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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 03/19/2013 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 053, 2013, DESIGNATDATE: March 19, 2013 STAFF: Josh Weinberg AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 18 SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 053, 2013, Designating the Oliver and Leota Chandler Property, 710 Mathews Street, as a Fort Collins Landmark Pursuant to Chapter 14 of the City Code. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The owner of the property, Barbara Liebler, is initiating this request for Fort Collins Landmark designation for the Oliver and Leota Chandler Property at 710 Mathews Street. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The property is eligible for designation as a Landmark under Designation Standard 2, for its association with significant persons in Fort Collins history. The residence was the home of Oliver Chandler, a prominent local farmer and businessman contributing to the early growth of the city. Furthermore as an excellent example of American Foursquare architecture, the property and house contribute to the overall historic character of the city and the Laurel School Historic District. Constructed in 1909, the house at 710 Mathews was the residence of prominent farmer and businessman Oliver Chandler and his family. Chandler operated several large cattle and sheep farms outside of the city limits. Additionally, he served as a director of the Commercial Bank & Trust Company, the Mountain States Beet Growers Marketing Association, and as treasurer to the Larimer County Stock Feeders’ Association. Citizens like Chandler were instrumental to the early development and growth of Fort Collins in the early twentieth century. After the death of Oliver’s wife Leota Chandler in 1948, the house functioned as rental, Theta Chi fraternity house, residence, and photography studio over the years. The house is an excellent, well-preserved example of the American Foursquare form with Colonial Revival façade elements added in the 1960s. A popular style in Colorado during the first three decades of the twentieth century, the American Foursquare was typically constructed with a hipped roof, often with a central dormer, broad overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, and a prominent front porch with hipped roof, supported by classic columns. Alterations in the 1960s removed the original porch and central dormer of this residence. Barbara Liebler, the current owner, has contracted to restore the original porch and dormer to the building. This project would imbue the house with a greater degree of historic integrity while restoring its original appearance. Landmark Designation would greatly benefit Mrs. Liebler in this process. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS Recognition of 710 Mathews Street as a Fort Collins Landmark enables its owner 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. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. March 19, 2013 -2- ITEM 18 BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION At its February 13, 2013 meeting, the Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend landmark designation for this property. ATTACHMENTS 1. Location map 2. Historic Landmark Designation Nomination Form and Signed Agreement 3. Staff Report 4. Resolution 4, 2013, Landmark Preservation Commission, Recommending Landmark Designation of the Oliver and Leota Chandler Property. 5. Photographs Centennial Sr High Colorado State University Young Peoples Learning Center «¬287 Mathews St Locust St E Plum St Old Main Dr E Laurel St E Elizabeth St Remington St S College Ave W Laurel St © Fort Collins 710 Mathews Landmark Street 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 = 200 feet Aerial Site Map ATTACHMENT 1 Page 1 Fort Collins Landmark Designation LOCATION INFORMATION: Address: 710 Mathews Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524 Legal Description: LOT 16, BLOCK 147, CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COUNTY OF LARIMER, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street number as 710 Mathews Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. Property Name (historic and/or common): The Oliver and Leota Chandler Property OWNER INFORMATION: Name: Barbara Liebler Email: Phone: (970)482-6648 Address: 710 Mathews 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 Object Residential District Entertainment Government * The property is listed as a contributing element to the Laurel School Historic District FORM PREPARED BY: Name and Title: Josh Weinberg, Preservation Planner; John Kochanczyk, Historic Preservation Intern Address: City of Fort Collins, Planning, Development, and Transportation Services, P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 Phone: 970-219-3974 Email: jweinberg@fcgov.com Relationship to Owner: None DATE: February 13, 2013 Planning, Development & Transportation Services Community Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 ATTACHMENT 2 Page 2 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. 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 The property at 710 Mathews Street qualifies for Fort Collins Landmark designation under Designation Standard 2, for its association with prominent individuals in Fort Collins history. The building is significant under Standard 2 for its association with prominent Fort Collins businessman and farmer Oliver Chandler during the early-twentieth-century expansion of the city. The property is currently listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places as a contributing element to the Laurel School Historic District. Page 3 HISTORICAL INFORMATION Houses in the Laurel School Historic District are some of the oldest in the city. In close proximity to what was formerly known as Colorado Agricultural College (now Colorado State University) campus and the city’s central business district, the neighborhood was the most heavily-populated residential area in the city before 1900. As Fort Collins expanded and grew in the first decade of the twentieth century, many local business leaders and prominent citizens constructed their homes in the neighborhood. The wide variety of houses in the historic district physically illustrates the transition from late nineteenth-century architectural styles such as Queen Anne and Italianate to more prominent twentieth-century styles like English and Dutch Colonial Revival styles to American Foursquares and Craftsman bungalows. The house at 710 Mathews Street was constructed in 1909 for the local farmer and businessman Oliver Chandler. Born in Illinois in 1868, Chandler moved his family to Fort Collins prior to 1907 where he prospered as a cattle and sheep farmer.1 A June 1907 edition of the Fort Collins Courier described Chandler as “an Iowa capitalist who has been looking after investments in Fort Collins.”2 Late in the summer of 1907, Chandler purchased the lot at 710 Mathews Street for $2,500, and construction of the house finished in 1909.3 The Chandlers moved to Fort Collins during one of the city’s most rapid periods of growth. Between 1900 and 1910, the city’s population expanded from 3,053 to 8,210 people.4 Locating their home in the developing suburbs – in the area currently referred to as the Laurel School Historic District – the Chandlers contributed to this urban growth. Chandler and his wife, Leota, raised four children in the house, all of whom attended school. Chandler’s eldest son, Lowell, attended Colorado Agricultural College around 1917, and his youngest son, Floyd, served in the military during World War I.5 A prominent citizen in the Fort Collins community, Chandler was appointed as a director of the Commercial Bank & Trust Company in 1909.6 He also became active in the Larimer County Stock Feeders’ Association in the 1910s. This group of local farmers led protests against state tax increases on cattle farmers.7 In 1923, Chandler was listed as a director of the Mountain States Beet Growers Marketing Association, suggesting how his farming interests expanded beyond cattle and sheep.8 Chandler’s life and career illustrated the economic and social opportunities available in the developing West during the early part of the century, and his story is representative of the ways that upper-middle class families prospered and advanced in Western communities. The family owned at least one automobile, and their social activities were repeatedly recorded in historic city newspapers. Oliver continued to operate large farms outside of the city until his death in 1934. At this time, his widow, Leota, assumed ownership of the property at 710 Mathews Street until her death in 1949. While the widowed Leota occupied the house, census records in 1940 show that her daughter Olive and grandson Robert also lived at the residence.9 1 U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1880. 2 Fort Collins Courier, June 26, 1907. 3 Fort Collins Courier, September 18, 1907. 4 Fort Collins History Connection, “Fort Collins History and Architecture: Sugar Beets, Streetcar Suburbs, and the City Beautiful, 1900-1919,” http://history.poudrelibraries.org/archive/contexts/sugar.php. 5 Fort Collins City Directories, Fort Collins: The Courier Printing and Publishing Company, 1910-1911, 1917; Fort Collins Weekly Courier, July 5, 1918. 6 Fort Collins Weekly Courier, June 2, 1909. 7 Fort Collins Weekly Courier, May 1, 1914. 8 Fort Collins Weekly Courier, June 27, 1923. 9 Fort Collins City Directories, 1936, 1948; US Census, 1940. Page 4 After Leota Chandler’s death, city directories listed Elizabeth Hughes as the property owner in 1950. Rooms in the house were rented to female boarders in this year, all of them attending Colorado A&M University.10 In 1952, the Theta Chi fraternity moved into the house, and male students occupied the residence until 1959. Sometime in the 1950s or 1960s, the original Foursquare-style porch was removed from the house’s façade, giving the house its contemporary look.11 The addition of a Colonial-style pediment and pilasters to the front doorframe and shutters around front windows altered the original Foursquare façade of the structure. It is plausible that this alteration occurred while the Theta Chis lived at 710 Mathews, incorporating Classical architectural elements to give the fraternity house a more suitably Greek appearance. However, photographs of the Theta Chi house in university yearbooks from the 1950s suggest that the Theta Chis never altered the façade. In 1960, Victor and Elizabeth Sothers purchased the property. The Sothers ran a photography studio from the house, Sothers Photography, until they moved to Elizabeth Street in 1969. During this period, the home functioned as dual residence and business. Both Vicor and Elizabeth operated the studio, and directories list Elizabeth’s occupation as “photo color & toucher.”12 Likely, the Colonial-Revival façade was probably added by the Sothers. In 1970, Edmund and Violet Schulz purchased the property. Edmund Schulz was a professor at Colorado A&M as early as 1954 (and Colorado State after 1957), working in hydrology and groundwater engineering. Notably, Schulz was an early contributor to CSU’s groundwater data collection.13 The Schulzs owned the house until 2002, when Violet sold the property to Craftsmen Builders. In 2003, Barbara Liebler, the current owner requesting landmark designation, purchased the property.14 ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION Construction Date: 1909 Architect/Builder: Unknown Building Materials: Brick; Sandstone foundation Architectural Style: American Foursquare with Colonial-style façade Description: The Oliver and Leota Chandler Property at 710 Mathews Street is, architecturally, an excellent example of an American Foursquare with English Colonial elements added in the 1950s or 1960s. The American Foursquare form developed as a reaction to the ornate elements of Victorian architectural styles and grew from the emerging Prairie and Craftsmen styles at the turn of the twentieth century. Common characteristics are its square plan, two-story height, and overall simplicity. A popular style in Colorado during the first three decades of the twentieth century, the American Foursquare was typically constructed with a hipped roof, often with a central dormer, broad overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, classical freize with dentils, and a prominent front porch with hipped roof, supported by classic columns. It was designed to fit a small city lot with maximum living space. Plans were available from pattern books, and house kits could be purchased from catalogs and delivered locally by rail.15 Many elements of the building’s original design are well-preserved, though the original Foursquare porch and central dormer have been removed. Standing a full two stories, the house is topped by a hipped roof with composition shingles, wide, overhanging eaves, and exposed rafter tails around the entire structure. Exposed rafters reflect the emerging influence of the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the century and were common on American 10 Fort Collins City Directory, 1950. 11 Fort Collins City Directories, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1959; Jason Marmor, “City of Fort Collins Architectural Property Reconnaissance Survey Form: Eastside Neighborhood Survey Project, 710 Mathews Street,” February 1998. 12 Fort Collins City Directories, 1960, 1962, 1969. 13 Fort Collins City Directories, 1954, 1960, 1970. 14 Larimer County Tax Assessor Records, 710 Mathews Street. 15 Colorado Historical Society, Field Guide to Colorado’s Historic Architecture & Engineering, July 2008 Page 5 Foursquares. Building records indicate that the house was reroofed in 1928 and 1943.16 A full- width porch sits on the front (west-facing) elevation, though the original porch roof and columns were removed sometime during the 1950s or 1960s. A short brick wall surrounds the porch, rising approximately to knee level. The façade of the house was altered with the addition of stylistic Colonial Revival elements. The front door is crowned with a broken pediment and pilasters on both sides, and green shutters sit on either side of the façade windows in the outer bays.17 The house sits on a red, mortared, sandstone foundation with brick walls and incorporates a four-square plan with a symmetrical, three-bayed façade. The front porch also rests on the sandstone foundation. The southeast elevation of the structure includes a small, rounded bay with three sets of windows. First story windows on either side of the front door are double-hung sash windows with 8-over-12 panes. Second-story windows are double-hung with one-over- one panes. The central, second-story window is a narrower, double-hung window with two- over-two panes. All windows on the house have a red sandstone sill beneath that match the house’s foundation. An enclosed back porch stands apart from the symmetrical structure, an addition constructed before 1948. A 1944 permit to “enclose porch” possibly indicates the construction of the rear porch. A raised wooden patio also sits to the rear of the house next to the enclosed porch, a recent addition that does not affect the structure’s historic integrity. Two outbuildings sit on the property, a garage and shed. The garage has rolled asphalt roofing and is clad in brick similar to the main house. It is original to the property and reflects many of the house’s stylistic characteristics. The Chandlers were well-known automobile owners in the community, and the garage’s original construction correlates with the expansion of automobile use across the nation in the early 1900s. Currently, a small wooden shed stands behind the garage. Historically, the Chandlers kept a shed in a different spot on the property, and a 1937 permit issued to “reshingle chicken house” indicates the historic usage of the building. However, a much newer, wooden shed now sits behind the garage.18 A 1948 photograph from the Larimer County Tax Assessor illustrates the original appearance of the home and its typical Foursquare features. Historically, the house included a full-width front porch with a central gable supported by large, white, classical columns. The front door was unadorned by any classical ornamentation. In addition, the roof included a central, hipped dormer that was removed sometime in the 1950s or 1960s, though there is no permit for reroofing during this period.19 Photographs from CSU yearbooks suggest that the Theta Chis left the original porch intact. Most likely, the changes occurred in the 1960s when the Sothers owned the property. While these alterations changed the house’s original Foursquare appearance, they do not affect the overall integrity of the building or its architectural significance in the developing Laurel School neighborhood. Furthermore, Barbara Liebler, the current owner, is looking into restoring the original façade elements of the house. Plans are underway to redesign the original front porch and reconstruct the central dormer on the roof. Designation as a local landmark would facilitate Mrs. Liebler’s interest in maintaining the historic integrity of her house while providing valuable assistance in this process. 16 Fort Collins History Connection, online archive (building permits), http://history.poudrelibraries.org/archive/research.php. 17 Marmor, “City of Fort Collins Architectural Property Reconnaissance Survey Form.” 18 Fort Collins History Connection, online archive; Marmor survey. 19 Fort Collins Museum of Discovery Archive, tax assessor record 710 Mathews Street, 1948; Fort Collins History Connection, online archive. Page 6 REFERENCE LIST or SOURCES of INFORMATION (attach a separate sheet if needed) Colorado A&M and CSU Yearbooks (1952-1960) Fort Collins City Directories (1910-1980) Fort Collins History Connection. “Fort Collins History and Architecture: Sugar Beets, Streetcar Suburbs, and the City Beautiful, 1900-1919.” http://history.poudrelibraries.org/archive/contexts/sugar.php. Fort Collins History Connection. “Fort Collins History and Architecture: The Railroad Era, Colorado Agricultural College, and the Growth of the City, 1877-1900.” http://history.poudrelibraries.org/archive/contexts/railroad.php. Fort Collins Public Library, Local History Archive (online), including Building Records and Permits Larimer County Tax Assessor Records Marmor, Jason. “City of Fort Collins Architectural Property Reconnaissance Survey Form: Eastside Neighborhood Survey Project, 710 Mathews Street,” February 1998. McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf, 2011. U.S. Federal Census Records (1880, 1910, 1920, 1940) Various newspaper articles from Fort Collins Courier and Fort Collins Weekly Courier (1907- 1923) Page 7 AGREEMENT The undersigned owner(s) hereby agrees that the property described herein be considered for local historic landmark designation, pursuant to the Fort Collins Landmark Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 14 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins. I understand that upon designation, I or my successors will be requested to notify the Secretary of the Landmark Preservation Commission at the City of Fort Collins prior to the occurrence of any of the following: Preparation of plans for reconstruction or alteration of the exterior of the improvements on the property, or; Preparation of plans for construction of, addition to, or demolition of improvements on the property DATED this __________________day of _______________________________, 201___. _____________________________________________________ Owner Name (please print) _____________________________________________________ Owner Signature State of ___________________________) )ss. County of __________________________) Subscribed and sworn before me this _________day of ___________________, 201____, by _____________________________________________________________________. Witness my hand and official seal. My commission expires _________________________. _____________________________________________________ Notary LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 13, 2013 STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Fort Collins Landmark Designation of 710 Mathews Street, Fort Collins, Colorado STAFF CONTACT: Josh Weinberg, Historic Preservation Planner APPLICANT: Barbara Liebler, Owner BACKGROUND: Staff is pleased to present for your landmark consideration the Oliver and Leota Chandler Property at 710 Mathews Street. The property has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Preservation Standard (2). Constructed in 1909, the house at 710 Mathews was the residence of prominent farmer and businessman Oliver Chandler and his family. Chandler operated several large cattle and sheep farms outside of the city limits. Additionally, he served as a director of the Commercial Bank & Trust Company, the Mountain States Beet Growers Marketing Association, and as treasurer to the Larimer County Stock Feeders’ Association. Citizens like Chandler were instrumental to the early development and growth of Fort Collins in the early twentieth century. After the death of Oliver’s wife Leota Chandler in 1948, the house functioned as rental, Theta Chi fraternity house, residence, and photography studio over the years. The house is an excellent, well-preserved example of the American Foursquare form with Colonial Revival façade elements added in the 1960s. A popular style in Colorado during the first three decades of the twentieth century, the American Foursquare was typically constructed with a hipped roof, often with a central dormer, broad overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, and a prominent front porch with hipped roof, supported by classic columns. Alterations in the 1960s removed the original porch and central dormer of this residence. Barbara Liebler, the current owner, has contracted to restore the original porch and dormer to the building. This project would imbue the house with a greater degree of historic integrity while restoring its original appearance. Landmark Designation would greatly benefit Mrs. Liebler in this process. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approving the request for Landmark Designation of the Oliver and Leota Chandler Property, under Standards (2) for its association with prominent Fort Collins individual Oliver Chandler. Planning, Development & Transportation Services Community Development & Neighborhood Services 281 North College Avenue P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 ATTACHMENT 3 ATTACHMENT 4 710 Mathews Street Fort Collins Landmark Designation Western Elevation Eastern Elevation ATTACHMENT 5 Southern Elevation Northern Elevation Garage Western Elevation Garage Southern Elevation Shed Southern Elevation Shed and Garage Eastern Elevations ORDINANCE NO. 053, 2013 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DESIGNATING THE OLIVER AND LEOTA CHANDLER PROPERTY, 710 MATHEWS 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 February 13, 2013, the Landmark Preservation Commission (the "Commission") has determined that the Oliver and Leota Chandler Property has significance to Fort Collins under Landmark Designation Standard (2), for its association with prominent Fort Collins agriculturalist Oliver Chandler; 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 City 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 owner of the property, Barbara M. Liebler, has 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 Oliver and Leota Chandler 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: LOT 16, BLOCK 147, CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COUNTY OF LARIMER, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street number as 710 Mathews Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 be designated as a Fort Collins landmark in accordance with City Code Chapter 14. 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 the City Code. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 19th day of March, A.D. 2013, and to be presented for final passage on the 16th day of April, A.D. 2013. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 16th day of April, A.D. 2013. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk