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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/15/2000 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 12, 2000, DESIGNAT AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 10 DATE: February 15, 2000 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Karen McWilliams SUBJECT: Second Reading of Ordinance No. 12, 2000,Designating the Properties at 1600, 1601, 1604, 1605, 1608, 1609, 1612, 1613, 1617, 1645 and 1700 Sheely Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, as a Historic Landmark District Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. RECOMMENDATION: The Landmark Preservation Commission and staffrecommend adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Debra Applin and Polly Puleston,owners of property in the proposed Sheely Drive Neighborhood District, are initiating this request for Local Landmark designation for the above properties. The Sheely Drive District is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Local Landmark District, for its innovative architecture, for its historical association with several prominent Fort Collins business and civic leaders,and for its portrayal of the social,economic,and technological changes occurring in Fort Collins and Colorado following World War H. The first of Fort Collins'post-World War II affluent neighborhoods, Sheely Drive is among Fort Collins' best representations of the suburban lifestyle emerging in the United States during the 1950s. Ordinance No. 12,2000 was unanimously adopted on First Reading on February 1, 2000. AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 11 DATE: February 1, 2000 . FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Karen McWilliams SUBJECT : First Reading of Ordinance No. 12, 2000, Designating the Properties at 1600, 1601, 1604, 1605, 1608, 1609, 1612, 1613, 1617, 1645 and 1700 Sheely Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, as a Historic Landmark District Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. RECOMMENDATION: The Landmark Preservation `Commission and staff recommend adoption of the Ordinance on First i Reading. At the Resolution Hearing on December 8,'1999,the Indmark Preservation Commission unanimously found that the pros were eligible ror designation as a local landmark district for their architectural,historical and geographical importance to Fort Collins. s EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This designation is being processed as a non-consensual designation, as the owners of two of the eleven properties within the proposed district have not yet signed the designation agreement. To i date, no opposition of any kind"has been received toithe.desil#Mon of these properties. The non-consenting owners' opinions towa4designation appear to,be completely neutral, and despite repeated contacts, they have not expressed any sentiment, either for or against designation. A non-consensual designation requires two hearings before the Landmark Preservation Commission. The Resolution Hearing was held on December 8, 1999. Because of an error in the notification process,the Commission's Designation Hearing had to be postponed, and will now be held on the evening of January 26, 2000, after the deadline to submit Council's packet to the printer. The Commission's final vote on the designation will be available in Council's read-before packet. Debra Applin and Polly Puleston, owners of property in the proposed Sheely Drive Neighborhood District, are initiating this request for Local Landmark designation for the above properties. The Sheely Drive District is eligiblVordesignation as a Fart CollinsLocal Landmark District. for its innovative architecture, for itsiistorical,,�association. several prominent Fort Collins business and civic leaders, and for its pogtrayal o6he social,economic,and technological changes occurring in Fort Collins and Colorado foilowing World`War3l: The fir sf of Fort Collins'post-World War II affluent neighborhoods, Sheely Drive is among Fort Collins' best representations of the suburban lifestyle emerging in the United States during the 1950s. HISTORY Architectural History- The Sheely subdivision was built on a parcel of farm land once belonging to Carl and Pauline Birky. Located east of Shields Street and south of Prospect Road, the land is located along a ridge overlooking the Spring Creek flood plain and low lying meadows. The topography of the land influenced the layout of the neighborhood and the type of house which would complement the area. The gently sloping, pastoral terrain of the area demanded a low profile architectural style, designed to follow the contours of each individual lot, and paying particular attention to views of the surrounding nature. Throughout the neighborhood, the housing style of DATE: February 1,2000 2 ITEM NUMBER: 11 choice was the custom Ranch. Ground was broken for the first house,at 1601 Sheely,in 1953. The lots on Sheely Drive were purchased individually,and the design plans commissioned by the owners, giving each family the opportunity to work with their own architect or designer to create an original and distinctive home. The Ranch, which had its beginnings in California following World War II, is a truly western architectural style, designed to respect both the natural environment and the individual, and epitomizing the western lifestyle by providing comfortable,free-flowing space,privacy,and oneness with the outdoors. The Ranch is defined as a one story,ground-hugging house,with a low roof and deep eaves. Walkout or daylight basements and terraced landsca allow the homes to blend into the terrain, rather than do it. re n ou o the street, the rear elevation features large expanses of gl sand spa us y S. so embodies the postwar societal emphasis on relaxation and red atio n' spacio 'tchens,and the appearance of the family recreation room, combine wrath patios an p anted awns to provide several centers of entertainment. Interiors reinforce the harmonious,natural ideal of the Ranch house. Vertical wood timbering, large picture windows overlooking the spacious rear yards, and backward-facing living areas typify the private,retrospective appearance of the Ranch. The houses reflect the importance of the automobile after World War II. Cars are included in the design without any attempt to hide or disguise the garage area. Driveways are large and many are circular or curved. Garages or carports have moved forward becoming integral to the overall design. The two car garage also is a pC' e o o co y. The prominent location of the garage indicates the afflue ident a gness to embrace the developing technological advancements . Technological Innovations and New Materials - The Sheely Drive Neighborhood represents several technological innovations, many developed during the war. New materials, and materials that were once found only in commercial design now appear in the more progressive residential designs such as those in the Sheely Neighborhood. The war exposed people to new concepts and new lands. Tastes in design changed after the war, to a more worldly view on design, color and materials. As more modern building materials, such as plywood, became available, innovative design elements worked their way into the housing market. These new materials helped reduce costs and construction time. One of the new materials was r 'n glu t ma ible an e rior grade plywood and hardboard board sheets that were suitable idin s ing. t paneling was used as interior decorative material. This sheet product replaced traditional board paneling. Concrete block that had traditionally been used only in commercial applications was now available in new patterns and was used as a structural and decorative material in residential construction. Glass block that was also used exclusively as a commercial material was now used in decorative applications, in windows, bathrooms,and room dividers. Cast artificial stone was used with natural stone to create site walls and veneer wainscot bases on many homes in the neighborhood. Commercial design steel frame casement and fixed windows,seen in the International style,became accepted in residential construction. This allowed for the use of large window and door openings. Traditional wood window sills were replaced with ceramic tile that introduced color and was easier to maintain. Built up ballasted roofs were used on flat residential roofs. Wood shakes rather than wood shingles were employed to create texture. Gypsum wall board replaced plaster. Plastic DATE: February 1,2000 3 ITEM NUMBER: 11 laminate replaced wood and linoleum countertops. Pressed cork was used as a finished floor material,replacing traditional strip wood flooring. Stone was used on floor surfaces as a decorative material. New colors became available in wall tiles,with matching color bathroom fixtures. Neon lighting, once used strictly for signage,was now used as interior accent lighting. Urban Design Innovations - The Sheely Drive Neighborhood demonstrates the changing face of urban design. The layout of the subdivision was designed to take advantage of the natural topography of the area, with the houses designed to fit in with the natural terrain. Homes were constructed on the top of the ridge, rather than grading the site flat to accommodate the building, a radical departure from the standard ractices of the time. Sheely Drive itself is a curved street that responds to the natural ridge ' e akin 't st eighborhoods in Fort Collins to have broken out of the 1 iti comp 's-orie a patt or streets. The street is fifty feet wide, and was consciously de ed e n jur ,gutters sidewalks. Lawns flow into each other and down to the street,emp asizing the sense o spacious nature. The houses,among the first in Fort Collins to be placed on large suburban lots, are oriented to take advantage of the views and do not always sit parallel to the street. Many of the homes have decks and large expanses of glass. This is unlike traditional construction,where the houses orient to the streets in a grid pattern, with no consideration of views. Another conscious design element of the neighborhood is the lack of standard street lights in favor of lampposts. This less intrusive lighting choice protects the neighborhood's view of the night sky, and is again representative of the emphasis placed upon the natural environment. The Sheely Drive Neighborhood may also be the earliest solar designed subdivision in Fort Collins. M o e m e e r s exposure and have sunscreen devices. Business and Civic Leaders - ores e ly Drivxeighborhood are associated with several prominent Fort Collins business and civic leaders. Primary among these are: Ben Olds, a well-known Fort Collins developer. The Olds & Redd Construction Company built many of the Sheely Addition homes; Rex Wells, an attorney, prominent in water law, who in 1955, was appointed Special Counsel for the city, and codified the city ordinances; Arthur Sheely, for whom the neighborhood is named. Sheely was a partner in the Sheely-Andrews Motor Co. and was also active in the Republican party. In 1952 he was a co-chairman for the Eisenhower for President campaign in Colorado. Local legend states that Arthur Sheely once served dinner to the President in his 608 Sheely Drive hom , y VMight and Amy Ghent of the family-owned Ghent Motor pany; G h 13 Sheely built, was co-founder and partner in the Galyazdt an arvey uranc A 'ncy; 161 heely Drive was originally owned by Robert and Margaret Mc CI ,who ed e Val reamery; and 1700 Sheely was the home of Lincoln Mueller, who worked for the U.S. Forest Service, and was instrumental in developing plywood. Conclusion - By themselves, each of the properties proposed to be included in the Sheely Drive Neighborhood Local Landmark District is architecturally significant. However,when seen as part of an overall neighborhood,displaying the same social, economic, and design theories,the houses become historically and geographically significant as a district,providing an excellent example of post World War II affluent architecture and the development of new principles ofurban planning and • social change in Fort Collins.