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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/05/2013 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 157, 2013, DESIGNATAgenda Item 11 Item # 11 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY November 5, 2013 City Council STAFF Josh Weinberg, City Planner SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 157, 2013, Designating the Mark and Effie Miller Property, 315 Whedbee Street, as a Fort Collins Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The owners of the property, Maggie and Bryan Dennis, are initiating this request for Fort Collins Landmark designation of the Mark and Effie Miller Property at 315 Whedbee Street. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION This property is historically significant due to its association with prominent Fort Collins photographer, Mark Miller. Miller, along with his wife, Effie, and four children, occupied this residence during much of the time Mr. Miller was documenting years of life and events in Fort Collins through photography. This residence is also a good example of the Classic Cottage form of architecture and is a contributing element to the Laurel Historic School District. Typical of Classic Cottages is this building's full-width front porch, which is covered by a hip roof and supported by Tuscan columns. Additionally, the building’s elongated hip roof is topped with a small gable element. This feature mimics the elongated hip and central dormer combination most common in Classic Cottage architecture. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACT Recognition of 315 Whedbee Street as a Fort Collins Landmark enables its owners to qualify for federal, state and local financial incentive programs available only to designated properties. Additionally, based upon research conducted by Clarion Associates, the property would see an increase in value following designation. Clarion Associates attributed this increase to the fact that future owners also qualify for the financial incentives; the perception that designated properties are better maintained; the appeal of owning a recognized historic landmark; and the assurance of predictability that design review offers. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Landmark Preservation Commission recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. At a public hearing held on October 9, 2013, the Landmark Preservation Commission voted to recommend designation of this property under Designation Standards (2) and (3), for association with a prominent Fort Collins individual and its architectural significance to the city. Agenda Item 11 Item # 11 Page 2 ATTACHMENTS 1. Location map 2. Designation Application 3. Staff report 4. Photos 5. LPC Resolution 8, 2013 Young Peoples Learning Center «¬14 E Oak St E Olive St Mathews St Peterson St Whedbee St E Magnolia St W a l n u t S t Remington St E Mountain Ave Riverside Ave © 315 Whedbee Street Fort Collins Landmark Designation These map products and all underlying data are developed for use by the City of Fort Collins for its internal purposes only, and were not designed or intended for general use by members of the public. The City makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness, and in particular, its accuracy in labeling or displaying dimensions, contours, property boundaries, or placement of location of any map features thereon. THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR WARRANTY FOR FITNESS OF USE FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THESE MAP PRODUCTS OR THE UNDERLYING DATA. Any users of these map products, map applications, or data, accepts same AS IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, and assumes all responsibility of the use thereof, and further covenants and agrees to hold the City harmless from and against all damage, loss, or liability arising from any use of this map product, in consideration of the City's having made this information available. Independent verification of all data contained herein should be obtained by any users of these products, or underlying data. The City disclaims, and shall not be held liable for any and all damage, loss, or liability, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, which arises or may arise from these map products or the use thereof by any person or entity. 1 inch = 231 feet ATTACHMENT 1 Fort Collins Landmark Designation LOCATION INFORMATION: Address: 315 Whedbee Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 Legal Description: South ½ of Lot 3, Block 153, CITY OF FORT COLLINS Property Name (historic and/or common): The Mark and Effie Miller Property OWNER INFORMATION: Name: Maggie and Brian Dennis, Owners Email: maggiewdennis@gmail.com Phone: 970-590-3790 Address: 315 Whedbee Street, Fort Collins, CO CLASSIFICATION Category Ownership Status Present Use Existing Designation Building Public Occupied Commercial Nat’l Register Structure Private Unoccupied Educational State Register Site Religious *Contributing Object Residential District Entertainment Government FORM PREPARED BY: Name and Title: Maggie Dennis, Property Owner; Diane Sanders, Preservation Intern Address: City of Fort Collins, Planning, Development, and Transportation, P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 Phone: 970-221-6206 (Historic Preservation Staff) Email: jweinberg@fcgov.com (Historic Preservation Staff) DATE: October 9, 2013 TYPE OF DESIGNATION and BOUNDARIES Individual Landmark Property Landmark District Planning, Development & Transportation Community Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 Page 1 ATTACHMENT 2 Explanation of Boundaries: The boundaries of the property being designated as a Fort Collins Landmark correspond to the legal description of the property, above. The property is a contributing element of the Laurel School Historic District. SIGNIFICANCE Properties that possess exterior integrity are eligible for designation as Fort Collins Landmarks or Fort Collins Landmark Districts if they meet one (1) or more of the following standards for designation: Standard 1: The property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history; Standard 2: The property is associated with the lives of persons significant in history; Standard 3: The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; Standard 4: The property has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This property is historically significant due to its association with prominent Fort Collins photographer, Mark Miller. Miller, along with his wife, Effie, and four children, occupied this residence during much of the time Mr. Miller was documenting years of life and events in Fort Collins through photography. This residence is also a good example of the Classic Cottage form of architecture and is a contributing element to the Laurel Historic School District. Typical of Classic Cottages is this building's full-width front porch, which is covered by a hip roof and supported by Tuscan columns. Additionally, the building’s elongated hip roof is topped with a small gable element. This feature mimics the elongated hip and central dormer combination most common in Classic Cottage architecture. HISTORICAL INFORMATION This home, located at 315 Whedbee Street is notable for its association with prolific Fort Collins photographer, Mark Miller. City directories and property records confirm this property’s primary association is with the Mark and Effie Miller—for half of its 113 years, this residence was the Miller’s home. The couple raised their children here while running their family business, the Miller Studio. Miller’s photography studio was located at 146 ½ South College Avenue on the second floor (above what is now White Balcony). There, he and his wife Effie ran their family business from 1914-1970. Harry Bradley, one of Fort Collins first photographers, designed the building in 1903 specifically the second floor, to serve as his photographic studio. According to Bradley, the studio was the first building west of the Missouri River and east of California designed specifically for photography. At that time, there were no artificial lights bright enough for photography with skylights and shuttered openings in the ceiling to catch light and control how it was distributed throughout the room. Miller inherited the studio from photographer Claude Patrick in 1914. Page 2 Local historian and author Barbara Fleming writes, “From the time he began to work as a photographic apprentice to Claude Patrick in 1910, to when he opened his Fort Collins studio in 1914, to the end of his life decades later, he chronicled the people, places, and events of this evolving high plains town with his camera.” Miller’s collection of over 70,000 photographic negatives documenting Fort Collins during most of the 20th century is now housed in the archives at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. As newlyweds, the Millers lived in a small apartment behind their studio. But as their family grew, they needed more space. They first rented a house at 318 Whedbee, across the street from their future home. Mark Miller’s parents, Amos and Mary Miller, lived at 305 Whedbee where Mark Miller had spent part of his childhood. With a family business to run, Mark and Effie may have wanted to live as closely as possible to his parents in order to have help raising their children. In 1918 or 1919, the Millers purchased the home at 315 Whedbee, just two doors south of his parents. Here they raised their four children, Warner, Keith, Beth, and John. In his personal memoir about the Miller Studio written in 2006, Mark and Effie’s youngest son John Miller recalled how his parents ran the family business, expecting their children to help. John remembered going to the studio after school to print negatives, then walking home through Library Park. He went with his father on location to photograph events, crime scenes, holiday window displays, and school activities. His mother Effie was an artist, specializing in hand-tinting the hundreds of portraits that his dad took at the studio. John also recalled sitting around the dining room table at the house with his siblings, hand-tinting holiday cards to be sent out to all Miller Studio customers. John’s memories of his family, home, and business vividly recall life in a small agricultural town in the early 20th century. His father’s legacy and gift to Fort Collins is the wide range of events, people, and locations he captured with his camera. Describing the invaluable collection, Fleming states, “Not only do these photographs illustrate Miller’s life, but they also offer a glimpse of small town family life in the early part of the last century.” Thanks to Mark Miller, historians, preservationists, and others have access to a visual record of Fort Collins during the key years of its growth and development. Though he never held an elected position, was not a philanthropist or a business leader, Mark Miller was certainly well known in the community. Business owners, school officials, law enforcement officers, and many others called on Miller to shoot on location. Many notable citizens came to his studio to have their portraits taken. Milton Smith was the original owner of the house, living here from 1900 to 1910. The Millers took care of the property during their 56 years in the house, as evidenced by building permit records. They added porches on the front and back of the house and a single car attached garage in 1920-21. Remodeling projects took place in 1927 and again in 1942 and the home was re-shingled in 1936-37. Sanborn Fire Insurance maps indicate the property included a shed and chicken coop. Mark and Effie continued to live in the home until their deaths in 1970 and 1974, respectively. Glenn Fischer purchased the home in 1975, a year after Effie Miller’s death. He quickly sold it a year later. Phillip Campbell and Connie Godinez were the second longest owners next to the Millers, owning the property for 22 years from 1987 to 2009, adding a detached 2-car garage to the rear of the property in 2003. Greg Otto, the owner from 2009-2011, fully enclosed the back porch and added a covered concrete patio (see architectural description for details). From the street, the house retains much of its original character from the time the Miller’s lived here. Currently owned and occupied by Maggie and Brian Dennis, the home is a Page 3 contributing element in the Laurel School Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION Construction Date: c. 1900 Architect/Builder: Unknown Building Materials: Wood frame on sandstone foundation; composite shingle roof Architectural Style: Classic Cottage Description: The House at 315 Whedbee Street in Fort Collins, Colorado is single-story Classic Cottage located on a central lot on the west side of the 300 block of Whedbee Street, between East Olive and East Magnolia Streets. The rectangular, two-bay, wood frame building, clad with horizontal vinyl siding sits on a sandstone foundation. The front (east) elevation faces Whedbee Street. The original wood entry door accesses the south bay. The house has a shallow, gable-on-hip roof with boxed eaves. All roof surfaces are clad with composition shingles. Wood fish-scale shingles and an original multi-light window fill the triangular space below the gable’s east end. All window units are vinyl clad. Typical of Classic Cottages is the full-width front porch covered by a hip roof supported by Tuscan columns. The porch is enclosed by a solid railing clad with vinyl siding and screening supported by an aluminum framework. Additionally, the elongated hip roof is topped with a small gable element. This mimics the elongated hip and central dormer combination most common in Classic Cottage architecture. The front, east elevation of the house is approached from Whedbee Street via an original sandstone walkway which terminates at two stone steps that access the full-width enclosed porch. Entrance into the porch is through a 12-light aluminum door that has a small raised panel below the glass. Added to the house in 1920-21, the porch sits on a concrete foundation. The porch has a low, solid railing clad with vertical vinyl siding. Above the rail is screening material supported by an aluminum framework. The roof covering the porch extends from the east elevation of the main mass of the house and is supported by Tuscan columns. Inside the porch on the primary east elevation, the original front door enters the north end of the south bay of the house. The solid wood door with recessed panels has a single square light. It is protected by an aluminum storm door. Individual 1/1 light, double hung vinyl sash windows are installed near the north and south ends of the elevation. Horizontal vinyl siding encloses the elevation. A shallow hip roof topped by an end gable rises above the main mass of the house. The triangular shape of the gable end is emphasized by simple, flat, white bargeboard trim with contrasting dark wood fish-scale siding. An original multi-light window with metal (probably lead) muntins dividing five peaked, vertical panes topped by diamond and triangular glass sections fills the bottom center of the gable end. All sections of roof are clad with composition shingles. The south elevation is completely flush. The sandstone foundation is concealed by a raised garden/flowerbed that extends from the east corner of the front porch to approximately 8 feet from the west end of the elevation. Fenestration includes a single, 1/1 light double-hung sash matching the ones on the east elevation, two of the same window installed side-by-side separated by a center mullion, and a three-light fixed glass unit installed near the west end. All are slightly recessed and have vinyl sills and surrounds. A wood fence encloses the backyard; a gate providing access to the backyard is located in the section of fencing that faces east, extending south from the west end of the main mass of the house. Slightly recessed from the main south elevation at the west end is an enclosed porch, first added in 1920-21. The short south elevation of this section is clad with rows of horizontal fiber cement shingles. The shingles are embossed with a vertical simulated wood grain pattern and have Page 4 an irregular bottom edge. A 3-light window, similar to the one described above but with a fixed center light and a casement on either side is positioned directly below the roof at the west end of the elevation. The west elevation shows the full width of the enclosed porch. Like the front porch, it sits on a concrete foundation. Instead of screening, it has solid walls clad with the same fiber cement shingles as on the south elevation and a combination of fixed glass and 1/1 light double-hung sashes similar in size and shape to those found throughout the main house. The entry door, located south of the center of the elevation, is accessed via a handicap ramp and small wood porch. Entering the porch the far wall, the west elevation of the main house, is still clad with the original clapboard siding from when the house was built. A wall running east-west now stands just to the north of the porch entry door separating the porch area from a finished room on the north side that enlarges the living space of the house. That north section of the former porch has a run of four, fixed glass window units with 1/1 light double-hung sashes at each end. An attached single-car garage, added in 1920-21, is located at the north end of the west elevation. It has a 9-light over panel door on its south elevation and a 6/6 light double- hung sash on the west elevation of the garage. A concrete patio extends westward from the building until flush with the west end of the garage and wraps around the southern end of the addition. The porch addition and the garage are also clad with the fiber cement shingles. The entire area, including the patio, is covered by a shed roof supported by square wood posts. At the south end the roof turns the corner to extend east, creating a short hip roof section. The north elevation is flush from the east end of the house until it meets the outcropping of the attached garage toward the west end. Fenestration of the north elevation includes four 1/1 light vinyl double-hung sash windows. An overhead door occupies the entire width of the east elevation of the garage. The fenestration consists of two main windows types. The most prevalent is a 1/1 light vinyl, double-hung sash. Most of the windows installed in the main mass of the house are individual units. The other primary window type houses fixed glass, found primarily in the addition on the west side of the house. The west elevation of the attached garage has the only 6/6 light double-hung sash. Structurally the house is in very good condition. The front and back (east and west) porches were added approximately twenty years after completion of the original house. The inclusion of typical Classic Cottage features such as the front porch and the Tuscan column supports maintain the building’s character. The application of the vinyl siding and the replacement of the original windows with modern windows detracts from its architectural integrity regarding materials but does not significantly detract from the overall style of the building. Regardless of the change in materials, the house still demonstrates other aspects of integrity with regard to Fort Collins’ Eastside neighborhood and the Laurel School Historic District — location, design, setting, feeling, and association. A non-contributing detached two-car garage, added to the property in 2003 at the rear (far west edge) of the property, is accessed via the alley. It has a side gable roof clad with composition shingles; the entire exterior is clad with horizontal vinyl siding. The middle of the east elevation has a panel door accessed from a small concrete porch. Individual 1/1 light horizontal sliding windows are centered north and south of the door. The west elevation has one double overhead door and one single overhead door; both are constructed of aluminum. Landscaping or special setting features: Raised garden/flowerbeds enclosed by stone extend 2-3 feet from the base of the east and south elevations with grass lawn filling the remainder Page 5 of the lot to the property line. The back yard, west of the house, is enclosed by a six feet tall wood fence. An unpaved driveway extends from Whedbee Street to the attached garage. A row of mature shrubs defines the boundary with the lot directly north of the property. Historic Photograph - Larimer County Tax assessor Records, 1948. Page 6 REFERENCE LIST or SOURCES of INFORMATION Architectural Property Reconnaissance Survey, Eastside Neighborhood Survey Project. City of Fort Collins, 1997. Building Permits. City of Fort Collins, 1920, 1927, 1936, 1937, 1942, 2003, 2010. Fleming, Barbara and Malcolm McNeill. Fort Collins: The Miller Photographs. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2009. Fort Collins City Directory, 1908-1919, 1976-1995. Larimer County Directory, 1917, 1919. Laurel School Historic District. National Register of Historic Places Inventory, Nomination Form. October 3, 1980. Miller, John. Miller Studio. Unpublished memoir, Lancaster, PA, September 2006. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1901, 1906, 1909. Tax Assessor Records. City of Fort Collins, 1948, 1969, 1987, 2011. United States Federal Census Records, 1900-1940. Page 7 LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION October 9, 2013 STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Fort Collins Landmark Designation of the Mark and Effie Miller Property at 315 Whedbee Street, Fort Collins, Colorado STAFF CONTACT: Josh Weinberg, Historic Preservation Planner APPLICANT: Maggie and Brian Dennis, Property Owners BACKGROUND: Staff is pleased to present for your consideration the Mark and Effie Miller Property located at 315 Whedbee Street. The property has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Preservation Standards (2) and (3). This property is historically significant due to its association with prominent Fort Collins photographer, Mark Miller. Miller, along with his wife, Effie, and four children, occupied this residence during much of the time Mr. Miller was documenting years of life and events in Fort Collins through photography. This residence is also a good example of the Classic Cottage form of architecture and is a contributing element to the Laurel Historic School District. Typical of Classic Cottages is this building's full-width front porch, which is covered by a hip roof and supported by Tuscan columns. Additionally, the building’s elongated hip roof is topped with a small gable element. This feature mimics the elongated hip and central dormer combination most common in Classic Cottage architecture. Staff Analysis: Staff finds that the Mark and Effie Miller Property qualifies for Landmark designation under Fort Collins Landmark Designation Standards (2) and (3). If the Landmark Preservation Commission determines that the property is eligible under these standards, then the Commission may pass a resolution recommending City Council pass an ordinance designating the Mark and Effie Miller Property as a Fort Collins Landmark according to City Code Chapter 14 under Designation Standards (2) and (3). Planning, Development & Transportation Community Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 ATTACHMENT 3 315 Whedbee Street, Fort Collins Landmark Designation Eastern elevation Eastern elevation from the southeast ATTACHMENT 4 Western Elevation Western elevation porch Attached garage on Eastern elevation Columns and interior of front porch Detached garage at rear of property ATTACHMENT 5 - 1 - ORDINANCE NO. 157, 2013 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DESIGNATING THE MARK AND EFFIE MILLER PROPERTY, 315 WHEDBEE 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 dated October 9, 2013, the Landmark Preservation Commission (the "Commission") has determined that the Mark and Effie Miller Property has significance to Fort Collins under landmark standard (2) for its historic association with prominent Fort Collins photographer, Mark Miller, and under landmark standard (3) as an excellent example of classic cottage style architecture with a high level of historic 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, Maggie and Bryan Dennis, have consented to 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 Mark and Effie Miller Property, 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: South ½ of Lot 3, Block 153, City of Fort Collins, State of Colorado be designated as a Fort Collins Landmark according to Chapter 14 of the City Code. Section 2. That the criteria contained in Section 14-48 of the City 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 City Code. - 2 - Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of November, A.D. 2013, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of November, A.D. 2013. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of November, A.D. 2013. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk