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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLandmark Preservation Commission - Minutes - 01/24/2001LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting January 24, 2001 Minutes Council Liaison: Scott Mason (226-4824) Staff Liaison: Joe Frank (221-6376) Commission Chairperson: Per Hogestad (416-7285) SUMMARY OF MEETING: The LPC heard a presentation on the design of alley houses by Mr. Cameron Gloss, Current Planning Director. A Conceptual/Final Review resulted in the LPC approving a front porch restoration at 623 Mathews St. The LPC approved the paint selection submitted for the Preston Farm Granary. The LPC elected Mr. Per Hogestad to be Commission Chairperson and Mr. Bud Frick to be the Vice -Chair of the LPC for the coming year. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL: Per Hogestad called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m., at 281 North College Avenue. Commission members Angela Milewski, Janet Ore, Agnes Dix, Myrne Watrous, and W.J. (Bud) Frick were present. Angie Aguilera was absent. Carol Tunner, Karen McWilliams, Joe Frank and Connie Merrill represented staff. GUESTS: Nancy Kinney, citizen, Bob Hand, citizen; Sue Kreul-Froseth, citizen for 208- 214 Peterson; Alyson McGee, representative for Preston Farm; Kevin Murray, Empire Carpentry for 623 Mathews; Lori Thompson, owner 623 Mathews; Cameron Gloss, Current Planning Director. AGENDA REVIEW: Because of applicant illness, the complimentary review of 208/214 Peterson was rescheduled to a special meeting on Wednesday, January 31. Additional material on Alley house design concepts will also be presented by Cameron Gloss at the January 31 meeting. STAFF REPORTS: Ms. Tunner passed out material on the upcoming Colorado Preservation Inc. conference in Denver. In addition, she reported that the first draft of the State Plan for Historic Preservation is complete. Brochures were handed out on training classes for City Board and Commission members. A news brochure from the National Trust was handed out. Ms. McWilliams reported that the Advance Planning Department received a State Historical Fund grant of $28,500 with matching funds from the City of Fort Collins of $9,500, totaling $38,000, for the survey and preparation of historic contexts of the Buckingham, Alta Vista and Andersonville neighborhoods. Additionally, representatives of the neighborhoods have picked one or two homes that represent their neighborhood, with plans to turn them into historic house museums. A CLG grant of $25,000 has been awarded for surveying the Old Fort Site area, with matching funds from the City of Fort Landmark Preservation Commission January 24, 2001 Meeting Minutes Page 2 Collins of $10,000. A planning grant from Colorado Community Heritage is also being pursued for a separator study for Timnath, Windsor and Fort Collins. COMMISSION MEMBERS' REPORTS: Ms. Milewski attended the DDA meeting. They have two new members, Kim Jordan, owner of New Belgian Brewery, and Rick Goodell. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Ms. Milewski pointed out that the November 15 meeting was held at the Streets Facility, 625 Ninth St. Motion by Ms. Milewski to accept the November 15 meeting minutes as revised and December 13 minutes as submitted. Ms. Dix seconded the motion. Motion passed 6-0. DISCUSSION ITEMS: Alley House Design Mr. Cameron Gloss, the City's Current Planning Director, presented design ideas for Alley Houses, to be used as a way to create sensitive inf ill in residential neighborhoods. He presented design standards from Boulder and other communities for alley houses, including the reduction of the mass of the larger houses in maximum floor area ratio, and architectural design features. These features included a maximum eve height of 12 feet and a maximum dwelling size of 800 square feet (including garage) that makes it clearly secondary to the main dwelling. Mr. Gloss showed some slides of alley houses that were designed to integrate into the neighborhoods, and passed out examples of an area in Longmont, Prospect Newtown, which typifies some successful and aesthetically pleasing alley houses. These houses incorporated design principles, such as recessed garage doors, small size and minimal upper story. Mr. Gloss showed copies of additional photographs of a different area, Mill Development, that failed to adhere to details in design plan, resulting in far less aesthetically pleasing designs. He suggested that current Fort Collins zoning and the deep lots in Old Town allow for duplexes and triplexes, that can work with good design. His staff is preparing to work with East Side and West Side neighborhoods to examine new alley house design concepts. Other impacts of neighborhood livability were discussed, including parking and the noise level accompanying increased density. Ms. Watrous discussed the small size of these alley houses and indicated that anything larger would greatly lessen neighborhood livability. Mr. Gloss responded that this is important in an area like Fort Collins, because of its additional development potential. He said that the City needs to be very aware of the consequences of building additional dwellings on Fort Collins' deep lots. He indicated that he would like to present additional material on this topic and will present his PowerPoint presentation next Wednesday, January 31. Public input: Nancy Kinney, citizen, indicated that, according to Mr. Gloss's design principles, the alley houses should be significantly smaller than the main house. If the main house itself is very small, how is it possible to adhere to the alley house designs as proposed by Mr. Gloss? Mr. Gloss responded that it is possible to work with each individual case and suggested that builders might model their houses on an existing Landmark Preservation Commission January 24, 2001 Meeting Minut• • Page 3 historic Fort Collins alley house on the corner of Jackson and Oak streets. He went on to say that one inherent problem is that people today demand more space than in previous years. Ms. Ore repeated the question that if the main building is already very small, will an alley house work? Mr. Gloss replied that this may be a problem but each individual site will need to be considered on its own merits, and suggested again that alley houses can be built that do not detract from the livability of the neighborhood. Bob Hand, citizen, agreed that details are important, but raised the issue of affordability. He said that the more attractive Prospect Newton dwellings are more expensive than the Mill Development houses, and indicated that alley houses that adhere to the design principles set out by Mr. Gloss may not be economically feasible. Mr. Hogestad said that there are design ways to deal with a small front house, such as by visually breaking a larger alley house and using through -connectors NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION: Comments were solicited from the Commission on the Preston Farm National Register Nomination. Mr. Frick asked why the Garage/Milk Barn is considered to be a non-contributing structure. Ms. McWilliams said that it was only built in 1955; in 2005 the building can be included. The report was very well prepared. The Commission was very positive on the National Register nomination of the Preston Farm. OTHER BUSINESS: No other business. CURRENT REVIEW: Alyson McGee Preston Farm Granary. Ms. Tunner reminded the Commission that on September 13, 2000, the Commission approved the final review of the granary. However, at that time, the painting of the barn was not reviewed. Ms. Alyson McGee, representing the Historic Fort Collins Development Corporation, project managers of the Preston Farm, said that they had found a bucket of red paint on the property, which had presumable been used for painting the barn. She matched the paint as closely as possible from currently available paint, identified as Benjamin Moore Paint No. 1302. Ms. McGee added that some green paint (closely matching Benjamin Moore Paint No. 1561) was found under the red paint, but the majority of the barn was only red. The barn is mostly red now but weathered to such an extent that large areas are paint free. The North and South sides, with the studs out, have never been painted and will remain untreated. Ms. McGee has been told that they are well enough protected and are not weathered badly enough to need preserving (which would change the color). Motion by Mr. Frick to approve the paint selection for the Preston Farm Granary. Ms. Dix seconded the motion. Motion passed 6-0. No public input. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Nominations requested for Vice -Chair. Ms. Ore nominated Ms. Milewski. Mr. Hogestad nominated Mr. Frick. Some discussion ensued regarding Landmark Preservation Commission January 24, 2001 Meeting Minutes Page 4 the possibility that the Chair might be able to delegate more responsibilities to the Vice Chair, due to the Chair's time constraints. Mr. Frick nominated Mr. Hogestad for Chair. Ms. Ore withdrew her nomination of Angela Milewski for vice chair, with Ms. Milewski's consent. Vote on slate of officers resulted in unanimous vote of 6-0 for Mr. Hogestad as chair and Mr. Frick as vice -chair. CURRENT REVIEW: 623 Mathews St., S.A. Johnson House — Rehabilitation of Front Porch - Conceptual/Final Review. Mr. Kevin Murray of Empire Carpentry and Ms. Lori Thompson, owner, presented their design for the front porch of 623 Mathews Street. The porch is in bad repair and has been altered through the years. The porch is currently enclosed and has a concrete block foundation. An original porch column still exists and is attached to the house. The proposed porch has been modeled on the house immediately next door, which is almost identical to the house on 623 Mathews. Ms. Thompson and Mr. Murray showed some historic photos of the house with its original porch, and the identical one on the house next door, though some minor differences exist. The foundation has probably been replaced but is currently stuccoed concrete block and can be changed only with great difficulty. The original wooden stairs were probably wider, but the current concrete steps will remain as they are. Mr. Frick asked why one railing, to the right of the drawing page, (N) is immediately on the edge of the concrete steps, while the one on the other side looks like it is 8-12 inches to the right of the concrete steps. The proposed design shows that the steps will be offset. He suggested two possible design changes: moving the railing to increase the opening, or taking the concrete steps out and putting in wooden steps. He preferred the wider opening, as it will take care of the offset to the door, will enable the existing steps to remain, and might help restore the original look, which looks (from the photographs) to have had a wider opening and wider wooden steps. Mr. Murray replied that this would improve the design and agreed that it should be done as suggested by Mr. Frick. Public input: none Mr. Frick moved to approve the rehabilitation of the front porch at 623 Matthews with the design change that the railing opening be widened and centered over the edge of the existing concrete stairs. Ms. Ore seconded the motion. Motion passed 6-0. Meeting adjourned 7:35 p.m. Submitted by Connie Merrill, Secretary