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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/20/2014 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 078, 2014, DESIGNATAgenda Item 13 Item # 13 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY May 20, 2014 City Council STAFF Josh Weinberg, City Planner SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 078, 2014, Designating the Landblom Property, 116 North Pearl Street, as a Fort Collins Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The owners of the property, Kenneth and Michele Christensen, are initiating this request for Fort Collins Landmark designation of the Landblom Property at 116 North Pearl Street. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The residence at 116 Pearl Street is a great Fort Collins example of a one-story Craftsman style residence and is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark due to its distinctive architectural characteristics under Designation Standard 3. This detailed house exhibits exceptional features of the Craftsman architectural style, constructed during the height of the style’s popularity in Fort Collins. The building’s distinctive features include varying colors of brick, exposed roof elements, prominent front entry, divided light windows, and substantial front porch. Additionally, the building is significant under Designation Standard 2 for its association with Mrs. A.E. "Nellie" Landblom, an early professor of Mathematics and a Research Statistician at Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University). FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS Recognition of 116 North Pearl 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 April 9, 2014, 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 13 Item # 13 Page 2 ATTACHMENTS 1. Location Map (PDF) 2. Designation Application (PDF) 3. Owner Agreement (PDF) 4. Staff Report (PDF) 5. LPC Resolution 2, 2014 (PDF) 6. Photographs (PDF) Childrens House Montessori School City Park W Oak St Pearl St Scott Ave Sylvan Ct Jackson Ave N Mckinley Ave C i ty P ar k D r Juniper Ct Jamith Pl Leland Ave N Mckinley Ave W Mountain Ave Laporte Ave SSt Shields St N Shields © Fort Collins 116 North Landmark Pearl Street Designation 1 inch = 200 feet Site ATTACHMENT 1 Revised 09-2004 Page 1 Fort Collins Landmark Designation LOCATION INFORMATION: Address: 116 North Pearl Street, Fort Collins, Colorado Legal Description: Lot 7, Hensel's Subdivision in the City of Fort Collins, Together with portions of vacated alleys adjoining said Lot on the South and East as vacated by Ordinance No. 147, 1977, recorded March 29, 1978 in Book 1845 at Page 89, Together with all that portion of vacated alleys adjoining Lots 2 and 3, Hensel's Subdivision, as conveyed by Deed recorded August 20, 1992 at Reception No. 92050690 and at Reception No. 92050691, and Together with the South Halfofthe vacated alley adjoining Lot 1, Hensel's Subdivision, as vacated by Ordinance No. 147, 1977, recorded March 29, 1978 in Book 1845 at Page 89, County of Larimer, State of Colorado. Property Name (historic and/or common): The Landblom Property OWNER INFORMATION: Name: Kenneth and Michele Christensen Phone: N/A Address: 116 North Pearl Street, Fort Collins, Colorado CLASSIFICATION Category Ownership Status Present Use Existing Designation Building Public Occupied Commercial Nat’l Register Structure Private Unoccupied Educational State Register Site Religious Object Residential District Entertainment Government FORM PREPARED BY: Name and Title: Josh Weinberg, Historic Preservation Planner; research prepared by Rose Laflin, Historic Preservation Intern in 2003 Address: City of Fort Collins Community Development & Neighborhood Services Department, P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 Phone: 970-221-6206 Planning, Development & Transportation Community Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 Revised 09-2004 Page 2 DATE: April 9, 2014 TYPE OF DESIGNATION and BOUNDARIES Individual Landmark Property Landmark District 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 consists of a historic brick residence and brick garage. 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 According to History Colorado’s Guide to Historic Engineering and Architecture, “the Craftsman architectural style emerged from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, a philosophy which stressed comfort and utility through the use of natural materials and a lack of pretension.” Character defining elements of the style include: exposed rafter ends, overhanging eaves, and large porch columns. Additionally, windows often were comprised of a divided light upper sash over a single light lower sash. These elements, with focus on craftsmanship, or the manual arts, and incorporation of local materials “replaced the more delicate and intricate detailing of the [preceding] Victorian period.” During the first decades of the 20 th century, residences constructed in the Craftsman style were often featured in architectural magazines, as well as in those with wider-reaching audience bases such as Ladies’ Home Journal and Good Housekeeping. This publicity familiarized the nation with the style and resulted in a prevalence of pattern books, which contained plans for constructing Craftsman style homes using local labor and even offering packages of pre-cut framing material. Virginia and Lee McAlester’s A Guide to American Houses contends that these pattern books were, in large part, the reason that one-story Craftsman style residences became the “most popular and fashionable smaller house in the country.” The residence at 116 Pearl Street is a great Fort Collins example of a one-story Craftsman style residence and is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark due to its distinctive architectural characteristics under Designation Standard 3. This detailed house exhibits Revised 09-2004 Page 3 exceptional features the Craftsman architectural style, constructed during the height of the style’s popularity in Fort Collins. The building’s distinctive features include varying colors of brick, exposed roof elements, prominent front entry, divided light windows, and substantial front porch. Additionally, the building is significant under Designation Standard 2 for its association Mrs. A.E. "Nellie" Landblom, an early professor of Mathematics and a Research Statistician at Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University). HISTORICAL INFORMATION The 1927 bungalow at 116 Pearl Street in Fort Collins represents a unique period in the history of the city. Bungalows were primarily purchased by middle class, suburban families. The presence of this style of home in Fort Collins demonstrates the growth of the city in the first three decades of the twentieth century and its increased wealth and diversity. According to building permits, the bungalow at 116 Pearl Street was purchased by Nellie A. Landblom in 1927 for $6,000. This was rather expensive for a Fort Collins' bungalow during this period. Census records indicate the average home in Fort Collins in the 1920s was $4,500. Additionally, bungalows were usually considered an economical housing style because they were mass-produced and had little ornamentation. Part of the expense of Nellie Landblom's bungalow may have gone towards quality exterior building materials, interior trim and modern appliances such as gas, electricity and modern plumbing. Mrs. A.E. "Nellie" Landblom also applied for a permit to build a brick garage at the rear of the property. This suggests she owned an automobile. Her husband Axel E. Landblom is not listed as a resident of the house in 1927, although his name does appear in title records for that year. By 1933, Nellie is listed as a widow in Fort Collins City Directories. From the 1920s until the 1950s, Nellie Landblom was an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and a Research Statistician at Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University). This was noteworthy because, despite the increased presence of women in the workplace in the 1920s and 1930s, few women held professional positions. After her husband's death, Nellie Landblom did not remarry. She lived at 116 Pearl Street either alone or with her daughters from its construction in 1927 until her death in 1973. In 1951, Nellie entered into a joint tenancy agreement with her daughters Eleanor and Lois. In 1974, after Nellie's death, Eleanor and Lois sold the property. The house has had five separate owners since that time. Kenneth and Michele Christiansen are the current property owners and are seeking Landmark Designation. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION Construction Date: 1927 Architect/Builder: Unknown Building Materials: Brick Architectural Style: Arts and Crafts/Craftsman Description: The bungalow was one of the most popular housing styles among middle and working class Americans in the first three decades of the twentieth century. This style is ubiquitous in Fort Collins, as it was simple, affordable, and easily adaptable to small, suburban lots. Bungalows ranged in cost from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars as builders and homeowners customized the standard style. The typical bungalow is identified by overhanging eaves, exposed rafter ends, a gabled roof, ample front porch with massive Revised 09-2004 Page 4 support pillars, use of rustic, "natural" materials such as wood, brick, stone or stucco and simple floor plans. They are typically one to one and a half stories tall. The residence at 116 Pearl Street was built in 1927. This was rather late for this style which was popular on the West Coast in the early 1900s. However, the inter-mountain West was settled later than most of the country and building materials, architects and architectural styles were slow to reach the area. Many Fort Collins’ bungalows were built in the late 1920s. This particular bungalow is one story with a gabled roof, overhanging eaves and exposed rafter ends. A front gable projects from the center of the facade and covers a projecting vestibule. Concrete steps lead up to a short landing before this vestibule. Thus, this house lacks the prominent front porch with support pillars of most typical bungalows. The front door has multiple glass panes and two side light windows are also multi-paned and trimmed in wood. The exterior is of brick with few decorative elements. Beneath the gabled peaks on the façade and north and south elevations are square butt shingles stained a dark brown. Pairs of 6-over-6 windows are present in the gable ends of the north and south elevations. There is a small single-story rectangular flat-roofed element projecting from the northern elevation. This is constructed of the same light colored brick as the residence. Additionally, there is a rear addition to the building, which consists of a dormer element protruding from the residence’s upper level with a small square flat-roofed portion that extends from the main floor. The rear addition is clad in wooden shingle siding. Multi-light sash windows are located in groupings of two on either side of the front door. These windows may not be original to the house as they lack the typical bungalow pane design and appear neo-colonial. Windows on the side elevations are located on the top third of the walls. This technique was common in Chicago where bungalows were popular but situated very close to each other on small lots. Windows were placed high on walls in order to maximize natural light but minimize the closeness of a neighbor’s house. There is a two-stall brick garage situated to the northwest of the residence. The garage is constructed in the same style as the residence, with similar materials: front gabled roof with large overhangs and exposed purlins; light colored brick with dark brick sills, lintels, and trim; and shingles in gable ends. The two sets of doors are barn style and each door of the two pairs feature three vertical lights above large wooden panels. REFERENCE LIST Ahlbrandt, Arlene and Kathryn Stieben, eds. The History of Larimer County, Vol. 2. (Curtis Media Corporation: Dallas, 1987) 406. Clark, Clifford. The American Family Home: 1800-1960 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1986). Guide to Colorado’s Historic Architecture and Engineering, http://www.historycolorado.org/oahp/craftsman McAlester, Virginia and Lee. 2006. A Field Guide to American Houses. Alfred A. Knopf, NY. Morris, Andrew J., ed. The History of Larimer County, Vol. I. (Curtis Media Corporation: Dallas, 1985) 97-98. Larimer County Clerk and Recorder's Records Larimer County Tax Assessment Records LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION April 9, 2014 STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Fort Collins Landmark Designation of the Landblom Property at 116 North Pearl Street, Fort Collins, Colorado STAFF CONTACT: Josh Weinberg, Historic Preservation Planner APPLICANT: Kenneth and Michele Christensen, Property Owners BACKGROUND: Staff is pleased to present for your consideration the Landblom Property located at 116 North Pearl Street. The property has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Preservation Standards (2) and (3). The residence at 116 Pearl Street is a great Fort Collins example of a one-story Craftsman style residence and is eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark due to its distinctive architectural characteristics under Designation Standard 3. This detailed house exhibits exceptional features the Craftsman architectural style, constructed during the height of the style’s popularity in Fort Collins. The building’s distinctive features include varying colors of brick, exposed roof elements, prominent front entry, divided light windows, and substantial front porch. Additionally, the building is significant under Designation Standard 2 for its association Mrs. A.E. "Nellie" Landblom, an early professor of Mathematics and a Research Statistician at Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University). Staff Analysis: Staff finds that the Landblom 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 this standard, then the Commission may pass a resolution recommending City Council pass an ordinance designating the Landblom 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 Community 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 RESOLUTION 2, 2014 OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDING LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF THE LANDBLOM PROPERTY 116 NORTH PEARL STREET, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO WHEREAS, it is a matter of public policy that the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of sites, structures, objects, and districts of historical, architectural, or geographic significance, located within the city, are a public necessity and are required in the interest of the prosperity, civic pride and general welfare of the people; and WHEREAS, it is the opinion of the City Council that the economic, cultural and aesthetic standing of this city cannot be maintained or enhanced by disregarding the historical, architectural and geographical heritage of the city and by ignoring the destruction or defacement of such cultural assets; and WHEREAS, the Landblom Property has individual significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Standards (2) and (3) for its association with Mrs. A.E. "Nellie" Landblom and as its distinctive architectural characteristics with a high level of historic integrity; and WHEREAS, the Landmark Preservation Commission has determined that the Landblom Property meets the criteria of a landmark as set forth in Section l4-5 of the code and are eligible for designation as a Fort Collins Landmark; and WHEREAS, the owners of the property, Kenneth and Michele Christensen, have consented to such landmark designation. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Landmark Preservation Commission of the City of Fort Collins as follows: Section l. That the property known as the Landblom Property and the adjacent lands upon which the historical resource is located, in the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado, described as follows, to wit: Community 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 Landmark Preservation Commission Resolution No. 2, 2014 The Landblom Property, 116 North Pearl Street Page 2 Lot 7, Hensel's Subdivision in the City of Fort Collins, Together with portions of vacated alleys adjoining said Lot on the South and East as vacated by Ordinance No. 147, 1977, recorded March 29, 1978 in Book 1845 at Page 89, Together with all that portion of vacated alleys adjoining Lots 2 and 3, Hensel's Subdivision, as conveyed by Deed recorded August 20, 1992 at Reception No. 92050690 and at Reception No. 92050691, and Together with the South Half of the vacated alley adjoining Lot 1, Hensel's Subdivision, as vacated by Ordinance No. 147, 1977, recorded March 29, 1978 in Book 1845 at Page 89, County of Larimer, State of Colorado. 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 Secretary of the Interior's standards and guidelines for the treatment of historic properties will serve as the standards by which alterations, additions and other changes to 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. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Landmark Preservation Commission of the City of Fort Collins held this 9th day of April, A.D. 2014. ________________________________ Ron Sladek, Chair ATTEST: _______________________ Secretary/Staff 116 North Pearl Street, Fort Collins Landmark Designation Western Elevation Western Elevation Northern and Western Elevations Southern Elevation Southern Elevation Eastern Elevation Eastern Elevation 1968 Tax Assessor Record Garage – Western Elevation Garage – Northern and Western Elevations Garage - Eastern and Southern Elevations Interior Interior Interior - 1 - ORDINANCE NO. 078, 2014 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DESIGNATING THE LANDBLOM PROPERTY, 116 NORTH PEARL 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 April 9, 2014, the Landmark Preservation Commission (the "Commission") has determined that the Landblom Property has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Standards (2) and (3) for its association with Mrs. A.E. "Nellie" Landblom and as its distinctive architectural characteristics 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, Kenneth and Michele Christensen, 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 Landblom 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: Lot 7, Hensel's Subdivision in the City of Fort Collins, Together with portions of vacated alleys adjoining said Lot on the South and East as vacated by Ordinance No. 147, 1977, recorded March 29, 1978 in Book 1845 at Page 89, Together with all that portion of vacated alleys adjoining Lots 2 and 3, Hensel's Subdivision, as conveyed by Deed recorded August 20, 1992 at Reception No. 92050690 and at Reception No. 92050691, and Together with the South Half of the vacated alley adjoining Lot 1, Hensel's Subdivision, as vacated by Ordinance No. 147, 1977, recorded March 29, 1978 in Book 1845 at Page 89, County of Larimer, State of Colorado. be designated as a Fort Collins Landmark according to City Code Chapter 14. - 2 - Section 2. That the criteria 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 City Code of Fort Collins. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 20th day of May, A.D. 2014, and to be presented for final passage on the 3rd day of June, A.D. 2014. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 3rd day of June, A.D. 2014. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk