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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Packet 6.9.16.pdf MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MAY 12, 2016 EMMA J. HARVAT HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Thomas Agran, Esther Baker, Zach Builta, Gosia Clore, Sharon DeGraw, Pam Michaud, Ben Sandell, Ginalie Swaim, Frank Wagner MEMBERS ABSENT: Cecile Kuenzli, Andrew Litton STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: 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. CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS: 608 Grant Street. Bristow said this property is a Mediterranean-style house in the Longfellow Historic District. She said the stucco house was built about 1925-1930. Bristow said the metal railing on the balcony on the second floor is a hallmark of this style. Bristow showed where there have been several additions, sided with shingle siding, on the back of the house. She said the application is to take the deck, which was previously approved by the Commission, extend it outwards, and turn it into a screened porch. Bristow said a roof would be added that would meet just under the gutter line. She said she spoke with the owner about extending it not only out towards one but also into the space. The contractor, Marty McCafferty, said it will just come straight east. Bristow said the drawings are therefore accurate. Bristow said this will have a low slope roof and charcoal-colored screens, and all of the structural elements and frames for the screens will be covered with cedar to be stained to match the house. She showed where the stairs will be pushed out. Bristow said that at the time of the application, the only thing staff really had a question about was the skirting. She said that since then, staff has spoken with the contractor, who has spoken to the applicants, and they are looking at doing a horizontal, narrow and wide alternating pattern of boards that would also be stained to match the siding. Bristow said the recommended motion included something about approving a skirting by staff and chair later, but if this is something the Commission would approve, that would not have to be done. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 12, 2016 Page 2 of 7 Sandell asked about the roof material for the add on. Bristow said she assumes it will be a membrane roof with a gutter system. She showed the area that will be the new roof. MOTION: Baker moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 608 Grant Street as presented in the application. Clore seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8-0 (Kuenzli, Litton, and Wagner absent). Swaim noted that Frank Wagner arrived. 818 North Linn Street. Bristow said this property is in the Brown Street Historic District. She stated that it is a foursquare with prairie-style detailing. Bristow said the application is to remove the gang of three windows on the north side. She said they are not visible from the street, and there are no windows above them. Bristow said the owners want to replace them with a gang of four windows, with stud pockets in between the windows to divide them up, similar to other windows on the property. She said that around the corner from that, the owners will put in an opening for a pair of wider, double hung windows. Bristow added that around the corner from that on the south face, the owners will take a door that is on the interior of the porch and make it an exterior door. Bristow said there is an updated plan drawing since the time of the staff report. She said it shows the four ganged windows along the bottom as represented in the manufacturer's type drawing. Bristow showed on the drawing where the pair of double hung windows would be. She said they are at two different scales. Bristow showed the new location for the door. Swaim asked about the stud pocket. Bristow answered that basically it is a little pocket that is in between the frames of the windows so that a wood member such as a two by four can be put in so that the windows are not just butted up against each other. Wagner commented that that is where the window weights would have been. MOTION: Sandell moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 818 North Linn Street as presented in the application. Baker seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Kuenzli and Litton absent). 804 Iowa Avenue. Bristow stated that this house is in the College Hill Conservation District on the corner of Iowa Avenue and Lucas Street, facing Lucas. She said it is the Chi Omega house. Bristow showed different views of the house. She said the project involves removing the retaining wall area that is below grade and the wall that is adjacent to it on the back of the house and move the structure out, creating a new retaining wall further out. Bristow said the space would be enclosed as part of the dining hall inside, and a deck would be put over the top of it. She said that closer to the Iowa Avenue side, better access to the lower level and the rest of the building would be created. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 12, 2016 Page 3 of 7 Bristow said that on the first floor, the applicant would remove the four windows that are not original and are deteriorated and replace them with double hung windows that better match the others on that end that are the nine over nine pattern. She said they would also replace the windows that are deteriorated in the lower level, but everything would be moved out there. Bristow showed the demolition plan with the area that is below grade. She referred to the retaining wall location and where everything will be moved out. Bristow pointed out where new space has been captured. She showed the ground level plan with the new deck, some ramps, stairs, and a patio that are also part of this project. Bristow stated that at grade, around the deck, there will be a railing design as seen on the front of the house and mimicking that in the back. She said that some of the handrail guidelines do not need to be met, because this is less than 30 inches above grade. Bristow showed the current east elevation, with a typical railing. She showed how it will look after the project is completed, with some ramping and some of the new railing. Bristow showed the French doors that mimic the French doors on the other side and the windows to be replaced. MOTION: Michaud moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 804 Iowa Avenue as presented in the application. Baker seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Kuenzli and Litton absent). 618 East Davenport Street. Bristow stated that this property is in the Goose Town Horace Man Conservation District and is the rectory for St. Wenceslaus Church. She said it is Italianate and was built about 1882 by Joseph Koza. Bristow said the building has a previous addition close to the church with a gable that is probably pitched higher than the original church. She said the project is to take the existing porch area behind that and extend it about another five feet toward the east. Bristow said it would have a hip roof so that it would not have the monumental appearance of the other addition. She said it will have a hip that comes straight out to the east like it is a gable and will then clip off with a hip. Bristow said it will not really look much different from the front. Bristow said it will all be screened in, and all the wood material will be painted white. She said it will not have the board and batten on it any more. Bristow said it will have a door that faces toward the bay on the side. She said it will only extend out a total width of ten feet, because the hedge is supposed to remain. Bristow said the applicant will paint to match the trim. She showed the plan and where the part of the existing rectory is not really to scale. Bristow said it will be ten feet by sixteen nine. She said it will have the look in the middle of a gable. Regarding the roof plan that staff asked the applicant for, Bristow said it shows that there is a hip, and some of the original shed roof will be retained. She said staff was concerned that if there is a hip and the water was just sloping right into the rectory that there would be a water problem. Bristow said the applicant therefore plans to keep that part of the shed roof so that the water leads out away from the building. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 12, 2016 Page 4 of 7 Swaim said the photograph showing the nine windows shows the bottom six as blocked off. Miklo said that will be retained inside the screened porch to keep it as a breezeway. Agran asked if the roofline would not go above the sill on the window. Bristow confirmed this. She said the peak of the roof will come out somewhere near the center of the whole and will just come straight out. Bristow said it slopes down in two directions but will be less of a slope than is there, just because it will have a greater distance and can't go above the sill. Michaud asked if it will have a membrane roof. Wagner said the plan calls for asphalt shingles. Bristow said some of that is still in the works, and the applicant might find that there is not enough slope for asphalt shingles. Bristow said that since this would not be overly visible and if it does have a lower slope, it would probably be acceptable to use a membrane roof here. Sandell asked for some background on the previous add-ons on the property. Miklo said that was done in the mid-1980s, before this was in a conservation district. Sandell said the previous additions seem like dramatic departures from the original architecture. Bristow said that because this is a screened porch, it will have less wall surface, so it will not have the impact that the board and batten siding has. She said there is not too much to be done about this, since it happened prior. MOTION: Agran moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 618 Davenport Street as presented in the application with the following conditions: exterior wood to be painted to match the trim on the house and staff and chair approval of the roof plan and materials. Clore second the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Kuenzli and Litton absent). Swaim mentioned that several of the applications were created using an on-line application form. She said this was created by Bristow to streamline the process. REPORTS ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: Certificate of No Material Effect - Chair and Staff Review 510 Grant Street . Bristow said this house in the Longfellow District is having the deck/guardrail replaced. She added that it is currently heavily deteriorated. Bristow said it will be replaced with wood material to match what is there. . 414 North Van Buren. Bristow stated that the owners plan to replace the roof membrane on the bump out. She said the roof membrane does not require approval, because this is in a conservation district - the Goose Town Horace Mann Conservation District. Bristow said, however, the railing around that roof is heavily deteriorated, so that needed to be reviewed. She said the owners are replacing the railing with a wood material painted to match the existing. 1121 Burlington Street. Bristow said this house is in the College Hill Conservation District. She stated that part of the porch floor and the railing are to be replaced. Bristow said the owners are doing a minimal HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 12, 2016 Page 5 of 7 replacement of the structure. She said the railing will match the railing in the guidelines, not the railing that is currently on the stairs. Miklo said that everything will be painted. Minor Review - Preapproved Item - Staff Review 838 Dearborn Street. Bristow said this house has aluminum storm windows, and they will all be replaced with storm windows that have been previously approved. She said they will all be dark to match what they should have for the sashes originally. 827 Rundell Street. Bristow said this house has been before the Commission a few times. She said the owners are adding a minimal pipe railing to the front stairs. 747 Grant Street. Bristow said this house has concrete steps in the back that are to be replaced with wood and a wood railing. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR APRIL 14, 2016: MOTION: Baker moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's April 14, 2016 meeting, as written. Wagner seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9- 0 (Kuenzli and Litton absent) . COMMISSION INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION: Report on Ned Ashton Site Improvements. Miklo said the Ned Ashton house is in City Park. He said that the house and the surrounding property were acquired after 2008 as part of the flood buyout. Miklo said that all of the other houses purchased as part of that program were demolished and removed. He said that because this house is on the National Register, it was retained and is now used as a park shelter/conference center. Miklo said the Commission reviewed the addition of the ramp a few years ago. Miklo said the proposal is to redo the patio in the back. He said it is fairly small and is broken up flagstone. Miklo said it would be replaced with a larger, more functional patio in the same style as what was there before. He said there would also be the addition of a dumpster with a small screen around it. Miklo said that even though this is on the National Register and is City-owned, it is not yet a landmark. He said staff wanted the Commission to know what is going on here. Swaim asked if the house can be used for private events. Miklo confirmed this and said it has been used for weddings, parties, family reunions, etc. Update on Grant Wood Art Colony Fence. Bristow showed some photographs of the almost-complete fence. She said that the entire fence is in, and workers have been installing the stone under it. Bristow said the two stone markers that were part of the original gate plan have recently been installed. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION May 12, 2016 Page 6 of 7 Letter from CLG Coordinator. Swaim said the letter involved an annual evaluation and came from Paula Moore at the State Historic Preservation Office. Miklo said the letter also made reference to the Preservation Conference in Davenport on September 15 and 17. He said the City would pay the expenses of one or two Commission members to attend, and anyone interested should let him know. Update on Houser-Metzger House Move. Miklo thanked Bristow and Alicia Trimble for all of the work they did to make this house move possible. Bristow showed photographs of the process of the house move. She showed the house on its new site and pointed out how well it fits in with the neighboring houses. Bristow showed a video about the move from the Iowa City Press-Citizen's website. Baker asked what the next steps are for the house. Bristow said that a lot of grading needs to be done, and the foundation needs to be filled in where there was blocking. She said that some of the basement windows from the original location were salvaged, and they will go into some of the holes where there were beams. Bristow said the whole front section is open. She said that will all be filled in with concrete block. Bristow said there are two places where the beams stuck out in the back, and that will be filled in with block. Bristow said that once that is done, and after the furnace is installed; grading will be done, the window wells will be poured, and the porch piers will be poured. She said then the windows will be installed, and she is still looking for someone to do that work. Bristow said that Wagner is going to work on the porches. She said a cellar door cover needs to be built. Bristow said the inside work will then begin. She said the chimney was removed, because it was already non-functional. Bristow said the fireplace will be turned into a gas fireplace. She said that wall will be built back, and the mantel and tile surround will be put back. Bristow said there still needs to be window repair, floor refinishing, and plumbing work. She said the exterior really needs to be painted. Bristow said there were some small cracks in the plaster. She said there is a lot of work to be done to get the house back to where it was before the move. Swaim stated that a letter from the Commission will go out to thank everyone for their efforts. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m. Minutes submitted by Anne Schulte HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2015-2016 KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member NAME TERM EXP. 6/11 7/9 8/13 9/10 10/8 11/12 12/10 1/14 2/11 2/25 3/10 4/14 5/12 AGRAN, THOMAS 3/29/17 X X X O/E X X X O/E X X O/E X BAKER, ESTHER 3/29/18 X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X BUILTA, ZACH 3/29/19 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- X X CLORE, GOSIA 3/29/17 O/E O/E X O/E X X X O/E X O/E X X X DEGRAW, SHARON 3/29/19 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- X X KUENZLI, CECILE 3/29/19 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- O/E O/E LITTON, ANDREW 3/29/17 X X O/E X X X X X X X X X O/E MICHAUD, PAM 3/29/18 O/E X X X X O/E X X X X X X X SANDELL, BEN 3/29/17 O/E X X X X X O/E X X X X X X SWAIM, GINALIE 3/29/18 X X X X X O/E X X X X X X WAGNER, FRANK 3/29/18 X O/E O/E O/E X O/E X X X X X X X