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2015-06-11 Info Packet
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY wJune 11, 2015 ww.icgov.org IN Council Tentative Meeting Schedule JUNE 16 WORK SESSION IP2 Work Session Agenda IP3 Memo from City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show IN Pending City Council Work Session Topics MISCELLANEOUS IP5 Material from City Manager: Iowa City's use of TIF compared IP6 Email from Council Member Throgmorton: Howling Dogs Inc. Letter on Iowa City Support of One Small Business IP7 Email from Council Member Botchway: Juneteenth Press Release IP8 Copy of City Manager response to American Taxi Cab: Request for financial assistance IP9 2015 Building Statistics IP10 Copy of Press Release: Annual Financial Report Receives Award for Excellence for 29th Consecutive Year IP11 Garbage Grapevine— ECICOG April 2015 Issue DRAFT MINUTES IP12 Historic Preservation Commission: May 14 IP13 Telecommunications Commission: June 1 r 1 • rrr®•4� CITY OF IOWA CITY Date Tuesday, June 16, 2015 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule SP1 LJ Subject to change June 11, 2015 Time Meeting 6:00 PM Work Session Meeting 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Location Emma J. Harvat Hall Monday, July 20, 2015 4:00 PM Reception prior to meeting TBA (Johnson County) 4:30 PM Joint Meeting / Work Session Monday, July 27,-2015 5:00 PM City Conference Board Emma J. Harvat Hall Work Session Meeting 7:00 PM Special Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 18, 2015 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, September 1, 2015 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, September 15, 2015 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, October 6, 2015 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall Monday, November 30, 2015 1-6:30 PM Work Session Meeting Ashton House Strategic Planning and Orientation L06-11-10 IP2 J CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org City Council Work Session Agenda Tuesday, June 16, 2015 Emma J. Harvat Hall - City Hall 410 E. Washington Street 6:00 PM (NOTE TIME CHANGE) ■ Questions from Council re Agenda Items ■ Information Packet Discussion [June 4, 111 ■ Council Time ■ Meeting Schedule ■ Pending Work Session Topics [IP # 3 and # 4 of 6/11 info packet] ■ Upcoming Community Events/Council Invitations Date: June 10, 2015 06-11-15 CITY OF IOWA CITY 1P3 MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council From: Marian K. Karr, City Clerk Re: KXIC Radio Show KXIC offers a City show at 8:00 AM every Wednesday morning. In the past Council has volunteered for dates, and staff filled in as necessary. Please take a look at your calendars and come prepared to help fill in the schedule at your work session on June 16. At your request a complete summer schedule is provided below. Wednesday June 17 — Hayek June 24 — Botchway July 1 — Mims July 8 — UISG Neal July 15 — Mims July 22 — July 29 — Mims August 5 — Mims August 12 — Mims August 19 — Mims August 26 — Mims In addition we are adding a 7:15 — 7:45 AM the first and third Friday of each month: Friday June 19 — Throgmorton July 3 (pre-recorded 10 am 7/2) — Botchway July 17 — Botchway August 7 — Dobyns August 21 — Mims Future pending requests / commitments: Wednesday September 2 — September 9 — September 16 — September 23 — September 30 — October 7 — October 14 — October 21 — October 28 — November 4 — November 11 (pre-recorded 10am 11/10) — November 18 — November 25 — December 2 — December 9 — June 5, 2015 Page 2 December 16 — December 23 — December 30 - Friday September 4 — September 18 — Dobyns October 2 — Dobyns October 16 — Dobyns November 6 — Dobyns November 20 — December 4 — Dobyns December 18 — Please remember that KXIC is very flexible with taping the Wednesday sessions ahead of the show. It is the intent of the Friday interviews to be live. U sadioshowasking.doc CITY OF IOWA CITY UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE PENDING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TOPICS June 10, 2015 Pendine Topics to be Scheduled 1. Discuss city related marijuana policies and potential legislative advocacy positions 2. Review of the Sensitive Areas ordinance 3. Discuss formation of staff /citizen climate adaptation advisory group (spring 2015) 4. Discuss transit route planning framework 5. Review University of Iowa enrollment and housing projections 6. Discuss nuisance and property management standards in neighborhoods (August) 7. Review sale of alcohol to minors regulations 8. Review sidewalk repair program 9. Discuss Board and Commission expectations and appointment / reappointment process From: Wendy Ford Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 12:31 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: Iowa City's use of TIF compared Hi Marian, Tom Markus requested the following 4 illustrations be included in the information packet. The Mayor referred to these numbers during the discussion of TIF at the 6/8/15 meeting. Thank you, Wendy .............. ........... . W e*ldy F rcL Economic Development Coordinator City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. I Iowa City, IA 152240 319-356-5248 CMOFMACM uPWW QTY OF MERAT{JAtE o OR \ o Q0 i--1 I1 (n Ol NO -01 o C a-0 O O U > J m 0 LL 0 N Lci O 4—J D 1 c— u C6 W 0 CD Cl) 0 CO N 0 Cl) N N 0 ti 0 M r 0 rn 0 = m a 3U O CL LL_ O 0 0 0 0 O O O 0 m m >v LL 0 0 O 0 0 O 0 0 0 N Z w 75 LU v Z_ C7 Z 7e F— L) U m 0 R U t r N H 0 3 N Ox N O Z Le 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 L 0 0 � O O o -0 LN O x O > chi) O V)i N Ln Q� L O Z 1— U O — 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 m k.0 Ln V)- qj)- V'� lf� 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I�t m cv r -i qA- qj)- VIj- paanlde:) luaw@jDul xel ETOZ ZTOZ TTOZ OTOZ 60OZ SON LOOZ 9002 0 LMarian Karr IP6 From: James Throgmorton <jthrogmo@yahoo.com> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2015 11:08 AM To: Steve Pernetti Cc: Council; Matt Hayek; Tom Markus; Chris O'Brien Subject: Re: Iowa City Staff Support of One Small Business Attachments: Howling Dogs Inc Letter on Iowa City Support of One Small Business Rev. 0 .6.07.2015.docx Dear Steve. Yikes! No, I had not known of the fire at Fair Grounds until I read your email. Like you say, it's news no small business owner wants to receive. But I am enormously pleased to read your comments about Chris O'Brien and other city staff, and about the tremendous help they provided. I've always known that City government is blessed with many terrific employees, and your email only reinforces my belief. Please let me know if there is anything else that I or City government in general can reasonably do to help in the full recovery. Jim On Sunday, June 7, 2015 8:06 PM, Steve Pernetti <stevepernetti(@amail.com> wrote: Jim, Please read this letter at your convenience. Also, please feel free to share it with anyone who might be interested. Regards, Steve Pemetti 1oW11A9 Bep IAC. A Iowa S Corp To: James Throgmorton, Iowa City Council From: Steve Pernetti, President and Owner Howling Dogs Inc. dba Fair Grounds Cafe, Iowa City Copy: Chris O'Brien Date: 7 June 2015 Subject: Iowa City Staff Support for Local Small Business Dear Jim, I'm writing this after returning home from my fully functional cafe this evening, something that didn't seem likely Friday night. By now you may have heard we had a small kitchen fire at Fair Grounds Cafe the evening of Friday June 5`h -at around 10:30 PM, after my staff had departed. A phone call from the Iowa City Police caught my attention just after turning in for the night. I heard the words no restaurant owner wants to hear "There's been afire at your restaurant. The Fire Department is on scene. How long will it take for you to come down here?" There was also a message from Chris O'Brien with the same information. I woke my wife and we rushed to the scene not knowing what we would find. When we arrived there were police cars, fire trucks, and a small cafe in serious trouble. There was also a Parking and Transportation Operations Supervisor who Chris O'Brien had apparently sent to oversee and to help. My wife, my manager, and I worked until 3:30 am to remove water and to install a temporary plywood door cover, which had been provided by the supervisor and one of his staff. This seemingly small favor helped immensely — finding plywood to cover the smashed door at 3:00 am would have been a major problem. Chris called me back first thing in the morning. He offered his help get us back on our feet. We agreed would mobilize my staff to address the cleanup, while he would mobilize his staff to repair the door and to reset the fire control and alarm systems, without which we would not be able to re -open. When I called Jamie (the city staff member who typically maintains Court Street) he told me Chris had already asked him to help. He arranged for the Fire Service Company to reset the system starting at 10:30. When I arrived back at the cafe around 8:30, City staff were already present and in the process of temporarily repairing the entrance door. Most of my staff arrived at 11:00 to begin the damage inventory, deep cleanup, supply discard, and cafe reset. The fact that the City was already in motion provided promise they would retain regular employment. Chris checked in periodically to see how we were progressing and to offer further assistance, clearly having already received updates from his staff on their progress. Cleanup and cafe reset was a monumental task that we were able to complete before nightfall. Chris and I spoke again as I headed home. Fair Grounds would re -open Sunday morning ready to serve breakfast to Iowa City customers, just as it had for almost nine years. You once asked if the City of Iowa City staff supports local businesses, and while I can't provide a global observation that encompasses all circumstances, I can provide this one very specific example. As you know, I've worked for, or with, the government during the past three decades. I've rarely seen any organization outside the Army on deployment move so quickly and with such singular purpose. At a personal level, I didn't feel alone this weekend. I felt like I had a partner in Chris O'Brien. You would be welcome to share this letter with the Mayor, City Managers, Council, or anyone else. Sincerely, Stevel PernaVf/ Owner, Fair Grounds Cafe From: Kingsley Botchway Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2015 5:00 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: Fwd: Juneteenth Press Release For the upcoming packet. Kingsley Botchway II Iowa City Council Member Sent from my Wad FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: LaTasha DeLoach, Johnson County Social Services Contact phone: (319)356-6090 Contact email: Ideloach@co.iohnson.ia.us Juneteenth event to celebrate 150th anniversary of slavery's end Johnson County, Iowa — The Johnson County Juneteenth Community Committee is hosting a day of family fun from noon -6 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center in Iowa City to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States. Free parking will be available in the Rec Center lot and upper level of Chauncey Swan Parking Garage; later in the afternoon, free parking will also be available in the main level of Chauncey Swan Parking Garage. The free event will include free food, live music, a theatrical performance, and games and activities for the whole family. Activities for children include a puppet show, story time, a bouncy house, face painting, water games, and a "discovery tour" of the community garden near the recreation center. Live entertainment will be provided by local youth from The Dream Center Performance Art Academy, the Funk Daddies, Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, and a live play written and performed by local writers and actors. In addition, the African American Museum of Iowa and the Iowa City Public Library will set up informational displays about the history of slavery and black Iowans. At the indoor health fair, small children can get free vision screening while adults can get free blood - pressure checks, donate blood, and explore the resources offered by a variety of local programs. the ceiling. The winning essay of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission's Youth Essay & Art Contest may be read during the opening ceremony, as well. Essays submitted by youth ages 14-18, and visual art displays submitted by youth ages 5-18 are due by June 12. Prizes range from $50 to $150. Learn more about the contest and the Juneteenth event online at http://iceuneteenth.wordpress.com. "This is our group's fifth year hosting this event, and with it being the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the United States, we have gone all out to provide a variety of informational and fun activities," program coordinator LaTasha DeLoach said. "I am thrilled that we have been able to pull together so many events for both adults and children to honor the strength of those who endured slavery." Event sponsors include the City of Iowa City, the Johnson County Community Partnership for Protecting Children, Johnson County Social Services, the Iowa City Parks & Recreation Department, Veridian Credit Union, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission, Southgate Development Co., and New Pioneer Co-op. C(Dpr June 10, 2015 Mr. Adil Adams American Taxi Cab 2532 Bartelt Rd. Apt. l C Iowa City, IA 52246 Dear Mr. Adams, ,i C(ty o�� WA C� I have reviewed the December 1, 2014 letter to the City Council requesting financial assistance and the response from Asst. City Atty. Sue Dulek. In addition, I have considered your January 20, 2015 response letter to Asst. City Attorney (Susan) Dulek, and do not see any information that indicates the City is responsible for any costs you've identified. Therefore, I do not recommend any financial assistance be provided. Sincerely, mas Markus City Manager cc: City Council City Clerk 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET 9 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 • (319) 356-5000 • FAX (319) 356-5009 December 1, 2014 Work session on Tuesday December 2, 2014 Dear City Council: Subject: Financial Assistance I would like to request financial assistance to my company, American taxi cab. That has been operating in Iowa City from 2009. I would like to request financial assistance to support my company that was greatly affected by two unfortunate license revocations that were wrongly implemented by the City Clerk. The first incident on behalf of the City Clerk's Office to negatively affect my company involved sending the court hearing letter to the wrong address. This caused a hearing to be conducted on a day, of which I had no prior knowledge about, where I was unable to be heard by the hearing committee. The second incident that negatively affected my company's appearance and reputation was by the Iowa City Police Department's false allegations in regards to a pending sexual assault case. Because of these allegations, I lost more than 25 contractors and my drivers now mistrust the company. In the end, the investigation proved that the actual suspect belonged to another company by the name (Vina Sun). For these two above reasons, l would like the city council to consider my application to grant me some financial assistance or even possible loans to fix this company damage. Thanks, Adil Adams 2532 Bartelt rd apt 1C Iowa City, IA 52246 Adaoud29@hotmaii.com Cell Phone: 319-594-6902 January 12, 2015 Mr. Adil Adams American Taxi Cab 2532 Bartelt Road Apt. #IC Iowa City, IA 52246 Dear Mr. Adams: _i I l CITY OF IOWA CITY City Attorney's Office 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5030 (319) 356-5008 FAX www.lcgov.org The Mayor directed City staff to respond to your letter to the City Council dated December 1, 2014. Your first point was that the City Clerk sent a notice of a court hearing to the wrong address. The City Clerk does not provide anyone with a notice of a court hearing. The Johnson County Clerk of Court provides notices of court hearings. Your second point claimed that your taxicab business was negatively affected because the Iowa City Police Department made false allegations when investigating a sexual assault last spring. In investigating the sexual assault, the Police Department made no allegations against you or American Taxi Cab. If you have any questions about this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, c Susan Dulek Assistant City Attorney Copy to: City Council Thomas M. Markus -City Manager Geoff Fruin-Ass't. City Manager Marian K. Karr -City Clerk P,.1i _C= 4�u January 20, 2015 Mrs. Sudan Dulek Assistant city Attorney Iowa city IA Dear Mrs. Susan, Thanks for responding to my letter to the city council dated December 1, 2014. 1 was disappointed when i read the letter because the response was different from what i claimed in my letter about the hearing which was held in the city of Iowa City on November of 2013 by the city attorney not at the court. The city clerk also sent this out to Coralvile 52240 post office instead of Iowa city 52246 post office. The decision has made the company loseing around 12,000 dollars, for the forty taxies. The second claim about the police investigation wasn't normal because they abused their power and investigated my company for two months and this came negative to scare all the forty drivers to quite working and we lost costomers and contraters at that time quite working with American taxi Company so i would like the city council to re-concider my request again. Adil Adams Owner of American taxi �" Susan Dulek Assistant City Attorney Copy to: City Council Thomas m. Markus -City Manager Geoff Fruin-Ass't. City Manager Marian k. Karr -City Clerk II 1P CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 5 2240-1 826 (319) 356-5000 (3 19) 3S6-5009 FAX www.icgov.org November 5, 2013 Adil Adams American Taxi Cab 2608 Bartelt Road, #2C Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mr. Adams: Pursuant to City Code Section 5-1-5, 1 am officially notifying you that a hearing has been scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13, 2013, in the Helling Conference Room at City Hall, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, Iowa. The hearing before the City Manager or designee is to determine whether the taxicab business license held by American Taxi Cab should be revoked for failing to return a decal in violation of City Code section 5-2-2(D)(3)(d). The City received notification of insurance cancellation of the 2001 Chrysler Town and Country (VIN # 2C8GT64L41 R376431) on November 1, and you were asked on this date to return decal #330 immediately to the Clerk's Office. To date the decal has not been returned. If not immediately remedied, this violation may serve as sufficient grounds for revocation of your business license. Sincerely, Marian K. Karr City Clerk Enclosure: City Code 5-2-2(D)(3)(d) rv :Pw oil (a fn O � m L) (n O N LLI O J m Lf) ^ O cooo N cmc (D pliN F Z O Z P, 0) 0� C� OMI�M (V (00�0(O M O� tON J LO sf t�MLom I� 0 N O O lOO O O t O O N HC LO C W N N N M try U) M Cco OOD CO M N O co N E m O d a E i 0 z 0 O E d a a y w 7 O) a' r c c 0 co �N�r ON CO 47 MO�O OlO N O co (D (O co w coCri N O) CQ O - a N M M M� N O� _ MN MO(O ON_M f� O� O 0 (OO- aN v a a a Q � N O `N N �LoO�NN toLO LO M O(NO a t V O- tO O I� O p- N p N n O O a M C M N N M rn _O—(. O -NOS �M Z' a O co O N N P. - rn m o U. a v co - OMD N co O�NM Lo tD � c0LO O M O LO N lO _N C tO N N N tO A S C y_ y ,«_� V) N bq ,«�� 7'O ,.�_ yVC N y N N 7 y y d a N a d a N a a N0 a M N a o a. 0. . aN° �N CL ILa O -S a O ° O O O y 0 a° `N WOC 105 d 0 U O O C� YfA y.8 a O , 2 o2 O y� E 2�'Q W Is _T E E tL .100 E E O ° y� E (a E E a E -c E N2.6 Y E y '� E 7 E 7 y E 7° N2 E 7 d a' E 7 O (,i E 7 Z�' 7 a E 7 E> M 7 J a J E 7 Z (A 7 Z a(S y 7 Z C 7? Z E EQ E E O s 7 Z i 7 Z 7 Z (� M 7 Z aC y 7 Z Co 7 Z O Z (p Z 0 Z gZ - Z - Z - Z Z` Z Q Q to lc ° Z N 7 E L `c c y .2 N 06 N O O x a a EUZ Z 7 vi > > .(,9- w g ° E E O E (p O 7 2 0 7 7 Z X Z °: O L 2 N O a L tj �n o U = (n s a (n cn i City'S Annual Financial Report Receives Award For Excellence For 29th Consecutive Year Page 1 of 1 A -Z index Residents Business Government Visitors ICgov. org Home)) News City'S Annual Financial Report Receives Award For Excellence For 29th Consecutive Year Posted on Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 3:57 Contact Information PM Name: Dennis Bockenstedt For the 29th consecutive year, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence Email: Send Mail in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the City of Iowa City for its Phone: 319-356-5053 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded the Certificate of Achievement, the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, for "significant accomplishment by a government and its management; according to the letter announcing the award. The CAM is the document prepared after the fiscal year ends to report the City's actual income, incurred expenses, and financial position in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The FY2014 report is available for viewing at www.icgov.ora/CAFR. The GFOA established the awards program in 1945 to encourage state and local governments to exceed minimum accounting requirements by preparing comprehensive annual financial reports that provide transparency and full disclosure -- and then recognize municipalities, counties, states, school districts and other government entities that achieve that goal. Annual financial reports submitted to the program for consideration for the award are reviewed by selected members of the GFOA professional staff and the GFOA Special Review Committee, comprised of individuals with expertise in public sector financial reporting. For more information, contact City of Iowa City Finance Director Dennis Bockenstedt at 319-356-5053 or dennis-bockenstedtC@iowa-city.org. A -Z Index Citizen Service Center Contact Information Residents Transit Routes Web Policies Business News City Employee Resources Government E -Subscriptions Visitors Jobs Calendar Copyright © 2006-2012 City of Store Iowa City 410 E Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone (319)356-5000 http://www.icgov.org/apps/news/?newsID=10579 6/10/2015 From: Kristin Simon <kristin.simon@ecicog.org> Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:01 PM To: Council Subject: Garbage Grapevine 2015 Issue 2 GF qtapemm ECIC: G CO tK GO'hRW 75 wuercwur.�wxrtrtei Like us on Facebook Comp Plan Update Comprehensive Plan Update Derelict Building Grant Due March 2016 Ag in the Park Dav The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires all cities and counties to submit an Integrated Solid Waste Every Management Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan). As a Story Summer Re member of both your local solid waste commission and ECICOG Solid Waste Planning Area, our staff writes the Comp Plan on your behalf. The original Comp Plan was submitted by ECICOG in 1989; the seventh update will be submitted in March of 2016. Thank you to all city clerks and staff for completing the Solid Waste & Recycling Survey. 4`. ` . ECICOG staff appreciates your assistance. 'stin will be visiting flowing libraries to r ' The Planning process begins with every city in the planning Michael Recycle and pr area completing the Municipal Solid Waste & Recycling a program entitled, SM Survey. Depending on your service area, surveys will be Acts Make BIG Hero mailed to each city over the next several months. Please complete and return surveys by the deadline set in your JUNE: service area. 12th Hiawatha Publ Library at 1:30pm ECICOG staff will meet with the solid waste commissions in 16th North English Publ r Benton, Jones, Iowa, and Tama counties for goal setting rary at gam sessions throughout the summer. The draft Comp Plan will th Clear Creek Aman ` be posted for review and comment by December. The Comp p Community Library at 9 Plan is due to DNR in March 2016. & I Oam This Comp Plan will be different than years past and will not 17th Marion Public Libr` at 2pm include descriptions of waste diversion efforts the Cedar 18th Springmier Public Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency (CR LC SWA) and Library, Tiffin at I Oam the Iowa City Landfill & Recycling Center (IC L&RC). The 23rd Central City Public DNR is encouraging a shift to the Environmental Library at l Oam & I pm Management System (EMS) approach which requires an 24th Fairfax Public EMS annual report in lieu of a Comp Plan. Library at l Dam 24th Coralville Publ" To learn more about EMS visit tinyurl.com/kzn427a Library at Ipm 25th Lisbon Pub Plan Ahead for the Derelict Building Grant Program at 10:30 am 30th Coggon PuILibrary at 9amWith a population of 5,000 or less and ownership of a 30th Ely Public building that has been abandoned six months or more, a city 2pm qualifies for the Derelict Building Grant Program. JUL 1st Atkins Publi 1:45pm 6th Garrison Public Librar at 1pm 7th Olin Public Library 10am 8th Shellsburg Public Library at 11 am & 12:3 13th Williamsburg Public Library at loam th Marengo Public "brary at 11 am th Oxford Junction PA itbrary at 3pm th Van Horne Public brary at 1 Dam th Chelsea blic Library at 3pm nd Anamosa Public brary at 10:30am h Keystone Public Jennifer Fencl Solid Waste and Environmental Services Director 319-365-9941 ext. 131 j_ennifer.fencl@ecicog ore The program provides grant assistance for asbestos abatement, demolition, and/or renovation of a problematic, abandoned building. If interested, please contact Alicia Presto at (319) 365-9941 ext. 121 or alicia.urestol7a,ecicog ore to discuss potential projects. We encourage cities to begin the application process as soon as possible despite the February 20, 2016 deadline. Ag in the Park Day Kristin Simon Solid Waste Planner 319-365-9941 ext. 126 kristin.simonnd,ecicog ore Alicia Presto Iowa Waste Exchange Resource Specialist 319-365-9941 ext. 121 alicia.prestond ecicoe.ore Nicole Van Nelson Public Information Specialist and Media Contact 319-365-9941 ext. 125 nicole.vannelson(di)ecicog ore ECICAw"'tG EAST CENTRAL IOWA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS YOUR REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY For more information on the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) please visit our website at www.ecicog.org Join Our Mailing List! Management Authority provided an interactive soil conservation demonstration at the Linn County Ag in the Park Day sponsored by the Linn -Mar FFA Chapter. The event took place on Friday, May 1 st, at the Linn County Fair Grounds in Central City. The demonstration utilized Iowa Living Farms Conservation Trailer, a watershed education tool, which uses a rain simulator to show how water moves and carries soil across four different land cover types. Since it was sunny and warm the students didn't mind the rain. Thank you to Barb Lemmer, FFA advisor at Linn -Mar, for organizing the transport of the trailer to and from Ames for this event. For more information on the Indian Creek Watershed Management Authority visit indiancreekwatershed.weebly.com As A Reminder You are receiving this newsletter because you are a public or elected official in the ECICOG Solid Waste Comprehensive Planning Area. This newsletter is a service provided to all our members. If you have any questions, comments, would like to schedule a community recycling program, or need assistance in promoting recycling awareness please contact Kristin at 319 - 365-9941 ext. 126 or kristin.si" ,ecicog orQ. Forward this email This email was sent to council@iowa-city.org by kristin.simonna,ecico¢.org Update Profile/Email Address I Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscriberm I Privacy Policy. • CdtlbKCd�OaR• r, y ECICOG 1 700 16th Street, NE I Suite 3011 Cedar Rapids I IA 152402 06-11-15 IP12 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MAY 14, 2015 EMMA HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Kent Ackerson, Thomas Agran, Esther Baker, Kate Corcoran, Andrew Litton, Pam Michaud, Ben Sandell, Ginalie Swaim MEMBERS ABSENT: Gosia Clore, Frank Durham, Frank Wagner STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: Anne Burnside, Robert Carlson, Liz Maas, Linda McGuire, Julie Myers, Michael Oliveira, Beth Rapson, Chris Welu Reynolds, Davis Rust, John Shaw, Alicia Trimble RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action) CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Swaim called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was none. CONSENT AGENDA: CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: 436 Grant Street. Bristow said there is one consent agenda item for 436 Grant Street, a one and one-half story bungalow. She said the owners plan to remove the existing chimney and rebuild it to enclose both the fireplace and the exhaust chimney with thin bricks, as recommended by the guidelines. Miklo said that because it is a consent item, the Commission can just vote on it, unless there are questions. MOTION: Corcoran moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 436 Grant Street, as presented in the application. Baker seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0 (Clore Durham, and Wagner absent). CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: 711 North Gilbert Street. Bristow said this is a 1928 foursquare in the Goosetown/Horace Mann District. She said the application is to remove one of the chimneys, although there is a prominent chimney toward the front of the home that is to remain. Bristow said the chimney to the north is on the back. She said the proposal is to remove the chimney and patch the roof with materials to match the existing. Bristow said the guidelines recommend retaining prominent historic features, but staff feels this chimney is not prominent. She said that although the chimney on the south is prominent, the two chimneys are not symmetrical or balanced in any way. Bristow said staff feels that HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 2 of 23 removing the chimney on the north would not adversely impact the historical character of the home. MOTION: Baker moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 711 North Gilbert Street, as presented in the application. Male Sandell seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0 (Clore Durham, and Wagner absent). 610 Ronalds Street. Bristow said this is an application for the demolition of the existing home. She said it is a gabled L -house that was either built in 1920 or built in 1889 and moved to the site in 1917. Bristow said that either of the dates would be appropriate for the vernacular style of the home. Bristow said that prior to the December meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, the applicant contacted Miklo to inquire about demolition of the existing home and construction of a new building. Bristow said that a subcommittee of the Historic Preservation Commission then toured the existing home and did not feel after that visit that the house was a candidate for demolition. Bristow stated that the applicant submitted four main documents in support of the demolition: a letter from the applicant discussing the cat odor, second floor, the foundation, and the intent to build a new, single-family home; a letter from VJ Engineering about the existing home's structure; a letter from ServPro about removing the cat odor; and a letter from Johnson County Public Health about the odor. Bristow said that staff's opinion about the documents is as follows: the letter from VJ Engineering does not say that the existing house is structurally unsound. She said it discusses the house being over -spanned, which would be a common finding in many of the historic structures because of the differences between current and historic building practices. Bristow said the applicant's letter discussing the second floor would be a matter for a second application. She said that currently the home is listed in the survey and on the assessor's site as a single -story home; there are not building permits to add a second floor. Bristow said the guidelines recommend against raising the roof on a historic home in order to expand to a second floor. Bristow said the letter also dismisses any historic value of the home, even though it is a contributing property in a historic district. She said that the aluminum siding that is currently there probably obscures a more historic appearance. Bristow said that costs submitted by the applicant are not independent costs; they are submitted from his own company. Bristow stated that the letter from ServPro lists steps for removing the odor and an estimate on associated costs. Bristow said staff's opinion is that the odor removal is the main issue involved with the demolition, concerning whether or not the home is irretrievable. She said that further investigation really seems to be needed. Bristow said there might be non-compliance issues with regard to current building codes, as many homes have these conditions that can be HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 3 of 23 remedied. She said, however, that whether they need to be remedied here and any associated costs are still unknown. Bristow said staff feels that if odor removal by ServPro is successful, then any concerns in the letter by Johnson County Public Health would be eliminated. She said that informal discussions with other cleaning companies lead staff to believe that more formal information regarding remediation and the effectiveness of cleaning would be instrumental in evaluating this portion of the application. Bristow said staff has also determined that the garage on this property was constructed at a later date and has no historical value. Bristow said the application also submitted a proposal for new construction for a two-story craftsman home with a front porch and a single -story rear extension. She said there would be a two-story, two -car garage with a second -floor apartment. Bristow showed the site plan. She said that currently the setback for the new construction does not align with the setback of the houses on either side. Bristow said the new construction also has a longer building footprint than either of the neighboring houses. She said that if it is positioned to align, as the guidelines suggest, it would be significantly longer than the neighboring houses. Bristow said the side elevations are rather large. She said staff feels it could be given a more human scale if perhaps another wide band board was placed along this elevation to align with the front and back porches. Bristow stated that 18 -inch overhangs are a minimum for craftsman homes. She said the home at 608 Ronalds, which is smaller than what is being proposed, does have 18 -inch overhangs. Bristow said that, given the scale of the new construction proposed, staff feels that 24 -inch overhangs would be more appropriate for this home. Bristow said that the brackets and exposed rafter details that are shown are a minimum of what staff would want to see for craftsman detail. She said staff feels that fitting more craftsman detail into the front porch roof would also help give a more craftsman like appearance. Bristow said the garage fits fairly well with the craftsman detailing. She said its scale is more like a carriage house than a typical garage from this period. Bristow said that the detailing does fit fairly well except for the window placement on the north elevation, mostly because it is evenly spaced and lined up and does not really fit with the window detailing on the primary structure. Bristow said that while the scale of the garage is subordinate to the proposed new construction/primary building, it is similar in scale to the primary structure next door. She said the roof height is within a foot height or less of being the same, and the footprint at 608 Ronalds is roughly the same as the garage footprint. Bristow said that even the footprint of 618 Ronalds, which is more square with a single -story addition in the back, is similar to the footprint of the proposed garage. Agran said that the footprint of the proposed garage is also about the same size as his house across the alley. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 4 of 23 Bristow said that new information has been submitted that has been provided to the Commission. She said that today, staff received an e-mail from the applicant with new information from Service Master that has been provided to Commission members. Bristow said that some of the information provided includes letters from one of the district residents, a letter from the architect, and an addendum from VJ Engineering. Bristow said that the guidelines disallow the demolition of a contributing property in an historic district unless the owner can demonstrate that it is structurally unsound and irretrievable. She said that the Commission will consider the condition, integrity, and architectural significance of the building. Bristow stated that if the Commission finds, based on the information submitted, that the house is structurally unsound and irretrievable, then consideration should be given to the design for the new house and garage. She added that if a design is approved for the new house and garage, then a motion approving the demolition of the house and garage may be considered by the Commission. Bristow said that if the Commission determines that the application for demolition requires more information, then a decision may be postponed until the following meeting. Bristow stated that if the Commission determines that the house is not structurally unsound and irretrievable, then a motion to deny a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition project should be considered. Bristow said that, given the number of conditions proposed on the new construction and comments raised by the staff, if the Commission needs more time to consider this portion of the application, it could be deferred to the next meeting. Bristow said that if the Commission decides to allow the demolition of the existing building and is satisfied that the overall design and the length to which the proposed building extends into the lot is appropriate, then a motion may be put forth to approve a certificate of appropriateness with any conditions. Oliveira, the owner of the property, said that this project is to replace a house with severe cat odors. He said that when she left, the previous owner moved out for health reasons, and for several years it was just occupied by some cats. Oliveira said he knew that before he bought the building, but his goal was to fix the building to make the structure livable. Oliveira said he is upset about a couple of issues and thinks there needs to be some points of clarification on the staff report, which he feels left out some very significant items. He said that he submitted what Miklo asked him to submit, and then he also got one key point of clarification from the engineering company. Oliveira said that key point is the ability of his firm to assess the condition of the house. Oliveira read from the VJ Engineering letter, "This letter serves as an addendum to my 2-18-15 letter on the same referenced property. My previous letter listed structural deficiencies in the floor and roof framing. These deficiencies would render the house structurally unsafe by today's standards and codes." Oliveira said this is a very important letter, because it is the cornerstone of meeting the requirements for this house to be torn down. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 5 of 23 Oliveira said there are some mitigating factors also with this house, because of the contamination from having 20+ cats living in it. He said that he has had some different people look at it. Oliveira said that the firm that he had, Prairie Sun Building Services, which he has no direct ownership in. That should be corrected. He looked at the cost of trying to fix this thing, compared to tearing it down to build a new house. Oliveira said the cost is going to be prohibitive to try to get this cat odor out or cat contamination out. He said the house is toxic. He said the problem is, no matter what he does, and he called ServPro 360 and talked to the general manager, because in his opinion, the staff's talked to them about an estimate without even taking a look at the house Oliveira said the general manager produced a letter that he gave to the Commission, and they are very concerned about the cost, because they can't really nail it down. He said that the costs on this building could range from $50,000 to $100,000. Oliveira said the house is not worth it. Oliveira said that you have to tear it all out and get this thing up to code. He said it doesn't make it feasible. Oliveira said it would be more feasible to let the house sit, and he really doesn't want to do that. Oliveira said that the two issues with the contamination of the house and the potential liability that his company would have if they just put a band aid on this thing, he would ask the City for indemnification because of the potential health hazards. He said that he has talked to a lot of people in the industry. Oliveira said there is no way they can make sure that this house is safe. Oliveira said that in the application he has some things on some of the problems with the feces and the cat litter. He said that they had a whole room just filled with cat litter in there. Oliveira said he would like to try to see if we can't get a house that is designed that fits the neighborhood. He said he has a lot invested in his properties in Iowa City. Oliveira said the house could be designed to be historic. He said he's trying to get a single-family residence in there; the last thing he wants to do is have another rental up in the area where he is currently living. Oliveira said he is also working on another historic project at 331 Gilbert, which he hopes to finish soon. He said he has not shied away from difficult projects. He said that this project, he doesn't think, that staff did an appropriate job in determining that he's met the issues. Oliveira said they have met the issues, giving the evidentiary report for being structurally unsound. He said they also made a point of making sure they had letters and supporting documents that the cost would be prohibitive to try to fix this situation. Oliveira said that with that, he is opening it up to the committee to say let's try to fix a potential problem with a nice house in the neighborhood. He said staff has been working with his architects, and he bore that cost of having a house designed in preparation for this, and we can work through those issues about the design, and he is willing to work through those issues. Oliveira said he would answer any questions, unless the Commission had questions for his architect. Oliveira said that the numbers are the numbers. He said they looked at existing numbers of trying to fix the house as is. Oliveira said he knows that Miklo says he doesn't like to raise the roofline, but that house had people living up in the attic for the last 80 years, and it's not to code and will never pass code. He said he asked Miklo about what if they raised the roofline, and Miklo told him he did not think it was possible. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 6 of 23 Oliveira stated that at this point, from his position, he thinks the best way to handle the situation is to tear this house down and put a brand new style house there. Corcoran said that staff has noted the size of the two -car garage. She asked Oliveira why he has had this designed with an apartment upstairs. Oliveira responded that he did it just because the neighborhood allows it. He said that normally, just like out in the Peninsula where all the craftsman houses were designed with a little flat above. Oliveira said he thought it would probably make the house a little more sellable. Oliveira said they are seeing people with aging in place housing, or sometimes their kids come home. He said there could be a number of reasons. Corcoran said she noted that there is an elevator in the plans. Oliveira answered that they have been working on two or three designs. He said they have some other lots where they want to do similar houses. Oliveira said they have a house that is going on the market, plans are going up. He said that their houses will all have elevators or shafts for elevators in them, because they think there is a need for multi -generational housing, where people can live, people his age. Oliveira said he and his friends are all being faced with the fact that they may have their parents living in their house or near their house. He said they are all trying to figure out how to do it. Sandell asked Oliveira when he acquired this house. Oliveira said it was just this past fall, although he had been talking to the owner for a number of years. He said the owners had been gone for a good two years, just having caretakers take care of the cats. Swaim asked if anyone else would like to speak on this item. McGuire said she is one of the two residents of 618 Ronalds Street. She distributed a summary of some of the comments that she wanted to make. She wanted to speak first to the high burden that has to be shown here. She said that on the current record before the Commission, she does not see that the applicant has made the required showing either for structural soundness or the irretrievable nature of this. McGuire said she was surprised to see some new to her historical information about the house. She said she has been in there a number of times and has come to appreciate that it as a contributing property given its history. McGuire said, as to the condition, she is not an expert but if there is any doubt the Commission should not approve the demolition. McGuire said that as a resident of the North Side Neighborhood since 1978, she wanted to speak about the proposed replacement building being totally inappropriate and how important the Commission's decision is tied to, not just the condition of the house, but together they must consider with the question of what replaces it. She said she was quite shocked when she saw the plans and how mammoth it is. McGuire said one of the pictures she handed out shows from the back of her house how the houses currently align: hers and the two to the west of hers. McGuire said that one can see all the way to Johnson Street from there. She said that the top right picture is from her second story, looking in the same direction. McGuire said the one that she thinks is most important to look at is the one in the lower left. She said it is a photograph looking back into the back yard of the current house at a diagonal one can see the commons formed by the back yards in the block. McGuire said she respects that Oliveira is a property owner, but if one looks into the numbers that staff has put together HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 7 of 23 about how far back the new proposed structure would go and how far up the garage would go, one would really see the massive size of this house. McGuire said she totally respects, although she does not always agree, but totally respects how important it is for consideration of design details but really any house can have the proper trim and windows, but that's not what this is about. McGuire said that we're not talking about facial consistency here; we're talking about spatial consistency. McGuire said the staff report mentioned the need to be able to look diagonally. She said that on her block and the one directly west, all of the houses are arranged more or less in an outside square. McGuire said that the garages on the alley are all one-story. She said this is not the kind of property for a carriage house. McGuire said there are houses in the neighborhood that are appropriate for that, but this is not that. McGuire said the effect of the way the houses are arranged is that it creates a commons of light and vista and space such that, even though they are cheek to jowl, there is a feeling of real spaciousness on the whole block, because they can see unobstructed. She said that this proposed house on a 40 -foot lot with as deep as it would go and as tall as it would be would effectively cut the south side of the block in half. McGuire said that is what the Commission needs to consider — is what is the character, not just facially but spatially of this building. She said there is a certain cohesive nature of the way that the properties are arranged, and that is what she is asking the Commission to consider. McGuire said that this is not just about this one property. She said there are quite a number of properties on the north side one might want to replace with new. McGuire said she worries about precedence and this mammoth structure on this small lot. McGuire said there is some irony here about allowing historic properties to become so deteriorated so that then you can be repaired. She said that she and Anne Burnside were interested in buying this property. McGuire said that she kept in touch with the previous owner, because she was interested in this property in terms of downsizing but staying in the neighborhood. McGuire said the previous owner called her in early December and said she would be putting the house on the market in the spring. McGuire said she asked to be kept apprised. She said the next thing she heard about it was that there was an offer on the house. McGuire said she was interested but wanted to have the property inspected first. McGuire said the realtor told her that Oliveira had written a check for $130,000 without any contingencies. McGuire said that Oliveira then assumed the risk that he is now asking others to assume by putting the burden of his business decision on the Commission. McGuire said she tried to buy the property from Oliveira, but that was when the discussion started that he had a new business plan, which was to build a new house. She said then she tried to talk to Oliveira about building a smaller house there, and Oliveira said that he in fact he had been thinking about that and had some plans for smaller houses. McGuire said that as a very long-term North Side Neighborhood resident, she feels deeply about what they have turned that neighborhood around to be and the importance of this decision not to go backwards. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 8 of 23 Burnside said she lives in the house immediately east of this house. Burnside said that when she saw the plans that were proposed for the building to take the place of this structure, she was shocked. She said she stood in her yard and tried to imagine what it would be like to have this thing on the west side. Burnside said it made her curious as to whether this was a characteristic of the neighborhood and she just had not seen it. She said she sat down with the assessor's page online and produced a map. Burnside said where there are red dots, those are the properties that are listed on the assessor's page as being in excess of 2,000 square feet of total usable area, which is 500 square feet less than what is being proposed by Oliveira. Burnside said there are quite a number of houses of that size. She said that when one looks at the drawing closely, one sees that there is a visual evidence of what McGuire was trying to describe, which is that all of these larger houses are either on lots much bigger than 40 by 150 and/or they are on a corner. Burnside said that what that does is it provides space. She said that one can have a big house without overwhelming the neighbors. Burnside said that if one looks at the blocks along Ronalds Street, especially the 400s, 500s, and 600s, one will see a pattern. She said that the big houses are on corners, and in the middle are these little, skinny lots, such as the one being discussed. Burnside there is one exception, and that is the green dot on the map. She said that 518 Ronalds is the only house in the entire historic district that exceeds 2,000 square feet, as it is about 2,100 square feet, that is on a 40 by 150 lot. Burnside said she was curious about the impact of this house and found the following: it has no garage, and it is a house with a front section and then a back section that is indented and is one story. She said it therefore has a much smaller footprint and a much smaller side view. Burnside said that on the ground and as one lives next to it, it is a much smaller structure than what is being proposed. With regard to the issue of demolition, Burnside stated that she is not a carpenter or engineer but knows that the house is the age that staff has given. She said that in all likelihood, it is made of the same material that her house is made out of, which is oak that is close to one hundred years old. Burnside said that it was oak when it was cut and built, and it hardened to be like concrete now. She said that the joists may be over -spanned, but she has tried driving nails into this oak, and it is remarkable. Burnside said she has lived here for 30 years, and when she moved into this house, there were no children and no families with children, but there were a number of vacant houses. She said there were a lot of houses that were old, early 1900s, but no longer being used for anything except student rental. Burnside said they were run down and were not being maintained. She said there was already starting to be some of the cookie cutter apartment buildings creeping in, as the City had not yet amended zoning to prohibit that. Burnside said that fortunately for everyone, there was a gentleman, who still lives in the district, who was really concerned about the status of the neighborhood as a whole. Burnside said he set about buying one of these rundown houses at a time and brought them up to the level of being safe and habitable. She said that this gentleman/carpenter then turned around and sold the properties, one by one, to families. Burnside said that over the years, those houses have remained in the hands of families, and people have put enormous energy and assets into making these homes really marvelous places. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 9 of 23 Burnside said that the neighborhood is what it is today because someone didn't give up on these old houses. She asked the Commission to keep that in mind as this decision is made. Reynolds said she lives at 619 Brown Street. She said that she is nervous about what could happen at 610 Ronalds Street. Reynolds said she would like to see the house restored if at all possible. She stated that if a teardown is inevitable, she wants to believe that the right thing would be done, that something would be built that would blend in with the neighborhood. Reynolds asked where the responsibility is for the person who allowed a house to get to the state where tearing it down is even being discussed. She said that the condition of the house is not caused not by a faulty eave or poor foundation. Reynolds said her concern is that this house will set a precedent where a property owner will avoid repairs, maintenance, and upkeep and just simply request to have the house torn down. Reynolds stated that tearing down a house, particularly in an historic district, is a gamble that has a direct impact on the builder and developer but also an impact on all of the neighbors who invest in their homes and in the neighborhood. She said that she is part of a neighborhood, and her investments in her home don't trump the investments of her neighbors in their homes. Reynolds said that when she purchased her home in 2006, the house at 610 Ronalds was there, and she knew what to expect. She said that it was a moderate-sized, single-family home with a one -car garage. Reynolds said that a tear down with a larger house and apartment over a garage is now being proposed in its place. Reynolds stated that she has not been inside the house, so she does not know its condition. She said she does know that the house was quiet and nondescript. Reynolds said that the Commission is entrusted with a decision that is going to set a precedent, and whether to tear down or restore, she hopes that whatever decision is made doesn't divide the neighbors. She said she likes the neighbors and neighborhood and wants what is best for everyone. Maas said that she lives at 620 Ronalds Street. She said she agrees with Reynolds that this was a nondescript, regular small house. Maas said the thing she is most concerned about is the size of the proposed structure. She said the precedent of tearing down a house in a historic district is of course a concern, but she recognizes that there are times when something is truly defunct and broken and should be replaced. Maas said she does not know if that has been proven in the case of this house. Maas stated that she is a little nervous about the size of the proposed house in the sense that it would be a relatively expensive house to buy. Maas said that she has children at Horace Mann Elementary, and there has been some discussion at the school district level about possibly closing Horace Mann because of reduced numbers. She said she is very pro young family/young kids moving into the neighborhood to provide support for the local school. Myers said she realizes that the demolition is case by case but she is also worried about setting a precedent. She said that the Commission's decisions provide guidance for the neighborhood and all the historic districts. Myers said she became interested in this, because she thinks it might affect any application for demolition that is based on health and safety concerns and how the phrase structurally unsound and irretrievable will be looked at and interpreted in the future. She said that this is not HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 10 of 23 necessarily talking just about cat urine but maybe about other animal problems or radon or lead or asbestos or smoke damage or mold or all these kinds of problems that can come up in old houses. Myers said she was happy to read in the guidelines that the issue is not whether the neighborhood would be better served by a tear down and new construction but is basically whether the property is unsound and irretrievable. She said there are specific criteria, which are condition, integrity, and architectural significance of the building. Myers said the architectural significance is this folk vernacular style, and she didn't find anything saying that that style is any less important than any other style, for example, craftsman. Myers said that all of the reports that she read before the meeting say that the building is structurally sound or, according to another report just submitted, sound like the building is fixable. She said there was talk about the interior finishes and agreed that they need to be replaced, according to one of the reports. Myers said that, according to the 30th annual report on the historic preservation awards, the house at 617 Ronalds was stripped to the studs; new HVAC was installed; and it had new, electrical, plumbing, insulation, kitchen, den, fireplace, deck, cabinets, countertops, doors, windows, trim, and siding. She said she therefore agrees with the staff report that says that the work needed on 610 Ronalds could be considered typical renovation work on an historic home that has seen mistreatment and lack of upkeep. Myers said the documents referring to extra costs contain one line item of $79,000 that, as she understands it, is a- loss of value after remediation.- She said that she looked at the assessor's report showing that the house sold for $130,000 in December of 2014 with the knowledge of the cat urine problem. Myers said the house itself is currently assessed at $70,640, and in 2012 it was assessed at $101,000, and this year the land is assessed at $68,000, which is up $8,000 from last year. She said she thinks about it in terms of the costs needed to remediate the house and how that all balances out. Myers said that already the house that a few years ago was $100,000 is now assessed at $70,000 so that there might be some room to invest in the house. Myers said that if the demolition is denied, she thought that under guideline 2.8, the owner might be able to apply for a certificate of economic hardship if it turns out that the costs are huge. She said that at the very least, she does not think there is enough evidence to decide this right now. Rapson said she lives at 719 North Johnson Street. She said that Oliveira purchased the house in December 2014. Rapson said the information that now the house is deteriorating to the point that it needs to be demolished just doesn't seem to jibe with the rest of the things that have been said. Rapson asked why the apartment on the back of the garage would be permitted if the property is zoned for single-family. Miklo replied that in the RS -8 zone, the Medium -Density Single Family zone, where this is located, accessory apartments are allowed, provided that the property is owner -occupied. He said that has been in the zoning ordinance since around 2005. Rapson commented that Oliveira lives across the street and stated that he does not want more rentals in the neighborhood, yet he is proposing to build a large house that has a rental. Rapson said she has concerns about whether or not the size of the proposed structures would be appropriate. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 11 of 23 Rapson said she has lived here for 20 years and works with a contractor. She has gone through the process and submitted plans to change houses in the neighborhood that were of historic significance. Rapson said it is a lot of work, and she takes pride in what she has done to maintain these homes. Rapson said she noticed ten years ago that someone new had bought a house and was putting casement windows in it. She said she asked the contractors about putting in windows that did not match code in the historic district, and the window person said that they told the guy that he shouldn't put them in — that it wouldn't be compliant — and the owner said that he is from Chicago and has dealt with City building officials for years and that it wouldn't be a problem — that he could handle it. Rapson said that turned out not to be the case, because he had to replace all of those windows. Rapson said she feels like now he is trying to get around code to get what he wants in the neighborhood. She said it is our history that we need to preserve. Trimble said that works for Friends of Historic Preservation and also was on the Commission for several years. She said people know her preferences for saving historic buildings. Trimble said that in her time on the Commission, the Commission never approved a demolition for a house that wasn't either ruined by a so-called act of God or by something that was not purposeful. She said the only two houses for which demolition was approved when she was on the Commission included a pink rambler that was out of character for the neighborhood on Governor Street so that Bethel Church, one of our most historically important buildings and churches in town, could expand. Trimble said the other approved demolition was for a house that had a fire and was irretrievable. Trimble reminded the Commission members that cost is not the only factor here; what matters is whether the building can be saved. Trimble said it was mentioned that some Commission members had previously visited the building. She said she would be interested in hearing their comments during discussion of the application. Rust said that he has lived at 915 Bloomington Street since the 1990s and has lived 31 years or the north side of the City. He said he agrees with what the last speaker said about irretrievability concerns for this building. Rust said he also agrees with the concerns about the size of the proposed building. He said that on the north side of Bloomington Street, Oliveira is building a house to the east of his that looks to be much more in scale with the houses that exist in that part of the City. He urged reconsideration of the size of this project to take the surrounding properties into account. Carlson said he does not live in this neighborhood but lives at 1122 Penkridge. He said Oliveira's house at 617 Ronalds was mentioned. Carlson said that when Oliveira bought the property, he came down and talked to him and worked with him on repairing it. Carlson said that Oliveira planned to do on this house what he did at 617 Ronalds. Carlson said they did some research on the cat urine issue and found out that what one normally does is encapsulate it. He said that everything is torn out and what is left is encapsulated. Carlson said the problem is that encapsulation doesn't last. He said that it stays there, is a rigid material, included on wood. Carlson said that wood takes on moisture in the summer in Iowa, and in the winter it loses moisture. He said that it moves and the encapsulate breaks. Carlson said that what is in the wood is going to come back out and could make those living in the house sick. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 12 of 23 Carlson said that the second floor of this house has always been occupied. He said there is only four feet seven inches of headroom at the top of the stairs, and he had to get on his knees to make the second floor. Carlson said that the windows on the second floor are about 24 inches wide and about three feet tall, way smaller than what a fireman with a backpack could do. Carlson said one can say that the door at the bottom of the stairs will be closed and no one will use the second floor. He said that is not realistic, however, because if someone buys the house, about half of the living space of the house is on the second floor. Carlson said that the only thing you have to provide access to the attic and to the roof for fire purposes; it's part of the building code. Carlson said that the first floor and the second floor are the same. He said they could possibly be rebuilt, but the problem is, how they rebuild to make sure that in the future, no one gets sick from what is left from the cats. Carlson said that Oliveira did not put the cats there. He said that this is not one of those cases where a landlord turned the house over to the students and turned it over to them and did no maintenance and then said the house is in no shape so it has to be torn down. Carlson said that Oliveira bought it with the intent of remodeling it by doing the exact same thing as was done to 617 Ronalds and then selling it for a single family to move back in to the neighborhood. He said that Oliveira did not want students renting across the street. Carlson said the reason there is an apartment above the garage is simply to help the family afford it. He said that the apartment could be used for family members or rented out for income. Carlson said that it does not have to be there, but it decreases the burden on whomever eventually buys the house. Oliveira thanked the Carlson Design Team for helping him on a significant amount of projects in Iowa City. He said that 617 Ronalds was a project that they purchased, started restoring, received some bad advice on, ended up having to redo the windows to get it right. They worked with Carlson's firm to get all the compliance levels in place. Oliveira said that the plus of remodeling that house was significant. He said the issue on 610 Ronalds is that they deem it structurally unsound, as in the VJ Engineering report and the addendum letter about the structural integrity. Oliveira said that costs do play a role here. He said that Miklo clearly told him that he needed to put together some cost analysis — where they think they would be and if it is cost prohibitive to make this work. Oliveira said that if it gets to the point where it seems like this will not work, he doesn't know what they will do with the property, but it could be sitting there for many years. Oliveira asked the Commission to take a look at the facts that they presented in the application to tear this thing down. He said they could modify to make the building smaller. Oliveira said they are one foot off the front, the site lines and said they are eight or nine feet off from the other houses in the back. Oliveira said they could shorten the house up and meet the Commission requirements and concerns of the neighbors. He said that for the time being, they need to have a vote on whether they can tear the house down. Shaw said they have met the burden of proof, and the letter from HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 13 of 23 VJ Engineering has met the code requirement. He said they have also presented the cost analysis, and it is going to be prohibitive. Oliveira said they also have a letter that Carlson wrote as a professional engineer who has worked in Iowa City for over 20 years. He said there is a letter to Doug Boothroy that was supposed to be included in the packet to address the health issues. Swaim said that it was in the packet. Oliveira said those are the issues. He said that once they move past that, they can come back and work to size the house down and meet the concerns of the neighbors. Oliveira said they will have to work out the garage design. Oliveira said that the current structure as is a health hazard. He said it is irretrievable. Oliveira said they have met the requirements, and it needs to be torn down. Swaim said that Trimble had asked those who had visited the house to give their thoughts: Ackerson, Agran, and Michaud. Ackerson said he expected, based on why they were being asked to go in there, that it would be a lot worse than it was. He said his impression of the house was that it was not a really great house in lots of ways. Ackerson said it seemed that one room in particular smelled a lot more strongly than anywhere else. He said he did not find that he had any strong reaction other than it smelled like a house that had cats in it. Michaud said the heat was running, and the house was totally sealed up when they visited. She said that she was really looking for structural flaws, because that would be the premise for demolishing. She said she was really surprised. Michaud said it was in good condition. She said it had drywall, and obviously drywall can be replaced. Michaud said that the heating system was updated, and she thought it also had air conditioning. She said that the siding was in good shape, but the roof needs to be replaced. Michaud said that it is an old house, but she thought the floors had been refinished in the past ten or 20 years. She said that the room with cat litter would have to be really stripped down and the floor replaced. Michaud said she was surprised when she went in the basement. She said that it looked very plumb. Michaud said there was a high ceiling in the basement, and it had been occupied at one point. She said there was paneling on the walls, but it did not seem like water damage was an issue. Michaud said she smelled a faint odor of cat, even though the house was entirely closed up. Michaud said it seemed like the problem was not structural, but she thought the inside would have to be renovated. She said that anything that was permeated with cat urine would take serious gutting. Michaud said there is certainly a wave of older buildings being torn down for high density. Because of high-density buildings going up next to her own house, she understands the concerns about gardens and sense of space. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 14 of 23 Michaud said that as far as precedent goes, in the late 90s there was a house on Summit Street that was probably the largest on the block. She said there was a person with disabilities living in it, and they proposed to add a wing on the back to accommodate his needs. Michaud said there were already 36 -inch doors, various ramps, etc. She said the neighbors were upset, because the size of the proposed addition would have blocked the sense of commons or openness of the backyards. Michaud said that was not approved, because it did not conform to the spacing and massing setbacks of the neighborhood. Michaud said it is her impression that if her 1890s house was damaged so severely that it had to be taken down, it could not be replaced with anything higher or with a larger footprint. She said she has never heard that refuted, and it is constricting what she can do with her house, even though there is a CB -2 zone right behind it. Agran said he also went through the house. He said he did not notice a strong cat odor, but it was very cold that day, even with the furnace on. Agran said his family used to have a cat, so he is probably not susceptible to cat odor in general. Agran said he is not a structural engineer and was not about to pass judgment on whether the building/structure itself is unsafe. He said that if the Commission is expected to pass judgment on very technical issues, it is his feeling that it needs to somehow get its own counsel to guide the Commission on what things to look for. Agran said that otherwise, it seems that the Commission members will get themselves into a situation where they have experts versus experts and will be forced to make judgments that they have neither the training nor the expertise to make. Swaim stated that there are two issues: the demolition permit and the proposed replacement. She asked for other thoughts. Ackerson said, based on the addendum to the VJ Engineering report, that the previous report did not really indicate that the house was structurally unsound, but the addendum does say that, based on the previous report, the deficiencies would render the house structurally unsafe by today's codes and standards. He said that if one goes into any house in the entire north side neighborhood and sees that there is undersized framing, that would be the case in most of the houses. Ackerson said he felt less confident about the decision until,he saw the addendum stating the deficiencies that make the building structurally unsafe. He said that saying that because a house was built to a different code or standard allows it to be torn down, that is what the addendum says to him. Ackerson said that is what the addendum says to him, and he said he is concerned about that, especially because the deficiencies don't include the foundation. He said that a lot of foundations in this neighborhood are being redone. Ackerson said that this is just floor and roof framing, which is highly accessible. He said if the Commission approves this based on just the addendum, they would be hard-pressed to not approve tearing down any house in the entire district. Bristow said that she had a conversation with building inspector Terry Goordt regarding the idea of the unsafe over -spanned structure discussed by VJ Engineering. Bristow said that Goordt basically reiterated the point that pretty much most if not all of the historic properties would be considered over -spanned by today's building codes. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 15 of 23 Michaud said that yet the three cottages have been standing for about 170 years. Ackerson said there are better standards now to build houses. He said his concern is just with the particular statement about the specific things that they are saying render it structurally unsound. Miklo said that the guidelines state that before a demolition permit is approved, the replacement building also has to be approved. He advised the Commission to come to a consensus as to whether the burden of showing that the house is structurally unsound and irretrievable has been met. Miklo said that if the Commission feels that informally, then it can move on to the next question. He said the Commission actually does not vote on the demolition until it is satisfied with the design for the new structure. Miklo said the staff report gives the Commission some direction. He said that if the Commission finds that it is not satisfied that the information presented shows the building to be structurally unsound and irretrievable, it could vote the demolition down. Miklo said the Commission could defer it to ask for more information, in which case the City would have to hire a consultant or third party to look at this independently. He said that the Commission may be satisfied that the information presented is sufficient to allow the demolition of the house. Miklo said the Commission should not take a vote on that until it is also satisfied with the design of the new house. Michaud asked if it is accurate that one cannot replace an historic house with one that has a larger footprint or a greater height. Miklo said that the guidelines do not say that explicitly, although there may be some zoning issues in Michaud's case in terms of the percent of the footprint to the lot area. Corcoran said she is concerned about the length of the replacement house, the size and scope of it, and the garage. She said that this is a historic area. Corcoran said she looked at the house several times from the back and front and could not say for certain if there is an exact setback that is met all along these streets. Corcoran said that here the applicant did not go with the setback of the two houses on either side. She asked, if this were approved and the owner wanted to build this, would he have to go to the Board of Adjustment and get a special exception to not meet the setback in this area. Corcoran asked what the laws are. Miklo said that the current setback is only 15 feet in the RS -8 zone. He said that if more than 50% of the houses on the block are set back more than 15 feet, then the house has to be set back the average of the two houses on either side. Miklo said he believes that means that it would have to be set back to fall back between 608 and 618. He said that refers to the front of the porch. Miklo said he was not 100% certain of that. He said it is about a foot or two off, so it would not be difficult to move it back farther. Corcoran asked Oliveira if he had spoken to a lawyer about the requirements. Oliveira answered that he hired a professional architect to deal with the building codes. Oliveira said they submitted the plans to Miklo's department, and they came back with many, many requests for changes to the plan, so they were taking those one by one, going through them to get to this point to even have a plan. He asked how far away they are from where the other houses on the block are. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 16 of 23 Corcoran said she would like to see where the other houses are before making some kind of determination. Miklo said that before a building permit is issued, this would have to comply with the setback averaging rule, if it does apply in this case. Miklo read from the ordinance that it is where at least 50% of the lots along the frontage have been developed, and all of these developed lots are occupied by principal buildings that are located at least five feet further from the street than the required front setback, the required front setback along the frontage is increased to the equivalent of the setback building closest to the street. He said it is not certain that would apply here, because he did not think these are 20 feet back. Miklo said that as long as they are between 15 but less than 20. Carlson said they went back and checked the distances and setbacks along the block. He said they thought they were compliant with the zoning ordinance on that. Carlson said that if it is thought that the house would be better slid back a little bit so that the porch lines up, then they would be glad to do that. Carlson said that is not the primary issue. He said they made a number of revisions to this house based on comments from staff, but he does not remember setback being one of them previously. Carlson said that if it needs to be moved back a foot or two so that it balances with the house on either side to be appropriate that is not a problem. Corcoran asked for the square footage of the replacement house as designed. Carlson said it would be about 2,500 square feet. Corcoran asked for the size of the garage. Michaud said it is 720 square feet. Carlson said the apartment would be 650 square feet, which is the size the City ordinance allows for an accessory apartment above a garage. To clarify, Miklo said that the zoning code does not require the building to be set back further, but the Historic Preservation Handbook guidelines do. He said that the building could not stick out farther than 608, so it would have to be moved back a foot or two. Michaud asked if there is a setback requirement to conform to the rest of the block for the back. Miklo replied that the setback in the back is 20 feet from the alley for a principal structure, and then one would refer to the guidelines regarding mass and scale. He said it is not a hard and fast rule but is more consistency with the neighborhood that would be the consideration. Miklo said it is a judgment call on the part of the Commission. Michaud said that the houses adjacent to this property are one and one-half story houses. Bristow stated that 608 is a one and one-half story house, and 618 is a two-story house. Miklo said that 608 was built as a single-family home and was converted to a duplex. Ackerson said this has to do with the massing of the homes rather than the occupancy. He said it sounds like, from what was pointed out earlier, that the size of the house as indicated in the plans would be the anomaly in that central block in terms of all the other back yards so it would make sense for it to be smaller based on the guidelines. Swaim said that one of the tenets of preservation is sympathetic infill. She said it is the idea of blending in with the surroundings in terms of mass, scale, size, and setback. Swaim said that if the Commission does not approve on the proposed replacement, then it cannot vote on the demolition. Agran said it seems that the Commission cannot approve the demolition permit unless there is an acceptable replacement house. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 17 of 23 Michaud said, regarding the garage, that in this case there will be a very narrow back yard, and there are not comparably -sized garages adjacent to this. She said the scale is really up a notch, and little things are adding up, such as the ceiling height of nine feet instead of eight. Michaud said she would prefer to see a second floor put on the original structure. Corcoran said she agreed with the speakers who said this is a very important decision. She said there will be a precedent set here. Corcoran said she believes she has sufficient information to make a decision and feels that the facts presented by the applicant do not convince her that the property is actually structurally unsound and irretrievable. She said she would vote against approving demolition. Corcoran said she does not think the existing structure merits and has met the legal burden that needs to be met. She said that obviously she does not approve of what is being proposed as a replacement at all. Corcoran said that she thinks a two -car garage is reasonable, but this is piling on. She said she does not look at the Commission's role as a way to help buyers of properties pay for their investment or make money off of it. Corcoran said the Commission's job is to protect the historic fabric of the City. Corcoran said this is a small lot. She said that right in the middle of the block, the lot is long and lean, and the plans for the proposed house are for something that is just too massive and too big. Corcoran asked about the square footage of the current house. Burnside said the assessor's website has the total living area at 1,211. Corcoran said Oliveira is proposing a house that is 2,500 square feet, so more than twice the size of the current structure, as well as a two -car garage of 720 square feet and a 650 -square - foot apartment above that. Agran asked if the total living area is a combination of the basement, first floor, and second floor. He said that figure of 1,211 sounds way too large for the existing house. Michaud said the footprint of the existing house is not 1,200. Bristow said that since the assessor's site discusses the house as a single -story home and typically, basements are not included in the square footage, she would assume that the 1,200 square feet is just the single, first floor. Agran replied that the figure does not seem possible. Shaw said he is confused by the process. He said that if one takes an informal poll that finds that the Commission does not support demolition, there does not need to be any of this discussion about the replacement house. Corcoran said she was not taking an informal poll. She said that part of the purpose of this is to make a legal record. Corcoran said that if the Commission would vote in such a way that Oliveira wanted to go to court, the Commission would want to make sure that all of the proceedings reflect what truly happened. Corcoran said this is rather convoluted, because it is not a one-shot deal. Shaw said that if there is not support on the Commission to allow demolition, does any of the discussion about the proposed replacement house have to take place. Swaim asked if there is a sense that the Commission might approve the proposed demolition. She added that she would not approve demolition, because she does not believe the house is irretrievable nor structurally unsound. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 18 of 23 Litton said he would not approve demolition either and also believes the scale of the proposed house is way off for the neighborhood. Baker said she also would not approve demolition. She stated that she does not believe the Commission has been given evidence to confirm that the building is irreparable and irretrievable. Baker said the Commission has had houses come before it in worse condition than this one: specifically, a house on Governor Street that had its entire roof blown off to leave it exposed to the elements. She said that the Commission did not approve a demolition permit for that house, and it has been rebuilt and has been occupied and is fine. Baker agreed with the comment that if the Commission goes by the addendum, a demolition permit could be requested for every single house in an historic district under the premise that under today's code it would be considered structurally unsound. She said she would be against approving a demolition permit. Agran said he remains uncertain. He said there is an opinion that the building is structurally unsound. Agran said he is unwilling to refuse to acknowledge the opinion that was presented. He said that the walls in the basement are paneled, so he could not see the foundation. Male Ackerson said the structural engineer had indicated in the report that he had pulled off the panels to check the walls. Baker said she would need more evidence to consider approving a demolition permit, because she has not yet heard enough to make that decision. Agran said he agreed. Ackerson said his opinion is similar to that. He said that, based on the addendum that Oliveira gave as the chief piece of evidence that is supposed to indicate that the house should be torn down, he would feel very uncomfortable setting such a precedent. Ackerson said he would need more evidence that the house is anything but old. Michaud said she agreed with the comments. She said the Commission has approved significant two-story additions on houses, as long as they were inset by 18 inches. Bristow said the assessor's website shows 976 square feet on the first floor. Miklo said the second floor, which is an attic that was refinished at some point with paneling, is 672 square feet. He said if the attic is included it would be more than 1,200 square feet, but it really is an attic that was finished off; it is not considered habitable space. Myers asked, if this Commission wants to deny a certificate of appropriateness, does it have to consider the new house. She said isn't that only if they want to approve the certificate then it first has to look at the proposed house. Miklo confirmed this. MOTION: Corcoran moved that the Commission, having determined that the house is structurally unsound and irretrievable, approve a certificate of appropriate for the demolition of the property at 610 Ronalds Street. Ackerson seconded the motion. The motion failed on a vote of 0-8 (Clore, Durham, and Wagner absent). Swaim said the certificate of appropriateness is therefore denied. She thanked those present for their input. REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 19 of 23 Certificate of No Material Effect — Chair and Staff Review. 228 South Summit. Bristow said this was a certificate of no material effect for the replacement of the rubber roof with a comparable membrane roof at 228 South Summit Street, a landmark building. 125 East College Street. Bristow said there was a certificate of no material effect for various repairs at 125 East College Street, including masonry repairs, repairs to wood trim and doors, repairs to the cornice, and repairs to the roof. She said that all of this was reviewed so that it would follow the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for Rehabilitation. Minor Review — Preapproved Item — Staff Review. 223 South Dodge Street. Bristow said this was a minor review to replace some heavily deteriorated windows at 223 South Dodge Street with wood windows that will match the trim and detailing on the existing windows. She said it will help consolidate the previously replaced windows so that they will all match. Miklo pointed out in a photograph that one can actually see that this window had at one point been patched with putty, with some metal in there and duct tape over it. He said that compared to other windows that have been denied replacement, these showed some severe deterioration. 728 Washington Street. Miklo said that all of the windows on this house were replaced sometime after 1996 with vinyl replacement windows, and all of them are being replaced again. Miklo said that physically they looked good from the outside but would jam and would not open or close properly. The residents reported that the replacement windows were drafty. He said this illustrates the importance of preserving historic windows when possible, because the useful life of replacement windows is relatively short. Intermediate Review — Chair and Staff Review 631 North Dodge Street. Miklo said this application was to replace the asphalt roof on this house with either asphalt or a metal roof. He said that currently building permits are not required for roof replacement unless the sheathing is being replaced underneath. Miklo said the owner in this case is very cognizant of the history of this small Goosetown cottage and wanted to make sure that what he is doing in the future complies with the guidelines. He said the owner also did not want to take a chance that once the sheathing was off that it would need to be replaced. Miklo said a certificate was approved to use either a standing seam metal roof or architectural asphalt shingles that mimic historic shingles. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 20 of 23 DISCUSSION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN PRIORITIES AND ANNUAL WORK PROGRAM: Corcoran thanked the outgoing intern, Bailey McClellan, who is graduating. Corcoran said the subcommittee put together a list of potential landmark properties, after she and Trimble looked through a number of the surveys. She said they tried to put them in order of priority. Corcoran said they identified properties that merited protection because they are historic and meet either the local or national standards as historic properties. She said there are 25 to 30 properties. Miklo said the goal is to identify buildings for which the property owners would be approached to designate as landmarks. He said if the Commission felt strongly about a property, it could take steps to designate it as a landmark without the owner's consent. Miklo said the idea is to address concerns raised by the Dubuque Street cottages so that the Commission identifies buildings proactively and not when a demolition permit is being sought. He stated that all of the properties are outside of historic and conservation districts. Corcoran said the properties are not currently protected in any way. She said they especially focused on the north of downtown area from around Market Street north, because there seems to be a number of areas there that are vulnerable to tear downs. Swaim said the south side was not part of this endeavor, because the survey is close to being done but is not done. Miklo showed photographs of the properties. Corcoran discussed the reasoning behind including each of the properties on the list. Miklo suggested the same subcommittee or other volunteers begin approaching property owners to see if they would be receptive to designating these. He said that those in favor would be the easy ones, and those for which the owners object would require some decision as to whether to move forward. Miklo said the history on some properties is not fully recorded, so there would need to be a little bit more research. He said that perhaps Friends of Historic Preservation would help with that. Miklo said he thought there was enough information to approach owners but not always enough to approach the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council. Miklo said there are some zoning incentives for landmark properties. Swaim suggested having a fact sheet to give property owners information. Swaim said she feels that the properties closer to the central business district are probably more of a priority than some of the others. Ackerson said that the property on Cedar Street has an owner who wants to sell in the near future. He said he mentions it because it may be appropriate to be thinking about what incentives would be available now. Ackerson said there is a lot of property with the house. In terms of further development of that property, Miklo stated that it would require some sort of zoning approvals for anything other than a single-family house. He said there are some zoning HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 21 of 23 incentives that, for preserving historic houses, one can do some other things, such as condos, for other parts of the property. Swaim said that since the goal is to be proactive, that might be a property to start on now, since the owner plans to sell the property. She said the context of the house is still there, because there are no surrounding properties. The consensus of the Commission was to first look at the house on Cedar Street and six other houses near the Central Business District. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR APRIL 9,2015: MOTION: Baker moved to approve the minutes of the April 9, 2015 Historic Preservation Commission meeting, as written. Corcoran seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0 (Clore Durham, and Wagner absent). COMMISSION INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION: Permits for roofs and doors update. Swaim said this will need to be presented to the Board of Appeals and City Council. She said she could not attend the Tuesday meeting coming up and asked for a volunteer to attend. Miklo said that several months ago, the Commission asked staff to look at amendments to the building code to require building permits for roof changes in historic and conservation districts. He said that Iowa City does not require building permits for roofs, so they are overlooked in historic districts. Miklo said the Commission has had a policy of approving changing metal roofs from metal to asphalt if the asphalt looks like a shingle roof. He said that one reason for that is because a lot of the roofs originally were wood shakes and then were later covered with metal. Miklo said there are good examples of standing seam metal roofs. He said there are metal roofs that imitate shingles pretty well, but not all metal roofs are created equal. Miklo said that recently there have been issues where these agricultural -type roofs are being applied, even in historic districts. He said that the Secretary of the Interior has indicated that some of these roofs would even make the buildings ineligible for the National Register. Miklo showed some examples. Miklo said staff has proposed some amendments to the building code but only for historic districts, not conservation districts. He said the proposal is to require building permits for reroofing landmark buildings and buildings in historic districts. Miklo said this would be consistent with what other cities in Iowa do for historic districts. Miklo stated that before that can occur, the Board of Appeals, which oversees the building code, makes a recommendation to the City Council. He said that the Homebuilders Association has indicated that it will object to the changes. He said the Board of Appeals will consider this next Monday, May 18. Miklo said that Bristow may be attending, but it would be good to have a Commission member attend to make the case to the Board of Appeals. Miklo said staff has also learned recently that the Building Department is not requiring permits for doors. He said that doors are an important element of most historic buildings and they are referenced in the Iowa City Historic Preservation. Handbook and the Secretary of the Interior's HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2015 Page 22 of 23 Standards. Miklo said the proposal is to require a permit for street -facing doors for landmarks and historic districts. Corcoran volunteered to attend the Board of Appeals meeting and the City Council meeting. Michaud also volunteered to attend. Michaud asked to put on the agenda for a future meeting discussion of finding a way to reuse historic buildings. She described a plan by a dentist to allow her to purchase neighboring properties and connect to them in the back if they meet certain conditions, in order to stabilize certain areas. Swaim asked if a memorandum regarding potential building code amendments would need to be produced for the City Council meeting, and Miklo said it would be beneficial. Butler House Update. Miklo said this is a stone house on North Dubuque Street that was built by the operator of the river ferry crossing. He said that the City acquired when it purchased property for the water plant and mothballed it and boarded it up. Miklo said there has been recent interest in having the City do something with it. He said a group of people will be visiting the house on May 21 at 10 a.m. if anyone is interested. Miklo said that up to four Commission members may attend, and those attending will meet at City Hall. 634 South Lucas Street. Miklo stated that this house in a conservation district burned; the roof burned off and three sides burned. He said that because it was a hazardous situation, the building official required that it be demolished even though it was in a conservation district, and Miklo wanted to make the Commission aware of that. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte z O N � 0 O O v L) z o O � LLJ 0 > z GC z c N W z W a � a O N_ 2 T- X X X x X X X X W) X X X X x O X X x X x x X X X X X X X X X M N X X - X X 0 x X X X LU N co x X X x X x wX X X w N x X X � X X x X X x w O M r x O O x x x X x x X x o X x x x X X x x x o 0 V- X X X x x X X X X - x v> T- x o x o 0 o x x x x o oo N X X X X X O O O X X X m cD r- - - - - - - w 00 Wa K rn 0) - a) a a a 6) a a a5 0) W W N N N N N N N N Q N Q F- M M M M M Cl) M M M ch a W a Q Z W W O p Y p a a W m -Ja a GC W 2f LL z "a,- a a �� Z Y M O o a = Z O a o z W V v m0 N Q 3 Q aQ O Q m 0 N 3 II II a a V J Xot ; r w Y IP13 LM IOWA CITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION DRAFT MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015--5:30 P.M. CITY CABLE TV OFFICE, 10 S. LINN ST. -TOWER PLACE PARKING FACILITY MEMBERS PRESENT: Alexa Homewood, Derek Johnk, Bram Elias, Laura Bergus, Nick Kilburg MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Ty Coleman, Mike Brau OTHERS PRESENT: Josh Goding, Kevin Hoyland SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION Coleman said he received a letter from Mediacom announcing a new service that incorporates a TiVo DVR and an over -the -top video streaming service. Subscribers are able to record and view programs on a variety of devices including smartphones and tablets. Mediacom inquired about the city's interest in a public/private partnership to provide an advanced public Wi-Fi service. Partnerships are being considered through an application process. Coleman has forwarded the inquiry to the city administration. ImOn and Metronet have also indicated an interested in similar projects. Goding reported PATV recently collaborated with the University of Iowa Communications Studies Department in the production of 10 30 second PSAs for local non-profit organizations. The PATV board is in the process of developing a strategic plan to secure funding after 2018. PATV is looking to hire a development director to assist them with the project. Coleman said he recently attended the regional Alliance for Community Media conference and had the chance to gather information on developing strategic plans. A brainstorming session with the local access channels and Commissioners Johnks and Homewood will be held at 4:30 on June 22 to discuss how the channels might utilize information gathered from the local access survey. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Bergus nominated Homewood for chair. Kilburg seconded the nomination. There were no other nominations. Homewood was unanimously elected chair. Homewood nominated Kilburg for vice - chair. Bergus seconded the nomination. There were no other nominations. Kilburg was unanimously elected vice -chair. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Bergus moved and Kilburg seconded a motion to approve the amended April 27, 2015 minutes. The motion passed unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS None. SHORT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSUMER ISSUES Homewood referred to the complaint report in the meeting packet and noted that there was only one complaint. Coleman said a subscriber was unaware that a channel had been moved from its number assignment. MEDIACOM REPORT Coleman said he received a letter from Mediacom announcing a new service that incorporates a TiVo DVR and an over -the -top video streaming service. Subscribers are able to record and view programs on a variety of devices including smartphones and tablets. Mediacom inquired about the city's interest in a public/private partnership to provide an advanced public Wi-Fi service. Partnerships are being considered through an application process. Coleman has forwarded the inquiry to the city administration. ImOn and Metronet have also indicated an interested in similar projects. LOCAL ACCESS CHANNEL REPORTS Homewood noted that PATV and the City Channel had written reports in the meeting packet. Goding reported PATV recently collaborated with the University of Iowa Communications Studies Department in the production of 10 30 second PSAs for local non-profit organizations. The PATV board is in the process of developing a strategic plan to secure funding after 2018. PATV is looking to hire a development director to assist them with the project. Hoyland reported the school channel recently recorded the graduation ceremonies and the student honor awards presentations. Mediacom quickly corrected a problem with a bad signal. CITY CABLE TV OFFICE REPORT Coleman said he recently attended the regional Alliance for Community Media conference and had the chance to gather information on developing strategic plans. LOCAL ACCESS CHANNEL SURVEY A brainstorming session with the local access channels and Commissioners Johnks and Homewood will be held at 4:30 on June 22 to discuss how the channels might utilize information gathered from the local access survey. ADJOURNMENT Elias moved and Bergus seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Adjournment was at 5:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Michael Brau Cable TV Administrative Aide TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 12 MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD (X) = Present (0) = Absent (O/C) = Absent/Called (Excused) Elias Ber us Kilburg Butler Homewood 3/24/14 X X X X X 6/2/14 0 X X X X 6/23/14 0 X X X X 7/28/14 0 x x x O/c 8/25/14 X X X X X 9/22/14 X X X X o/c 10/27/14 X X o/c o/c X 11/24/14 O/C O/C X X X 1/26/15 X X X X x 2/10/15 X X X o/c X 2/23/15 x x x x X 3/23/15 X X X X X Johnk 4/27/15 x x /c X X 6/1/15 X X X X x (X) = Present (0) = Absent (O/C) = Absent/Called (Excused)