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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 - Landmark Preservation Commission - Annual ReportCommunity 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 MEMORANDUM January 31, 2012 TO: Karla Smith, Boards and Commissions Coordinator TH: Karen Cumbo, Director, Planning, Development and Transportation Services FR: W. J. Frick, Jr., Chair, Landmark Preservation Commission Karen McWilliams, Historic Preservation Planner RE: Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) 2011 Annual Report Overview of the Landmark Preservation Commission: The nine-member Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) was created by Council in 1968 to perform the duties relating to preservation of historic landmarks as set out in Chapter 14. The LPC members are appointed by City Council for staggered four-year terms. Members have expertise in the fields of historic preservation, architectural history, architecture, real estate, engineering, or related subjects, or a demonstrated interest in historic preservation. To maintain Fort Collins’ federally recognized Certified Local Government (CLG) status, a minimum of 40% of the Commission is required to hold professional expertise in historic preservation or a closely related field. The Commission makes recommendations to the City Council on Fort Collins Landmark designations. The LPC is the final decision-maker regarding requests for alterations to exterior features of Landmark structures, and determinations of eligibility for local landmark designation. The decisions of the LPC may be appealed to the City Council. The Commission also performs additional functions including: promoting an awareness of and appreciation for the value of historic preservation; advising the City Council with regard to the identification and significance of historic resources, threats to their preservation and methods for their protection; and advising City Council and City staff with regard to policies, incentives and regulations for historic preservation. Preservation Responsibilities and Activities Fort Collins has been a leader in the state and nation in its planning, policy and implementation programs, including local landmark designations, incentive programs, survey, and regulation, including but not limited to: Policy. In 1994, the City adopted the "Historic Resources Preservation Program Plan" as an element of the City's comprehensive plan. The Mission of this Plan is "to enhance the quality of life in Fort Collins by the preservation of historic resources and inclusion of heritage in the daily life and development of the City and community." City Plan includes several goals, principles, and policies specifically relating to historic preservation. Certified Local Government. In 1991, Fort Collins achieved state and federal recognition as a Certified Local Government, one of the first in Colorado. This CLG status gives the City broad powers to administer state and federal preservation regulations, including Section 106 Review and Compliance, and provides a dedicated pool of federal grants and the opportunity to participate in the state preservation tax - 2 - credit program. In return, it requires that the City enforce appropriate state and local legislation for the designation and protection of historic properties consistent with the federal Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. It also requires the establishment of a qualified historic preservation review commission; that the city survey and inventory properties to the State’s standards; provides for public participation; and to perform other responsibilities delegated to it. Incentives. Fort Collins has assembled an impressive array of public/private financial incentives to promote historic preservation, and to make the adaptive reuse of historic structures economically feasible. Owning a property designated as a Fort Collins Landmark provides the owners with substantial resources for the preservation and upkeep of these properties such as a 20% return on every dollar invested (State Tax Credit Program), no-interest matching loans (the City's Zero-interest Rehabilitation Loan Program), and professional design help for alterations or additions (the Design Assistance Program). Other financial incentives include: * Federal Investment Tax Credits * State Historical Fund Grants * Historical Structural Assessment Grants * DDA Facade Grants * CDBG Grants * LDC Low-Interest Loans * Affordable Housing Tax Credits Regulation. While much of the emphasis of the City’s Historic Preservation Division is focused on identification, information, designation and incentives, the Fort Collins program also includes some regulatory control over historic resources. Municipal Code Chapter 14, Landmark Preservation, provides for the local landmark designation of historic structures and the review of exterior alterations to these buildings; provides a public process for properties eligible for individual Landmark designation that are proposed to be demolished or significantly altered; and provides the process by which the Landmark Rehabilitation Loan Program is administered. Land Use Code Section 3.4.7, Historic and Cultural Resources, is intended to ensure that, to the maximum extent feasible, historic buildings are preserved and incorporated into proposed development in a way that does not affect the integrity of the historic resources; and, that new construction is designed to respect the character of historic buildings in the neighborhood. Program Honors The Landmarks Preservation Commission and Historic Preservation Division have received both state and national recognition for their outstanding efforts to preserve the historic heritage of our community, including Fort Collins’ designation as a Preserve America Community, a White House initiative to promote and recognize leadership in preservation. Additional recognitions include two Colorado Community Revitalization Association Governor’s Awards for Downtown Excellence; seven State Honor Awards for Preservation; seven Colorado Historical Society Stephen H. Hart Awards; and being featured in the National Park Service’s Annual Report, “Federal Tax Incentives for Historic Buildings.” In 2010, the National Trust selected Fort Collins as a Dozen Distinctive Places community. Current Achievements In 2011, with Landmark Preservation Commission support, the Historic Preservation Division managed seven different grant projects totaling $1,123,100.00 in direct funding. A technical report, The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in Colorado, prepared in 2005 by Clarion Associates, determined that each dollar of direct grant funding generates $6 in indirect funding, resulting in actual revenue of $6,738,600.00! These seven grant projects include: the $700,000.00 restoration of the Avery Block, at no cost to the City (this project alone will generate an estimated $4,200,000.00 in direct and indirect revenue!); the - 3 - $44,700.00 project to restore the iconic Coca-Cola ghost sign and repair the historic masonry building it is painted on (the City’s contribution to this project was $6,400.00, resulting in a 7:1 leverage of City funds); a survey and historical context of the North Campus area, entirely paid for with $24,400.00 in Certified Local Government funds; two separate grants totaling $215,000.00 for rehabilitation of the Paramount Cottage Camp at 1544 West Oak Street, resulting in 16 affordable housing units, at no cost to the City; a $65,000.00 survey and historic context project of Post World War II properties, which received $35,000.00 in funding from the SHF; and our latest grant, which will break ground this spring, the $74,000.00 project for the restoration and rehabilitation of 216 Linden Street. In 2011, the Commission accomplished two of its long held goals: Re-establishing the highly successful Design Assistance Program and re-instating its ability to offer Voluntary Design Review. The Commission is already seeing the benefits of these two programs, in the quality of new design proposals for additions and alterations in the historic core neighborhoods. Challenges A .8 FTE Historic Preservation Planner and an hourly employee are tasked with administration and management of all duties for the City’s Historic Preservation Division. Staff is no longer able to sustain this high level of service due to the reduction in staffing and increase in workload and assignments. Reduced staffing level is affecting the way Historic Preservation operates and provides services to customers. For example: o Owners of nearly 1,000 Fort Collins properties are currently eligible to receive back 20% of their costs for nearly all interior and exterior building improvements and maintenance, including modern updates; most of these citizens are unaware of this fact and do not claim this free money, as there is insufficient staff for the necessary outreach and management of the State Tax Credits for Historic Preservation; o Projects that would qualify for grants of up to $500,000 through the State Historic Fund are not able to apply for these grants, as the City does not have the staff to manage them; an example is the Jefferson Block renovation project, at 221-227 Jefferson Street; o Customer’s response time, for responding to email and phone inquiries, has significantly increased from an average of 48 hours previously to the current average of 1½ weeks. This is due to the part-time status of staff, the shear volume of contacts, and the fact that most requests are for information that requires staff research. 3. Year in Review: In 2011, the Commission convened 19 times, for 12 regular meetings, and 7 work sessions. A. Designations: There were 7 new Fort Collins Landmarks in 2011, bringing the total number of Fort Collins Landmark properties to 241. B. State Tax Credit for Historic Preservation: Due to reduced levels of staffing, local review of all new State Tax Credits for Historic Preservation projects was discontinued in 2010. Suspension of local review continued through 2011, and will be continued again for 2012. Citizens may apply for State Tax Credit review through the Colorado Historical Society; however, few have chosen to do so. At its high point in 1996, the City processed tax credit applications for 11 projects costing $194,949.28 and for which the owners received a total of $37,009.39 in tax credits. C. Grants: In 2011, the Preservation Division managed seven State Historical Fund (SHF) and Certified Local Government (CLG) grants, totaling $1,123,100 in direct funding and generating actual revenue of $6,738,600: ▪ $74,000.00 - 216 Linden Street Rehabilitation (SHF 2012-M1-034) ▪ $65,000.00 - Post World War II Context and Survey (SHF 2008-02-031) - 4 - ▪ $24,400.00 - North Campus Survey (CLG CO-10-014) ▪ $44,700.00 - Coca-Cola Sign Restoration/Rehabilitation (SHF 2009-M2-007) ▪ $700,000.00 - Avery Block Restoration/Rehabilitation (SHF 2010-02-048) ▪ $30,000.00 - Avery Block Building Easement ▪ $132,000.00 - Paramount Cottage Camp Rehabilitation (SHF 2010-02-040) ▪ $33,550.00 - Paramount Cottage Camp East Building Roof (SHF 2011 M1-001) D. Landmark Rehabilitation Loan Program: In 2011, this program generated a total of $74,503.00 in rehabilitation work, by providing local preservation assistance zero % interest loans to four properties. City funds of $21,000.00 were matched by $53,503.00 in private funding. E. Design Review: In 2011, the Commission and staff conducted reviews of 37 alterations to the exteriors of Landmark properties. 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 LPC Design Review 30 26 19 23 17 22 18 25 Staff Admin. Sign Review 26 11 12 19 12 18 10 28 Staff Admin. Design Review 15 14 22 16 9 15 9 12 Totals 71 51 53 58 38 55 37 65 Notable design review projects included: - 450 North College Ave., Old Power Plant/EECL – Addition - Avery Block: College, Mountain, and Linden. – Restoration and Rehabilitation - 221-227 Jefferson Street – Restoration and Rehabilitation F. Demolition/Alteration Review: Staff processed a total of 491 demolition/alteration requests of buildings 50 years old and older in FY 2011. G. Preservation Awareness: In 2011, the Commission sponsored two programs promoting public awareness of historic preservation: - National Historic Preservation Week Proclamation - “Friend of Preservation Awards” – Seven recipients Landmark Rehab Loan Funding Snapshot 2011: 4 Applications Funded Matching funds: $53,503 Amount awarded: $21,000 Total project amount: $74,503 Ratio of private dollars to public dollars: 3.5:1 1995 – 2010: 102 Projects Completed Matching funds: $2.7 M Amount awarded: $333 K Total project amount: $3 M Ratio of private dollars to public dollars: 8:1 - 5 - H. LPC Training in 2011: ▪ Colorado Preservation Inc.’s 2011 Saving Places Conference, Denver, CO. Attended by LPC members Terence Hoaglund, Sondra Carson, and Pat Tvede; Steve Dush, Director of Community Development and Neighborhood Services; Historic Preservation Planner Karen McWilliams; Planning staff Courtney Rippy and Emma McArdle; and Building Inspector, Randy Wilson. ▪ Board and Commissions Training, presented by the Fort Collins City Attorney’s and City Clerk’s Offices. All new and continuing LPC members have taken this training. ▪ LPC Training on Historic Eligibility, attended by Terence Hoaglund, Sondra Carson, Pat Tvede, John Albright, Doug Ernest, and Ron Sladek. ▪ Northeastern Colorado Region Historic Preservation Commission Forum, Greely, CO., attended by LPC members John Albright and Doug Ernest, and Historic Preservation Planner, Karen McWilliams I. Changes to Historic Preservation Ordinance and/or By-Laws: Changes that affected the landmark Preservation Commission in 2011 include: ▪ Ordinance No. 002, 2011, adopted on February 1, 2011 which increased membership of the Landmark Preservation Commission to 9 members, and expanded its functions to include establishing an advisory committee to provide voluntary design review; and ▪ Keeping Fort Collins Great (KFCG) funding of $40,000 to reinstate the Design Assistance Program (DAP). Originally established in 1996, the DAP offered owners of Fort Collins Landmarks financial assistance for professional design consultation and drawings from pre- qualified professionals, with demonstrated familiarity in using the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines. The program’s funding was eliminated in the 2006 budget process. The reinstated DAP is similar in purpose and process to the previous DAP, but has been extended to all new exterior construction within the core Eastside and Westside Neighborhoods, regardless of whether or not the property is a historic landmark. By incentivizing the use of knowledgeable professionals, the DAP will greatly enhance the compatibility of design, size and massing for new construction within the historic core neighborhoods.