
currently configured. If possible, we recommend that the historic doors be retained and
fixed in place for interpretation. New doors can then be placed where they functionally
need to be, with the design and construction remaining sympathetic to the building's
period of original construction and integrity.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #3, 5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
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3.7 Barn Interior Finishes
Lower Level
The barn contains a series of connected rooms on the ground level and a single open
hayloft on the upper level. The ground floor is divided into three interior rooms, the outer
two primarily used for animal stalls and feed storage, separated by a central cold storage
room that was most recently used as a tack room for saddles and supplies. The eastern
room contains the remnants of what were originally five stalls constructed along the east
wall. The western room was originally used for grain storage. Built-in wooden feed
troughs run along the east wall of the eastern stalls, situated below the wooden feed chute
from above. (Refer to photos #B031-B037, B044-B047 and B053-B056) The interior finish of
the perimeter walls throughout the barn is merely the unfinished face of the stone
masonry.
There is no internal ladder or stair accessing the hayloft; however, there is a large 24" x
42" framed wooden hay chute on the east wall that drops from the loft over the built-in
feed troughs. (Refer to photos #B034 and B036)
The walls dividing the two outer stall rooms from the interior tack room are built of a
unique insulated construction, with the outer wood cladding filled with a concrete slurry.
The walls are clad with 5-1/2" x 1" thick unfinished tongue-and-groove wood plank. The
paired doors on each side of the room are similarly insulated, as described above. Most of
the walls are exposed, unfinished wood framing or wood plank siding laid horizontally. A
small amount of interior walls have weathered paint or whitewash finish. (Refer to photos
#B033 and B037-B043)
There are no finished ceilings and the only floors appear to be remnants of 2x12 wood
planks in the animal stalls. The balance of the floors is dirt. (Refer to photo #B033)
Numerous wooden grain chutes come through the floor above into the lower level.
The walls and roof of the barn are completely uninsulated, as would be expected for a
utilitarian structure of this type.
Condition: Fair to poor. The lower level had no natural or artificial lighting, so was very
difficult to assess the conditions of the remaining materials. Most of the exposed wood
materials exhibit the expected level of worn surfaces and rounded corners, typical of an
agricultural use that housed animals.
The interior of the lower level is filled with both artifacts of the farmstead, including built-
in saddle racks, bridle posts, a hay cart, etc., but also a lot of dirt and debris. (Refer to
photos #B031-B033)
Recommendations: Depending upon the intended adaptive reuse of the barn, insulating
the walls may be necessary, so the walls may need to be furred out, insulated and covered
in gypsum wallboard or similar material. However, if possible it would be desirable to
leave the sandstone walls uncovered on the interior.
New stairwells and an elevator access to the hayloft level may be necessary as part of any
public adaptive reuse. These new additions should be designed and constructed internal to
the barn's walls and roof so as not to adversely affect the barn's historic exterior character
and integrity.
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To the extent feasible, the original interior walls, as well as the feed troughs, cold storage
room built-ins and other original features, should be retained and preserved for
interpretation of the building's history.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
Upper Hayloft Level
The upper level is a single open hayloft space. The walls and roof retain much of the
original, exposed mortise-and-tenon timber construction, as well as the restoration and
new construction work that was completed in 1996. This construction has been thoroughly
described in Section 3.3 above, so won't be repeated here. Both the original construction
and the newer remedial work was left unfinished, so it is easy to distinguish where the
original construction ends and the newer work begins. (Refer to photos #B048-B052)
As mentioned in Section 3.5 above, there are no finished ceilings in the loft. The floor
sheathing is 1x5 wood planks. The flooring may be original, but due to its relatively good
condition, this is unlikely and was probably a part of the 1995-1997 restoration work.
A horizontal tie rod runs beneath the roof ridge, originally used to move hay and other
materials within the loft. A pulley assembly hanging from the rod still exists. The rod
extends out beneath the covered hay hood on each end of the barn. The framed wooden
feed chute (described above) aligns to the east side of the east hay loft doors.
The hayloft contains a historic horse-drawn grain drill, more fully described earlier in
Section 2.1.
Condition: Good to fair. The upper hayloft level is generally in better condition, with a
significant amount of newer, in-kind materials from the 1995-1997 restoration. The hayloft
wood plank flooring is in fair to good condition.
There are large quantities of bat, pigeon and/or rodent waste all throughout the hayloft.
Recommendations: Depending upon the intended adaptive reuse of the barn, insulating
the walls and ceiling/roof may be necessary or desirable, so these may need to be furred
out, insulated and covered in gypsum wallboard or similar material. The wood plank walls
may need to be covered on the inside with wood battens (or some other method to seal the
open joints in the siding to the inside), then spray foam insulation could be installed in the
wall cavities as both insulation and an air barrier. This construction would allow the
exterior plank siding to remain with its current, historic appearance, but would require the
interior to be covered with gypsum wallboard or similar material.
If the roofing needed to be completely replaced at this time we would recommend that
board-type rigid insulation be added over the existing wood skip sheathing to allow the
interior to remain unfinished.
To the extent feasible, the original mortise-and-tenon timber construction and other
original features should be retained, preserved and left exposed for interpretation of the
building's history. It would appear that the purlin cavities could be insulated and covered
in gypsum wallboard, while retaining the exposed timber roof trusses.
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Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
3.8 Barn Mechanical Systems
Site Utilities
There are no site utilities presently serving the Coy-Hoffman barn or milk house. Domestic
water and sanitary sewer service will be provided into the site of the new Woodward Inc.
facilities as a part of that development. It is assumed that services to the barn and/or the
milk house, if necessary, can be extended from these new facilities.
Barn Heating and Ventilation
There is no evidence of any heating or other mechanical equipment ever existing in the
barn. Ventilation was originally achieved by merely opening the barn doors.
Condition: Not applicable. If any mechanical equipment ever existed, it is no longer in
place.
Recommendations: Depending upon the nature of the adaptive reuse of the building, the
type, extent and sophistication of the mechanical system could vary widely. For purposes
of historic preservation and the accurate interpretation of the building, the simpler and
most basic of mechanical systems would be the most appropriate.
Plumbing
Similarly, it appears that the barn did not have any plumbing systems.
Condition: Not applicable.
Recommendations: None. If restroom or kitchen facilities are planned as a part of the
proposed adaptive reuse, full code-compliant, low-flow plumbing fixtures and piping
systems will be required.
3.9 Barn Electrical Systems
The barn was served by electrical power, and it is assumed that it was provided by aerial
service. Only remnants of that service remain.
The lower level of the building was illuminated by a series of surface-mounted
incandescent light fixtures, wired to a single-pole switch near the door.
Condition: Not applicable. The electrical system is no longer in service.
Recommendations: The existing interior electrical system should be removed and the
building rewired. There does not appear to be any remnants of electrical lighting fixtures
or devices that are historically important for preservation.
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New exterior lighting fixtures should be designed and selected to be sympathetic with the
historic character of the barn.
The extent and capacity of the new electrical service will depend upon the intended
adaptive reuse of the building. Assuming a use will probably include public access, a new
code-compliant fire alarm, exit signage and emergency lighting system should be
anticipated.
3.10 Concrete Silos Structural Systems
Two concrete silos exist just to the west-northwest of the large stone and timber barn.
They are of similar construction, but have somewhat different structural designs. Both silo
types are common, economical silo construction types found throughout Northern
Colorado. Neither of the silos currently has a roof structure, and both may have originally
been built without roofs. (Refer to photos #S001-S008) Both silos are approximately 15'-0"
in diameter, and were originally connected at the top by a wooden bridge structure, but
only broken remnants remain. (Refer to photos #S002 and S006)
The eastern silo is a "jumpform" silo, approximately 42' high, built of reinforced cast-in-
place concrete, 4"-5" thick with exposed "cold" construction joints at 4'-0" o.c. The
continuous circular form joints are evidence of this type of construction, versus the lack of
form joints when a slipform is used. The cast-in-place silo is reinforced internally with iron
rods embedded at approximately 18" o.c., and reinforced to the outside with 3/4" diameter
smooth steel tension bands encircling the silo at approximately 30"-40" o.c. The rod hoops
are in two or more sections, held together with iron lugs and threads/nuts on each end of
the rod.
The western silo is a stave silo, approximately 45' high, built of prefabricated interlocking
vertical concrete staves, 10" wide x 5' long staggered, and 4" thick vertical concrete panels.
A precast concrete stave is made in the field, using a hydraulic press. The press exerts
pressure on the stave, eliminating air voids and creating a high-density concrete panel.
Staves are generally steam-cured to give them longer life. These vertical staves are
prestressed with 3/4" diameter smooth steel bands at approximately 15" o.c. with
turnbuckles, aligned over the staggered stave edges. The hoops are tensioned to
precompress the stave wall circumferentially. The working thickness of the staves
decreases from the top of the silo to the base. It is estimated that the staves at the base
of the silo are 3" thick.
The silos both appear to bear on shallow concrete cast-in-place strip foundations, although
it could not be determined how deep they extend below finished grade. The foundations
are irregular in shape and approximately 10"-12" wide. The foundations were likely used to
provide a level surface during construction and placed to reduce the soil bearing pressures
from the dead weight of the silos, keeping the silo structures from settling or punching
through the soil. (Refer to photo #S005)
The interior surfaces of both silos are now rough, exposed aggregate. The upper portions
of both have what appears to be a smooth skim-coat finish, which indicates that the stored
grain probably has scoured the lower interior surfaces over time. (Refer to photos #S009
and S010) A 4" caliper Elm tree is growing within the east silo.
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The openings in the exterior walls have been covered with chicken wire so the interiors of
the silos were not accessible on the day of our field visit. An embedded steel strap frame,
where an access door originally existed, remains in the outside face of the west silo.
(Refer to photo #S008) The east silo originally was originally served by a wooden chute,
only 50% of which still remains. The west silo has remnants of a sheet metal chute. (Refer
to photo #S006)
Condition: Fair to poor. The eastern "jumpform" silo appears to remain structurally sound.
Its rod hoops are in good condition, with the exception of the last two rods from the
bottom that exhibit severe rust and degradation.
Similarly, deterioration is evident in the stave silo by the exposed aggregate in the staves.
This is caused either by friction of silo contents against the concrete or by corrosion. If
these silos were used for silage, silage acids can have a corrosive action on the concrete
and the steel. Maintenance of a stave silo is critical to the stability of the silo. If the rod
hoops become loose the compressive state of the staves is lost and the structure can
become unstable or collapse. Observation of the silo from the ground indicates that the
top of this silo is no longer circular, and proper maintenance of the structure is a critical
need. It is likely that no maintenance has been undertaken on this silo since its initial
erection. It is imperative that the hoop rods, lugs and nuts be inspected on this silo to
prevent future collapse.
The concrete is fairly deteriorated in many locations. The area around the steel strap door
frame in the west silo is badly cracked.
Neither of the silos appear to be structurally attached or tied to the concrete foundations.
In some locations the silos are no longer bearing uniformly along the foundations, and
daylight can be seen above the foundation in some locations. It is not clear whether the
foundations have settled or the silo has deteriorated at the base.
Most of the original silo doors and chutes have been removed or are otherwise missing.
The wood plank bridge spanning between the two silos is in very poor condition and should
not be used.
Recommendations: The two concrete silos should be retained and their condition
stabilized and preserved. The tree inside the east silo should be cut, removed and its roots
grubbed so as to prevent further heaving or undermining of its foundation.
Backfill around the silo foundations should be excavated to better determine their
structural adequacy. If the foundations are adequate to provide sufficient soil bearing,
then the gaps around the silo perimeter should be repaired with non-shrink high strength
grout to keep the silos stable during lateral loading conditions.
Structural analysis and the design of any structural repairs or reinforcing for the silos is
outside of the scope of this report. An inspection should be completed by a licensed
professional structural engineer to evaluate the hoop rods for both silos, and any corroded
or damaged rods should be replaced. The slave silo should have all hoop rods inspected for
proper tension to ensure a wind induced failure will not occur.
It is our understanding that several adaptive reuses for the silos have been discussed by the
owner, including constructing a spiral stairway within one of the silos to access a rooftop
observation platform. Before these options are given serious consideration, we
recommend that the owner engage a qualified, licensed structural engineer to fully assess
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the structural capacity of these new induced loads.
Further investigation is recommended to determine if anchor bolts or some other physical
evidence remains to confirm whether roof structures ever existed on either of the silos. If
construction of new roof structures is pursued, the design should be based upon
photographic or physical evidence and not be conjectural in nature.
Depending upon the intended adaptive reuse of the silos, the bridge between the silos
could be removed, or reconstructed for interpretation of its historic use.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5 and
6. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
3.11 Milk House Foundations
Foundation System
The following structural observations are made without the benefit of selective demolition
or excavation adjacent to the foundations to expose concealed structural conditions.
The milk house foundation is constructed of roughly coursed sandstone, in sizes ranging
from 2-1/2" - 9" high x 4" - 30" long. The foundation construction is approximately 14"
wide. The depth of the foundation walls cannot be determined, but it is assumed that they
are at least the same depth as the double or triple wythe brick masonry walls above.
Mortar joints range from 1/2" to 2-1/2" wide, and are generally tooled flush with the faces
of the adjacent stone units.
Condition: Fair. Minimal observation of the foundations could be completed due to the
limited exposure of the stone above grade, and the fact that the building has no basement
or crawlspace. Only limited evidence of settlement, shifting or cracking appears in the
building’s masonry walls above grade.
Since this building is scheduled to be relocated, no repair or rehabilitation work is
necessary for the existing foundation structure.
Recommendations for Relocation: Two likely scenarios have previously been offered for
relocation of the unreinforced brick masonry milk house structure:
Alternative 1: The first option requires some temporary removal of small portions of brick
masonry at the base of the walls for the jacking and transport process, leaving some visual
evidence that the masonry had been modified. A system of shores and jacks would be used
to lift and move the masonry structure. The specialty subcontractor will determine the
exact locations and frequency of steel beams, but it is assumed that access holes at
approximately 3'-0" on center would be cut through the exterior brick walls of the masonry
just above the existing stone foundation and concrete floor slab. Steel beams would be
placed through these access holes and used to jack the structure up for transporting. The
beams would extend past the exterior face of the walls where jacks will lift the structure
to prepare for transport. The shoring beams will have to stack in the opposing directions
so the beams can be continuous from side to side.
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In this alternative, since the holes are being cut through unreinforced brick, there is
potential for cracking to occur in the wall areas around the holes. This will be greater due
to the stress placed on the walls during the initial lifting operation.
A new foundation will need to be built at the new location for the milk house, constructed
of sandstone salvaged from the existing foundation after the building has been lifted and
moved out of the way. The new foundation needs to be constructed so that the original
north-south and east-west orientation of the building is retained. Once the structure has
been relocated and placed upon the new foundation, the openings used to place the steel
shoring through the masonry walls should be infilled with salvaged bricks from the
structure, using mortar that will match the mortar analysis of the existing building. A new
concrete floor slab will then need to be poured.
Alternative 2: The second option will likely result in fewer modifications and less potential
damage to the original structure, but will require more site preparation and excavation
prior to the move. The area around all four sides of the structure would need to be
excavated and a long earthen ramp constructed to bring the structure up out of the
excavation. The depth of the jacks and shoring beams used to transport the structure will
determine the depth of the excavation.
Similar to Alternative 1, steel shoring beams would be placed through access holes, but in
this case with the holes cut into the stacked stone foundations below the brick masonry to
limit damage to the unreinforced brick walls. In addition to the exterior excavation, the
interior slab on grade will need to be removed and the interior fill excavated prior to the
relocation to allow the stacked steel shoring beams to pass through the building under the
masonry.
A new foundation will need to be constructed at the new location for the milk house as
described in Alternative 1 above.
In either scenario, once the building has been relocated onto its new foundation, the
foundation will have to be built up to the historic masonry structure. Grout will likely be
used to infill the voids and uneven surface below the masonry. This insures even weight
distribution and prevents cracking of the masonry due to elevation changes and possible
stress concentrations.
In evaluating the two alternatives, our recommendation is to pursue Alternative 2, as it
would appear to be the least intrusive to the integrity and historic fabric of the existing
building, and have less potential for structural cracking and damage to the historic brick
masonry.
Recommendations After Relocation: After the brick masonry building is lifted and moved
off of the foundation, the original sandstone foundation should be carefully deconstructed
and the stones salvaged, cleaned, marked and stockpiled for reconstructing the foundation
in the building's new location.
If, upon excavation, it is determined that the existing foundation walls are not deep
enough to yield enough material to construct the new foundations to the proper frost
depth, the sandstone units should be used at the top of the walls where they will be
exposed to view. This material can then be supported on conventional cast-in-place
concrete foundations to extend the walls to a minimum of 36" below finished grade.
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As noted above, the building should be relocated onto its new foundation in the same
orientation as its historic orientation.
Backfill
Backfill generally slopes away from the foundations, with adequate slope to properly drain
runoff from the foundations. Current geotechnical standards generally specify a minimum
of 6" slopes away from the building within the first 10' of grade adjacent to the
foundations.
Condition: Since the building will be relocated onto a new foundation, the condition of the
existing backfill is not applicable.
Recommendations: The elevation of the new foundation should be established to provide
proper drainage away from the perimeter of the building.
3.12 Milk House Structural System
The following structural observations are made without the benefit of selective demolition
or excavation adjacent to the foundations to expose concealed structural conditions.
The milk house is constructed as a gravity and lateral load-bearing, multi-wythe brick
structure with a wood framed roof. Standard construction practices have been followed
for both masonry and wood structures built in the early 1900s. The load-bearing
construction consists of conventional brick masonry construction laid in a running bond,
with masonry lintels over the door and window openings. The masonry appears to be three
wythes thick, although this could not be confirmed due to plaster applied to the interior of
the masonry. (Refer to photos #M001-M006)
Typically lateral systems include a designated section (shear wall) in the masonry where no
openings are present. This small structure has areas of uninterrupted masonry at all
corners and does not appear to have any evidence of movement. The lateral load capacity
is assumed to be adequate. No structural analysis or testing was performed to verify the
capacity of the brick masonry.
A large window opening was cut in or placed in the masonry on the west elevation after
the original construction. A wood header supports the roof above the opening.
The gabled roof consists of 2x4 (nominal) wood roof rafters at 16" o.c., covered with 1x
wood skip sheathing. The framing was not visible from within the structure, however it is
assumed the ceiling framing provides a tie across the structure to support the ridge of the
gable.
Condition: Good to fair. The brick masonry appears to be in relatively good condition.
Minor damage to the masonry exists at the base of the structure due to penetrations placed
through the wall, and some brick units possibly damaged due to heavy equipment, etc.
Even though the roof structure could was not exposed to view within the building, the
appearance and geometry of the roof framing indicates the structure remains sound,
without the roof or ceiling exhibiting noticeable sag.
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Recommendations: Prior to all preservation work and during any structural repairs, a
qualified, licensed structural engineer should detail, supervise and review all design work
and observe the procedures implemented during construction. When the roofing is
replaced, the condition of the underlying structural framing and skip sheathing should be
thoroughly inspected, and any moisture damaged materials replaced prior to the new
roofing being installed.
Masonry repairs should be completed after the building is relocated to repoint mortar
joints and replace missing brick.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5 and
6. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
3.13 Building Envelope – Milk House Exterior Walls
The one-story milk house was constructed of triple-wythe, unreinforced brick masonry
walls, over the rough coursed sandstone foundations described in Section 3.11. The brick is
laid in a running bond pattern, using 2-1/4" x 8-1/2" units. A bond course exists every ninth
course vertically in the walls. (Refer to photos #M001-M008) The brick masonry extends up
into the gabled ends on the north and south facades.
The original north door opening has a double rowlock brick arched lintel, while the original
windows have single rowlock brick arched lintels. The door has a sandstone lug sill. (Refer
to photos #M001, Moo6-M008, M014 and M016)
A 4" diameter clay pipe extends through the north and south walls (at opposite corners)
near the floor, probably part of an original drainage system for washing out the milk house.
(Refer to photos #M003, M012 and M013)
Condition: Good to fair. The brick masonry is generally in good condition with some
evidence of cracking, primarily at window and door openings and other points of natural
weakness in the walls, generally running vertically or diagonally from these openings.. The
southwest corner of the building has more deterioration and damage, with several brick
units missing at the base of the wall. (Refer to photo #M019)
The building has been "tagged" with graffiti on the east wall. (Refer to photos #M003 and
M005)
Recommendations: Minor repointing of the mortar joints in the brick masonry is required
at approximately 10% of the walls, and less than 5% of the overall masonry needs to be
replaced due to damage or missing brick. New brick units should replicate the original if
an adequate match can be located.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 7. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible. A
mortar analysis of the existing mortar used in the stone foundations and brick walls should
be completed to guide the composition of the repointing mortar.
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3.14 Building Envelope – Milk House Roofing and Waterproofing
The roof of the milk house is a simple front-facing gable with shallow boxed eaves. The
roof is covered in split Cedar shakes over what appears to be the original (or at least older)
taper-sawn Cedar shingles. All of the roof eaves drain off the roof edge without gutters.
The eave and rake ends are all flashed with newer galvanized sheet metal drip flashings,
probably dating from the time the Cedar shakes were installed. A clay and metal flue exits
the roof at the ridge, probably serving an original pot belly stove that no longer exists.
(Refer to photos #M001-M006)
The boxed eaves are constructed of decorative 2-1/2" high wood mouldings over a 1x4
fascia. (Refer to photos #M009, M010 and M014) The roof edges are flashed with poorly
installed sheet metal drip flashings. (Refer to photo #M010)
Condition: Very poor. The Cedar shakes are in poor condition, and the ridge shakes are
missing for approximately half of its length and have not been repaired. The condition of
the underlying Cedar shingles cannot be determined, but it assumed that they were not in
good condition, and so covered with the newer Cedar shakes. (Refer to photos #M004 and
M005) There is some evidence of past moisture damage on the interior of the building, but
it did not appear that this is currently an ongoing problem.
It does not appear that the building ever had gutters and downspouts. The wood fascia and
boxed eaves are weathered and only in fair condition, other than along the east side where
a tree has grown up and around the roof eave construction, causing some more significant
damage. (Refer to photos #M017 and M018)
Recommendations: Both the shake and underlying shingle roofing should be removed down
to the original roof sheathing. After the sheathing has been inspected for any structural or
moisture damage, and repairs made if necessary, the roof should be covered in a
continuous underlayment of single-ply Ice and Water Shield membrane. Then new Red
Cedar taper-sawn shingles should be installed with new sheet metal drip flashings and
coordinating ridge shingles. The clay and metal flue should be retained and flashed into
the new roof.
The wood fascia and boxed eaves should be retained, but materials repaired as necessary.
It does not appear that any are beyond the point of being repaired, but if more serious
moisture damage is uncovered during the reroofing, the damaged materials should be
removed and replaced in kind.
Additional attic ventilation should be added as well, possibly using a ventilated ridge
shingle system or the introduction of a small roof jack, painted to blend with the shingles.
While these treatments may not strictly follow the Secretary of Interior Standards, they
would be required by modern building codes and will increase the life-expectancy of any
new roofing materials.
Depending upon the adaptive reuse that is pursued, additional blown-in insulation is
recommended to be added in the attic.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
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3.15 Milk House Windows and Doors
Windows
The milk house contains a variety of window types, some of which are original to the
building and one that is not.
The south facade contains a single 1-lite inswinging wood casement window with clear
single-pane glass, centered in the wall. The decorative hinges are fairly ornate with
pointed finials, and are probably original. The latch is a newer, non-original surface-
mounted cabinet type latch. (Refer to photos #M006, M023, M024, M026, M027 and M033-
M036) The window is cased to the exterior with 1-3/4" x 1" thick square wood casings with
a beaded profile.
Both the south and north gable end walls contain small upper windows (now within the
attic of the building) that are covered to the exterior with painted oriented strand board
(OSB). Since they are no longer exposed to the interior, it could not be determined
whether the window sashes or glazing remains. (Refer to photos #M001-M003, M006, M007
and M014)
The west wall contains a larger, 3-lite fixed wood window that appears to be a later
alteration to the milk house. The opening has been cut into the wall without the
characteristic rowlock lintel, and the head of the window is lower than either the door in
the north wall or the window in the south wall. The exterior casings and sill are also of
simpler detailing, utilizing rough-cut 1x6 wood members with simple butt jointery. (Refer
to photo #M002, M004, M006, M020, M021, M025, M027 and M028) This window is covered
with chicken wire to the exterior.
Condition: Fair. As far as can be observed, the original wood windows appear to be
structurally sound and operational and are in fair condition.
The exterior wood window frames, sills and casings are weathered, but are generally intact
and remain structurally sound. One of the fixed sashes in the west window has been
damaged and is no longer in place. (Refer to photos #M028 and M031) Window putty is
generally in poorer condition. It could not be determined if the interior wood casings
remain.
The one operable south window does not have a screen, but there is no evidence that it
ever did.
Recommendations: All of the original wood sash windows and hardware should be
retained. These windows should be repaired where necessary, then scraped, prepped and
repainted. The OSB should be removed from the upper north and south windows, and the
windows repaired as may be necessary.
The exterior wood frames, sills and casings should also be scraped, prepped and repainted.
Glass panes should be reputtied where needed. All windows and frames should be
recaulked.
A new wood-framed screen could be added to the one operable inswinging casement
window, if the adaptive reuse dictates that this window will be opened and used. If not,
then a screen would not be required.
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Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
Exterior Door
The milk house contains only one door, located in the center of the north wall. It is a 2'-6"
x 6'-8" high, non-original residential quality half-lite door with single-pane glass. The lower
door panel is divided into two vertical panels. The upper glass lite is a true-divided lite in
a diamond pattern. (Refer to photos #M001, M008, M024 and M029)
The door is presently secured by a modern deadbolt lock. No door latching or locking
handle hardware remains, but the door stile retains a painted "ghost" of a decorative
escutcheon plate. (Refer to photo #M030)
The exterior casing is built out beyond the face of the brick, with evidence of where an
original screen door used to exist. The interior casing is 2-1/2" x 3/4" thick with a beaded
profile similar to the south window. (Refer to photos #M015 and M016)
Condition: Fair. While the entry door is not original to the milk house's construction, it
may be old enough to be considered historic in its own right, and is in generally good
condition.
Recommendations: Notwithstanding the previous statement, we recommend that the non-
original door be replaced with a door more in keeping with the building's period of original
construction, and one that might better fit the adaptive reuse for the building. If
photographic documentation exists, it should be used to guide this replacement. If not, a
4- or 5-panel rail and stile wood door would be appropriate to the age and architectural
style of the milk house. New door hardware should also reflect the building's era, with 5-
knuckle hinges and pointed finials similar to the original window hinges being appropriate.
The painted "ghost" escutcheon can also be used to guide an appropriate door plate style.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
3.16 Milk House Interior Finishes
The milk house contains only a single interior room. A small portion of the north wall
reveals that the brick walls were originally finished with plaster placed directly over the
brick. (Refer to photo #M024) Most of the walls are now covered in non-original composite
paneling in a dark walnut finish, with coordinating base and window/door trim pieces.
(Refer to photos #M025-M029)
The interior now has a lowered, flat plastered or gypsum wallboard ceiling, although it is
unlikely this is original to the construction unless the two upper windows in the gable end
walls were always concealed within an attic. The ceiling is lightly textured and painted.
(Refer to photo #040) The flooring is badly-worn carpeting over several slabs of sandstone.
The east wall contains what may be original built-in painted cabinet and shelving,
constructed of utilitarian wood plank construction. The northern half is enclosed with
beaded wood plank doors, while the south half remains open shelving. (Refer to photos
#M024 and M026)
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Condition: Fair to poor. The non-original paneling is in fair condition, but conceals most
of the original plaster finishes, so these cannot be assessed.
The non-original plaster or gypsum wallboard ceiling is intact and in fair condition, but
exhibits evidence of past moisture damage.
The carpeting is in very poor condition, badly worn and torn up at the door and not well
attached in other areas. The underlying sandstone floor slabs could not be assessed.
Recommendations: It is recommended that the non-original paneling be removed and the
plaster walls exposed for further assessment. If they remain intact, the plaster should be
repaired and repainted. Further field research should be done during the design phase of
any rehabilitation to determine if the original materials exist, and if they can be repaired.
Depending upon the intended adaptive reuse, insulating the walls may be necessary or
desirable, so the walls may need to be furred out, insulated and covered in gypsum
wallboard.
After the upper windows are uncovered and it can be determined whether they were
originally open to the interior room, a determination should be made as to whether or not
the ceiling should be removed.
If possible, the original built-ins should be retained and preserved. They may need to be
anchored to the walls during the excavation and relocation of the building.
Since the building is to be relocated, the existing sandstone floor slabs should be removed
and salvaged for reuse, then reinstalled as a part of the new foundation. Depending upon
the intended adaptive reuse, no further floor finishes may be needed, which would be the
preferrable solution in keeping with the utilitarian nature of the original building.
Applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards that will apply to this work include #5, 6
and 9. Original historic materials should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
3.17 Milk House Mechanical Systems
Milk House Heating and Ventilation
The only evidence of mechanical equipment in the milk house is a disconnected in-wall
unit heater and the remnants of natural gas piping that served it. (Refer to photos #M024
and M039) It is unlikely that this wall heater was original to the building, and the clay and
metal flue pipe described in Section 3.5 above suggest that the building was originally
heated by a wood- or coal-fired pot belly stove.
An "Empire" brand, unpainted galvanized sheet metal grill remains in place on the outside
face of the north wall, although it is not known what its function might have been. (Refer
to photos #M001, M008 and M011, and the description of this feature in Section 2.1 on page
10 of this report)
The remnants of gas piping run from the location of the wall heater down and out of the
building through the clay drainage pipe mentioned earlier. It terminates on the outside;
the gas meter or propane tank that served this heater no longer exists. (Refer to photo
#M012)
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Ventilation was originally achieved by merely opening the south window or the door.
Condition: Poor. The mechanical system that once existed was simple and functional, but
no longer exists.
Recommendations: Depending upon the nature of the adaptive reuse of the building, the
type, extent and sophistication of the mechanical system could vary widely. For purposes
of historic preservation and the accurate interpretation of the building, the simpler and
most basic of mechanical systems would be the most appropriate.
Plumbing
It appears that the milk house did not have any plumbing systems, other than the wash
down system mentioned above.
Condition: Not applicable.
Recommendations: It is recommended that the clay pipe sleeves through the brick walls
remain for interpretation of the building's history. They can be plugged on the interior and
insulated if desired.
3.18 Milk House Electrical Systems
The milk house was served by electrical power, and it is assumed that it was provided by
aerial service off of the main barn or possibly the house. Only remnants of that service
remain. A modern electrical meter box and disconnect were lying near the building.
These had been mounted on a wooden post, presumably adjacent to the building.
The interior of the building was illuminated by a single ceiling-mounted incandescent light
fixture, wired to a single-pole switch near the door, which is missing its cover plate.
(Refer to photos #M037, M038 and M040) One horizontal, surface-mounted electrical
duplex power outlet exists below the west window.
Condition: Not applicable. The electrical system is no longer in service.
Recommendations: The existing interior electrical system should be removed and the
building rewired after it is relocated, with the extent of service depending upon the
intended adaptive reuse of the building. Assuming a use that does not include public
access, no fire alarm or emergency lighting system is anticipated.
New exterior lighting fixtures should be designed and selected to be sympathetic with the
historic character of the milk house.
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4.0 Analysis and Compliance
4.1 Hazardous Materials
Inspection and testing for hazardous materials is outside the scope of this assessment.
Due to the age of the original milk house, the building may contain asbestos in the
underlying plaster, gypsum wallboard ceiling adhesives, or other hazardous materials.
Lead-based paint may be found on the exterior and interior window and door frames and
sashes, exterior wood fascias and trims, and the interior plastered walls.
Since the interior of the barn is unfinished and the exterior is heavily weathered, it is
unlikely that hazardous materials will be found in this building. However, the testing
consultant should make this determination for the owner.
Suspect materials should be tested for hazardous content prior to removal and should then
be disposed of appropriately. If any hazardous materials are subsequently discovered, they
may be managed in place if any damage is adequately repaired and the materials are in a
location(s) not subject to damage or abuse. Lead-based paint may be encapsulated by new
paint, if deemed appropriate by the testing and abatement consultant.
4.2 Building Code Compliance
The remaining buildings at the Coy-Hoffman Farm have been evaluated relative to the 2009
International Building Code (IBC), adopted and in use by the City of Fort Collins. The City
is anticipating adopting the 2012 family of I-codes in early 2014.
Due to the unknown nature of any adaptive reuse and the resulting rehabilitation
improvements, it cannot be determined at this time the level of compliance with current
building, fire and life safety codes standards. Application of applicable sections of the
International Existing Building Code (IEBC) can be used where these requirements allow
greater latitude than strict compliance with the IBC.
The barn has a net building area of approximately 1,716 sq. ft. on the main level and 1,996
sq. ft. on the upper hay loft level, for a total usable area of approximately 3,712 sq. ft.
The discrepancy between the areas on the two levels is due to the thickness of the stone
walls and the fact that the hay loft level wall framing is set slightly out from the stone
below. The milk house is approximately 108 net sq. ft.
While not constructed to any building code, the construction type for both the barn and
the milk house would probably be classified as Type V-B (non-rated, combustible
construction) per the 2009 IBC. This code should be consulted to determine the allowable
floor area for the anticipated adaptive reuse, and the requirement for a fully automatic
fire sprinkler system should be anticipated.
As historic buildings, the Coy-Hoffman barn and milk house would not need to strictly meet
all of the parameters of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), so this may
provide some leeway in how the weatherization and insulation of the barn is designed. We
would suggest that the owner discuss this issue with the local building official earlier in any
design phase.
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The most significant building code issue is the lack of adequate egress from the upper level
hayloft, particularly if some level of public use is anticipated for this space. This level
does not have any legal, code-compliant exits, and almost any reasonable use will require
two.
Based upon our conceptual level analysis, other building code deficiencies may exist in the
existing buildings and would need to be addressed as a part of any rehabilitation project,
including the lack of adequate insulation materials and thermal performance that do not
meet current State of Colorado model energy codes.
4.3 Zoning Code Compliance
The site is located within the city limits of Fort Collins and is zoned RC-River Corridor.
This is normally a fairly restrictive zoning classification, with uses geared toward
preservation of the river corridor and habitat. It is our understanding that the Woodward
site, with its multi-use "campus" approach, was granted a special "addition of a permitted
use" during the City's planning approval process. This allowed a number of additional uses
to be added to those normally allowed by right in the RC zone, including conference
centers and research facilities.
As the owner investigates potential adaptive reuses for the historic buildings, they are
encouraged to contact BHA Design Inc. for clarification of any of the permitted (or
excluded) uses.
4.4 Accessibility Compliance
The historic buildings at the Coy-Hoffman Farm are not currently handicapped accessible in
any way. Compliance with Chapter 11 of the IBC and general provisions of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that every “program” provided within a public building
be accessible to persons with disabilities. This does not necessarily mandate that access
be provided to all areas within a building, if a particular program can be provided within an
accessible area of the building or immediate site.
The main level of the barn is elevated somewhat above the surrounding grade at its
primary historic entrances, with no ramp to provide access into the entry. There is no
accessibility provided to the upper hay loft level, and it may be very difficult, both
structurally and historically, to attempt to make the upper level accessible.
While accessible restrooms and other facilities are more than likely planned in other
buildings within the Woodward campus, it is assumed that accessible restrooms,
kitchenette and other related amenities would be required within the barn if the adaptive
reuse is for a conference center or other public use.
The door accessing the milk house is only 2'-6" wide, 6" short of full accessibility
compliance. Since altering the width of this door would destroy historic materials and
would be considered invasive to the historical integrity of the building, it is recommended
that a maintenance-related adaptive reuse be found for this building that would continue
its historic utilitarian use, and avoid the need for interior access by the general public.
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4.5 Existing Materials Analysis
No detailed materials analysis has been done as a part of this assessment report or was
necessary. However, specific materials analyses should be undertaken during the design
phase of the preservation effort to ensure a successful project, to include:
Mortar analysis for repair and repointing of the original ashlar sandstone masonry.
Moisture testing for structural wood timbers or other members, if moisture
damage is uncovered during any restoration work.
Microscopic paint analysis, if an authentic restoration is pursued for any of the
buildings.
Testing and possible abatement for asbestos, lead-based paints or other hazardous
materials.
Further structural exploration and analysis is recommended during the design phase of any
restoration and adaptive reuse work, as referenced in Sections 3.2, 3.3 and 3.10.
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5.0 Preservation Plan
5.1 Prioritized Work
As described earlier, the remaining Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings are in good structural and
fair physical condition, with much of their contributing historic fabric intact.
The intent of the historic preservation efforts outlined in the HSA will be to rehabilitate
the interior of the barn and milk house to allow their continued use as compatible adaptive
reuses, while preserving the exterior character of each. Preservation efforts related to the
concrete silos are primarily focused on the structural stabilization of the structures.
The following priority levels are provided to demonstrate the severity of existing
deterioration and damage of all building and site elements. These ratings also pinpoint
which features need immediate attention before further damage occurs.
Critical Deficiency of an element exists where:
there is advanced deterioration which has resulted in the failure of the building
element or will result in the failure of the building element if not corrected within two
years, and/or;
there is accelerated deterioration of adjacent or related building materials as a result
of the element's deficiency, and/or;
there is a threat to the health and/or safety of the user, and/or;
there is a failure to meet a legislative (or building code) requirement.
Serious Deficiency of an element exists where:
there is deterioration which, if not corrected within 2-5 years, will result in the failure
of the building element, and/or;
a threat to the health and/or safety of the user may occur within 2-5 years if the
deterioration is not corrected, and/or;
there is deterioration of adjacent or related building materials and/or systems as a
result of the element's deficiency.
Minor Deficiency of an element exists where:
standard preventative maintenance practices and building conservation methods have
not been followed, and/or;
there is a reduced life expectancy of affected or related building materials and/or
systems, and/or;
there is a condition with long-term impact beyond five years.
Recommended rehabilitation improvements for the Coy-Hoffman Farm buildings are as
follows:
Critical Deficiency:
Ensure that grading that is a part of the redevelopment of the site adequately diverts
drainage away from the barn on all sides.
Placement of the new foundation for the relocated milk house should also provide
positive drainage away from the new foundations.
Landscaping improvements around the barn and milk house to create a "dry zone"
around the foundations.
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Structural analysis of the two silos, and implementation of any structural repairs
that may be determined from this analysis.
Serious Deficiency:
Repointing and repair of the sandstone walls and foundations of the barn.
Repointing and repair of the brick masonry walls of the milk house (after relocation).
Replacement of broken or missing shingles on the barn with new taper-sawn Cedar
shingles and ridge shingles.
Reroofing of the milk house with new taper-sawn Cedar shingles installed over a single-
ply roofing underlayment.
Repair and/or replacement of broken or missing wood plank siding boards on the barn.
Repair and rehabilitation of the wood boxed eaves and fascias of the milk house.
Rehabilitation of the original wood barn windows, including sashes and frames, new
putty and caulking of perimeter joints to the stone walls and wood siding.
Rehabilitation of the original wood barn doors, including frames and casings, fixing the
doors in an "open" position, and caulking of perimeter joints to the stone walls. If the
doors are fixed open, the original openings would then need to be infilled with
aluminum storefront framing, doors and glazing, or some other modern material.
Depending upon the selected adaptive reuse, weatherization of the hayloft level, and
installation of insulation in the walls and roof of the barn. Several methods may be
available to accomplish this work, but the choice should retain the exterior
appearance to the greatest extent possible.
Depending upon the selected adaptive reuse, new construction and interior remodeling
to provide two means of egress from the upper level hayloft of the barn, as well as the
possible construction of an elevator for public access to the hayloft.
Environmental clean-up to remove bat, pigeon and rodent waste.
Minor Deficiency:
Removal of the elm tree growing within the eastern silo.
Rehabilitation of the original wood milk house windows, including sashes and frames,
new putty and caulking of perimeter joints to the brick masonry walls.
Replacement of the non-original milk house door with a new rail-and-stile wood door
and hardware.
Installation of some type of attic ventilation in the milk house.
5.2 Phasing Plan
Due to the scope of the prioritized preservation improvements needed, the project may be
divided into two (or more) construction phases, if desired.
Phase 1: Phase 1 includes all of the “Critical” and “Serious” work items. Depending
upon the selected adaptive reuse, the work necessary to address building code
compliance should also be part of Phase 1 work.
Phase 2: Phase 2 could include all of the work identified as “Minor”, including energy
efficiency enhancements not mandated by code compliance for the selected adaptive
reuse.
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5.3 Estimated Construction Costs
The following conceptual estimates of probable construction cost are made without the benefit of any
design or engineering related to the prioritized work. The Owner is advised to seek additional cost
verification prior to using this information as the basis for any future grant applications or fund raising
endeavors.
Construction costs itemized below are only those costs associated with the rehabilitation or preservation of
the historic buildings. Costs associated with the adaptive reuse or tenant finish of the spaces are not
included.
Phase 1 Preservation/Rehabilitation Construction:
Construction of a new milk house foundation and relocation of the
milk house:
Planned separately or
already completed
Regrading of the site immediately around all sides of the barn to
divert drainage away from the building:
Part of redevelopment
scope
Extension of site utilities to the barn and milk house: Not included
Landscape mulch with edging to create "dry zone" around the
perimeters of both the barn and milk house (Allowance): $ 8,000.00
Replacement of missing or damaged taper-sawn Cedar shingles on the
barn (Allowance): $ 2,500.00
Construction of roof structures on the silos: Not included
Reroofing of the milk house with new taper-sawn Cedar shingles over
single-ply membrane underlayment: $ 4,800.00
Repointing of the sandstone walls and foundations of the barn
(Allowance): $ 35,000.00
Repointing of the brick masonry walls of the milk house (Allowance): $ 7,500.00
Repair and/or replacement of broken or missing wood siding, casings
and trims of the barn (Allowance): $ 5,000.00
Rehabilitation of the original wood windows, sashes and frames at
the barn, new putty and caulking of perimeter joints: $ 2,000.00
Rehabilitation of the original wood barn doors, and fix in "open"
position: $ 4,500.00
Weatherization of the hayloft level, and insulation of the walls and
roof of the barn (Allowance): $ 25,000.00
Rehabilitation of wood fascias and boxed eaves of the milk house: $ 1,200.00
New construction to provide two means of egress from the upper
level hayloft of the barn: Not included
New construction to add an elevator to the hayloft level of the barn: Not included
New aluminum storefront framing, glass and doors to infill openings:
Not included
New plumbing fixtures and piping in the barn: Not included
New fire sprinkler system in the barn: Not included
New mechanical HVAC system in the barn: Not included
New electrical power and lighting systems in the barn: Not included
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New emergency lighting, exit signage and fire alarm systems in the
barn: Not included
New A/V, security, WiFi or other specialty systems in the barn: Not included
Subtotal Phase 1 Preservation/Rehabilitation Construction Cost: $ 95,500.00
General Conditions (10%): $ 9,550.00
Contractor Overhead & Profit/Bonds/Insurance (8%): $ 7,650.00
Total Phase 1 Preservation/Rehabilitation Construction Cost: $ 112,700.00
A/E Design Fees (12%): $ 13,525.00
Forensic Structural Inspection/Evaluation for Silos (Allowance): $ 10,000.00
Reimbursable Expense Allowance: $ 5,000.00
Topographic Surveying Allowance: Already completed
City of Fort Collins Building Permit/Development Fees: Not included
Hazardous Materials Testing/Abatement Allowance: $ 5,000.00
Environmental Clean-up (Bat/Pigeon/Rodent) Allowance: $ 2,000.00
Miscellaneous Materials Analysis and Testing Allowance: $ 10,000.00
Archaeological Monitoring Allowance: $ 2,500.00
Design Contingency (3%): $ 3,375.00
Project Contingency (15%): $ 16,900.00
Total Phase 1 Estimated Project Cost*: $ 181,000.00
Phase 2 - Preservation/Rehabilitation Construction:
Removal of the Elm tree growing within the eastern silo: $ 1,000.00
Rehabilitation of the original wood windows, sashes and frames at
the milk house, new putty and caulking of perimeter joints: $ 1,600.00
Replace non-original entry door of the milk house with more
historically-appropriate wood door and hardware: $ 1,800.00
Installation of attic ventilation in the milk house: $ 600.00
Subtotal Phase 2 Preservation/Rehabilitation Construction Cost: $ 5,000.00
General Conditions (10%): $ 500.00
Contractor Overhead & Profit/Bonds/Insurance (8%): $ 400.00
Total Phase 2 Preservation/Rehabilitation Construction Cost: $ 5,900.00
A/E Design Fees (12%): $ 700.00
Reimbursable Expense Allowance: $ 2,000.00
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City of Fort Collins Building Permit/Development Fees: Not included
Design Contingency (3%): $ 175.00
Project Contingency (15%): $ 875.00
Total Phase 2 Estimated Project Cost*: $ 9,650.00
Total Phase 1 Project Cost: $ 181,000.00
Total Phase 2 Project Cost: $ 9,650.00
TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS (ALL PHASES)*: $ 190,650.00
* Add 6% - 8% per year for construction escalation.
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Technical Literature References
Ahlbrandt, Arlene. “A Storehouse of History.” Fort Collins Forum, 14 August 2003, p. 14.
Ahlbrandt, Arlene. “Barn at Lincoln and Lemay to Remain on Golf Course.” Fort Collins Coloradoan, 16
August 1991, p. C1.
“Barn at Lincoln and Lemay to Remain on Golf Course,” Fort Collins Coloradoan, 16 August 1991, p. C1.
Clark, Francis. Early Sawmills in Larimer County. Fort Collins, CO: Clark Associates, 1992.
Colorado Cultural Resource Survey, Site Reevaluation Form, Coy-Hoffman Barn (Site #5LR1568), 10 October
2000. Prepared by L. H. Bambrey, Greystone Environmental Services Inc.
Colorado State Register of Historic Properties Nomination, Coy-Hoffman Farm (5LR.1568). Prepared by
Carol Tunner, Fort Collins Historical Society, 14 February 1995.
Grimmer, Anne E. Keeping it Clean: Removing Exterior Dirt, Paint, Stains & Graffiti from Historic Masonry
Buildings. Washington, DC: US Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, 1988.
“Historic Barn Still Standing – Barely,” The Coloradoan, 18 May 1997.
Historic Building Inventory Record, Coy-Hoffman Barn, Fort Collins Survey of Historic Places, June 1992.
Prepared by Thomas and Laurie Simmons, Front Range Research Associates.
Jessen, Kenneth, “Coys Stayed in Area for the Winter and Beyond,” Loveland Reporter Herald, 13 February
2012. Accessed online at reporterherald.com.
“Local Structures Win State Funding,” Fort Collins Coloradoan, 12 August 1994, p. C2.
Photographs of the Buildings on the Coy-Hoffman Farm. City of Fort Collins, Planning Department, Historic
Preservation Program Files, July 1991.
“State Historical Fund Grant Application, Coy-Hoffman Barn, Building Restoration.” Center for the
Stabilization and Reuse of Important Structures, Colorado State University, Department of Industrial
Sciences, 28 February 1995.
Stone, Wilbur Fisk. History of Colorado. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1918.
Vlach, John Michael. Barns. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003.
Watrous, Ansel. History of Larimer County, Colorado. Fort Collins, CO: Courier Publishing Co., 1911.
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating
Historic Buildings. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Cultural
Resources Preservation Assistance Division, 1992. Preservation Briefs that may apply include:
Preservation Brief #1, The Cleaning and Waterproof Coating of Masonry Buildings
Preservation Brief #2, Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Brick Buildings
Preservation Brief #3, Conserving Energy in Historic Buildings
Preservation Brief #4, Roofing for Historic Buildings
Preservation Brief #9, The Repair of Historic Wood Windows
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 53
Preservation Brief #17, Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic
Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character
Preservation Brief #20, The Preservation of Historic Barns
Preservation Brief #24, Heating, Ventilating & Cooling Historic Buildings
Preservation Brief #32, Making Historic Properties Accessible
Preservation Brief #35, Understanding Old Buildings
Preservation Brief #36, Protecting Cultural Landscapes
Preservation Brief #43, The Preparation and Use of Historic Structure Reports
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 54
Terms and Definitions
Definitions of the following terms used in this Historic Structure Assessment report are provided to
assist the readers of this report:
Character-defining Feature: A prominent or distinctive aspect, quality or characteristic of an
historic property that contributes significantly to its physical character. Structures, elements,
objects, vegetation, spatial relationships, views, furnishings and decorative details and
materials may be such features.
Element: An element may be an architectural feature, structural component, engineering
system or a functional requirement.
In-kind: In the same manner, with the same material, or with something equal in substance
creating a similar or identical appearance or effect.
Material: The physical elements that were combined or deposited to form a property. Historic
material or historic fabric is that from an historically significant period, as opposed to material
used to maintain or restore a property following its historic period(s).
Period of Significance: The general era or length of time when a property was associated with
important events, activities or persons.
Preservation: Preservation is defined as the act or process of applying measures necessary to
sustain the existing form, integrity and materials of an historic property. Work, including
preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing
maintenance and repair of historic materials and features, rather than extensive replacement
and new construction. New exterior additions are not within the scope of this treatment;
however, the limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a
preservation project.
Reconstruction: Reconstruction is defined as the act or process of depicting, by means of new
construction, the form, features and detailing of a non-surviving site, landscape, building,
structure or object for the purpose of replicating its appearance at a specific period of time
and in its historic location.
Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation is defined as the act or process of making possible a compatible
use for a property through repair, alterations and additions while preserving those portions or
features which convey its historical, cultural or architectural values.
Restoration: Restoration is defined as the act or process of accurately depicting the form,
features and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of
removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features
from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical and
plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate
within a restoration project.
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Historic Structure Assessment Page 55
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards, developed by the National Park Service, form the basis for the
recommendations included in this Historic Structure Assessment report, as well as review of future
rehabilitation, restoration or preservation projects by the State Historical Fund.
1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal
change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic
materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use. Changes that
create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or
architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in
their own right shall be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that
characterize a property shall be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of
deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the
old in design, color, texture and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials.
Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical or pictorial
evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials
shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using
the gentlest means possible.
8. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If
such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations or related new construction shall not destroy historic
materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old
and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale and architectural features to protect the
historic integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner
that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its
environment would be unimpaired.
Fort Collins Data Access: Results
2015 & 2016 Wind Date CSU
Colorado State University Home Page <http://www.colostate.edu/>
Hourly Observations
Date Time Temp RH Dew Wind Dir Gust Dir Press Solar Prec
Pt
MST °F % °F mph ° mph ° mb W/m^2 In
01-16-2015 20:00 53.1 17.6 10.2 4.6 290 24.3 273 841.20 0.0 0.00
01-16-2015 21:00 52.0 20.0 12.2 6.8 243 22.5 264 840.77 0.0 0.00
01-16-2015 22:00 52.3 20.4 12.8 7.7 297 30.2 289 840.87 0.0 0.00
01-16-2015 23:00 50.9 24.4 15.7 17.0 279 38.0 301 842.00 0.0 0.00
01-17-2015 00:00 48.6 30.0 18.6 10.7 272 28.6 302 843.97 0.0 0.00
12-08-2015 06:00 53.1 32.3 24.2 9.2 298 35.3 292 842.27 0.0 0.00
12-08-2015 09:00 54.6 30.9 24.4 8.4 296 31.9 279 844.16 156.6 0.00
12-15-2015 21:00 26.9 47.3 9.4 6.7 318 28.2 302 836.57 0.0 0.00
12-24-2015 01:00 27.3 37.0 4.5 12.8 261 31.6 256 832.85 0.0 0.00
01-14-2016 05:00 35.8 33.5 9.8 4.6 306 22.1 333 836.46 0.0 0.00
01-14-2016 06:00 42.6 22.7 7.1 9.9 291 29.0 305 836.27 0.0 0.00
01-14-2016 07:00 40.7 25.1 7.7 6.3 295 22.1 282 836.77 0.0 0.00
01-14-2016 08:00 39.3 27.6 8.6 7.3 273 18.5 244 837.11 11.0 0.00
01-14-2016 09:00 40.7 27.4 9.6 10.9 267 26.9 287 836.45 149.8 0.00
01-14-2016 10:00 42.7 26.3 10.5 10.6 281 32.4 289 836.81 315.3 0.00
01-14-2016 11:00 43.1 27.7 12.0 11.7 270 26.2 243 835.90 442.8 0.00
01-14-2016 12:00 43.9 27.1 12.1 11.7 291 29.9 282 834.99 512.3 0.00
01-14-2016 13:00 44.3 26.8 12.2 15.2 282 32.5 266 832.60 525.9 0.00
01-14-2016 14:00 44.6 26.2 12.0 14.3 282 32.9 285 832.37 477.5 0.00
Date Time Temp RH Dew Wind Dir Gust Dir Press Solar Prec
Pt
MST °F % °F mph ° mph ° mb W/m^2 In
01-14-2016 15:00 44.6 26.0 11.8 12.0 287 30.4 293 833.00 368.5 0.00
01-19-2016 03:00 36.8 73.0 29.0 10.0 14 25.9 349 846.16 0.0 0.00
01-29-2016 06:00 48.4 26.3 15.3 7.9 290 26.2 285 838.81 0.0 0.00
01-29-2016 07:00 48.9 29.7 18.6 10.6 280 29.8 292 839.49 0.0 0.00
01-29-2016 08:00 48.5 31.0 19.2 9.5 267 37.1 260 840.13 9.8 0.00
01-29-2016 09:00 48.2 30.8 18.8 7.4 279 22.4 309 841.04 60.7 0.00
02-07-2016 11:00 30.9 61.5 19.2 14.0 197 26.5 196 854.36 530.8 0.00
02-07-2016 12:00 31.6 63.1 20.5 14.7 196 23.5 195 854.63 565.3 0.00
02-07-2016 13:00 32.8 62.6 21.4 13.5 187 21.4 189 854.10 600.0 0.00
02-07-2016 14:00 33.1 63.5 22.1 11.8 174 21.1 169 853.51 509.2 0.00
02-13-2016 15:00 58.5 26.4 24.1 9.2 244 27.8 267 843.70 539.9 0.00
02-13-2016 16:00 60.6 15.5 13.4 11.6 273 29.2 297 843.70 319.4 0.00
02-13-2016 17:00 58.6 17.3 14.3 15.1 262 33.5 303 842.30 70.7 0.00
02-13-2016 18:00 56.6 17.2 12.6 8.2 258 26.5 243 842.11 6.1 0.00
02-14-2016 14:00 50.5 29.1 19.6 7.4 268 27.7 243 840.68 178.4 0.00
02-14-2016 15:00 52.3 27.0 19.3 8.7 278 24.5 263 840.86 339.9 0.00
02-14-2016 16:00 51.4 27.0 18.5 8.7 302 31.7 282 840.34 184.2 0.00
02-14-2016 17:00 50.1 28.4 18.6 7.6 310 25.8 334 840.61 80.2 0.00
02-14-2016 18:00 48.7 30.6 19.1 7.2 298 23.0 289 841.54 5.6 0.00
02-14-2016 19:00 48.2 30.7 18.7 7.7 296 27.4 223 842.71 0.0 0.00
02-14-2016 20:00 44.6 46.6 25.4 8.0 334 25.9 349 844.44 0.0 0.00
02-15-2016 17:00 55.0 32.6 26.1 8.2 295 28.3 288 837.56 59.0 0.00
Date Time Temp RH Dew Wind Dir Gust Dir Press Solar Prec
Pt
MST °F % °F mph ° mph ° mb W/m^2 In
02-15-2016 18:00 53.2 35.6 26.7 9.0 295 29.1 294 838.25 6.9 0.00
02-15-2016 19:00 52.7 36.1 26.5 7.5 290 27.1 286 839.07 0.0 0.00
02-15-2016 20:00 52.4 36.0 26.2 8.2 281 24.5 293 840.10 0.0 0.00
02-15-2016 21:00 52.6 34.6 25.4 9.3 295 28.2 296 840.63 0.0 0.00
02-15-2016 22:00 52.4 34.5 25.2 9.5 306 36.3 300 841.39 0.0 0.00
02-15-2016 23:00 52.0 35.6 25.6 9.5 300 27.7 282 842.10 0.0 0.00
02-16-2016 00:00 51.6 36.5 25.9 7.1 319 23.8 297 843.11 0.0 0.00
02-18-2016 18:00 65.5 17.2 19.7 7.8 234 26.0 188 829.63 8.9 0.00
02-18-2016 19:00 59.3 31.7 29.2 11.2 270 34.2 304 832.49 0.1 0.00
02-18-2016 20:00 47.2 43.3 26.0 12.1 292 34.6 305 836.74 0.0 0.00
02-18-2016 21:00 45.1 41.6 23.1 14.1 278 29.7 287 837.85 0.0 0.00
02-18-2016 22:00 44.0 42.4 22.6 12.0 282 28.2 309 839.81 0.0 0.00
02-18-2016 23:00 44.4 32.9 17.1 15.2 285 33.2 300 840.53 0.0 0.00
02-19-2016 00:00 44.0 28.5 13.4 16.1 285 36.7 304 840.91 0.0 0.00
02-19-2016 01:00 44.7 21.1 7.2 15.1 280 35.7 247 840.83 0.0 0.00
02-19-2016 02:00 45.5 16.5 2.6 14.7 271 37.5 257 841.50 0.0 0.00
02-19-2016 03:00 46.0 14.5 0.2 11.2 282 32.2 274 841.87 0.0 0.00
02-19-2016 04:00 45.6 14.9 0.5 7.0 274 21.0 322 842.56 0.0 0.00
02-19-2016 05:00 44.6 17.6 3.2 8.4 295 31.4 290 843.45 0.0 0.00
Summary of CommitmentS by WoodWard inC
to ProteCt and PreServe the Coy SiloS
Woodward Inc. has committed to protect and restore the silos for four years.
Below are excerpts of key land use documents, minutes of neighborhood meet-
ings, and images of sections of development plans that show Woodward com-
mitted to saving the silos from 2012 through October 2015. These commitments
were made both in formal city adopted land use plans and submittals and in
public meetings. The public and city staff and City Council relied on these sub-
mittals in believing the Coy Silos will remain and be repaired. The city should
mandate that these commitments be met.
1. february 15, 2012
Item:”Description of need for Modification of Standard: The site plan has been
developed to both restore and highlight two key features of the site, the Cache
la Poudre River and the Coy/Hoffman barn complex.”
“3) 3.4.7 Historic and Cultural Resources:
The Coy/Hoffman barn, silos, and milk house are designated on the Colorado
State Register of Historic Properties. The barn and silos will remain, and the
milk house is proposed to be moved to a new location approximately 30 feet
north of the barn. The applicant has worked closely with Historic Preservation
staff to preserve and integrate the historic buildings into the new development
and has presented the project to the Landmark Preservation Commission
(L.P.C.). The plan as proposed has received full support by the L.P.C.”
Reference: Link’n’Greens Project Development Plan, PDP #130001, Modifi-
cation of Standard to Section 4.20(D)(3)(a)(1) and Modification of Standard to
Section 4.20(D)(3)(a)(2)
2. august 20, 2012
Item: Applicant’s Presentation/Neighborhood Meeting
“Q: Will the farmstead be protected permanently?
R: Yes.
Q: Saving the farm–does that include all of the historic structures that are reg-
istered?
R: All of the historic structures will be preserved.
Q: (Carol Tunner) worked to preserve the barn on the site; I like the idea of
Woodward Governor; I think they will be good stewards of the ground; I just
want to be sure that everyone understands the significance of the site. This is
the cradle of Fort Collins.”
Reference: Link’n’Greens Overall Development Plan, Neighborhood Meeting
Comments
3. September 13, 2012
Item: Section 3m: 4. 7 Historic and Cultural Resources. This standard requires
that the development plan protect and enhance the historical and architectural
value of any historic property that is preserved and adaptively reused on the
development site. As noted, the Coy/Hoffman Barn, which was designated on
the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties in 1995, is within the boundary
of this O.D.P.
“The O.D.P. acknowledges that the Coy/Hoffman farm buildings will re-
main. Future development will be further evaluated for compliance with sub-
sequent project development plans.”
Reference: Link’n’Greens Overall Development Plan, #ODP 120002
4. September 27, 2012
Item: Note” HISTORIC FARM BUILDINGS TO REMAIN” pointing to farm
Reference: Link’n’Greens Overall Development Plan
5. november 7, 2012
Item: Neighborhood Meeting
“Q: Is there any adaptive reuse considered for the historic buildings?
A: Not sure if they can be re-used, still evaluating. Definitely will be pre-
served. Worked with Carol Turner and smaller subset of things important along
the river.”
Reference: Link’n’Greens Project Development Plan, Neighborhood Meeting
6. January 4, 2013
Item: Agreement to designate Barn complex (barn, silos and milk house) as a
local historical landmark.
Reference: Conceptual Plan Review, page 10
7. January 14, 2013
Item: Statement of Planning Objectives
“Woodward, Allen Ginsborg and the design team has worked closely with
the neighbors, stakeholders, and city staff to develop a comprehensive and long
term development plan for the site.”
“The PDP helps to achieve the following Area Objectives for the Lincoln Tri-
angle:
• Showcase Heritage
• Create opportunities to integrate and showcase the area’s rich history and
culture through transportation and other public improvements.
• The existing historic Coy Hoffman barn and silos on the Link’n’Greens
site are being retained and have been integrated into the redevelopment plans
as a key feature of the planned campus. The barn complex is listed on the Col-
orado State Register of Historic Properties. The Poudre Trail is planned to be re-
located through the project area to allow for additional public views and direct
connections to this historic resource.”
Reference: Link’n’Greens Project Development Plan
8. January 14, 2013
Item: “These facilities have been designed as a collection of buildings with
deliberate adjacencies and both functional and operational connectivity. The site
master plan has been developed collaboratively with input from city staff from
various departments. The plan has been developed to best meet the needs for
Woodward’s continued operational success, but also with awareness of the
unique characteristics and opportunities of the site. The site plan has been de-
veloped to both restore and highlight two key features of the site, the Cache
la Poudre River and the Coy-Hoffman barn complex.”
Item: “The site plan locates the office buildings and office areas of the indus-
trial buildings adjacent to these key features to make them an integral part of
the pedestrian-oriented outdoor spaces and walkways planned for the campus.
Reference: Request for Modification of Standard 4.20(D)(3)(a)(2) – COMMU-
NITY COMMERCIAL POUDRE RIVER DISTRICT (CCR), Parking Lots,
Link’n’Greens Project Development Plan
9. January 14, 2013
Item:”These facilities have been designed as a collection of buildings with de-
liberate adjacencies and both functional and operational connectivity. The site
master plan has been developed collaboratively with input from city staff from
various departments. The plan has been developed to best meet the needs for
Woodward’s continued operational success, but also with awareness of the
unique characteristics and opportunities of the site. The site plan has been de-
veloped to both restore and highlight two key features of the site, the Cache la
Poudre River and the Coy-Hoffman barn complex .”
“Showcase Heritage: The Coy/Hoffman Barn will be maintained as a part
of the project preserving a link to the history of the area.”
“The land is currently used as the Link’n’Greens golf course which has been
in operation since 1986. The property contains a barn, silos and outbuildings
known as the Coy/Hoffman Barn, which were designated on the Colorado State
Register of Historic Properties in 1995. The barn is associated with the earliest
development of agriculture in the area, having been built during the 1860s as
part of a homestead. Woodward has expressed an interest in working with the
City in recognizing the historic importance of the downtown river corridor. Al-
though there are no specific plans to date, they have indicated an interest in
participating in some manner in recognizing the Coy Barn and other historic
features. As part of the development the barn will be renovated. A specific use
has not been identified, although, in order to protect the structure, it may not be
open to the general public.”
Reference: Request for Modification of Standard 4.20(D)(3)(a)(2) – COMMU-
NITY COMMERCIAL POUDRE RIVER DISTRICT (CCR), Parking Lots,
Link’n’Greens Project Development Plan
10. march 26, 2013
Item: Quote from City Council Agenda Item Summary, Attachment 1, pp. 1-2
“Showcase Heritage: The Coy/Hoffman Barn will be maintained as a part of
the project preserving a link to the history of the area.”
“The land is currently used as the Link’n’Greens golf course which has been
in operation since 1986. The property contains a barn, silos and outbuildings
known as the Coy/Hoffman Barn, which were designated on the Colorado State
Register of Historic Properties in 1995. The barn is associated with the earliest
development of agriculture in the area, having been built during the 1860s as
part of a homestead. Woodward has expressed an interest in working with the
City in recognizing the historic importance of the downtown river corridor. Al-
though there are no specific plans to date, they have indicated an interest in
participating in some manner in recognizing the Coy Barn and other historic
features. As part of the development the barn will be renovated. A specific use
has not been identified, although, in order to protect the structure, it may not be
open to the general public.”
Reference: March 26th 2013, City Council Agenda Items Relating to an Agree-
ment Between the City of Fort Collins, the Fort Collins Downtown Development
Authority, and Woodward Inc. to Provide Business Investment Assistance for
the Relocation and Construction of the Company’s Headquarters, and Expand-
ing its Manufacturing and Office Facilities
11. march 3, 2014
Item: In Progress Review: ”Looking West from Northern Lemay Ave. Entrance”
Reference: In Progress Review, Phase One, Exterior Perspectives: Page 5 of 15
Item: In Progress Review: ”Looking Northwest Toward Building Entry”
Reference: In Progress Review, Phase One, Exterior Perspectives: Page 7 of 15
12. april 2, 2014
Item: Site Plan Detail: ”COY/HOFFMAN BARN & SILOs TO REMAIN &
BE PROTECTED”
Reference: Site Plans, final plan, phase one, 04.02.2014 - Sheet S6 of 8:
13. July 17, 2014
Item: Final Plan Detail - Note ”SILOS TO REMAIN”
Reference: Site Plan, Project Development Plan
From: Neal Spencer [mailto:neal@usa.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2016 3:29 PM
To: Mike Gebo
Subject: Coy Silo Letter for 3/7
Dear Mike,
The Coy Barn Historic District, which includes the barn, two silos, and the milk house, is one of the most
important surviving pioneer farmsteads in Fort Collins and Colorado, according to History Colorado. It
was added in 1995 to the State Register of Historic Properties. John and Emily Coy’s significance to early
Fort Collins history cannot be overstated. They settled at the site in 1862. John built the ring silo in
1912 and the vertical stave silo was built by his son shortly after John’s death in 1913. Demolishing the
silos may result in de-listing of the farm from the Colorado State Register - a black eye for a city that
claims to honor its heritage. Fort Collins was designated a Preserve America community in May 2007 for
it’s commitment to historic preservation.
While Woodward received over $23.6 million in taxpayer assistance to remain in Fort Collins, they also
have repeatedly promised in neighborhood meetings, and on its approved development plans, that the
silos, barn, and milk house will be protected and preserved.
Structural engineers hired by both Woodward and the City agree, the silos should be stabilized or
further damage will occur. Woodward’s engineers’ also stated in written reports that the silos can be
repaired. Concrete silos are not that expensive to repair and restore. A similar silo in Westminster was
restored for under $100,000. Grants paid for most of the cost. Grants to repair and restore the Coy silos
are also available to Woodward. In the three years the company has owned the property, they have
taken no action to stabilize or repair the silos, even though they promised to “protect and preserve”
them and Fort Collins codes require it. The silos, once restored, will be beautiful, and continue to be
one of the city’s most iconic images of our agricultural heritage.
Corporations such as Woodward should be stewards of historic properties in Fort Collins because they
have the resources to do so, in part, thanks to taxpayers.
Neal Spencer,
Bellvue, CO
From: Mary Humstone [mailto:humstone@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 29, 2016 12:45 PM
To: Mike Gebo
Subject: Comments re Coy-Hoffman Farm silo issue for March 7, 2016 BRB meeting
February 29, 2016
Fort Collins Building Review Board
c/o Mr. Mike Gebo, Chief Building Official
City of Fort Collins
By email
Dear Mr. Gebo and Members of the Building Review Board:
I am writing in reference to the upcoming March 7 hearing regarding the proposed demolition by
Woodward Inc. of the two silos on the Coy-Hoffman Farm property. My comments are based on
the engineering reports, the January 19, 2016 city council meeting at which this issue was
remanded to the Building Review Board, and my own experience in overseeing and recording
the rehabilitation of hundreds of farm buildings, including silos, as founder and director of the
BARN AGAIN! Program, a national program to preserve historic farm buildings developed and
managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Successful Farming magazine.
As I understand it, the main question before the Building Review Board is whether the silos are
in imminent danger of collapse. There are several points I would like to make:
1. If, in the three years since the company purchased the property, Woodward had
maintained and repaired the silos as required by law, this issue would be moot.
Woodward is guilty of demolition by neglect, and should not be allowed to get away with
flaunting the laws and policies of this city, especially since the silos can be stabilized.
2. All three engineering reports state that the silos can be stabilized, and one provides
information about how this can be done. Woodward is even eligible for a grant from the
State Historical Fund to help pay for this. With the money spent on attorneys to fight for
demolition of the silos, Woodward could already have paid to have them stabilized.
3. The silos should not be subjected to more rigorous standards for wind resistance and
other factors than any other building in Fort Collins, as suggested by some council
members at the city council meeting on January 19, at which this issue was remanded to
the BRB.
I am sending these comments by email since I am out of town and will not be able to attend the
meeting in person. Please consider these points in your deliberations on the fate of the silos on
March 7, 2016.
Sincerely,
Mary Humstone
4420 Bingham Hill Rd
Fort Collins, CO 80521
Humstone@gmail.com
From: L. Ashbach [mailto:samaia@earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2016 4:25 PM
To: Mike Gebo
Subject: Comments for 3/7 BRB packet
March 2, 2016
Transmitted via email to Building Review Board Members
℅ Staff Contact, Mike Gebo, mgebo@fcgov.com for inclusion in packet for March 9, 2016
meeting
Dear BRB members,
At the time that John and Emily Coy claimed their farmstead along the Poudre River, the region
was no more than a dozen scattered settlers, living among the Arapahoe Indians and wild
animals that inhabited the land. As the family’s fortunes improved over the decades, a cabin
along the river was replaced by several buildings and farm structures, of which, the barn, two
silos, and milk house remain. The Coy-Hoffman silos are under threat of demolition by
Woodward despite having stood for over 100 years, with much neglect in the past few decades
despite City codes that should have protected and stabilized the silos.
The silos are of the utmost importance to the preservation of Fort Collins pioneer agricultural
heritage and should not be demolished by Woodward. We urge the Building Review Board to
hold Woodward to same standard of care as any other property owner, despite political
influence which might greatly exceed that of a typical citizen.
Three qualified, northern Colorado registered engineers were retained to provide outside
engineering representation, which they all did, competently and well. All determined that the
silos could and should be stabilized. One even provides the steps to do so. Certainty is a
fallacy in this situation and cannot be obtained. What is likely, is that if Woodward is allowed to
continue to neglect the maintenance and care of these historic structures, on-going deterioration
will occur. Mr Gebo rendered qualified, superior service to the City in his evaluation of the
relevant issues. Mr Gebo’s September 18, 2015 notice to Woodward that they, as owners of the
Coy-Hoffman silos, have an obligation to stabilize and repair the silos since they are
“dangerous”, but not “imminently dangerous”, was met with Woodward’s response in the form of
an appeal because they want to demolish instead. This, despite years of representations and
assurances that the Coy-Hoffman farm would be preserved.
Passing judgement on complex technical matters is not an easy task, and thus it is even more
important that there be robust inquiry and qualified personnel to assist. Particularly in this
instance where taxpayers have provided generous support to a large business, it is vital that the
many promises regarding the protection and restoration of the silos at the Coy-Hoffman farm be
kept.
Thank you for your review of these comments, and your service on the Building Review Board.
Sincerely;
Lisa Ashbach
Member
From: "ERIC" <ericfried@comcast.net>
To: mgebo@fcgov.com, loslon@fcgov.com
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2016 10:09:55 PM
Subject: Comments for Building Review Board on March 7th
Re: Remand of Decision on Woodward Request to Demolish Coy Silos Back to Building
Review Board
To: Michael Gebo, Chief Building Official, City of Fort Collins
Building Review Board, City of Fort Collins
From: Eric Fried, 4255 Kingsbury Dr., Fort Collins CO 80525
I am commenting as a concerned resident, taxpayer, and voter of the City of Fort Collins, who
also has over 20 years of increasingly responsible professional experience as a code
administrator for local government. I am not in any sense speaking on behalf of the
governmental entity for which I am employed, so I am not identifying them here. Some of you
may know my current position.
I want to commend the Building Official and the Building Review Board on what was a very
measured, fair, unbiased and accurate technical designation of these silos as dangerous but not
imminently dangerous. I am disturbed by what seems to be an attempt by Woodward to
pressure this Board to come to a technical decision that is not warranted by the facts, in order to
achieve Woodward’s desired outcome, rather than engage the broader issues within the
appropriate venue, which is the city’s historical review process. Woodward’s effort borders on
bullying, in my opinion.
As I read the voluminous file, neither the engineering firm originally hired by Woodward, nor the
two other engineering firms involved, nor the city's Chief Building Official, nor the Building
Review Board find the silos to be an imminent danger. Deteriorating, yes. Imminently
dangerous, no.
As you know, the 2012 International Building Code classifies agricultural buildings as Risk
Category I, homes and most buildings as Risk Category II, assembly buildings that can hold
more than 300 people in one space as Category III, and essential public facilities (fire and
police, departments, etc) as Category IV. Since the barn is to be repurposed for assembly uses,
the silos were included with the barn and assigned a risk category III for future use, not current
use. A category I structure uses a 300 year return period. A Category II building uses a 700
year return period. A Category III/IV building uses a 1,700 year return period.
The longer the return period, the more likely the design wind event (100 mph Nominal Design
Wind Speed per local Fort Collins Code, roughly 130 mph Ultimate Design Wind Speed) will
occur during the time period.
JVA’s best estimate is that the silos might catastrophically collapse in a 130 mph wind event,
which statistically can be expected once every few hundred years.
Wayne Timura of NL Development says "my view is that a tornado or code condition wind could
happen at any time thus imminent." They COULD happen, but the odds are less than 1 in 1,000
of that occurring. For a 300-year recurrence interval, the odds in any one year are .00333. For a
700-year recurrence interval, the odds are .00143. For a 1700-year recurrence interval, the
odds are .00059. That's why Paul Bennett noted in his testimony at the BRB that changing the
risk category classification "didn't even move the zeros."
Woodward's Director of Corporate Real Estate Steve Stiesmeyer, in his appeal of the BRB
decision, says that "any risk that the Silos may collapse at any time is not acceptable to
Woodward and should not be acceptable to the City." But every business and construction
decision involves accepting a certain amount of risk. The question is what is the level of risk,
and what is the cost to avoid or mitigate the risk?
For instance, the new Woodward buildings currently under construction are likely built to
withstand a maximum 120-130 mph high wind event. What if tomorrow we get a 150 mph wind -
which could happen AT ANY TIME. These brand new buildings would likely fall down as well as
the silos. What if we had a strong earthquake, which is unlikely but which could happen AT ANY
TIME? The risk is small enough that we accept it, in lieu of making buildings unaffordable
through requiring extremely highly wind- and earthquake-resistant construction.
Mr. Stiesmeyer notes that "Colorado has recently experienced significant and historical weather
events." This is true. The climate is changing and the old design parameters may be inadequate
to the new conditions. But it is worth noting that the silos are in essentially the same condition
as they were before such historical weather events, which supports the conclusion that they are
in need of repair but are not in imminent danger of collapse.
In remanding the matter back to the BRB, the City asked them to consider the likelihood of
collapse in a "one in ten-year probability." The odds of a 130-mph wind happening in the next 10
years is FAR LOWER than it happening in the 1700 year return period that was contemplated
originally by the BRB. Ten years is even lower than the 300 year return period normally
associated with silos and other agricultural buildings. Since the Building Review Board made a
sound decision in the first place, you are on extremely solid ground to say the silos are not likely
to catastrophically collapse in the next 10 years.
Our design wind speed for a 10-year return period is 85 mph, according to Jon Peterka
(Cermak, Peterka, Peterson), one of the foremost wind experts in the US, based here in Fort
Collins, and author of the 2006 Colorado Front Range Gust Map used by governments all along
the Front Range, including Fort Collins and Larimer County. Please see attachment (Colorado
Front Range Gust Map – ASCE 7-10 Compatible), in particular Table 1 on page 1. The silos are
not likely to collapse in an 85 mph wind event, which itself is unlikely to happen in the next 10
years.
Fort Collins has not experienced anything approaching a 130 mph "design wind speed event" in
the last 10 years, and is unlikely to do so in the next 10.
I urge the Building Review Board to reaffirm its original decision that the silos are dangerous,
but not imminently dangerous.
Letter to Fort Collins Building Department 1
Jon Sargent
818 Kimball Road
Fort Collins, CO 80521
March 3, 2016
Mike Gebo
City of Fort Collins
Chief Building Official
281 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
RE: Comments on Council Remand of Coy Silos Demolition
Dear Mr. Gebo,
I am writing in support of the preservation of the historic Coy Silos. As a preservation professional and
Fort Collins community member, I believe it is essential to protect such important heritage sites in the
area. Although I am entering the debate fairly late, it’s evident to me that Woodward’s due diligence in
investigating any and all ways to preserve the structures has not been carried out to the fullest. It’s
immediately evident to me that further avenues have yet to be exhausted in order to come to a
resolution on an appropriate treatment of the silos.
Colorado stands as a forerunner in the United States in its dedication to providing funding for historic
projects through the State Historic Fund. Should economics be the key contributing factor behind the
impulse to tear down the silos, there are undoubtedly opportunities through such funding to alleviate
the cost burden. Based on the preliminary engineering reports, it is my opinion (and many would argue
it is a fact) that this is not an issue of public safety, but is instead an issue of unanticipated or unwanted
potential costs by a private owner.
I strongly believe that this site and this debate does not need to be a case of “us and them.” By
involving the proper individuals with expertise in this area, and through open communication and
cooperation, I’m confident that a solution can be reached that will be mutually beneficial to both parties
involved. In the spirit of this, I have drawn on my past experience working for contractors in the historic
preservation field and have reached out to some select contractors to get a ballpark sense for the cost
of rehabilitating the silos. This rough budgetary figure may provide a starting point towards developing
a budget for the grant funding process (or private investment should Woodward step forward as they
had originally pledged).
Although the figures below may provide a rough ballpark of costs, I believe it is critical to get an expert
involved with extensive concrete and shoring experience to provide further on-site analysis. Such
analysis would likely cost less than $1,000 and would allow for a much more refined budget to be
developed.
Letter to Fort Collins Building Department 2
Proposed scope of work:
- Shore up and stabilize silos
- Apply shotcrete and encapsulated steel supports to interior walls
- Install roof framing and shingled roof
- Repair/ restore wood and metal chutes on exterior of silos
- Perform miscellaneous sitework/ grading to prevent future water infiltration and erosion
Proposed budget:
- Cost of shoring, structural stabilization and concrete work: $ 175,000
- Cost of all remaining work listed in scope above: $ 87,000
Estimated Total: $ 262,000
Please note that this is a rough number. By utilizing a concrete expert and by narrowing required scope,
it’s very possible that the actual construction costs could be lower, even significantly lower. This
number assumes the involvement of a construction manager and factors in their full costs. Reduction in
scope or refining subcontractor numbers would result in correlated decreases in the general conditions
costs of the construction manager.
I hope that this may provide framework for discussions on an economic game plan for the preservation
and/or rehabilitation of the silos. Again, given the historic preservation and grant resources in the state,
I don’t believe there is any place for a debate on “economic feasibility.” The reality is it is entirely
feasible to save the silos, and can be done at a reasonable cost with the aid of grant funding. Will
Woodward step forward to join the city as a partner in this process, and thus help solidify a lasting
relationship beneficial to both parties; a relationship which both parties desire and deserve? In my eye,
this is the real question and is the challenge that I would l like to offer up to both parties.
Sincerely,
Jon Sargent
BRB,
Here is an opinion from Nicole Lane, Ms. Lane is the engineer who presented the original structural
report from Martin/Martin. You’ll find that report in the earlier BRB packet used for the 10/29/15
hearing
Michael W. Gebo
Chief Building Official
City of Fort Collins
970-416-2618
From: Wayne Timura [mailto:wtimura@nldevelopment.com]
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2016 12:02 PM
To: Mike Gebo
Subject: Martin/Martin input FW: Woodward Silos - JVA summary calculations report and calculations
Importance: High
Mike,
Please review and consider the attached e-mail from Nicole Lane from Martin/Martin and also
submit it to the BRB.
Thank you,
Wayne
719.351.8629
From: Nicole E. Lane [mailto:NLane@martinmartin.com]
Sent: Friday, March 4, 2016 10:47 AM
To: Wayne Timura <wtimura@nldevelopment.com>
Subject: RE: Woodward Silos - JVA summary calculations report and calculations
Wayne,
As requested, I have reviewed JVA’s report dated March 1, 2016. The report indicates that the silos
could fail at a 85-90 MPH Ultimate Basic Wind Speed which they list as the 10 year recurrence interval
Wind Speed for the location of the silos. My review consisted of a brief, general review of the report and
calculations. I did not perform a detailed review of the calculations provided or perform my own
calculations.
My initial conclusion is that both silo structures fail code criteria when considering the forces from full
design wind speeds per ASCE7-10 and strengths per both ACI 318 and ACI 313 codes. Even at the
reduced Wind Speed the concrete stresses exceed both the ACI 318 and ACI 313 strength limits.
Therefore, I agree that the silo structures could fail at a 85-90 MPH Ultimate Basic Wind Speed.
Thank you for this opportunity to be of service. Please contact me if I may be of further assistance.
Nicole
Nicole E. Lane, PE, SE, LEED AP
Associate
PE (CO), SE (UT)
Martin/Martin, Inc.
12499 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, CO 80215
P) 303-431-6100 Ext. 263
D) 720-544-5363
www.martinmartin.com
From: Jonathan Sargent [mailto:jon.sargent1@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2016 10:23 PM
To: Mike Gebo; Lisa Olson
Cc: ginaciao@frii.com
Subject: Letter and estimate in support of saving the Coy Silos
Hi Mike and Lisa,
I've attached a letter that I am hoping can be shared with the Review Board prior to Monday's
meeting. I've been in touch with Gina Janett and had offered to develop and provide a rough
budgetary number for the rehabilitation of the silos. Although I work for Wattle and Daub
Contractors here in town, this work and this estimate represent my own undertaking, without
their involvement. I am a passionate historic preservation advocate, new to Fort Collins and
Colorado as of September, and I am looking forward to contributing my skill set to try and save
these landmark structures.
Thank you for your consideration of my attached thoughts. I look forward to hopefully attending
Monday.
Best regards,
Jon
--
Jon Sargent
jon.sargent1@gmail.com
978.660.1905
March 4, 2016
Dear Building Review Board,
Further seeking the determination of "imminently dangerous", through appeal, is a deceptive legal tactic of the
appellant used to devalue the Coy-Hoffman Silos, to discourage the public from trying or wanting to save them,
and to win sympathy for the appellant's problem- the problem being a lack of commitment to and vision for the
silos as historic structures.
Certainly, one must ask, if the approximately 40' silos are so threatening, why would Woodward have
commenced construction on the Link-n-Greens site without removing them first? Why was the milk house-
slated to become Woodward's Bike Shop- carefully relocated, within the fall zone of the silos? And why isn't the
Historic Coy Barn- the proposed conference center- not protected from this imminent threat? It makes Mr. Chris
Fawzy's passionately delivered description of Woodward, Inc's product risk tolerance and safety requirements of
aerospace parts and systems (City Council 1/19/2016) and his subsequent argumentative leap to general site
safety concerns, appear insincere.
As expected, the silos have continued to stand during river modifications, major earth moving, construction of a
4-lane bridge, heavy traffic at the Lemay/Mulberry intersection, and all the grading, excavation and other
activities involved with building the Woodward Technology Center and Headquarters.
And so, as a participant of the January 19th, 2016 Site Inspection I was naturally unafraid to approach the silos.
I signed the Release (see Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk) provided by Mr. Wayne Timura, and
donned a yellow vest and hard hat as directed. I was then admitted to approach the structures- viewing them
from inside the protective fence. I could physically touch the silos and even climb inside if desired. I was the
last to leave the site, guided by employees of Woodward, Inc and/or M.A. Mortenson, ending the inspection.
Note that not one of the City Council members in attendance chose to “visit the land and structures” and only
viewed the structures from the public right of way. I found this odd and disappointing, and believe it
demonstrates a lack of curiosity and commitment by those Council members to making well-informed decisions
about the structures (see Notice of Site Inspection). I am not aware of the appellant being present. Nor do I
know of any material being collected during the Site Inspection of January 19, 2016.
Several Council members and the lawyer for the appellant, Mrs. Carolyn White, then implied during the January
19th appeal, that Council members were not able to approach the silos closely during the site visit due to site visit
limitations and that the opportunity to touch the silos was absent.
Mrs. White therefore offered a ziplock bag of concrete purportedly collected at the site as demonstrative
evidence. No verification of the source of this material was offered, and there was no testimony by the person
who collected it. I believe that of the 3 professional companies assessing the silos, none provided material
samples in their analysis. I imagine they did not feel it relevant or necessary given their Structural Evaluations.
Despite the fact that Ross Cuniff rightly questioned how this sample of concrete lends anything to the narrow
determination between dangerous and imminent danger, Council was all to willing to allow the new evidence
with Mr. Martinez ironically stating they would not want to preclude anything that would reveal truth.
The City of Fort Collins has an obligation to set this straight and end the quibbling over minutia and imagined
future events by supporting the creation of The Coy Farmstead Local Landmark District, as well as take on the
daunting task of taking a firm stance on historic preservation with the appellant, Woodward, Inc.
This requires the BRB first to uphold the Fort Collins building inspector's determination of the silos as
“dangerous”, effectively declining Woodward's unjustified and short-sighted request to demolish the Coy-
Hoffman Silos.
Most respectfully yours,
Dee Amick
Fort Collins, CO
Agenda Item 15
Item # 15 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY January 19, 2016
City Council
STAFF
Mike Gebo, Chief Building Official
Tom Leeson, Director, Comm Dev & Neighborhood Svrs
SUBJECT
Consideration of an Appeal of the Building Review Board Regarding the Coy-Hoffman Silos.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Woodward, Inc. has appealed the Building Review Board (BRB) decision to uphold the Chief Building Official’s
declaration that two historic farm silos are “dangerous structures” and not structures that pose an “imminent
danger” at 1041 Woodward Way.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
No staff recommendation
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Woodward, Inc.’s new facility and office complex on 1041 Woodward Way, corner of South Lemay Avenue and
East Lincoln Avenue, was the original site of the Coy-Hoffman farmstead, a state designated historical site. A
barn and two silos are what remain of the farmstead. The two silos are approximately 40 feet tall, one of cast in
place concrete constructed around 1912, and a second silo using a concrete stave system constructed around
1913. Due to the storage of silage in the past; both silos are showing signs of concrete decay around their
bases. The cast in place silo has a slight list to the east and is out of plumb. The stave system silo is oblong at
the upper third.
Woodward, Inc. requested that the City’s building official declare that the silos are an imminent danger/hazard
in accordance with the adopted 2006 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). With a City declaration
of imminent danger, the silos could be demolished and repurposed. To assist the City’s determination,
Woodward hired the engineering firm of Martin and Martin to evaluate the structural integrity of the silos.
Martin and Martin’s Ms. Nicole Lane, PE states in part:
The weakened state of the concrete walls is currently adequate for an empty structure but, without
intervention, the silos will continue to deteriorate and will eventually become unstable and unsafe.
I also found both silos are stable against net overturning due to wind pressures.
The City hired Exponent Failure Analysis Associates, Mr. Paul Bennett, PE, to provide his structural analysis of
the silos and Mr. Bennett states in part:
Under the Structure and Premises Condition Code (International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC))
the silos should be repaired or replaced.
However, under the International Building Code (IBC), Historic Structures are exempt from retrofit
requirements as long as a life safety hazard does not exist.
Agenda Item 15
Item # 15 Page 2
Exponent determines that as long as people are not allowed to occupy the fall zone of the silos (this
can be accomplished by fencing off the silos with appropriate fencing), then a life safety hazard does
not exist.
Woodward, Inc. then hired JVA Consulting Engineers, Mr. Steve Carpenter, PE. to provide a third structural
analysis. Mr. Carpenter states in part:
Because of the reduced concrete section at the bases, and the reduction in concrete strength,
compression failure of the remaining concrete under Code required Wind Loads is possible.
The silos will require significant repairs if restored
If the restoration cannot start immediately, that the silos be temporarily shored and/or strengthened
until permanent repairs are complete.
Code required Wind Loads are assumed to be 120 MPH-130 MPH and are the designed loads used for
evaluating construction of new buildings today.
The Chief Building Official reviewed all three engineers’ reports and based on their expert analysis, agreed that
the silos have reached their serviceability limit and their strength limit state, in accordance with the below IPMC
defined terms, and therefore the silos are dangerous structures:
Limit State; A condition beyond which a structure or member becomes unfit for service and is judged
to be no longer useful for its intended function (serviceability limit state) or to be unsafe (strength limit
state).
Dangerous structure or premises; A structure or premises is dangerous if any part, element or
component thereof is no longer within its serviceability limit or strength limit state as defined in this
code or, when considered in totality, the structure or premises pose an imminent threat to the health
and safety of the public or the occupants of the structure or premises as referenced in Appendix A of
this code.
Issue: Imminent vs dangerous
City Code Article IV, Demolition or Alteration of Historic Structures Not Designated as Fort Collins Landmarks
or Located in a Fort Collins Landmark District, Section 14-71, requires that proposed demolition or exterior
alteration of historic structures be reviewed and approved by the Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC),
except for historic structures found to pose an imminent threat. No alteration or demolition can occur to historic
structures without approval by the LPC or a declaration by the Chief Building Official that the structures pose
an imminent danger and require immediate removal.
The City indicated to the three engineering firms that an imminent danger declaration was being requested. To
help better clarify “imminent” staff provided the adopted IPMC and Webster’s definitions:
IPMC; Imminent Danger, a condition which could cause serious or life-threatening injury or death at any time.
Webster’s; Appearing as if about to happen, likely to happen; impending.
Without a clear declaration of imminent danger, by any of the structural engineers involved, on September 18,
2015, the Chief Building Official declared the silos to be “dangerous structures” and ordered that Woodward,
Inc. secure the site around the silos and to submit a plan of protection for stabilizing the silos.
Agenda Item 15
Item # 15 Page 3
ATTACHMENTS
1. City Clerk's Notice of Hearing and Site Visit Notice (PDF)
2. Notice of Appeal, Filed by Woodward, Inc, November 12, 2015 (PDF)
3. Materials provided to the Building Review Board (PDF)
4. Applicant Presentation to the Building Review Board (PDF)
5. Materials Presented to the BRB at the hearing (PDF)
6. Verbatim transcript (PDF)
7. Staff powerpoint presentation to Council (PDF)
8. Link to the Building Review Board Hearing and videos of silo (DOCX)
ATTACHMENT 1
City Clerk’s
Public Hearing Notice
and
Notice of Site Visit
ATTACHMENT 2
Notice of Appeal
- Notice of Appeal filed by,
Woodward, Inc., c/o Steve
Stiesmeyer
November 12, 2015
ATTACHMENT 3
Materials
Provided to the
Building Review Board,
Hearing held October 29, 2015
ATTACHMENT 4
Applicant Presentation at the
Building Review Board
Hearing
October 29, 2015
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,©2015WOODWARD,INC. INC.
BuildingReviewBoardAppeal
SiloStructuralClassificationandNotice
toSecure
DatedSeptember18,2015
AppealDate:October29,2015
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Woodward,Inc.
X JimRudolphͲ President,IndustrialTurbomachinerySystems
X JenniferRayͲ ProgramManager,LincolnCampus
X PamBartelͲ AssociateGeneralCounselandCorporateDirector,Contracts
X NextLevelDevelopmentͲ WayneTimura
X JVA Ͳ SteveCarpenter
Introductions
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X WoodwardandCampusProjectOverview
X SiteSelection
X GeneralAdaptiveReusePlan
X AdaptiveReuseSiloProposal
X StructuralClassificationAppeal
X ComprehensiveAdaptiveFunctionalReusePlan
X Conclusion
Agenda
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Woodward–AnAerospaceandEnergyCompany
X FortCollinsCampusProject
X MasterPlanned:Woodward871,000SF+CommercialUse73,400SF
X 303,000squarefootproductionandofficefacilityforITS
X 60,000squarefootcorporateheadquartersfacility
X Restorationof31AcresalongthePoudreRivertoitshistoriccondition,dedicatedtoCityfor
publicuse
X AdaptivefunctionalreuseoftheCoyͲHoffmanfarmstead
X $225MillioninvestedbyMarch2016
X Anextensivejobscreator
Woodward&CampusProjectOverview
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
LocationMapandMasterPlan
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X EvaluatedanumberofsitesinFortCollinsandLoveland
X Otherstateswerealsoconsidered
X SignificantchallengestotheformerLinkͲnͲGreenssite
X FloodwayandFloodplain
X Limitedinfrastructure
X Overheadpowertransmissionlinebisectedthesite
X Mainsanitarysewertrunklinebisectssite
X CoyͲHoffmanfarmsteadstructures
X PoudreRiverBuffer
X Woodward’sandtheCity’smutualcommitmenttosuccessplus
X AthoughtfulanddeliberateapproachtotheseuniquechallengeswillachieveaworldͲclasscorporate
campusindowntownFortCollins
SiteSelectionandChallenges
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
CoyͲHoffmanFarmsteadLocation
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X ThesignificantcomponentsoftheCoyͲHoffmanfarmsteadwillberestored
andrepurposed,asoriginallyplanned.
X TheinitialintentwastoretaintheBarn,MilkhouseandSilos,thoughno
specificusewasidentified.Milkhousewasmovedasoriginallyplanned.
X HistoricStructuralAssessmentindicatedthattheSiloswerein“fairto
poor”conditionandrecommendedafurtherstructuralassessment.
X WoodwardengagedMartin/Martintoperformastructuralengineering
reportfortheSilos.
X AsafollowuptotheMartin/Martinreport,WoodwardalsoengagedJVAto
performasecondstructuralengineeringreport.
GeneralAdaptiveReusePlan
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Insummary,thestructuralengineeringreportsfromMartin/MartinandJVA
bothindicatedthattheSilosareinanimminentlydangerouscondition.
X TheMartin/MartinreportstatedthattheSilosshowsignsofimminentfailure
orbreakdown.
X TheJVA reportsimilarlystatedthattheSilosshowsignsofimminentfailure
duetolongͲtermacidattacks.
X Basedonthereports,WoodwardrevisedtherestorationplansfortheSilos
fromtheinitialoptions.
X ReviewedtheplanwithCityPlanning&DevelopmentDirectorforguidance
X SubmittedaRequestforHistoricReview– EligibilityͲ DemoorAlteration
X TriggeredCityBuildingOfficial’sEvaluation
StructuralEngineeringReports
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X CurrentproposalincludesdismantlingtheSilosandreusingthesalvageable
upperportionstocreateseatingstructuresapproximate4foothighinthe
samefootprint
X Dangerousintheircurrentcondition
X Nolongerservingtheirhistoricpurpose
X AsproposedtobemodifiedtheSiloswillremainanintegralpartofthe
historicfabricofthesitedevelopment
X Adaptivefunctionalreusetocreateacontemporarypatioandseatingarea
forWoodwardmembergatheringandcollaboration
X Publichistoricinterpretiveandeducationalbenefit
AdaptiveReuseͲ SiloProposal
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Afterreviewofthestructuralengineeringreportsandextensive
consultation,theCityrequiredWoodwardtoimmediately take
thefollowingaction:
“Alockableprotectionfenceofsignificantstrength,suchas
chainͲlink,andsixfeettallshallbeimmediately installed
encirclingthesilosandshallextendoutward25feetfromthe
baseormore[...]toprovideasafetyzone.”(emphasis
added)
CityLetter,Sept.18,2015
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X TheCityalsopostedaredͲtagwarningontheSilos.
X “ThisBuildingisUnsafeandmustbeVacatedImmediately [.
..]Entryposesriskofdeathorseriousinjury.”(emphasis
added)
CityLetter, Sept.18,2015
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
RedͲTagWarning
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X ThelettermandatedthatWoodwardimmediatelyerecta6Ͳ
foottallfencewitha25Ͳfootradius.
X TheredͲtagwarningstatestheSilosareunsafeandmustbe
vacatedimmediately.
X TheCitydeterminedthattheSilosarein“dangerous”condition
but,despitethefencingrequirementandredͲtagwarning,did
notfindthemtoposean“imminentthreat”.
CityLetter,Sept.18,2015
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Section14Ͳ71(b)
X Section14Ͳ51
X Section111.3oftheInternationalPropertyMaintenanceCode,
asadoptedbytheCity
CodeRequirements
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Section14Ͳ71(b):Nostructure50yearsoroldermaybe
demolishedunlessitisfoundtoposeanimminentthreatunder
Section14Ͳ51oftheCode.
X Section14Ͳ51:ACityofficialoremployeemustfind“an
imminentthreattolife,healthorproperty”topermit
demolitionofthestructure.
CityCodeSections
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X InternationalPropertyMaintenanceCode,asadoptedbythe
City:“[a]conditionwhichcouldcauseseriousorlifeͲ
threateninginjuryordeathatanytime.”
X Black’sLawDictionary:“[a]nimmediate,realthreattoone’s
safetythatjustifiestheuseofforceinselfͲdefense.”
DefinitionsofImminent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Section111.3oftheInternationalPropertyMaintenanceCode,
asadoptedbytheCity,statesthatanappealmaybebased
uponaclaimthat“therequirementsofthiscodeare
adequatelysatisfiedbyothermeans.”
X TheSiloshavedeterioratedtosuchanextentthattheyposean
imminentthreattothelifeandhealthofcitizensandthe
surroundingbuildings,andtherequirementsoftheCodeare
adequatelysatisfiedbyWoodward’shistoricrenovationplans.
AdequatelySatisfied
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Martin/Martin
X January7,2014
X JVA
X August10,2015
X Exponent
X August13,2015
ImminentDanger– EngineeringReports
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X “Theyarenolongerperformingtheirintendedpurpose. Intheir
currentstatetheycannotbeusedassilosorforanyother
occupieduse.”
X “Theyshowsignsofimminentfailureorbreakdown. The
weakenedstateoftheconcretewallsiscurrentlyadequatefor
anemptystructurebut,withoutintervention,thesiloswill
continuetodeteriorateandwilleventuallybecomeunstable
andunsafe.”(emphasisadded)
Martin/Martin
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Martin/Martin
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Martin/Martin
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Martin/Martin
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Martin/Martin
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Martin/Martin
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X “Wealsoagreethatthelowerportionofthewallsshowsigns
ofimminentfailure duetolongtermacidattack.”(emphasis
added)
X “[...]duetotheextremelysmallremainingcrosssectionof
concreteatthebaseoftheSilo,andthereducedstrengthof
theconcreteduetoyearsofacidattack,webelievecrushingof
theconcreteunderlateralloadsinducedbyCoderequired
windloadscouldoccurnow,resultinginfailure.”
JVA
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Stavesilo:
X “Theeffectofaciddeteriorationiscompoundedinthatitattacksthebottomof
thesilowall,whichisalsothepartofthewallthatcarriesthegreatestamount
oftheverticalload.”
X “[T]hecrossͲsectionofeffectiveconcretecanbedecreasedtothepointwhereit
willnolongerbeabletocarrythecomprehensiveloadandthesilowallwill
begintocrush.”
X Castinplacesilo:
X “Oncesilageacidspenetratetheconcretearoundthesteelmuchofthebond
strengthislost.Theresult?Atsomepointintimethesilowallwillnotbeableto
carrytheimposedhorizontalloadandthesilowillcollapse.”
OntarioReport
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
JVA
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
JVA
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
JVA
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
JVA
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
JVA
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X “[...]aslongaspeoplearenotallowedtooccupythefall
zoneofthesilos (thiscanbeaccomplishedtosomeextentby
appropriatelyfencingoffthesilosandreplacingvegetation
withmaintenanceͲfreelandscaping[)],thenalifesafetyhazard
wouldnotexist.”(emphasisadded)
X “[...] adecisionshouldbemadetoeitherrepairthesilosor
demolishthesilossoastomitigatetheriskofdamagetoother
nearbyhistoricalstructures.”
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X “Theconcretehasdeterioratedtoanunsound conditionin
manylocations,andtheunsecuredchuteopeningsatthebase
ofthesiloscreateaconfinedspacewithrestrictedmeansof
egress(attractivenuisance).”
X “Theconditionsposeasignificantriskofimminentcollapse
underdesignͲlevelwindloads.”(emphasisadded)
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Exponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X JVA:“[I]fcurrentdesignwindspeedsoccurattheSilolocations,
[...]thereisimminentdanger.”
X Martin/Martin:concurredwithJVA’s assessment
StructuralEngineeringEmails
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Exponent:“[...]withoutperforminganyanalysis,itisunlikely
thattheSiloscouldwithstandmoderndaydesignforcesfrom
windorseismicevents.”
X “Thereisarisk,howeverslim,thesiloscouldcollapseatany
timeanditisforthisreasonthatthesilocollapsezoneshould
befencedoffaswerecommendedinourreport.”(emphasis
added)
StructuralEngineeringEmails
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X AIGrefusestoinsuretheentirehistoricrenovationproject
unlesstheSilosaretakendown.
X NotonlyaretheSilosthemselvesuninsurable,buttheyexpose
theBarn(futureconferencecenter)tounnecessaryrisksothat
AIGwillnotinsuretherenovatedBarniftheSilosremainin
place.
Insurability
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Insurability
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X TheHoffmanfamily,asdescendantsoftheoriginalbuildersand
owners,supportWoodward’srestorationplans.
X “[T]hehistoricalvalueisnotonlymaintainedbykeepingjust
thefootprintofthesilos,buttheaddedsafetyallowing
accessibilitytolearnaboutandshareinthehistoryofthose
structuresisenhancedby[Woodward’s]vision.”
HoffmanFamily
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
HoffmanFamily
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
HoffmanFamily
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
HoffmanFamily
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X TheSilosfailtosatisfythewindͲloadrequirementsoftheCode
andareinsuchadeterioratedstatethattheyareatriskof
imminentcollapseatanytime.
X SuchacollapsecouldcauseseriousorlifeͲthreateninginjuryor
deathandalsodamagetothesurroundingproperty.
TheSilosPoseanImminentThreat
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X TheonlywaytheSilosdonotposesuchariskisifWoodwardis
deprivedofitsrighttoallowpeoplewithinorneartheSilos,
which,inturn,establishesthatanimminentthreatexists.
X TheCityhasacknowledgedtheimminentthreatbyrequiring
immediatefencingoftheSilosandalsobyitspostingofredͲtag
warningsontheSilos.
TheSilosPoseanImminentThreat
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X However,theCityapparentlyreliesonExponent’sstatementthata
lifesafetyhazarddoesnotexist“aslongaspeoplearenotallowed
tooccupythefallzoneofthesilos…”
X IfonecouldrelyonExponent’squalifiedstatementtodetermineno
imminentsafetyhazardexists,theninnocasewouldanystructure,
nomatterhowdecrepitorcompromised,posean“imminentthreat
tolife,healthorproperty,”solongasbuildingownersaredeprived
oftheirrighttoallowpeoplewithinornearsuchstructure.
TheSilosPoseanImminentThreat
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X InternationalPropertyMaintenanceCode:
X “[a]conditionwhichcouldcauseseriousorlifeͲthreateninginjuryor
deathatanytime.”(emphasesadded)
X Exponent:
X “Thereisarisk,howeverslim,thesiloscouldcollapseatanytime
anditisforthisreasonthatthesilocollapsezoneshouldbefenced
offaswerecommendedinourreport.”(emphasisadded)
ImminentDangerPerExponent
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
Section111.3oftheInternationalPropertyManagement
Code,asadoptedbytheCity,statesthatanappealmay
bebaseduponaclaimthat“therequirementsofthis
codeareadequatelysatisfiedbyothermeans.”
Section111.3
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Historicpreservationisrequired“intheinterestofthe
prosperity,civicprideandgeneralwelfareofthepeople”.
X “[I]gnoring thedestructionordefacementofsuchcultural
assets”resultsinnothingbutharmtothe“economic,cultural
andaestheticstanding”oftheCity.
Section14Ͳ2
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X Woodward’sdevelopmentplans
X PreservetheculturalaspectsoftheCoyͲHoffmanfarmstead
X Createauniqueeconomicopportunity
X Generatejobs
EconomicDevelopment
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X RepurposingtheSilosalongwithrestoringandreusingtheBarn
andMilkHousepromotes“prosperity,civicprideandgeneral
welfareofthepeople”andthe“economic,culturaland
aestheticstanding”oftheCity.
X Thecomprehensiverestorationplanwouldnotdestroyor
defacethevalueoftheCoyͲHoffmanfarmsteadbutrather
makesitshistoryaccessibletothecitizensinasafeand
educationalmanner.
X WoodwardintendstopresenttheadaptivereuseplantotheLPC
ComprehensiveAdaptiveFunctionalReusePlan
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
ComprehensiveRestorationPlan
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
ComprehensiveRestorationPlan
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
ComprehensiveRestorationPlan
PROPRIETARYINFORMATIONͲ ©2015WOODWARD,INC.
X TheSilosarean“imminentthreattolife,healthorproperty,”as
definedintheCode.
X Nolongerperformingtheirintendedpurpose
X Donothavethecapacitytoresisttheforcesassociatedwithwind
speedsapproachingCodelevel
X Requireimmediatepreventativeactionstopreventdeathorinjury
X Woodward’scomprehensiverestorationplansareinthebest
interestsoftheCity
Conclusion
ATTACHMENT 5
Materials presented to
the Building Review Board at
the Hearing,
October 29, 2015
ATTACHMENT 6
Verbatim Transcript of the
Building Review Board
Hearing
October 29, 2015
BUILDING REVIEW BOARD
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
Held Thursday, October 29, 2015
Council Chambers, 300 Laporte Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado
In the Matter of:
Woodward Governor Appeal
Case #2015-02
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
George Smith, Chair
Mike Doddrige, Vice Chair
Rick Reider
Andrea Dunlap
Justin Montgomery
Tim Johnson
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mike Gebo, Chief Building Official
Lisa Olson, Staff Support to the Board
Brad Yatabe, City Attorney’s Office
2
1 CHAIR GEORGE SMITH: Okay, our next order of business is an appeal, case 2015-02.
2 This meeting is being recorded so it is important that all speakers make their statements clearly
3 into the provided microphones. I request that you identify yourselves for the recording and, are
4 there any questions prior to…we commence. I guess we’ll go to the City for the presentation.
5 MR. TOM LEESON: Great, thank you, Chair and Building Review Boardmembers. My
6 name is Tom Leeson; I’m the Interim Community Development Director, and I’d like to give
7 you a brief overview of the case you’re going to hear today and then we’ll get into more specifics
8 as the day continues.
9 The silos that are in question today are located on the new Woodward campus which is a
10 state-designated historical site. The silos were constructed in 1912 and 1913, respectively, two
11 separate years. And they are…were declared as dangerous structures by the Chief Building
Official on September 18
th
12 of this year. The silos are approximately 40 feet tall and they have
13 two distinct construction types; the left silo is a concrete slip pour and the right silo is a concrete
14 stave. And again, they were built in 1912 and 1913, which were the two construction styles of
15 those two years. Woodward is appealing the dangerous classification by the Chief Building
16 Official, and has articulated in their appeal that they believe the silos are of imminent danger.
17 The appeal is on the grounds that the Chief Building Official failed to properly interpret and
18 apply the codes, and in your packet are the applicable code sections that are being appealed, and
19 we’ll discuss those.
20 As part of the process to make the evaluation, there were three engineering firms
21 consulted on the structural integrity of the silos. Martin and Martin and JVA were both
22 structural engineering firms hired by Woodward, and Exponent was the third engineering firm
23 hired by the City. Those reports are in your packet and have been provided for you for your
24 information. Two of the three reports did state that the silos could be considered imminent
25 danger under design wind loads with high winds of 120 to 130 miles an hour; but in their current
26 state, they are not considered imminent danger. And the City did provide the definitions of
27 imminent danger to evaluate the silos. Based on that, the imminent danger was not established,
28 and dangerous was the classification given by the Chief Building Official. Under Section 14 of
29 the City Code, Eligible Historic Structures, the dangerous classification requires the silos to be
30 stabilized and repaired. If they were classified as imminent danger, then the silos would be
31 required to be repaired or demolished, per the owners’ choice.
32 So today, the Building Review Board is to rule on the appeal, and rule on whether or not
33 the Chief Building Official failed to properly interpret Section 14-71 of the City Code, which is
34 the Landmark Preservation chapter, chapter 14. Section 71 is the section that specifically
35 pertains to the demolition of structures designated as a Fort Collins landmark, and the prohibition
36 of demolition of such structures unless it is found to be an imminent threat. Section 5-47 is the
37 adopted version of the City’s amended section of the International Property Maintenance Code,
38 and it’s the section of code that the Chief Building Official utilized for definitions of imminent
3
1 threat and dangerous structures. And then Section 111 is kind of a subsection of that Chapter 5-
2 47 that gives the Building Review Board essentially the authority to provide final interpretation
3 of that…of those code provisions, as well as the Chief Building Official’s decision. So those are
4 the sections that are pertinent. And that kind of concludes my presentation…and just wanted to
5 give you a brief, brief overview of what you’re doing here today.
6 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, it’s time for Woodward to present their side.
7 MR. BRAD YATABE: Mr. Chair, actually, if we can just…in line with the procedure
8 laid out…go over some of the procedural issues prior to that. Let me just state, in terms of the
9 hearing record for this proceeding, for the benefit of the parties, the hearing record for this
10 proceeding at this point will consist of the packet of information submitted by City staff, titled
Building Review Board, October 29
th
11 , 2015, bearing the logo of the City of Fort Collins; both
12 parties should have received that packet already…in addition to this, documentation in whatever
13 form presented today by the speakers during the proceeding will be entered into the record.
14 Copies of such documentation need to be provided to…for the record, and we’ll keep a copy of
15 that. To this point, I know that Woodward provided us a copy of a letter and some additional
16 documentation; I believe you have received copies of that already. Additionally, all testimony
17 given by the Building Review Board at this hearing will be considered part of the record. The
18 relevance and the weight of any particular evidence that’s part of the hearing will be determined
19 by the individual Building Review Board members in making their decision. And, Mr. Chair, I’d
20 ask if you can make an inquiry to see if there’s any members of the public who may be interested
21 in making testimony today.
22 CHAIR SMITH: Are there any members of the public interested in testifying today?
23 Could you state your names?
24 AUDIENCE MEMBER: Carol Tunner.
25 AUDIENCE MEMBER: Heather Wolhart.
26 CHAIR SMITH: Okay.
27 MR. YATABE: Mr. Chair, with regards to that, I think it’s up to the BRB to determine
28 whether you want to give an opportunity for the public, presuming that testimony is relevant to
29 the issues that you’re examining, if you want to make room within the procedure to allow some
30 public comment in addition to the procedure that’s already been laid out. And, I’m sorry, Mr.
31 Chair, if we just have any discussion among the Boardmembers…to be for the public. My
32 suggestion would be, if the Board is amenable to having some public comment that is relevant to
33 the matter, that perhaps it would be best to put that at the point that…after….so Woodward
34 would first present their case and the Chief Building Official would present his case and then we
35 could take public comment at that time, if…but I leave that up to the Board to make that
36 decision.
4
1 CHAIR SMITH: That’s kind of what we were discussing; and that’s about where we
2 were thinking…we were just thinking that we would limit it to probably three minutes per
3 person?
4 MR. YATABE: I think that’s appropriate. And I think the other question before the
5 Board was whether you wanted to set time limits on the parties. My understanding, talking to
6 Woodward, is that their presentation will be along the lines of approximately 40 minutes or so.
7 At this point, based on that timing, I leave it up to the Board whether they want to put any time
8 limits on it. At this point, I would suggest not, and just seeing how the testimony plays out.
9 Obviously if there’s testimony that’s not relevant or repetitive, you can cut some of that off; but I
10 think that, because it’s their appeal, and they obviously want to make a complete record, that you
11 just listen to what they have and you can monitor as you go.
12 CHAIR SMITH: Does the Board feel that we need to limit any times on the
13 presentations?
14 BOARDMEMBER JUSTIN MONTGOMERY: I don’t think so at this point.
15 BOARDMEMBER MIKE DODDRIDGE: I do have one question, I guess maybe, and I
16 don’t know if this is the appropriate time to ask, but my understanding is our role in this is to rule
17 only on the decision of dangerous or imminent danger, and nothing to do with the historical
18 value of the structures themselves, is that correct?
19 MR. YATABE: That’s correct; the purview of this Board on this appeal is restricted
20 basically to the Building Codes, in this case the IPMC and that determination. Other matters
21 under, for example, chapter 14, those are really within the purview of the Landmark Preservation
22 Commission, so decisions as to historical status, or those types of issues, would be
23 determinations…I know that in the overview presentation there was mention of Section 14-71 of
24 the Municipal Code; and I think, as far as awareness…so you’re aware of the context of things, I
25 think that’s fine for you to understand…sort of where this case fits in and how the finding of a
26 dangerous building versus an imminent threat or an imminent danger…how this sort of interacts
27 with it. But, it’s not really your determination as to whether that was interpreted correctly,
28 because that’s really more of a Landmark Preservation Commission matter.
29 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Okay, thank you.
30 CHAIR SMITH: Do we have any other questions before we go ahead?
31 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Is it worth stating previous Board appeals? We
32 have a statement usually about whatever they present here at this time is…if they want to appeal
33 to City Council later they have to present everything to this Board that they would later to City
34 Council…does that apply to this meeting?
35 MR. YATABE: That would apply to this decision.
5
1 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Whatever the proper statement is for that; but
2 usually we start our appeals out with that, so…
3 MR. YATABE: And that’s fine, and I think…I have met the attorney for Woodward and
4 if she has any questions regarding the appeal status, she can certainly contact me regarding that,
5 and the codes are available online as to the appeal period and the application process for that.
6 CHAIR SMITH: So we’re ready to go? I guess the appellant, Woodward, can state their
7 case.
8 MS. CAROLYNNE WHITE: Thank you Mr. Chairman, members of the Board, good
9 afternoon. My name is Carolynne White, I’m counsel for Woodward, Inc., the appellant, and I’ll
10 just mention for the record that sub-heading on the screen is slightly incorrect because that’s not
11 the right company name; it’s Woodward, Inc., not Woodward Governor. I think we changed it
12 on the other slide, but…just so the record is clear. I’d like to briefly begin by introducing the
13 team that you’re going to hear from today, and providing a brief overview of our presentation,
14 and then we’ll go ahead and present our case in the order that we’ve described it to you. The
15 folks that are here today from Woodward are Jim Rudolph, who’s president of industrial
16 turbomachinery systems, or ITS, Jennifer Ray who is the program manager for the Lincoln
17 campus, Pam Bartel, who is associate general counsel and corporate director for contracts,
18 Wayne Timura with the Next Level Development, who had been the original applicant on behalf
19 of Woodward working with the City throughout this process to entitle and build this campus,
20 Steve Carpenter, senior project manager with JVA, one of the engineers, structural engineers,
21 that prepared one of the reports, and you will be hearing from both Wayne and Steve a little bit
22 later in our presentation. The other witnesses are available for you to ask questions, but we
23 haven’t planned on them giving significant testimony during this time. Excuse me, except for
24 Jim Rudolph.
25 So, we are here asking the Board to review the previous determination and to find that the
26 silos do in fact constitute an imminent threat in order to permit demolition of the same in order to
27 facilitate the proposed adaptive reuse of the silos proposed by Woodward. This is a brief
28 summary of the order of our presentation. We’ll give you a brief overview of what this project is
29 and what Woodward is doing out on that campus, the site selection process and how the decision
30 was made to choose this location, particularly in light of the fact that the structures in question
31 were known at that time and analyzed at that time, and how that played into the long-term
32 planning and decision-making for this site. We’ll then briefly summarize what the proposed
33 adaptive reuse plan is, and then get into a little more detail about the specific structural
34 engineering reports, how the data contained in those reports relates to your interpretation of the
35 code sections in question, and then explain why we believe that there is, in fact, imminent
36 danger, and ask that you would overturn the Building Official’s decision and find that imminent
37 danger or imminent threat does exist. With that, I’d like to briefly hand the podium to Jim
38 Rudolph from Woodward to give you a little background about the company.
6
1 MR. JIM RUDOPLH: Good afternoon; my name is Jim Rudolph, I’m the president of
2 ITS at Woodward. To give you a little background on Woodward, Woodward is a 145 year-old
3 company headquartered here in Fort Collins. We apply technologies and develop solutions
4 around combustion, motion, metering and control for both the aerospace and energy markets.
5 The site that we’re working on out there; we’re in the process of building a 303,000 square foot
6 production facility for ITS, and a 60,000 square foot global headquarters. The site we’re
7 working on used to be Link-n-Greens and includes the Coy-Hoffman historical site. By the end
8 of March, we’ll have about $225 million invested in this project, and we look to complete this to
9 establish growth opportunities for the future of the company and continue to provide new jobs
10 for the local community.
11 MR. WAYNE TIMURA: Thank you Jim. The site that Jim just spoke about is the former
12 Link-n-Greens…oh, sorry; it’s Wayne Timura, Next Level Development.
13 And so the site that Woodward finally selected is the former Link-n-Greens golf course.
14 It’s about 101 acres, 31 acres was dedicated to the City for Natural Areas, and the initial building
15 that Jim talked about is this 303,000 square foot facility, the headquarters facility, 60,000 square
16 feet of space, and then this is the Coy-Hoffman site here, and this is a commercial area. The site
17 selection process was a complicated, extended process that Woodward did. We looked at a
18 number of different sites in Fort Collins and Loveland, as well as other states were considered.
19 And this site, itself, had a number of different challenges from the floodway, which was about a
20 third of the 100 acres, the floodplain which was another third…was some complexity that we had
21 to deal with. There was limited infrastructure on the site; an overhead main power transmission
22 line bisected the site as well as a main sewer trunk line that bisected the site. The Coy-Hoffman
23 farmstead structures also was [sic] obviously in the mix and caused us to really have a difficult
24 challenge in terms of siting the various facilities. The Poudre River buffer, the 300-foot Poudre
25 River buffer, was also certainly an impact. But Woodward’s, as well as the City’s, mutual
26 commitment to success, plus really the thoughtful deliberative approach to the unique challenges
27 on this site, really will achieve a world-class campus in the downtown of Fort Collins. You
28 know, one of the important collaborative efforts that Woodward engaged in with the City was the
29 planning with Woodward’s loan to the City…it was instrumental in restoring the 31 acres along
30 the Poudre River to its original historic condition. So that’s just some background, and we
31 wanted to give you some background about the site and about the historic structures themselves.
32 This next slide shows the ITS facility, the 303,000 square foot, and the headquarters, and
33 the historic structures, here. And we really feel that the significant components of the Coy-
34 Hoffman farmstead will be restored and repurposed as originally planned. The initial intent was
35 to retain the barn, the milk house and the silos, though we really at the time of planning didn’t
36 have any specific uses identified and finalized. The milk house was moved, as originally
37 planned. As part of the due diligence on the site, and part of our preparation to go before the
38 Landmark Preservation Commission, we engage a consultant to do a historic structural analysis
39 of the Coy-Hoffman property. And what we saw in that report was that the structural engineer
7
1 did a cursory evaluation and determined that the silos were in fair to poor condition and
2 recommended further structural assessment. So, we engaged Martin and Martin to perform the
3 structural evaluation of the silos specifically, and then determined from what they saw…we
4 really wanted to get a second opinion, so we engaged JVA as a follow-up to the Martin and
5 Martin. In summary, the structural engineering reports from both Martin and Martin and JVA
6 both indicate that the silos are in an imminently dangerous condition. Martin and Martin report
7 states that the silos show signs of imminent failure or break-down, and the JVA report also
8 similarly states that the silos show signs of imminent failure due to the attack of acid.
9 Since both reports really stated that the silos were in very poor condition, Woodward
10 took another look at the original plans for the historic structures and silos and revised those
11 plans. And so we reviewed the conceptual plan with the City Planning and Development
12 Director for guidance on what to do next, because we were modifying the original intent. And so
13 as a result of that, we submitted a request for historic review, which evaluates the eligibility for
14 historic registry identification as well as demolition and alteration, and what that does. That was
15 done by the Development Services acting manager I believe, and the Vice-Chair of the LPC. As
16 a result of that, that really triggered the Building Department evaluation and the eventual silo
17 structural classification and notice to secure. The adaptive reuse plan, the silo proposal,
18 currently includes dismantling the silos and reusing some of the salvageable upper portions of
19 the silos to create an approximately four-foot seating structure in the same footprint of the silos.
20 And, as proposed, the modification to the silos will, we feel, will remain an integral part of the
21 historic fabric of the site development; the adaptive functional reuse to create a real
22 contemporary patio and seating area for Woodward members to gather and collaborate. The
23 other thing that’s a part of the plan is a public historic interpretive area, which is located just
24 outside the silos along the public path that’s a part of the natural area. So it will provide an
25 educational benefit for the community at large.
So, after we received the letter of September 18
th
26 …it was presented to me…that’s when
27 we really needed to take a look at, how do we go forward and make an appeal to change from a
28 dangerous to an imminently dangerous condition. So, I’ll turn it over to Carolynne.
29 MS. WHITE: Mr. Chair, Carolynne White again. So, this is the point at which we really
30 begin to see why it makes such a big difference whether one characterizes the silos as being
31 merely in a dangerous condition, or an imminently dangerous condition. And, as we go through
32 some of the language used in the information that we received by the City, you may also begin to
33 see why we believe there may be even some confusion about actually how imminent the
potential for danger actually is. If you look at the September 18
th
34 letter from the Building
35 Official, on the one hand it concludes that there is no imminent danger; it concludes that the silos
36 are merely dangerous, but it nonetheless instructs Woodward to immediately take the following
37 action: to install a lockable protection fence of significant strength such as chain link, 6 feet tall,
38 25 feet outward from the base to provide a safety zone. Additionally, the City posted a red-tag
39 warning on the silos that states: this building is unsafe and must be vacated immediately; entry
8
1 poses risk of death or serious injury. This is a copy of that, which I believe may also be in your
2 packets, but if not, it’ll be in the record as a result of this slide. Danger, do not enter or occupy,
3 entry poses risk of death or serious injury. So, the City determined that the silos are in
4 dangerous condition, not imminently dangerous, but nonetheless required immediate action, and
5 posted this sort of rather dramatic red-tag sign on it prohibiting folks from entering and requiring
6 that Woodward take these immediate actions to establish a 25-foot protective fence around it.
7 So, as was noted earlier in the introductory remarks by staff, the three code provisions
8 that we’re talking about interpreting here today are shown up on the screen, and I’m going to
9 briefly summarize some of the key language points in each of these and ask you to keep those in
10 the back of your mind as we go through and present the evidence, since the fundamental question
11 is whether or not the evidence indicates that the definition of imminent threat or imminent
12 danger is met in this case. The first section is indeed in the historic preservation section of your
13 code, but the operative language here is that no structure 50 years old or older may be
14 demolished unless it is found to pose an imminent threat under Section 14-51 of the code. And
15 then Section 14-51 is the section that says, a City official or employee must find that an
16 imminent threat exists in order to permit demolition of a structure which is 50 years old or older.
17 And that…those two code provisions are really fundamentally the reason why we’re here today,
18 since Woodward’s adaptive reuse proposal does include what the code would consider
19 demolition of the structures, although it also proposes to restore them to some extent, as you will
20 see.
21 So, what is imminent? You’re International Property Maintenance Code, which the City
22 has adopted and codified, defines imminent as a condition which could cause serious or life-
23 threatening injury or death at any time. And some of the key phrases here are “at any time” and
24 “life-threatening injury or death.” We already know that the silos can cause injury or death,
25 because it said so on the red-tag warning. The real question is, could that happen at any time?
26 As a supplemental, we also quoted here the definition from Black’s Law Dictionary…an
27 immediate, real threat to one’s safety that justifies the use of force and self-defense. There are
28 some other definitions, like from Webster’s Dictionary, also quoted by Mr. Gebo in his letter of
September 18
th
29 . The other operative definitions that we’re looking at here, or code provisions,
30 are Section 111 of the IPMC that says an appeal may be based on a claim that the requirements
31 of this code are adequately met by other means. And it is Woodward’s position that our proposal
32 to execute this adaptive reuse program would adequately meet the goal of historic preservation
33 by another means, other than attempting to keep the silos vertical and 40-foot tall in their current
34 dangerous and, we think, imminently dangerous, condition.
35 So, as we will demonstrate, the silos have deteriorated to such an extent that they pose an
36 imminent threat to the life and health of citizens and the surrounding buildings and the
37 requirements of the code are adequately satisfied by the proposed adaptive reuse plan. So,
38 keeping those definitions in mind, I’d like to ask our engineer, our structural engineer, Steve
39 Carpenter from JVA, to come to the podium and walk you through some of the findings and
9
1 conclusions of the two reports, Martin and Martin, that Woodward commissioned in order to
2 assess the structural situation of the two silos. This is the list of the three reports; he’s going to
3 cover the first two, Martin and Martin and JVA. Thank you.
4 MR. STEVE CARPENTER: Good afternoon, my name is Steve Carpenter, I work with
5 JVA here in Fort Collins; we’re in Old Town Square. We’re a consulting engineering firm that
6 specializes in environmental, civil, and structural engineering, and under our structural division,
7 we also do historic preservation, so this project is definitely very interesting to us from that
8 standpoint.
9 We were first brought on board to actually look at the barn structure, and then, as a sort
10 of a subset to that, the Martin Martin report that was written about the silos. Their report was
11 written in January of 2014. We were out there in late August, early July…did a follow-up report
that was dated August 10
th
12 . So I’ll talk about those two reports.
13 So the Martin Martin report…basically they spent some time out there, measured
14 everything, photo documented the conditions, did some testing, some no-destructive testing, and
15 wrote a report. And the conclusion of their report, and they basically went straight from the
16 format from the Colorado State Historic Fund Annotated Scope of Work…that’s a format that
17 we’re asked to do in historic properties…is they said that the silos are no longer performing their
18 intended purpose, I think that’s self-explanatory, and they show signs of imminent failure or
19 breakdown…and elaborated and said the weakened state of the concrete walls is currently
20 adequate for an empty structure, but without intervention, the silos will continue to deteriorate
21 and will eventually become unstable and unsafe. Sorry…
22 So, as part of their report…they did a great job doing some photo documentation…this is
23 a photo of the concrete near the base of the silo, and you can see the deterioration; it’s very clear.
24 And just to back up a little bit, what happens here is that the silage that’s put in these silos in sills
25 creates acids, liquids, that fall to the bottom and react with the concrete in a negative way; it’s as
26 bad as the chloride type reaction that you see on highway bridges. And the reaction happens at
27 the bottom where the stresses are the greatest. So, that’s a double negative in this case. So, this
28 is the cast-in-place silo. You can see the deterioration of the concrete, but what’s really
29 disturbing here, to me, is the base is totally eroded. That’s daylight that you see right here. So
30 there is significant loss of…I call it section…there’s just no silo left. Here’s some more; this is
31 the stave silo, and so it’s…the concrete has deteriorated to the point where you can see the
32 reinforcing. The stave silo started out as two and a half inches thick and the reinforcing would
33 have been in the middle. So, you’ve lost about an inch and a quarter of your section at this point,
34 down near the bottom. Here’s a close-up of that, and so not only have we lost half the concrete
35 section, but the reinforcing is also corroded to the point where it’s not contributing much at the
36 base. Another close-up: same scenario going on there.
10
1 So then, we went out, and I personally did this report…spent the afternoon out there, and
2 confirmed their measurements, did some more measurements, did some back-checking of
3 calculations, performed some additional calculations, and basically came to the conclusion that
4 the stresses at the base of that silo are high enough to cause an imminent failure danger under
5 code wind loads. And the second quote there, due to the extremely small remaining cross-
6 section of concrete at the base of the silo, and the reduced strength of the concrete due to the
7 years of acid attack, we believe crushing of concrete under lateral loads induced by code-
8 required winds could occur now, resulting in failure. So there’s two things going on: the sections
9 loss, but the concrete is not the same strength; the acid has reacted with the cement paste, the
10 ingredients in the concrete, and have reduced the strength. And Martin Martin did something
11 called the Swiss Hammer test as part of their report, and that’s a hand-held device, a non-
12 destructive testing device that basically, for lack of better word, shoots a probe at the surface of
13 the concrete and measures the rebound strength of that probe. And they were getting numbers in
14 the range of zero to twenty. Each manufacturer has a different calibration for their Swiss
15 Hammer, but generally anything less than twenty is less than a thousand psi, zero is meaning the
16 probe is not coming back; it’s just sticking in the concrete. And that is…that’s disturbing also,
17 that indicates very, very low-strength concrete. So, I also included in my report…we…as an
18 engineering firm that does historic preservation, have seen this before. We’ve seen it before in
19 Colorado, but in Ontario, it’s such a problem that the government has put out a memo to farmers
20 regarding just this type of scenario, and there’s been a number of failures there. So I included
21 that as an appendix in the report. And that report, and you have a copy of this, explains the
22 chemistry and the physics if you want to get down to that level.
23 So we included some photos; these are the two silos, and part of the way I looked at this,
24 and maybe having the advantage of already starting looking at the barn as a, you know, adaptive
25 reuse type thing down the road, is the proximity of those silos to this barn structure that is
26 envisioned as a conference center for Woodward. And the cast-in-place silo is within twenty-
27 five feet or so. That photo, that angle, makes it look closer than that…but it’s very close,
28 obviously closer than the height of the silo to the barn structure. So this is a photo of the stave
29 silo…that’s the pre-cast sort of tongue-in-groove one on the west, and near the base, the acid
30 attack is about enough that you’ve lost total section; there’s holes in it. That’s the same hole
31 from the inside…spent some time inside the thing. And you can see the deteriorated concrete.
32 So this is going over to the one on the east side…what I call the cast-in-place…they’re two
33 different construction types. This one was a thicker concrete to start with; it probably started at
34 six inches. It’s eroded to about three or so at the base, but there are huge gaps here and here
35 where there is no bearing area left. And so, not only do we have reduced concrete strength, and
36 reduced bearing area uniformly, we have areas where there’s no…so this is all right here…the
37 stress is really concentrated, so I found that very concerning.
38 This is a photo just from the inside of the stave silo, you can see the staves; they’re
39 individual pieces that get put together here. And you can see how, here, the concrete at the top is
11
1 in very good condition. That’s because the acids don’t…they just sink down to the bottom. So
2 the top fifteen, twenty feet…these things are actually about forty-five feet high…the top quarter
3 is in good condition. So…I’m going back to…so, I’m done with this, yes.
4 MS. WHITE: Again, for the record, Carolynne White. One comment I’ll make about that
5 photograph, is that the portion of the silo that Woodward intends to reuse as part of the adaptive
6 reuse plan is the part that was just pointed out to you near the top that is in much better condition
7 and has not been eroded due to the acids from the vegetative material that formerly was stored in
8 the silos.
9 So, I’m certain that City staff is going to present to you the Exponent report as well, and
10 that wasn’t an expert hired by Woodward, but nonetheless, there are some important conclusions
11 in the Exponent report that we believe strongly support the finding of imminent danger that we’d
12 like to highlight for you. So, here are some of the conclusions that Exponent reached in their
13 report. And all of these complete reports are in the packet that was referenced earlier; we’re just
14 highlighting some excerpts for you here on these slides. One of Exponent’s conclusions was, as
15 long as people are not allowed to occupy the fall zone of the silos, then a life-safety hazard
16 would not exist. So as long as you don’t let people anywhere near them, they’re safe, or they’re
17 not unsafe. And then another conclusion, or recommendation, of theirs was: a decision should be
18 made to either repair them or demolish them so as to mitigate the risk of damage to the other
19 nearby historical structures. And that’s what Mr. Carpenter was just referencing with the close
20 proximity to the barn, which is also a potentially eligible structure and which is also sought to be
21 rehabilitated as part of the adaptive reuse plan.
22 Here are some of the other key findings in the Exponent report that we think support the
23 conclusion of imminent danger: the concrete is deteriorated to an unsound condition in many
24 locations and the conditions pose a significant risk of imminent collapse under design-level wind
25 loads, and we may end up wanting to come back and talk in more detail about design-level wind
26 loads, but this conclusion, to me, is very supportive of a finding that an imminent danger does in
27 fact exist.
28 These are some of the Exponent photographs, and I think it’d probably be better for me to
29 ask Mr. Carpenter to come back and tell you what these photographs show.
30 MR. CARPENTER: Steve Carpenter, JVA Structural Engineer…so, again, here are the
31 two silos. This is one on the west, the stave silo…this is what I call the cast-in-place silo. And
32 so this is…I believe this is a close-up of one of the photos I showed earlier, or somewhere in
33 close proximity to that. And again, you’ve got greatly reduced concrete strength, greatly reduced
34 area, and then a place that’s totally eroded away so there’s no bearing whatsoever. Neither of
35 these silos have positive attachment to the foundation; that’s actually not unusual for silos. They
36 would cast a foundation and just build the silo straight off of it and then not…by positive
37 attachment, I mean like a rebar dowel, that type of thing. That, in itself, is not unusual, and
12
1 they’re big enough that the actual overturning of the silo as a unit is not a likely failure mode; it’s
2 definitely the crushing due to reduced area, reduced strength, and in some cases, no area, so
3 stress concentration nearby.
4 And there’s some, you know, actually on the exterior, some fairly cosmetic cracking that,
5 for something a hundred and five years old, you’d probably expect. You know, there’s a lot of
6 vegetation around the base…again, there’s another hole. You can see in this photo that, over
7 time, the…assuming that it was assembled to be perfectly circular to begin with, it’s warped a
8 little bit. But what you really see here also, and this is in the stave silo again, because you can
9 see the joints…the upper part is still in good condition and part of the big plan, the adaptive
10 reuse plan, is to have an adaptive seating feature to, you know, sort of carry the historical
11 significance of these. And there is definitely enough left for that, it’s just that you wouldn’t
12 leave it at the base; you would cut the top off, take it down, and then reuse that. So, there’ is
13 good concrete; it’s just in the wrong place.
14 So then, there was a bunch of email exchanges, and I think that’s in the packet as well.
15 And at some point, I wrote an email sort of explaining…just the wind-load business is
16 unnecessarily complicated; the structural engineering community has made the wind-loads
17 unnecessarily complicated. And so I spent some time trying to explain that; under IBC 2012
18 there was a change to what’s called “ultimate wind loads” from allowable service design wind
19 loads. The City of Fort Collins has an amendment that says, no, you go back, you use a hundred,
20 which was the old ASD, which is exactly equivalent to the 130…well, minus one mile per
21 hour…the new…and all of this is semantics really. At the end of the day, any wind load
22 approaching these numbers creates a stress at the base, which I think might exceed the strength
23 of the concrete. So…you know, we can talk about wind load all day, but I don’t think it’s the
24 key thing here really, in the end. More emails…and bottom line, at the end of the day, if a wind
25 load approaching the code required wind load occurs, I believe the stress at the base of
26 that…either one of the silos…could be exceeded…the allowable stress of what’s left of that
27 concrete; therefore, the imminent danger.
28 MS. WHITE: So, the Exponent report did include some language and some findings and
29 conclusions that we believe clearly supports the finding of imminent danger or imminent threat.
30 Subsequent to having received all three reports, Mr. Gebo, I think in an attempt to clarify and
31 resolve all three of the different reports into a single finding, then had an email exchange with
32 each of the three authors of the reports, from Martin and Martin, JVA and Exponent, in which he
33 asked some additional follow-up questions about their interpretation of the data in their reports as
34 it relates specifically to the finding of imminent danger. And that’s the correspondence that Mr.
Carpenter was just referring to, which is also in your packet, dated right around September 18
th
35 ,
36 before he issued his final letter that day. And, in that correspondence, you have a more detailed
37 summary of the issue of wind loads and the potential frequency with which wind loads
38 approaching code design speeds could occur, and so on. But, we think the really important point
39 here is the conclusion, even in the Exponent report, which ultimately said that they found the
13
1 danger not to be imminent, nonetheless did state, there is a risk, however slim, that the silos
2 could collapse at any time. And not that phrase, at any time, going back to the definition of what
3 constitutes an imminent threat. An imminent threat is one which could occur at any time. Now,
4 Exponent also qualifies that conclusion by saying that the risk is slim, but that’s not what the
5 definition says; the definition says, that could occur at any time. So, we think that the Exponent
6 report is nonetheless supportive of the conclusion that an imminent danger does in fact exist
7 here.
8 Two other relevant facts that we think ought to be taken into consideration in making this
9 determination: as part of its overall work on this campus and as part of its proposal for the
10 adaptive reuse program, especially for the barn structure, Woodward sought to obtain insurance
11 for these structures and insurance for the rest of the project. They inquired of their insurance
12 carrier, AIG, to…you know, quote them a price for the premium for them to obtain that
13 insurance. AIG has indicated that they are not able to issue insurance…they’re not able to insure
14 the silos at all, and they’re not able to insure the barn unless and until the silos are removed.
15 This is a quote from the AIG letter, and we have the letter in your packet, and there’s a very
16 teeny-tiny copy of it on that PowerPoint slide. The other relevant factor, and this really goes to
17 the adequately preserved by other means or adequately achieved by other means, is a letter which
18 is also in your packet…and I won’t spend a lot of time on this, it may also end up being too small
19 for you to read, but the Woodward, Inc. did seek input from the original Hoffman family on their
20 adaptive reuse program and inquired about their feelings and asked for their input as it relates to
21 preservation of the historic character and the historic site, and this is some of the comments that
22 we received on that point: the historical value is maintained by keeping just the footprint of the
23 silos, but the added safety which would allow accessibility…this gets to the point of whether or
24 not people can be allowed near the silos…is actually an improvement over the current condition,
25 so that people have the opportunity to learn about and share in the history of these structures.
26 And, here again is a teeny-tiny copy of the letter, but you should have a full-size copy of the
27 letter in your packet. A couple quotes from the letter, which again I won’t read, since the entire
28 letter is in fact in your packet.
29 In conclusion, based on the structural engineer’s reports and the City’s actions in red-
30 tagging the building, requiring the fencing, combined with the fact that these structures are not
31 insurable, we think that the only conclusion is that there is in fact imminent danger. Now, all of
32 the experts agree that the silos are dangerous, there’s no question that they’re dangerous. The
33 only question is about whether or not the danger is imminent, which really boils down to whether
34 or not the danger could occur at any time. And yet all three of the experts agree that it could
35 occur at any time, and if it does occur, it could cause serious injury, death, or a serious threat to
36 property, particularly the barn that’s nearby, and the other Woodward structures that are nearby.
37 The only way that this risk can be eliminated is if Woodward fences them off and doesn’t allow
38 anybody to get near the silos. This deprives Woodward of the opportunity to actually use these
39 historic structures, which are on their property, and to enjoy one of the many property rights that
14
1 go with property ownership. We think the City has essentially, implicitly acknowledged this
2 imminent threat with its direction in the letter to immediately fence off the silos, and the red-tag
3 posting with that very dramatic language: warning, risk of injury or death.
4 For the City to conclude that it’s not an imminent threat and that it’s only dangerous, the
5 City relies principally on the Exponent report, and in particular their conclusion that, as long as
6 people are not allowed to occupy the fall zone, then an unsafe condition does not exist. But, if
7 that were the way that you would assess an unsafe condition, why then, any condition could be
8 rendered safe, no matter how decrepit, no matter how dangerous, by simply not allowing people
9 to go near it. And since the whole point of one of the reasons why Woodward decided to buy
10 this property in the first place, notwithstanding the historic structures being there, was that they
11 hoped to incorporate them into their overall site plan and make this an opportunity to allow
12 people to, you know, interact with these structures and use them for historical learning. It really
13 sort of defeats the purpose to say that we can’t let anybody near them.
14 So, back again to the definition…the first bullet on this slide is the definition in the
15 property maintenance code that we’re trying to analyze here: an imminent threat, or an imminent
16 danger, is a condition which could cause serious or life-threatening injury or death at any time.
17 And, no question that the JVA report concludes that, no question that the Martin and Martin
18 report concludes that; the only question is whether one must conclude that based on all three of
19 the reports including Exponent. And we think Exponent actually concluded that as well when
20 they said, there is a risk, however slim, that the silos could collapse at any time.
21 So, maybe the question is: how slim is a slim risk and is that risk acceptable? Perhaps
22 that risk may be acceptable in the eyes of the building official, and that’s why they concluded
23 that this was dangerous, not imminently dangerous. But that risk, however slim, is not
24 acceptable to Woodward, and we think it should not be acceptable to the City, particularly in
25 light of the fact that other adequate means exist to preserve these historic structure; the
26 requirements of the code are adequately met by other means. Briefly just summarizing, these are
27 the reasons why you can’t destroy a structure that’s over fifty years old unless it’s an imminent
28 threat, because you’re trying to preserve the historic character for a variety of very good public
29 policy reasons. All of the proposed actions to be taken with the reuse plan, with the adaptive
30 reuse plan, actually will accomplish those goals equally well, if not better than, attempting to
31 leave the silos in their current location and in their current condition.
32 Although it hasn’t yet, it is certainly Woodward’s intent to present this overall adaptive
33 reuse plan to the Landmark Preservation Commission for its review and hopefully concurrence.
34 A couple quick visuals of what that is going to look like. In this graphic…let’s see…this is the
35 proposed reconstructed silos…here, you can see this one in the background right here, and this is
36 the reconstructed barn. Another view of it, this is the milk house right here which is part of
37 the…part of the adaptive reuse is to be turned into a bike repair facility.
15
1 In conclusion then, we believe that all of the evidence clearly supports a finding that an
2 imminent threat does exist. These silos are no longer performing their intended purpose, they do
3 not have the capacity to resist forces associated with wind speeds approaching code level, they
4 require immediate preventive action to prevent injury or death, and that the overall
5 comprehensive restoration plan that’s being proposed adequately meets all of the goals of the
6 historic section of the code and the property maintenance code, by other means such that it
7 would not be improper to allow the finding of imminent danger, and to allow these to be
8 demolished and reconstructed in place as proposed. That concludes our formal presentation and
9 we look forward to the opportunity to answer your questions later in the proceedings.
10 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, thank you. Next would be the appellee, or the Chief Building
11 Official’s chance to present his case.
12 MR. MIKE GEBO: Thank you. For the record, Mike Gebo, Chief Building Official here
13 for the City. Before I do start though, I would like to invite Mr. Paul Bennett, our engineer with
14 Exponent that the City had hired, for his statements, his perspective on what we’ve done at this
15 point, up to date. Mr. Bennett? And then I’ll come back to…
16 MR. PAUL BENNETT: Good afternoon, Paul Bennett with Exponent. So you have a lot
17 of information before you, right? Talk about wind speeds, and stress and strain, and the danger
18 of this happening. And so I think that we can get lost in the weeds with all of this code talk.
19 And so, I’ve taught for several years now; I’m an instructor for ICC, the International Code
20 Council, the developer and publisher of these building codes. And I’ve taught for several years
21 for them, and I thought it might be useful, very briefly, to give you a hand out of a case study I
22 use in that class to show you.
23 I would encourage you that I think this imminent danger…this “at any time” piece, that
24 there’s a common-sensical [sic] element to it, and that you don’t necessarily need an engineering
25 degree and all these codes and ordinances and language to discern this. And so, yes, there’s a
26 risk of a lot of things happening at any time. This drop ceiling, heaven forbid, could collapse on
27 this Board at any time, right? There’s a risk, however slim. The case study before you is a
28 structure that I looked at several years ago…historical structure, built in 1889, a masonry
29 structure…and if you flip to page two, you’ll see the condition of the structure. The shoring that
30 you see in the picture was not on site when I first showed up. We do a lot of work for insurance
31 carriers and look at damaged buildings…the insurance carrier called, said some brick fell off this
32 building, why don’t you go take a look at it? I took a look at it…as you can flip to slide three,
33 page three, you can see the condition at a larger level, again, shoring was not in place when I got
34 there. Page four, similar condition…page five, don’t know how obvious it is, there’s cracks in
35 other walls that…some of which were very recent…all of this had happened the day
36 before…with this masonry that had collapsed. And so, on page six, this is actually the opposite
37 wall…and it’s subtle, but the wall is bulging, you might see towards the base of the wall. So, it’s
38 about to do what the opposite wall did the day before. Page seven, I go into the structure…this is
16
1 what interior walls and doorways look like. Page eight, an interior wall separating from the
2 exterior wall, really, that exterior wall was bowing out. Page nine, you can see the baseboard at
3 the bottom of the wall is bulged outwards…and page ten is the opposite wall where no collapse
4 had yet occurred, but you can see the separation there.
5 I walk into the structure, there’s a low-income family, they don’t speak English, they’ve
6 got four children upstairs…this is imminent danger; this is going to collapse at any time. I get on
7 the cell phone with the building department…they send out an inspector, he immediately gets on
8 the phone with the fire department…they come out and put the shoring up that you see in the
9 picture. I didn’t take pictures at that time; my concern was life safety for the occupants, right?
10 So I would encourage you that…and this is in the courses I teach for ICC…this is the type of
11 case studies we look at. I think you know, I think you sense it when there’s something
12 immediate…imminent…something that could happen at any time. And I don’t sense that with
13 these silos; I think all the engineers in this case are saying the same thing. We’re all seeing the
14 same things…maybe we’re getting lost in the weeds and arguing about semantics. We’re talking
15 about wind speeds. We agree that in a design wind event, yeah, I wouldn’t occupy these
16 silos…wouldn’t be near them, out of an abundance of caution. Because our mandate as design
17 professionals is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, we’ve recommended that
18 nobody stand in the fall zone, because there is a risk. These buildings are not…structures are not
19 in good shape.
20 But, what is that risk of a design wind event occurring? Well, the standard, ASCE7,
21 where we get our wind loading from, has an equation in it where you can determine the risk on
22 any given day, and so I took the liberty of doing that. And I’ll give you a quick handout on that
23 and I’ll be done. So this, again, this is the equation that’s taken out of ASCE7, and I simply
24 looked at, what is the probability of this category…these buildings were classified by JVA as a
25 risk category 3…what is the probability of that event occurring today? I won’t even say at any
26 time, meaning any second, let’s just look at today, 24 hours. A risk category 3 building is
27 designed for a wind event that has a 1,700 year return interval. That means, statistically, it
28 would occur every 1,700 years. So, you do that math on that and you can see, it’s 0.0016% is the
29 chance of that happening today. So, when we say in our report, there is a chance, however slim,
30 well, there’s your slim…we helped quantify it. Thank you.
31 MR. GEBO: Alright, thank you Mr. Bennett. Okay, so, I was brought into this discussion
32 here mid-summer this year, and my project, I guess, is one way of saying it, is to try to determine
33 and classify the structural ability of these two silos. And, as noted earlier, there’s a dangerous
34 classification…do they need repair, do they need shoring, are they a danger? And then the other
35 component is imminent danger. And, the Woodward folks sent a Martin and Martin report on
36 the conditions of these silos, and as I read through the Martin and Martin report, it indicated that,
37 first of all, the silos cannot be used. Currently adequate for an empty structure; without
38 intervention, the silos will continue to deteriorate. The foundations appear to be in fair condition
39 and…actually I was surprised to read this, both silos are stable against net overturning due to
17
1 wind pressures. Now, that started…I started asking questions about it…well, design wind…I
2 heard that a number of times…they could fail during design wind. And it kept coming back to
3 me, you know, 120 to 130 miles per hour is our design wind. I think that’s a class 2 tornado, or
4 something, so it’s a pretty high wind. And I would expect that probably a number of buildings
5 throughout town could be damaged in some way by 120 or 130 mile an hour wind. So, even
6 Martin and Martin on their report indicated that yes, the silos will continue to deteriorate and
7 eventually become unstable.
8 Now, when I look at the Martin and Martin, we’re still back on that…under “findings,”
9 the silos are generally in poor condition as defined by the Colorado State Historic Fund, italics,
10 Annotated Scope of Work, specifically…they have a number of bullet points. And their first
11 italic, which I am assuming and I have asked repeatedly, is this italic captured from the Colorado
12 State Historic Fund Annotated Scope of Work? I believe it is; so when they talk about the
13 italics, they are no longer performing their intended purpose…I think that is coming directly
14 from the State Colorado Historic Annotated Scope of Work, which is why it’s italicized. Then,
15 the second one, they show signs of imminent failure or breakdown…again, I believe this is from
16 the State Annotated Scope of Work. So, as I read through these, I think what I’m reading with
17 the Martin and Martin, and no one has clarified this or corrected me yet, that the italics is from
18 the State and the non-italics is the actual finding from Martin and Martin.
19 Martin and Martin goes on to say the weakened state of the concrete is currently adequate
20 for an empty, but without intervention, the silos will continue to deteriorate and will eventually
21 become unstable. That’s over time…they will continue. My whole function is, are these
22 dangerous, and/or are these imminently dangerous?
23 So, the JVA report…paraphrasing here…they provided extensive information about the
24 restoration; they agreed that the silos can no longer be used for their intended purpose, and under
25 design wind loads could fail. I read that a number of times, under design wind load, these could
26 fail. And my interpretation of imminent…it could happen at any moment, it could happen now,
27 it could happen today…not under some design wind speed of 120 or 130 miles per hour…that’s
28 an event in and of itself. Imminent danger, to me, is, it could happen without any external event;
29 it could just fall. That’s the limits that I’m trying to satisfy.
30 So, when I read the three reports, and I’ve provided definitions…you know, we’ve heard
31 about the dangerous structure or premises, dangerous of any part, element or component thereof,
32 is no longer within its serviceability limit or strength limit state. We think that’s true, that you
33 can’t use them for anything else, that’s the serviceability strength. Don’t put anything in there,
34 don’t use them. And the engineers are in fact telling me that. Or, structure or premises pose an
35 imminent threat to health and safety? So I have to add, yes, I think everybody agrees, these are
36 dangerous structures. I agree, the three engineers agree…the real question is the imminent piece,
37 that’s what we keep coming back to. So, under a classification of dangerous, we post them.
38 These buildings are now posted. It’s a pretty standard posting that we use that may sound very
18
1 strong, and may sound, you know, very concerning, but we only have the one dangerous poster
2 that we use for all dangerous buildings. And then, it’s always good when you declare a structure
3 dangerous, to provide some level of safety around that structure…you know, fence it off or
4 somehow rope it off. Post it, which is the standard posting we use, rope it off…that’s standard
5 procedure.
6 Now, the question is…is the imminent part; we’re back to this imminent danger again.
7 And, imminent danger, when in the opinion of the code official, there is an imminent danger of
8 failure or collapse of the building which endangers life or any other structure, a part of the
9 structure has fallen and life is endangered by the occupants, or when there’s actual or potential
10 danger to the building or occupants…I mean this goes on and on…proximity…
11 The key piece I think is that, is this going to happen right now? So I did…once I got the
12 reports and I read through the reports, I asked…I reached out to the engineers again. Please help
13 me understand the condition of these buildings. Can they be considered an imminent danger? I
14 don’t have a preference one way or another…I’m the official that has to make a declaration.
15 Yes, we all agree they’re dangerous, that’s given. Can we move it to an imminent danger? That
16 was my question. And, when I reached out to the three engineers, I had an email back from
17 Martin and Martin to give use some guidance from the City’s perspective as to what that
18 imminent should look like, to help them determine whether it’s an imminent or not. So, the
19 definition in the Property Maintenance Code as imminent danger: a condition which could cause
20 serious or life-threatening injury or death at any time…right now, today, at any time, without
21 some exterior event, without some wind event or…something else to impose upon them. Can
22 they cause damage right now? To help that, I included a Webster’s Dictionary…to help identify
23 imminent. And Webster’s says, appearing as if to happen, likely to happen without delay, or
24 impending. So, when I sent this to the three engineers, I asked, okay…take one more look at
25 this…and I’ve asked this a number of times, take one more look. And, can you tell me that this
26 is impending? None of the three engineers were actually able to tell me that these silos will fail
27 today. It has always been with some wind event, or if I start hitting design wind speeds of 120 or
28 130 miles per hour. I would suspect…I agree…under a condition of a wind event, I could very
29 well have a failure. So, to me, that is not impending, that is not as if to happen without
30 delay…that is, could happen under some other condition. So, I really did not get any clear
31 understanding that these are imminent. I had a very clear understanding from Exponent that
32 these do not pose an imminent danger, and with that, I don’t have an imminent classification.
33 Yes, dangerous, so we have declared the silos dangerous; we have posted and required our
34 appropriate protections because of a dangerous structure. But, at this point, I still do not believe
35 that they are imminent. Now, dangerous means they have to stabilize, they have to secure, they
36 have to do something to those silos to stop them from getting worse than where they are now.
37 They need to protect them right there. If they were imminent, which I have not seen, then they
38 could demolish them; that’s the real key here.
19
1 So, with that, with no clear statement from any of the three, except Exponent said no
2 they’re not imminent, the City declared the silos dangerous, we ordered it to be fenced, we set up
3 a schedule for Woodward as to when the structure…what’s the plan? How do you plan to
4 stabilize? How do you plan to fix these? As historical structures, they really can’t do anything
5 to these silos until a plan has been approved by the Landmark Preservation…do you proposed to
6 stabilize them from the inside, do you spray gunite concrete on them…what are you going to do?
7 That’s the plan…we’re looking for a plan and then we’re looking for that plan to be implemented
8 within a certain amount of time as well. So…I think I’ve covered everything at this point.
9 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, as I’m reading it, Brad, would this be the appropriate time for
10 public comment? Or should we hold that until after the rebuttals?
11 MR. YATABE: I think this is an appropriate time for public comment and certainly
12 remind the Chair also that if there are any questions that any of the members want to ask at this
13 point, that it’s possible to ask, or you can hold off until later…that’s certainly up to you.
14 Sometimes it’s good to ask questions as they come, but that order of procedure is up to you.
15 CHAIR SMITH: I’ll put that up to the Board…is it…would you like to ask questions
16 now or would you like to include the public comment before we ask questions? You want to go
17 ahead and ask questions? Okay, we’ll ask questions at this time. I assume Andrea has the first
18 one.
19 BOARDMEMBER ANDREA DUNLAP: I’m kind of lost in the various billing
20 codes…but as I would read it, isn’t it that in the 2012 IBC is where you pick up the 100, 130
21 wind speed? And, if that were to apply, wouldn’t that apply to all the historical buildings in
22 town…if…because it only happens that that is enacted when you do something to the building?
23 MR. GEBO: Okay, there’s the International Building Code…that is the current adopted
24 code that the City is under. That would be the code that we construct under…additions, new
25 buildings, remodels…we’re going to use the IBC as the code book for how to construct. The
26 International Property Maintenance Code is just that, it’s a maintenance code for all existing
27 buildings. So when we’re talking about an existing building and what to apply and how to use it,
28 we’re going to use the Property Maintenance Code. When the engineers are talking about failure
29 under design wind loads, they’re using the design wind loads out of the Building Code, but that’s
30 the current design wind speed. So, you wouldn’t want to use a design wind speed of 1910 or
31 1912…we don’t know what that is. So, when these engineers are talking about, the silos could
32 fail under design wind speed, they’re using today’s design wind speed…and, yes, that is in the
33 Building Code, but it’s still a viable wind speed to use to address the existing buildings under the
34 IPMC.
35 CHAIR SMITH: Go ahead, Mike?
20
1 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Just to expand on that same question then, so if the
2 silos were to be repurposed for some…and stay 40 feet tall…whatever they’re repurposing
3 would fall underneath the 2012 IBC then? Is that correct?
4 MR. GEBO: Well, if they rebuilt something with those silos, yes, they would be under
5 the current building code for what does that look like…how do you build it, how do you design
6 it…
7 If they’re stabilizing or they’re securing, I’m just going to use an engineer because
8 neither one of the codes are really telling me how to stabilize and how to secure something that’s
9 existing. So that would all be totally engineered and designed…does that answer?
10 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: I believe so…I guess, if they wanted to be able to be
11 walked through by employees, general public, what have you…that would fall underneath an
12 engineer’s recommendation for repair and then it would not necessarily have to comply with the
13 2012 IBC wind loading, and so on and so forth?
14 MR. GEBO: Well, that really depends on the scope of what they plan to do with the silos;
15 we’re certainly going to get engineers involved in whatever that plan may be. If it is to, you
16 know, cut doorways into the silos, then I don’t really have current codes that talk about…how do
17 I cut a hole into a hundred year-old silo…so that’s where the engineers will come in.
18 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Thank you.
19 CHAIR SMITH: Any other questions? Okay, I guess at this point, we’ll invite the public
20 to make their comments. Please remember to state your name for the record.
21 MS. CAROL TUNNER: Carol Tunner. I’ve listened to the appeal of Woodward, and it
22 was my conclusion that they cherry-picked facts to meet their need and glossed over that these
23 silos can be repaired or saved, restored. These silos are next to the Coy-Hoffman barn, repaired
24 in 1996 with a Colorado Historical Fund grant of state monies. I wrote the state register
25 nomination as a volunteer even though I was, for twenty years, a Historic Preservation Planner
26 for the City; I retired in 2007. But, back in 1996, I did this outside my job as a volunteer for
27 three years. The grant professional preservation structural engineer, AE Design…maybe some
28 of you knew him…the late Richard Beardmore…did not believe the silos were dangerous all
29 through the three year project, and he oversaw work on the close, nearby barn. In fact, he
30 did…when Woodward took over, he did an estimate for them on moving the silos, and must have
31 thought they were capable of being moved.
32 As part of that grant, hundreds of Fort Collins citizens donated thousands of dollars to
33 save these structures listed in the Colorado State Register of Historic Places. They have also
34 been officially determined to be individually eligible for Fort Collins Landmark designation.
35 Several buildings…if you could have seen them before we worked on them…do you remember
21
1 when the Linden Hotel was condemned? There was four inches of pigeon dung inside the floors.
2 The trolley barn over on Cherry and Howes street…there was an engineer in town that had a
3 little machine he put on it and he listened to it and he said, it’s going to fall down. The trolley
4 barn has been restored and it’s solid. The Downtown Transit Center…I remember doing tours
5 inside there in the spring…historical tours…we had to hold umbrellas because it was
6 raining…hold umbrellas inside the building.
7 Woodward CEO and President, Tom Gendron, told us at their groundbreaking that he had
8 a history degree and assured us that the historic structures would be saved, and they can be
9 saved. They now have an engineer who says the silos are an imminent hazard. Two other
10 engineering firms, from the report I read from the Building Inspection Department, disagree and
11 say they need repair and intervention but are not imminently a threat or danger. I’m immensely
12 supportive of Woodward, and glad they chose to stay here. This pains me to have to speak out
13 like this, but obviously they just don’t want to deal with saving the silos. The legal City process
14 should not be circumvented. This is a very rare resource in Fort Collins and must be saved for
15 posterity; and multiple structural engineers say they can be repaired and saved. They are truly a
16 landmark, in every sense of the word. Saving them is a responsibility as a designated, certified
17 local government of the History Colorado Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, grants
18 are available.
19 In conclusion, Coy’s 1862 homestead was the cradle of Fort Collins civilization. Buffalo,
20 New York is saving its concrete granary silos, naming them concrete cathedrals, in a recent
21 Coloradoan article. What would the barn and its historic landscape be without its silo? And one
22 more thing that came to me as I listened to the report, is Mr. Carpenter talked about the grain in
23 the bottom wearing…acid wearing it out. Those silos, according to the family, haven’t been
24 used in decades and decades and decades and decades…and they’re still standing.
25 CHAIR SMITH: Thank you. Please remember to state your name.
26 MS. HEATHER WOLHART: My name is Heather Wolhart, and I want to thank Carol
27 for everything she’s done for the City, and she’s a dear friend. I’m the great-great granddaughter
28 of Coy-Hoffman. I grew up on that farm, played in that barn, did things that you don’t want to
29 know about in those silos…I can tell you that, as a child, we would all stand…all five of
30 us…could stand on top of them and rock them back and forth…pretty exciting way back then.
31 And that’s when they actually touched the ground all the way around.
32 I am incredibly excited, as a family and as a person, for what Woodward has planned for
33 this place. I appreciate that the silos seem to be an integral part of the barn, and I appreciate their
34 landmark status; but, if you asked me, and if you asked the family…and I’m sure if you asked
35 the public, if it came down to…what do people recognize out there, the barn or the silos, they’re
36 going to always say the barn. They’re going to always say that. It’s the Coy-Hoffman barn…oh,
37 are you going to save the barn? Is Woodward going to tear down the barn? I’ve heard that and
22
1 heard that and heard that, and nobody has ever asked me or said a thing to me in public about the
2 silos. And as much as they’re neat and they’re cool and they’re fun, if it comes down to it,
3 they’re not really as historical and as important as the barn. And if they’re potential continual
4 deterioration puts the barn at risk…that to me is a sad thing. Because if they would fall and take
5 out the barn, that would ruin everything. But, if they can be repurposed, reused, redesigned into
6 something that would then be of public value…if people in the city, whether they’re just
7 employees, or people walking the bike path, or eventually an interactive event where all things
8 could come together and people could actually touch, taste, see, feel what it was like…and, yeah,
9 they would be short…they wouldn’t be forty feet in the air, but that doesn’t mean that whole
10 impression couldn’t be there…that the educational piece couldn’t be there. Pictures and
11 memories and the whole event…and then sit inside that circle and touch that restored piece of
12 cement and go, wow, how did they do this…how did they make this cement all those years ago?
13 I don’t know if you notice in the pictures, that cement has rocks this big in it. You go out here
14 and dig up this sidewalk, it does not have rocks this big in it. How did they do that? How did
15 they make those? What was the process? That’s more important than the size left to be
16 dangerous and then no one able to ever access them. And as much as I would love to say to my
17 grandkids, look at the barn, look at the silos, that’s where your grandma grew up…I’ll get to do
18 that if we can go forward with keeping them safe and useful, repurposed into a way to be used by
19 the public, by Woodward, in a safe and interactive way. And there is no repurpose that I
20 personally can understand leaving them at their full height; there’s no way to use a full height
21 silo other than silage. And, yes, Carol is right, they haven’t had a lot of farm product in them for
22 decades; it doesn’t take a lot of silage to make a lot of acid, and a lot of smell, and a lot of mess.
23 And it doesn’t take a lot of silage to leave decades of rats and creatures that have loved living in
24 those silos.
25 So, are they imminent? To me, this is kind of a weird thing…are they dangerous?
26 Absolutely. Have they been dangerous for a long time? Absolutely. Is there a chance to do
27 something marvelous by allowing some repurposing? Absolutely. To me, and as the family,
28 that’s really the only question. Can we make this go forward and value my past and my future.
29 Thank you.
30 CHAIR SMITH: Is there any other public comment? Okay, our next order of business
31 would be rebuttals, and we’ll start with the appellant, Woodward.
32 MS. WHITE: Thank you Mr. Chairman; once again for the record, Carolynne White. I’m
33 going to ask Mr. Carpenter to come up first and speak to some of the technical issues that were
34 raised by the engineer from Exponent, and then I’ll conclude by addressing some of the other
35 comments from Mr. Gebo and the members of the public. Thank you…Mr. Carpenter?
36 MR. CARPENTER: Steve Carpenter with JVA. Just…I actually agree with Mr. Bennett
37 that the…it’s easy to get down in the weeds with the wind. The one in 1,700 year
38 occurrence…recurrence…is for what used to be called risk category 3 and 4 buildings. It’s one
23
1 in 700 years for risk category 2, and one in 300 for risk category 1, which is what it would be
2 now in a vacuum. In my report, I actually said…I used 2 or 3…and I would consult with a code
3 official to define that. It’s sort of pointless…these are all, on any given day, small
4 percentages…totally agree with that. I guess what I don’t agree with is that I can’t, as an
5 engineer, predict the weather and know when that thunderstorm is coming with a microburst, or
6 the chinook wind, down sloping wind, day type of thing. So that’s the reason I didn’t go there: I
7 can’t predict the weather. I don’t know what it’s going to be like tomorrow.
8 The only other comment that I have is, there were a couple questions regarding, really
9 basically…if you look at it in old code versus today’s code, and part of the reason I chose
10 today’s code is because of the proximity to the barn…and the barn will definitely be adaptively
11 reused. And so, because of the proximity, I think it would need to comply with today’s code,
12 just simply because of the proximity as part of that conference center.
13 MS. WHITE: Just a few other additional points…I want to make it clear for the Board
14 that no one is trying to circumvent the legal process. This is the legal process for appealing a
15 building code official determination, so we’re going through the process as required; no one is
16 trying to circumvent the process. To the point that Mr. Carpenter just made, and the question of
17 whether or not the 2012 IBC requirement that it withstand current design wind loads of 120 to
18 130 miles per hour, whether that would be applied if the silos were to be reconstructed and
19 repurposed so as to allow people to be in and near them, I think that Mr. Gebo’s answer is
20 certainly correct…that, you know, given that there’s no other code to determine it, he would, you
21 know, consult with an engineer. But also, given the proximity of the barn, what Mr. Carpenter
22 said, I find it hard to imagine that you wouldn’t require it to meet the 2012 IBC standard, given
23 that just 20 feet away is a structure where you’re going to let people gather in large
24 numbers…and I think it can hold between 70 and 120 as proposed. So, certainly we’re thinking
25 about the potential danger to, you know, life and injury as we think is required in this situation,
26 and that was the reason for reaching that conclusion.
27 One other point I wanted to make is that the emailed exchange obviously speaks for
28 itself, and you have the whole thing in your packet, but somebody concluded, and I don’t
29 remember if it was Mr. Gebo or somebody else, said that when he asked the question of whether
30 or not there was immediate danger, nobody’s said yes, or only one engineer said yes. The way I
31 read those emails, JVA said yes, immediate danger, Martin and Martin said I agree with JVA,
32 Exponent said not immediate danger. So, two out of the three did say, yes, immediate danger,
33 immediate threat, in that email exchange. So, that’s certainly the way I read it; you can read it
34 and it speaks for itself, but that’s our interpretation.
35 And then the question was raised about, what did Martin and Martin mean in their report
36 with those italic subheadings? And, I think, given that that interpretation led to Mr. Gebo’s
37 conclusion that Martin and Martin did not feel there was immediate danger, it does bear a little
38 further discussion about that point. So, I’d like to direct you to the packet that we submitted
24
1 today that contained three additional documents in it. The first of those three documents…I
2 think this is the right order…is the scope of work for the historic structure assessment put
3 forward by the State Historical Fund, revised 2014…it’s a nine page document. And this is the
4 template and format that a structural engineer is supposed to use…or not a structural engineer,
5 but a consultant, in doing an HSA, a Historical Structure Assessment. If you turn to page four of
6 that document…I’ll wait until everybody’s there with me…you see that there are three categories
7 that can be applied to buildings in this type of analysis: good, fair or poor, each of which has a
8 few criteria following it, right? Good has three criteria, fair has four criteria, and poor has five
9 criteria. Then if you look at the Martin and Martin report, where the Martin and Martin
10 consultant is reaching her conclusions as a result of performing the Historic Structure
11 Assessment, on page…the bottom of page four of her report, how convenient, both on page
12 four…you see her findings. And there are three bulleted findings, each of which corresponds to
13 one of the criteria under the poor condition in the scope of work on the bottom of page four.
14 So, I can see how Mr. Gebo might have interpreted the Martin and Martin report as not
15 actually stating those as her findings, but rather repeating from the scope of work the
16 subheadings, and then under the subheadings providing her analysis. Except that, if you look at
17 this, there are five potential criteria that one could cite to conclude that a building is in poor
18 condition, right? No longer performing intended purpose, it’s missing, it shows signs of
19 imminent failure or breakdown, deterioration or damage affects more than 25%, or it requires
20 major repair or replacement. In preparing this report, the Martin and Martin structural engineer
21 only cited three of those, and she cited only those which she found to be applicable, namely, the
22 silos are no longer performing their intended use, they show signs of imminent failure or
23 breakdown, and requires major repair or replacement. These are her conclusions, not merely a
24 repeat of the potential headings for investigation. The Martin and Martin report does conclude
25 that there is an imminent danger of failure or breakdown. Then, the JVA report follows up and
26 does an initial analysis and reaches the same conclusion, concluding that the lower portion of the
27 wall shows signs of imminent failure due to long-term acid attack. Now, this isn’t just
28 selectively pulling out of the report, this is the conclusion, this is the finding of the report. And it
29 says, imminent failure due to long-term acid attack. So, there’s really no question, I think, and
30 can there be any question in anyone’s mind, that two out of the three experts believe there is
31 imminent failure. They said so in their reports, they said so in the email conversation following.
32 The third expert, perhaps one could question whether or not they reached that conclusion; they
33 can speak for themselves because they are here. We believe their report actually also supports
34 their conclusion, despite the fact that they stated as a conclusion otherwise, they reached the
35 same finding, namely that failure could occur at any time.
36 And then we get into this question of, what is “at any time?” And Mr. Gebo said that he
37 thought you should think of “at any time” to mean, “without the potential for there to be a wind
38 speed condition. Well, “at any time”, the definition of imminent threat in the code that we’re
39 being asked to interpret, doesn’t say, “absent unusual circumstances,” or “absent a design load
25
1 wind event.” It doesn’t say any of that, it just says “at any time.” And all three of the expert
2 reports clearly state that failure could happen at any time, and therefore the danger is imminent,
3 and we ask you to reach that conclusion and to allow Woodward to proceed with their adaptive
4 reuse plan. Thank you very much. Also, our team is available to answer questions if you have
5 any.
6 CHAIR SMITH: That’s what I was just going to ask the Board, does the Board have any
7 questions for Woodward at this time? Okay, go ahead Justin.
8 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: I have a question for Steve…structural questions.
9 And it may be that we may want both to answer if possible. We talked many times about the
10 design wind load and the…a concern that the buildings would not withstand the design wind
11 loads. Under your report, Steve, you had done some, I think you’d called them just preliminary
12 calculations, or something, to take a look at what you thought might be the stresses on the silos.
13 I guess one question I would ask is, we’re looking at worst-case condition because that’s what
14 engineers do, but is there a…is there an understanding, at this point, from any of the reports…or
15 maybe, you’re the only one that really showed calculations…is there any understanding that
16 there could be danger at 60 miles an hour? At something that would occur…that we’d see on an
17 every year basis. Is there any thought to that part of it, or conclusions on that?
18 MR. CARPENTER: So, Steve Carpenter, JVA…there was, and I think maybe one of our
19 slides was worded, approaching design wind speeds. What I came up with was a crushing stress
20 of about 220 psi…that was assuming an inch and quarter, half of the stave silo, remaining at the
21 base, uniformly. And the Swiss Hammer soundings, you know, which is an inexact…there’s a
22 number of sort of inexact…very close approximations, but not perfect tight data to come to this.
23 And so I didn’t really fixate on the 130 or the 100 ASD…I just looked at wind loads approaching
24 that number. I didn’t pick 60, per se, but anything approaching that number creates a stress,
25 which I think is more than the capacity of the concrete, especially in the areas between the holes
26 where it’ll really concentrate, and my calculation didn’t go that far.
27 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Okay, thank you. Paul, would you have any
28 insight onto that as far as your analysis said similar things that you would think it is possible it
29 would fall under design wind load conditions, but is there any conclusion that you would have as
30 far as more of a normal wind load condition that we might see here in Fort Collins?
31 MR. BENNETT: We didn’t do the calculations that JVA did; we weren’t asked to. But
32 just based on our experience, as we said in our report under design wind loads, we agree. So, I
33 think we’re saying the same thing. But to answer your question directly, we didn’t do that
34 analysis and I don’t have a good answer for you if, you know, at 50 miles an hour…what the risk
35 of it falling down is.
36 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Could that analysis be performed? And, I think in
37 one of those reports I read that further analysis should be looked at…probably more if they’re
26
1 doing reconstruction, but to actually test what the real strength of the concrete is and do some
2 further calculations to actually determine what type of danger there really is under the wind
3 loads. It appears that a lot of it is from physical observations, from your feeling as engineers and
4 experience, but there hasn’t been a lot of detailed analysis done to determine that, at this point.
5 MR. BENNETT: You’re right; there hasn’t been enough quantitative analysis to really
6 put a finger on it. And we can do the math out of the code and figure out what the wind speed is,
7 but the real unknown is…Wayne, right? Steve, I’m sorry. As Steve said, what is the strength of
8 the concrete that’s there, and I think we would both agree the Swiss Rebound Hammer readings
9 are not exact enough. But there are other ways to get more exact information on the strength of
10 it.
11 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Okay. The other question I’d have is…from a
12 structural engineering perspective, could the silos be reasonably reinforced to meet current 2012
13 IBC wind loads?
14 MR. CARPENTER: They can be; we’ve actually done it before. It’s…you said
15 reasonably…I don’t…it’s an expensive, time consuming process, but we have actually done that
16 before.
17 MR. BENNETT: I’d have the same response.
18 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: That’s all I have, thank you.
19 CHAIR SMITH: Tim, you have a question?
20 BOARDMEMBER TIM JOHNSON: Yes, just to clarify…Exponent…sorry, what was
21 your name again?
22 MR. BENNETT: Paul.
23 BOARDMEMBER JOHNSON: Paul…this…the probability you gave us here, this is the
24 one in 1,700 year event, and that’s the category 3, but the risk category for the silos could be
25 conceived to be either a 1 through a 3, and the 1 was a one in 300 year potential? Is that correct,
26 from what I heard?
27 MR. BENNETT: That’s right; we use the category 3, 1,700 year return interval because
28 that’s what the JVA calcs [sic] were based on and we recognize the discussion they had about
29 that. We…I did play with that equation yesterday and actually have it on my computer…could
30 run it quickly for you if you’d like. But, even changing it to 300, I think that 1…that leading
31 1…went to like a 3 or 4 or something; it didn’t even move the zeros.
32 BOARDMEMBER JOHNSON: But, ultimately, the year intervals are 1,700 at category 3
33 or 300 at category 1, is that right?
27
1 MR. BENNETT: That’s right.
2 CHAIR SMITH: Do we have any other questions?
3 BOARDMEMBER RICK REIDER: While they’re both up there…starting with you,
4 Steve, besides the wind issue, what else could occur with the silos that would be dangerous to the
5 public? For example, maybe you could speak to parts or pieces of the silo that may imminently
6 fall off and hit someone.
7 MR. CARPENTER: There are a few pertinences attached around the top of the silo…that
8 could happen…they would easily be removed. My biggest concern would be, because the
9 cement paste near the base of the silos has been attacked over all these years, now it’s exposed,
10 there’s not a roof on the silos; they get wet…I think freeze, thaw and moisture in the concrete is
11 the biggest problem. So, they’re continuing to deteriorate; not at the same rate as if the acid was
12 there, but that’s the biggest problem is just the weathering and the freeze, thaw cycles…in my
13 opinion.
14 BOARDMEMBER REIDER: Paul, how about you?
15 MR. BENNETT: I’m sorry; could you ask the question again?
16 BOARDMEMBER REIDER: Yeah, thank you…I…you’ve both spoken about wind
17 events, and I was asking, are there other events that could impact the silos, or is the only concern
18 a high wind event?
19 MR. BENNETT: Sure, I mean we don’t see a risk under its self weight. You know, I
20 showed you pictures of a structure earlier that was falling down under its self weight. We don’t
21 see that as being an issue here. You know, in the building code we primarily design for wind
22 and seismic. So, to answer your question, seismic is a possibility. We don’t see a lot of seismic
23 activity in this area, but that’s another scenario the building code has us look at for new
24 structures.
25 BOARDMEMBER REIDER: And if you were asked to salvage these structures, to save
26 them, what would that entail? What would I expect to see? Would it be on the outside, the
27 inside, how would you do that?
28 MR. BENNETT: Well, there’s a lot of different ways we could do it, and I think it would
29 really depend on what we’re trying to accomplish. If we’re just trying to stabilize them from
30 collapse under, you know, the wind speeds, or if we’re trying to allow people to go inside and
31 view them. I think right now, it doesn’t sound like that’s necessarily on the table. So, you know,
32 my goal would be to do things from the inside as much as possible so that you preserve the
33 historic appearance on the outside. But there still would be, especially near the base, work that
34 would need to occur on the outside. We wouldn’t necessarily repair them to…our philosophy
35 wouldn’t be to repair them to withstand this design wind event; we would look at a much more
28
1 frequent return interval…off the top, you know, maybe something on the order of 50 years, and
2 design to that. And then, of course with any historic structure, you keep an eye on them and you
3 maintain them.
4 BOARDMEMBER REIDER: And Steve, how about you? If you were asked to do that
5 work?
6 MR. CARPENTER: So, when we have…I’m sorry…Steve Carpenter, JVA. When
7 we’ve done this in the past, what we do is essentially use the existing silo as an outside form.
8 You have to get rid of the deteriorating concrete, which will be tricky in this case because there’s
9 not much left. And then we try to make a positive attachment to what’s there with some sort of
10 sheer pins, and then we come in and just shotcrete a new silo on the inside. So, on the inside, it
11 might not look so great…actually, you can form it, depending on the quality of the forms, to look
12 good. It would need some footing work, foundation work, as well. I don’t think the footings go
13 to frost depth…I’m not sure how big a problem that is anyway…but they would need to be a
14 little bit bigger. We actually would design to the wind recurrence interval that the barn needs in
15 its adaptive reuse. I think it’s going to be either category 2 or 3, depending on the building
16 official, so we would use either 700 years or 1,700 years. We’re concerned about the proximity
17 there.
18 BOARDMEMBER REIDER: Thanks.
19 CHAIR SMITH: Any other questions? Go ahead, Mike.
20 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Unfortunately, I have a question for someone who
21 isn’t here….getting back to the insurance issue that was touched on and mentioned in the email
22 chain. It says that, in the current state, that the silos and thus…because of proximity…that the
23 barn is uninsurable. But it doesn’t ever address what happens if they are repaired. And so one of
24 my questions is…and I know that person is not here…but there was a Ms. Moore who also is an
25 engineer, it sounded like, with AEG…or AIG, excuse me. And I was wondering if that
26 question’s ever been asked. If they are repaired or restored or stabilized in some state, does that
27 affect the insurability of the adjacent structures?
28 MS. WHITE: Mr. Chair? Carolynne White, again. I wasn’t part of the conversation but
29 we have some people here who were, even though we don’t have the AIG insurance person here,
30 so could you just give us a moment to gather that information and we’ll try to get an answer to
31 your question?
32 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Absolutely.
33 CHAIR SMITH: Would this be a good time to take a break if anybody needs to use the
34 bathroom, or get a drink? Okay, let’s take a ten…five minute recess.
35 (**Secretary’s Note: The Board took a brief recess at this point in the meeting.)
29
1 CHAIR SMITH: Alright, it looks like everybody’s back; we’ll go ahead and resume the
2 meeting, I guess at 2:59.
3 MS. WHITE: Mr. Chairman, once again for the record, Carolynne White on behalf of the
4 appellant. The particular question that you asked, are the silos insurable if they were to be
5 repaired or restored, was not asked. What was asked was whether they could be insured as is and
6 whether the barn could be insured, and the response was no to the first question, but also the
7 insurance company, AIG, did say they would not insure the barn unless the silos were removed.
8 And that correspondence is in your packet.
9 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Thank you.
10 CHAIR SMITH: Did we have any more questions? Okay, I guess at that point, it’s the
11 appellee’s turn?
12 MR. GEBO: Thank you. I will ask Mr. Bennett if he has any closing comments at the
13 point?
14 MR. BENNETT: Again, Paul Bennett with Exponent. Just two closing thoughts: one
15 thought I mentioned to Mr. Gebo in the email correspondence that I think you were provided
16 with, and that’s the thought that we have historic structures all over Colorado, all over the United
17 States, and many of those historic structures, if you analyze them with modern day wind and
18 seismic loads, would be found to be lacking. And so if that’s the criteria that we’re going to
19 apply as designers, to call something imminently dangerous, that’s concerning, because that’s
20 not what we do when we go around and look at these historic buildings. There would be
21 buildings all over Colorado, Fort Collins and all over the United States that we would be calling
22 imminently dangerous if we’re only looking at them under a design wind or, say, seismic event.
23 The other thing that I wanted to point out was…we weren’t provided with the JVA
24 report; we saw the emails, we weren’t aware of a report. In talking to Mr. Gebo yesterday, we
25 became aware of it and I received a copy of it this morning, and we looked at their calculations.
26 And, there are some errors in the calculations that we want to just point out for the record.
Beginning with the area of a circle, πr
2
27 , the diameter was used instead of the radius in the
28 calculations. So, when we rerun the calculations, and we use a category…risk category 1 for
29 agricultural facilities, we’re coming up with a number that is less than half of the stresses that the
30 JVA calculated. So, we can provide more discussion on that if we need to, but I just wanted to
31 point that out for the record. Thank you.
32 MR. GEBO: Thank you. So, a couple of points if I can…going back to the Martin and
33 Martin report, and on page four, under the findings, I still contend that the italicized writing is
34 from the State document, and I say that because the second bullet from the State document,
35 italicized, they show signs of imminent failure or breakdown. The non-italicized is Martin and
36 Martin’s response to that bullet, and she says, the weakened state of the concrete walls is
30
1 currently adequate for an empty structure, but without intervention, the silos will continue to
2 deteriorate and will eventually become unstable and safe. If she is indicating that, yes, they are
3 an imminent failure, I find it a little strange that she would indicate that, well, they’re adequate
4 for an empty structure, and that without any further intervention they’re going to deteriorate and
5 at some point become unstable or unsafe…that is just my opinion on that. As a classification of
6 dangerous buildings, they are not allowed to just stay there and continue to deteriorate. As my
7 classification in my letter said, they are dangerous buildings, you must now stabilize and/or
8 repair, you must provide us a plan for what does that stabilization and repair look like, and it
9 must be completed within a timeframe. So, yes, they are dangerous; yes, there is some
10 timeframe for them to stop becoming further dangerous…they have to do something to these
11 structures; they’re not just allowed to sit there. And then, I would ask Brad maybe to expound a
12 little bit on what the appeal is…it’s not an appeal about whether or not something will happen
13 under some other condition; it’s really an appeal about, did I err in some way. I’ve declared
14 them dangerous…that seems to be an agreement across the board. And I have not determined
15 that they are an imminent…I’ve been on site, I’ve seen these. There certainly seems to be no
16 immediate indication that something is moving within the last 24 hours. I see no indication of
17 concrete or the staves falling off or falling out. Yes, they’re dangerous; yes, they need some
18 repair; yes, they need some support, but I still do not see anything as an imminent hazard and I
19 really believe that…my understanding that that is what this appeal is. Did I err in not declaring
20 them imminent? Thank you.
21 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, does the Board have any questions of Mike or the City?
22 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: I have one…the classification…or, hang on…when
23 initial application was made, or when this project was initially approved, were those silos ever
24 evaluated at that time?
25 MR. GEBO: Not from the City; not that I’m aware of…apparently the Martin and Martin
26 report was, it looks like, a year ago or two years ago, now, so that was performed by Woodward,
27 and the City did not…
28 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: It appears to…in that Martin and Martin report…just
I noticed that in the timeline, her report was dated January 7
th
29 of 2014, but she said she visited
30 the site in November of 2014, so I was actually curious where that letter was meant…was
31 actually January of 2015…just was a typographical error…just in the timeline; I noted that when
32 I was reading the materials, that she had mentioned that she had visited the site in November of
33 2014, but she couldn’t have visited and wrote the report ten months before that, so…I think
34 there’s a typo there somewhere. So whether she visited the site in November of 2013 and then
35 the letter was written in ’14…I’m not really sure. But I guess where I’m going with this question
36 is, is there any sort of measuring stick of…in that year or however long it’s been, eighteen
37 months, have those silos…the amount of degradation in other words…I guess is what I’m getting
31
1 at; is there any measurable degradation that’s taken place since they were initially evaluated. But
2 it sounds like they weren’t initially evaluated upon that project being approved?
3 MR. GEBO: As I understand it, these reports are relatively recent.
4 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIGE: Thank you.
5 CHAIR SMITH: Any other questions? Okay, I’m going to give the opportunity for either
6 party to make a closing statement.
7 MS. WHITE: Technically as the party who bears the burden of proof, I think typically the
8 appellant has the last word; but so I think we would only want to give a closing statement if Mr.
9 Gebo would like to give another closing statement. If he waives, we waive; stand on what the
10 evidence is already.
11 MR. GEBO: I have nothing else to add.
12 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, and if the Board has no further questions, we’ll move into a
13 deliberation. Do we have any open discussion? Mike, are you saying yes or no? Go ahead.
14 Okay, alright.
15 MR. YATABE: And, Mr. Chair, if it’s helpful and you want to take a recess so people
16 can review notes and that kind of thing, that’s certainly a possibility as well.
17 CHAIR SMITH: Do you want to take a five minute recess to get ducks in a row? No,
18 we’re good to go I guess. If you’d like to start Mike…
19 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: This is an interesting…interesting case, I guess…to
20 editorialize for just a moment. I keep going back to what the purview, I guess, of this Board is,
21 and it’s to…as Mike just mentioned in his last statement, to determine whether he made an error
22 or not. It’s not really to…oh, how shall I say it? Look at the historical significance of the
23 building, look at whether or not it’s being repurposed appropriately, whether or not…while I
24 sincerely appreciate the comments of the members of the public that spoke, it’s not within our
25 purview to decide or to assist Woodward, or not assist Woodward, in how that…those silos
26 would be better repurposed in the future. Our purview here today is strictly to make a
27 determination if Mike, or Mr. Gebo I guess I should say…the Chief Building Official…made an
28 accurate determination of imminent or simply dangerous. Is that accurate, Brad?
29 MR. YATABE: I think that is accurate; within the purview of review, although there are
30 certainly consequences that flow out of that determination, whether it’s dangerous or imminent.
31 Really the scope of your review is to see whether Mr. Gebo, as the Building Official, did make
32 the correct interpretation of the code provision before you…the IPMC code provision before you
33 in light of the evidence that he was aware of, and certainly the evidence that was presented on
34 the record today. So, yes, there are consequences that flow out of that; I think you understand
32
1 the context of that. But, as to the BRB making the decision based on the historic nature of the
2 property or what may or may not become on that property, I think that’s a little bit outside of
3 your scope.
4 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Thank you.
5 CHAIR SMITH: Any other questions, comments? Okay, I guess…are we ready to go for
6 a finding of fact? Still working on it? I guess there’s a point of discussion on finding of fact? I
7 think we would have to determine if there’s…if the building is imminent or dangerous, I guess,
8 to support the motion to either uphold or overturn the ruling.
9 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Just as discussion…I think it’s pretty…everybody
10 agrees on the dangerous, so that’d be a pretty easy finding of fact at this point. Are we really
11 trying to determine whether or not we find that it’s imminent or not?
12 CHAIR SMITH: I think we do have to determine if it’s imminent or not, because that
13 directly holds to upholding or overturning the CBO’s decision.
14 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Just as discussion for Boardmembers, I am having
15 some…as we all are I’m sure…trying to weigh the difference between the imminent and not, and
16 whether or not, as Mr. Gebo pointed out, we’re going to include every major code-driven
17 weather event as what would cause an imminent failure on a structure, versus it could fall today
18 under just normal conditions. That, to me, was a striking difference between the two from his
19 definition, and I don’t know that we have, I guess, enough from the structural engineering
20 reports, real calculations that would show otherwise…that they would fail under a day-to-day
21 condition, without this major weather event. That’s the one piece that they all agreed on, that the
22 major weather event could collapse the structures, but I don’t see the evidence in the
23 reports…and maybe it’s just because they didn’t have the detailed engineering into it, that we
24 can say otherwise that they would fall today without that event.
25 CHAIR SMITH: I guess what helped clarify that to me was Mr. Bennett’s presentation
26 about what would be imminent is happening now, and as I view the code, imminent is that type
27 of a situation, where dangerous needs to be addressed, I guess. Okay, are you guys sure we don’t
28 need some sort of a recess here to come up with something?
29 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: I’m trying to draft a finding of fact here, so…does
30 anybody else have anything going as far as that?
31 CHAIR SMITH: I’ll say let’s take a few minutes to allow for a…to draft a finding of fact.
32 Let’s go for five more…thanks.
33 (**Secretary’s Note: The Board took a brief recess at this point in the meeting.)
33
1 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, we’ll call the meeting back into session and see if anybody’s
2 come up with…Justin, did you come up with a motion?
3 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Yeah, I’ll take a stab at it here. Quick questions,
4 with this…finding of fact, do we need to all wait for a second and prove it before we offer a
5 motion, is that correct procedures here? Just to clarify. Or do I need to offer the motion with the
6 findings of fact.
7 MR. YATABE: Well, I think the typical way to do it would be to offer the motion with
8 the findings of fact in support of it.
9 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Okay.
10 MR. YATABE: But, I’ll say, alternatively, I’ve also seen it where the Board or
11 Commission can agree on the findings prior to that and then they can be incorporated. So, I
12 guess procedurally, I’d leave it up to the Chair to decide how…and I haven’t attended this Board
13 before, so I don’t know how you normally make your motions.
14 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: I think I’d prefer just to try to roll in into one
15 motion right up front so we can then discuss it…so, if that’s okay?
16 CHAIR SMITH: That’s fine with the Chair.
17 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: So, I move that…for a motion to uphold the Chief
18 Building Official’s decision in this matter, based on the facts that I heard that we all agree that
19 the buildings are dangerous. I have not heard the…as I’m hearing that the buildings are
20 imminently dangerous because they are not…we’re not seeing an action that is starting or
21 happening at present time that is going to make them fall under a day-to-day operation. And, all
22 the engineers agreed that the event that we’re talking about is a code…2012 building code wind-
23 driven event, where they would collapse. And I have not seen that there’s been any other
24 evidence that they are imminently dangerous, other than the possibility of this wind event.
25 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, do we have a second?
26 BOARDMEMBER DUNLAP: I’ll second that.
27 CHAIR SMITH: And then roll call.
28 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Is there a discussion?
29 CHAIR SMITH: Do we have any discussion before we call for a vote? Seeing none,
30 we’ll call for the vote.
31 MS. LISA OLSON: Johnson?
32 BOARDMEMBER JOHNSON: Yes.
34
1 MS. OLSON: Doddridge?
2 BOARDMEMBER DODDRIDGE: Yes.
3 MS. OLSON: Montgomery?
4 BOARDMEMBER MONTGOMERY: Yes.
5 MS. OLSON: Smith?
6 CHAIR SMITH: Yes.
7 MS. OLSON: Reider?
8 BOARDMEMBER REIDER: Yes.
9 MS. OLSON: Dunlap?
10 BOARDMEMBER DUNLAP: Yes.
11 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, the decision of the Building Inspector is upheld, and this may be
12 appealed to City Council, but the appeal must be filed within 14 days?
13 MR. YATABE: I believe that’s correct, yes.
14 CHAIR SMITH: Okay, thank you.
15 MR. GEBO: Excuse me; is that information all on-line for the Woodward folks?
16 MR. YATABE: That is, that’s contained in the code, and Ms. White can certainly contact
17 me if she has questions regarding the appeal or the procedure.
18 MR. GEBO: Okay, thank you.
19
20
21
22
ATTACHMENT 7
Staff Powerpoint presentation
to Council
January 19, 2016
Woodward, Inc. Appeal
Coy-Hoffman Farm
Located on the new Woodward, Inc. campus
State Designated Historical Site
Silos constructed 1912-1913
Silos declared as “dangerous” structures on
September 18, 2015
3
Approximately 40’ tall
Left silo
• Concrete slip pour
Right silo
• Concrete stave
Declaration Process
Three engineering firms
evaluated silos to
determine structural
conditions
• Martin and Martin
• Exponent
•JVA
Declaration Process
Reports were reviewed and comments noted
• Silos could be considered imminent danger under
design wind loads, high winds of 120-130 mph.
• In current state not imminent danger
City provided definitions of imminent danger to evaluate
silos by
Imminent danger was not established
Dangerous was the classification given.
Building Review Board Appeal
October 29, 2015
Woodward appealed the “dangerous” classification
requesting that the BRB declare the silos as
“imminent danger”
BRB confirmed that the silos are “dangerous”
However, “imminent danger” was not established.
Council Appeal
Woodward appealing the “dangerous” classification,
believe silos “imminent danger”
Appealing on the grounds that building official failed to
properly interpret and apply the codes
Appealing the Building Review Board’s determination
Dangerous vs. Imminent
Historical structures
• Dangerous classification requires silos to be stabilized
and repaired
• Imminent danger classification requires the silos to be
repaired or demolished (owners choice).
Landmark Preservation
Regular meeting January 13, 2016
Determination of eligibility for Landmark designation.
Link to the Building Review Board Hearing, October 29, 2015
http://cable14.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=6c16bda6d3a0fb046116f007aa880ed4
Links to the video of the silos provided to City Council:
Short version - https://youtu.be/aJelrq3Nqn4
Long unedited version - https://youtu.be/ayvK8mqyK7s
(There is no audio on either of these videos.)
1 WEST ELEVATION
EL1 SCALE: 3/32" = 1'-0"
2 NORTH ELEVATION
FORT COLLINS, CO 80525
(970) 223-1820
www.aller-lingle-massey.com
2/7/2014 1:49:25 PM
HISTORIC STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
0100
Author
02/20/10
COY - HOFFMAN FARM
MILK HOUSE
ELEVATIONS
EL1
C ALLER-LINGLE-MASSEY 2014
0000-Project-SD.rvt
EL1 SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
1 MILK HOUSE NORTH ELEVATION
EL1 SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
2 MILK HOUSE EAST ELEVATION
EL1 SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
3 MILK HOUSE SOUTH ELEVATION
EL1 SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
4 MILK HOUSE WEST ELEVATION
EL1 SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"
5 MILK HOUSE MAIN FLOOR
NORTH
In all cases listed above, the Stave Silo is significantly overstressed. In addition to the stresses,
we also considered these following critical items in the overall analysis, although they were not
included in the baseline calculation: