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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/15/2011 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 165, 2011, DESIGNATDATE: November 15, 2011 STAFF: Karen McWilliams AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 21 SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 165, 2011, Designating the MacDonald/Cooke House and Detached Garage, 424 West Olive Street, as a Fort Collins Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The owners of the property, Brian Cooke and Lisa Viviani, are initiating this request for Fort Collins Landmark designation for the MacDonald/Cooke House and Detached Garage, at 424 West Olive Street. The MacDonald/Cooke House and Garage are significant under Designation Standard (2) for their association with Stewart L. MacDonald; and under Designation Standard (3), as a notable and unaltered example of the American Foursquare architectural style, with historic matching detached garage. This property retains a very high level of integrity relative to the seven aspects of integrity: location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, association, and feeling. BACKGROUND Stewart L. MacDonald was a professor of mathematics at Colorado Agricultural College. He was very active in many of Fort Collins’ civic, fraternal and benevolent organizations, as a church elder, a member of the Knights of Pythias, an Odd Fellow, a founder and board member of the Fort Collins YMCA, and a Republican who ran for office several times. His wife, Virginia Ish MacDonald, came from a pioneer Fort Collins family. Her father, Captain John Ish, a Confederate officer, was a prominent stockman, farmer, surveyor, and miner. Both the Ish and MacDonald families have had a significant historical impact on the Fort Collins community. The MacDonald/Cooke house is an intact American Foursquare, notable both for its architectural characteristics, as well as for its excellent integrity. It is a two story building, resting on a sandstone foundation. It has a wood frame with narrow lapped board siding; a hipped roof with wide overhanging boxed eaves; open front porch featuring Doric columns; sash and transom windows with diamond light pattern transoms, and a south facade oculus window. The historic detached garage is nicely compatible with the main house. Constructed of wood frame with a hipped roof, it matches the architectural style and characteristics of the home. It features pairs of original garage doors, with five-light uppers. Both the house and garage are in excellent condition and are an important example of American Foursquare residential architecture in Fort Collins. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Landmark Preservation Commission recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. At a public hearing held on November 9, 2011, the Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend designation of this property under Designation Standard (2), for its historical association with Stewart L. MacDonald and Designation Standard (3), for its architecture. ATTACHMENTS 1. Staff Report 2. Resolution 4, 2011, Landmark Preservation Commission, Recommending Landmark Designation for the McDonald/Cooke House and Detached Garage, 424 West Olive. 3. Photos of house Advance Planning 281 North College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6376 970.224.6111 - fax fcgov.com/advanceplanning LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION November 9, 2011 STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Fort Collins Landmark Designation of the MacDonald/Cooke House and Detached Garage, 424 West Olive Street STAFF CONTACT: Karen McWilliams, Historic Preservation Planner APPLICANTS: Brian Cooke and Lisa Viviani, Owners BACKGROUND: The MacDonald/Cooke House and Garage, at 424 West Olive Street, are significant for Landmark recognition under Designation Standard (2) for their association with Stewart L. MacDonald; and under Designation Standard (3), as a notable and unaltered example of the American Foursquare architectural style, with historic matching detached garage. This property retains a very high level of integrity relative to the seven aspects of integrity: location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, association, and feeling. Stewart L. MacDonald, also known as S. L. MacDonald and “Prof Mac,” arrived in Fort Collins in 1899, and quickly established himself as a prominent member of the Fort Collins community. A native of Ohio, MacDonald received his education from the Indiana State Normal School and at the University of Chicago. He came here from Indiana, and shortly thereafter accepted a position as English teacher at the Remington School in 1900. In 1902, he became an assistant professor of mathematics at Colorado State Agricultural College, now Colorado State University, quickly rising to the position of full professor. S. L. MacDonald and Virginia Ish were married at the Ish family home, 223 South Sherwood Street, on February 11, 1903, with Dr. B. O. Aylesworth, president of the State Agricultural College officiating. Stewart MacDonald is reputed to have started the school's astronomy program and the CSU campus observatory, which is called the Madison MacDonald Observatory, was named after MacDonald. The Ish family was very well-known in Fort Collins. After being released from the Confederate Army, and following a long Union imprisonment, Captain John C. Ish entered the cattle business. In 1866, he blazed the Ish Trail, from southern Texas to Independence Kansas. Three years later, Captain Ish came to Larimer County, driving 150 selected heifers that formed the nucleus of his large cattle herd. He settled in Fort Collins in 1889. Here, he was active as a stockman, farmer, miner, and surveyor. Virginia B. Ish was John and Mary Ish’s youngest daughter. Following the 1903 marriage of S. L. MacDonald and Virginia Ish, the MacDonalds contracted for a home to be constructed at 424 West Olive Street, next door to the Ish home. Edson M. Cole served as both architect and contractor. The MacDonald/Cooke house is an intact American Foursquare, notable both for its architectural characteristics as well as for its excellent integrity. It is a two story building, resting on a sandstone foundation. It has a wood frame with narrow lapped board siding; a hipped roof with wide overhanging boxed eaves; open front porch featuring Doric columns; sash and transom windows with diamond light pattern ATTACHMENT 1 transoms, and a south facade oculus window. The historic detached garage is nicely compatible with the main house. Constructed of wood frame with a hipped roof, it matches the architectural style and characteristics of the home. It features pairs of original garage doors, with five-light uppers. Both the house and garage are in excellent condition and are an important example of American Foursquare residential architecture in Fort Collins. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Commission find that the MacDonald/ Cooke House and Garage, at 424 West Olive Street, meets both Standards 2 and 3 of Section 14- 5 of the Municipal Code, and approve a resolution of the Landmark Preservation Commission recommending to City Council the designation of the MacDonald/Cooke House and Garage, as a Fort Collins Landmark in accordance with Chapter 14 of the Fort Collins Municipal Code. ATTACHMENT 2 ATTACHMENT 3 ORDINANCE NO. 165, 2011 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DESIGNATING THE MACDONALD/COOKE HOUSE AND DETACHED GARAGE, 424 WEST OLIVE STREET, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, AS A FORT COLLINS LANDMARK PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 14 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 14-2 of the City Code, the City Council has established a public policy encouraging the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of landmarks within the City; and WHEREAS, by Resolution 4, 2011, dated November 9, 2011, the Landmark Preservation Commission (the "Commission") has determined that the MacDonald/Cooke House and Detached Garage has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Designation Standard (2), for its historical association with Stewart L. MacDonald; and Designation Standard (3), for its architecture (3), as an excellent example of American Foursquare residential architecture, with a high level of physical integrity; and WHEREAS, the Commission has further determined that said property meets the criteria of a landmark as set forth in Section 14-5 of the Code and is eligible for designation as a landmark, and has recommended to the City Council that said property be designated by the City Council as a landmark; and WHEREAS, the owners of the property have requested such landmark designation; and WHEREAS, such landmark designation will preserve the property's significance to the community; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the recommendation of the Commission and desires to approve such recommendation and designate said property as a landmark. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the property known as the MacDonald/Cooke House and Detached Garage, and the adjacent lands upon which the historical resources are located in the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, described as follows, to wit: Commencing at a point sixty-two feet East of the Southwest corner of Block Eighty- Two, in the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, thence East sixty-eight feet, thence North one hundred feet, thence West sixty-eight feet, thence South One Hundred (100) feet, to point of beginning; being a portion of Lots Eleven and Twelve in said Block Eighty-Two be designated as a Fort Collins Landmark in accordance with Chapter l4 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. Section 2. That the criteria in Section 14-48 of the Municipal Code will serve as the standards by which alterations, additions and other changes to the buildings and structures located upon the above described property will be reviewed for compliance with Chapter 14, Article III, of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 15th day of November, A.D. 2011, and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of December, A.D. 2011. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 6th day of December, A.D. 2011. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk