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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 04/14/2004LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting April 14, 2004 Minutes City Council Liaison: David Roy (407-7393) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chair: W. J. "Bud" Frick, Jr. (484-1467) SUMMARY OF MEETING: LPC approved replacement of the rear door at 601 W. Mountain Ave., and the use of a counter -balanced fire escape at 251 Linden St. LPC also approved changes to the sign and the basement stairwell at 259 S. College Ave., the Armstrong Hotel, and chimney repair and replacement of the second -floor door and rear staircase at 516 S. Meldrum. An additional Friend of Preservation Award was approved. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Commission called to order with a quorum present by Chairman Bud Frick at 5:35 p.m. at 281 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado. Angie Aguilera, Agnes Dix, Per Hogestad, Janet Ore, Ian Shuff and Myrne Watrous were present. Karen McWilliams and Carol Tunner represented City staff. No City Council members were present. GUESTS: Sue Walker, owner, for 601 W. Mountain Ave., Aaron Kitchel House; Rena and Rudy Hansch, owners, for 516 S. Meldrum St., Garnick House; Steve Levinger, owner, 259 S. College Ave., Armstrong Hotel; Mark Thorburn, University Designers and Builders, for 251 Linden St., Haynes/Robertson Block; John Kirsch, Fort Collins Forum; Scott Vanderplaats, Seth Ratering and John Rowen, observers, from Dr. Haas' Natural Resources Policy class at CSU. AGENDA REVIEW: Carol Tunner added the Friend of Preservation Award to Other Business. MINUTES: The minutes of March 10, 2004, were approved as presented. STAFF REPORTS: Carol Tunner distributed a brochure about the NAPC convention in Indianapolis in July. Karen McWilliams reported that the demolition application for 317 Cherry St., childhood home of Academy Award -winning actress Hattie McDaniel (for Gone With the Wind), has been withdrawn. COMMISSION MEMBER REPORTS: Myme Watrous reported on the Downtown Development Authority meeting of April 1. City representatives outlined a number of capital projects slated to appear on the April 2005 ballot: a downtown library on the Poudre Valley Creamery site on Laporte Ave.; a new recreation center; a new police building; transportation and road improvements including the Mason Street Corridor; parks improvements and an expansion of the Fort Collins History Museum. No architect's drawings were available, but the proposed museum addition is to be two stories, 10,000 sq. ft., on the east of the present building in the parking lot. The DDA voted to grant the museum $1 million as requested, to expire on April 30, 2005, if the Landmark Preservation Commission April 14, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 2 remaining $5.5 million is not approved by the voters. Because the museum building is locally designated, the plans would have to come to the LPC. The DDA formally appointed the Downtown Business Association its agent for the development of an amphitheatre in downtown, and authorized $10,000 for a feasibility study. No specific location has yet been selected. Pine Street Lofts anticipate ground -breaking in June; only 3 of the 20 proposed units have been sold. Other projects under discussion include an artists' compound on the half -block east of Mason St. between Cherry and Maple streets; a new downtown location for the Discovery Center; and a Science and Cultural taxing district to generate $4 million-$6 million annually. The privacy wall in front of the women's restroom in the remodeled Old Town Information Center has been eliminated to avoid formal review by the LPC, but developers plan to go through the review procedure after the project is completed if the wall is obviously needed. Per Hogestad suggested Bud Frick, as chair of the LPC, should review the proposed materials at this point in the process for possible impact on the surrounding historic structures. CURRENT REVIEW 1. 601 W. Mountain Ave., Aaron Kitchel House -- Replace Rear Door, Conceptual/Final Review -- presented by Sue Walker, introduced by Carol Tunner. Bud Frick recused himself and passed the gavel to Vice Chair Angie Aguilera. Mr. Frick left the room and completed a City Conflict of Interest form. The rear door on this house is not an entrance but swings inward into a utility closet; the existing door is not secured, but a hollow -core interior door. Ms. Walker said that the wooden, four -panel exterior door she has found is actually simpler than the one shown in the Commission's meeting packet. Staff recommended approval. Public input: None. Ian Shuff moved the LPC approve for Conceptual and Final Review the replacement of the rear door at 601 W. Mountain Ave., as proposed. Janet Ore seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0. 2. 251 Linden Street, Haynes/Robertson Block -- Change Approval for Rear Fire Escape, Conceptual/Final Review -- presented by Mark Thorburn, introduced by Carol Tunner. Once again, Bud Frick recused himself from the discussion to avoid a possible Conflict of Interest. The applicant is requesting a change to an aluminum counter -balanced fire escape from the steel one already approved by the LPC in September 2002. The lighter -weight stair will have less impact on the building, but will require different attachments to the building. It will be the same color as the lightest color on the storefronts, Downing Sand. Staff recommended approval of the change. Landmark Preservation Commission April 14, 2004. Meeting Minutes Page 3 Mark Thorbum explained that the current plans were drawn to avoid covering up two doors and a window on the first floors and to maintain the building's features when the stairs are in the up position. Other plusses for this system include not having a stairway covering the architectural features of the building, including the prominent garage door; saving a parking space otherwise lost to a fixed staircase; and not impeding access to the first floor while discouraging vandalism to the second floor. Carol Tunner added the City's Building Department is looking to the LPC for justification and explanation for the record for using this sort of fire escape. The tenant would like to move into the second floor on June 1. Because of the weight reduction, the new plans no longer include an outside support pole, but they do include a small landing, which increases the width of the stair. The landing is required to meet the City requirement for no more than a 12-foot vertical drop; the original drop was 14 feet. Public input: None. Janet Ore moved the LPC approve for Conceptual and Final Review the designs for a counter -balanced stair fire escape for 251 Linden St. as presented, with a strong recommendation that the staircase be made narrower, if possible. Agnes Dix seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 6-0. Mr. Thorbum will send final updated drawings to Ms. Tunner for the file. 3. 259 S. College, Armstrong Hotel, Change Neon from Red to White, and make Olive St. Basement Staircase Code Compliant, Conceptual/Final Review -- presented by Steve Levinger, owner, introduced by Carol Tunner. The LPC has already approved reconstruction of the historic neon sign on the College Avenue fagade of the building, with red neon. The applicant would like to use a more subdued white neon, and add the street address where he had previously proposed a logo. Staff supports the change. The second part of the application involved making the Olive Street basement exterior stairwell code compliant. According to City safety codes, the railing surrounding the stairs must be altered so that a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through. The applicant presented two options: stretched canvas strung on the railing, and 1/8-inch steel cable stretched horizontally and screwed into the existing steel posts. Staff had suggested a third option of plexi-glass panels as originally used on the Miller Block; however, subsequent investigation revealed that the Miller Block had switched out the panels for wire mesh in a frame, spot- welded to the steel railing. Ms. Tunner presented photos of the existing railings on the Miller Block. The Commission agreed that the mesh, which is reversible, low maintenance and visually unobtrusive, was by far the best option presented. Landmark Preservation Commission April 14, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 4 Public input: Seth Ratering said he thought the wire mesh was a good solution. Myrna Watrous moved the LPC approve for Conceptual and Final Review changing the color of the neon on the sign for the Armstrong Hotel from red to white; and approve using wine mesh in a frame spot-welded to the steel pipe of the basement stairwell railing to bring the stairway into compliance with City safety codes. Agnes Dix seconded, and proposed a friendly amendment to add the address, 259 South College Ave., to the sign. The motion carried unanimously, 7-0. The LPC asked Mr. Levinger to submit a shop drawing to staff for the proposed railing. 4. 516 S. Meldrum, Garnick House -- Rear Staircase, Second Floor Front Door Replacement, Chimney Repair, and Crown Molding Window Trim for 2004 Landmark No -Interest Loan Program -- presented by Rena and Rudy Hansch, owners, introduced by Carol Tunner. The applicants confirmed that, although the drawings submitted show designs for the front as well as the back porch, the front porch is not part of the loan project and they are not doing it at this time. After discussion with the LPC, they also removed the request for matching crown molding on the rear addition, in order to keep the design simple and to avoid adding an anachronistic detail. Bud Frick suggested possible sources for doors that would match the one shown in the 1948 picture of the front fagade; he will provide Carol Tunner with details to pass on to the applicants. The Commission agreed that the chimney was in urgent need of repair. While no one on the Commission had any problems with the layout of the proposed rear porch, Per Hogestad suggested that the ornamentation had too much detail, and that it should be simpler to reflect that it is a new replacement addition to the building. Ian Shuff agreed, pointing out that the columns in particular should be simplified. Janet Ore added that the porch dated from the 1940s while the house itself was in the Colonial Revival style, and that this project offered an exciting opportunity to give a streamlined, 21st Century interpretation of Colonial that would be compatible with both portions of the house. Public input: None. Angie Aguilera moved the LPC approve for Conceptual and Final Review the second floor door replacement to match the 1948 photo, with half-light and two panels; chimney repair and re -mortaring, and replacing the rear staircase, with a simplification of the newel post and column detail. Janet Ore seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 7-0. Landmark Preservation Commission April 14, 2004, Meeting Minutes Page 5 OTHER BUSINESS Friend of Preservation Award -- presented by Carol Tunner. Ms. Tunner suggested making an additional award to the Downtown Development Authority, in recognition of the important fagade easement program that gave financial help to projects such as the Armstrong Hotel over the past year. By consensus, the LPC approved. LPC members asked about procedures for the upcoming Rule property presentation. Ms. Tunner noted they had requested 90 minutes on the April 28 agenda. Bud Frick said he is recommending 30 minutes for the presentation, plus 3 minutes for each speaker; he suggested the proceeding might be shortened if all the speakers are in agreement with the points presented by the first few. Janet Ore asked for clarification on the role of the LPC and the procedures to be followed in this matter. Mr. Frick said the property has already been determined eligible for local landmark status, in 1994; it is also eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Land Use Code Section 3.4.7 requires that if an eligible property is sold for commercial purposes, any redevelopment plan has to preserve, protect, enhance or incorporate the existing historic building. The issue before the LPC on April 28 will be to determine the property's current eligibility, and whether any of the proposals the owners have would maintain the buildings' eligibility. After the April 28 meeting, the applicants will have the option to appeal the LPC decision to City Council. The Commission members asked about the grounds for such an appeal and the criteria Council can or should use when hearing the appeal. Ms. Tunner assured Commission members that the staff report on the property, to be prepared by Karen McWilliams, will contain compleM background information. Meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki, Recorder April 21, 2004