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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 01/22/2003LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting January 22, 2003 Minutes Council Liaison: Eric Hamrick (225-2343) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chairperson: Bud Frick, Jr. (484-1467) >UMMARY OF MEETING: LPC asked to see a modification of the design for a entrance for the Fort Collins Museum. LPC provided advice on design of props iddition to 1223 W. Mountain Ave. to preserve its individual eligibility lesignation as a Fort Collins Landmark. LPC offered suggestions epairing/replacing damaged siding on 817 Peterson. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order at 5:34 p.m. at 281 N. College Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. Angie Aguilera, Agnes Dix, W.J. "Bud" Frick, Per Hogestad, Janet Ore, Carole Stansfield, and Myrne Watrous were present. Karen McWilliams and Carol Tunner represented staff. GUESTS: Jill Stillwell, Director, Fort Collins Museum, for 200 Mathews St.; Dave and Vanessa Schmidt, owners, Steve Joseph and Andy Rex, Craftsman Builders, for 1223 W. Mountain Ave.; Robert Liebler, owner, for 817 Peterson. AGENDA REVIEW: Karen McWilliams added 817 Peterson for guidance from the Commission on issues with deteriorating exterior siding. STAFF REPORTS: Ms. Tunner introduced the new recording secretary, Kate Jeracki, and announced that City Council had adopted proposed changes to Chapter 14, Sec. 3.4.7 of the Land Use Code. The Colorado Historic Fund Annual Report was circulated. Copies of the LPC 2003 Work Plan, a reconnaissance survey report on Quonset Huts in the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area, and a proposed itinerary for a field session on Saving Historic Downtown Fort Collins and Streetcar Restoration during the 2003 National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference were distributed. The conference will be held in Denver this year, Sept. 30-Oct. 4, and Fort Collins was asked to submit a proposal for a mobile workshop. A decision on whether the proposal was accepted will be announced by conference organizers later this spring. Ms. McWilliams asked members to forward any comments on the quonset but survey to her. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: Myrne Watrous reported on attending the Downtown Development Authority meeting. The Robertson/Haynes Block, 261 Linden St., is receiving a second $10,000 for work on the fagade. Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon's request to place a smoker on the patio was denied. Renovation plans for the Oak Street Plaza are not final but may Landmark Preservation Commission January 22, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 2 include removing the bus shelter and installing a play sculpture. Ms. Tunner indicated that the sculpture is scheduled to come before the LPC in the future. A seasonal outdoor ice rink is being proposed for North Mason St. beyond Cherry, similar to ones in place in the winter in Denver's Larimer Square and Cherry Creek Shopping District and downtown Boulder. These have been very successful in bringing people to shop downtown. Bud Frick reported on progress of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Downtown Strategic Plan, which is currently reviewing draft policies. The committee is working on both transportation and land use issues. DISCUSSION: City Plan Update -- presented by Ken Waido, Chief Planner, City of Fort Collins. Mr. Waido reported that, as required by the City Plan adopted in 1997, the City is currently undertaking the first five-year review of the plan. Input is being gathered from a number of sources, including community stakeholders, general public, staff, boards and commissions, and a Citizens Advisory Committee that has been meeting since August. He noted that because of the number of projects that had been in the development pipeline before City Plan was adopted, few projects have been completed entirely under its guidelines; he cited Harvest Park on Timberline south of Harmony as the best example of a totally City Plan project. The CAC has been developing a set of desirable characteristics for the future Fort Collins, focusing in five areas: The Region and the Economy; Open Space and Community Separators; Transportation; Housing and Neighborhoods; and Development and Redevelopment. Mr. Waido distributed a copy of the approximately 40 characteristics under consideration. The biggest issue that the CAC has been dealing with has been the size of the Growth Management Area (GMA) and whether it should be changed. The issue was not thoroughly dealt with in the original 1997 document, and unanticipated population growth in Fort Collins and the Northern Colorado region has reduced City Plan's recommended 20-year supply of buildable land to between 12 and 15 years' supply. Once the characteristics are finalized by the CAC, they will be forwarded to City Council for adoption at its Feb. 18 meeting. Phase II of the process will involve actual updating of the City Plan document. Ms. Watrous pointed out that none of the characteristics address historic preservation. Mr. Waido explained that the update is focused on issues not adequately covered in the existing City Plan document. Historic preservation is fairly well covered by existing policies and regulations and needs no special emphasis in the Plan, he said. Ms. Tunner added that since there are no preservation advocates on the CAC, it is critical that the LPC forward its advice to City Council as it deliberates the update. Landmark Preservation commission January 22, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 3 City Plan is based on transit -oriented design, so the Master Transportation Plan is being reviewed at the same time. Agnes Dix asked about the possibility of relocating Highway 14 at Riverside. Mr. Waido pointed out that over the last three decades it has been impossible to get agreement on where a new route would go. Carole Stansfield asked about moving the railroad. While Mr. Waido held out little hope for that, he did say the question of why there are no viaducts or below -grade railroad crossings in Fort Collins was an issue. Janet Ore asked if growth was expected to continue at the same rate. Mr. Waido reported the state demographer's projections that Northern Colorado will slow down to 2 percent annual growth over the next decade, but Fort Collins' population is expected to grow from the current 130,000 to 190,000 in the next twenty to twenty-five years. CURRENT REVIEW: 1.) 200 Mathews St., Fort Collins Museum — presented by Jill Stillwell, Director, Fort Collins Museum. The applicant is asking for Conceptual Review on the new entrance to the Museum, now located in the courtyard of the building. The purpose is to draw attention to the new entrance, and the applicant proposes adding a steel -and -glass awning three feet in front of the building, extending above the word "Auditorium" carved over the door to the second -floor eaves and supported by cables. The effect would be like a conservatory, with individual glass panels and a peaked element, and would support the Romanesque/Richardsonian design of the building. Commission members liked the green glass, but suggested keeping the height to one story and simplifying the design by eliminating the cables and emphasizing the arch of the museum with a fan shape. Mr. Frick used the Paris Metro entrances as a visual analogy; Mr. Hogestad suggested hotel entrances on Denver's 17th Street might be more accessible. Ms. Stillwell said she would have the designer incorporate the suggestions. Ms. Tunner mentioned that through the Design Assistance Program, the Museum would be entitled to $600 of a professional architect's time to develop the final plans. Public input: none. 2.) 1223 W. Mountain Ave. — presented by Dave and Vanessa Schmidt, property owners, and Steve Joseph and Andy Rex of Craftsman Builders. The applicants are asking for a Preliminary Hearing to discuss requirements, standards, and policies that apply to this property, which is individually eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark. The home is also one of only about 40 or 50 identified in the Eastside/Westside neighborhood survey that may also be eligible for the National Register, and is a prime example of classic Craftsman design, in excellent condition. A back room was poorly added in the 1970s, and the owners want to redo that portion of the house correctly. The proposal is for adding a 12' x 14' sunroom addition on the rear Landmark Preservation Commission January 22, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of the house, as well as remodeling the kitchen, the second story master bedroom and the second story bathroom. Ms. McWilliams reminded the Commission that the process was the same as for a designated building: to look at the plans and discuss ways to make he alterations that would keep the building eligible for designation. If the final plans reduce the home's eligibility from "individual" to "contributing to a district," a lengthy review process will begin. Mr. Joseph and the owners assured the Commission that all detail will match the rest of the house — the original door is intact and will remain — and the addition will not be visible from the street. The Commission's main concern with the proposed plans is the change of the roof pitch on the addition to a 4- pitch from the 6-pitch for the rest of the structure. Mr. Joseph explained that they had considered a shed roof, which was part of Craftsman style, but it did not give the required height to the upper floor. There was also concern over the size of the addition. Ms. Orr suggested redistributing the uses within the space; Mr. Frick suggested reducing the width of the second floor by making the existing bath the master and having the other two bedrooms share a 3/4 bath. Mr. Hogestad emphasized the need to relate the scale of the second floor to the rest of the house. Mr. Joseph asked the Commission's opinion of using a double gable on the back, one set back, with 6/12 peaks. The Commission was much encouraged by the idea. Ms. McWilliams advised the owners to bring concept studies incorporating these suggestions back to the Commission for review. If the LPC approves the new plans, that is the end of the process. If not, the owners can ask for more advice, or proceed to a Final Hearing, complete with fees and documentation. Pubic input: none 3.) 817 Peterson — presented by Robert Liebler, property owner. The applicant in the process of having his home designated and is asking the Commission guidance on repairing or replacing 10-inch wide, 1/2-inch thick pine siding that has deteriorated since 1954. He estimates that about a third of the siding needs to be replaced, and has received a quote of $3-$5 per lineal foot for comparable materials. The Commission agreed that the wide siding is an important element in the home, and it is the width that has been difficult to replace in original materials. Ms. Orr said she would be open to arguments in favor of substitutions, if the applicant could do more research on the availability of replacement materials. Mr. Hogestad suggested investigating salvage Landmark Preservation Commission. January 22, 2003 Meeting Minutes Page 5 sources; Mr. Frick suggested replacing one whole wall with modern materials and using the usable material from that wall for replacements in more noticeable areas. Public input: none OTHER BUSINESS: Letter from the Downtown Development Authority: Copies of a letter from Larry Stroud, chair of the DDA, to Mr. Hogestad as chair of the LPC, regarding the second floor windows of 107 N. College Ave. (Woolworth Building/Welch Block) were distributed. The letter proposed a meeting between representatives of both organizations to discuss approaches to such projects in the future. After discussion, the Commission instructed Ms. Tunner to write a reply inviting members of the DDA to a future regularly scheduled LPC meeting. February meetings: Ms. Turner indicated that the first meeting in February would be a very long one, with four designees already on the agenda and an hour and a half scheduled for the no -interest loan program. During discussion, several members objected to scheduling either longer or more meetings. The Commission agreed it would be good policy to devote the entire meeting on February 12 to the loan program, rather than discuss projects that could be candidates for the program on the same evening. Ms. Turner will reschedule any presentations from February 12 to February 26. If the agenda becomes too full, anything scheduled for February 26 will be moved to the March 12 meeting. Meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki January 31, 2003