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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC 10.11.18 Packet MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION EMMA HARVAT HALL SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 MEMBERS PRESENT: Thomas Agran, Kevin Boyd, Helen Burford, Zach Builta, Gosia Clore, Sharon DeGraw, G. T. Karr, Cecile Kuenzli, Quentin Pitzen MEMBERS ABSENT: Lee Shope STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow OTHERS PRESENT: Jim Jacob, Paul Weldon RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action) CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Boyd called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: Bristow noted there is an interim minute taker for this Commission until the City can hire a permanent replacement. NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION: Boyd noted for both these nominations the goal is for the Commission to find collectively the nominees are eligible based on the criteria submitted. Bristow stated the writer of the nominations is not here to present them this evening as he is out of town so she will do her best to present them. She began by noting that both of these nominations come out of a civil rights grant that the City received, in order to do the National Register Nomination for both of the homes, to do some additional research on African American student housing at The University of Iowa in the early 20th century, and to install educational signage in front of the homes and to create both hard copy and digital educational material. 942 Iowa Avenue – Iowa Federation Home: Bristow stated this home is a house with a complicated roof and many gables, lap siding and quite a few details that are intact. She noted that both a front and side porch have been removed quite a long time ago. Bristow showed where the property is located on the map, it is at the end of Iowa Avenue, and also a photo of the house from about 1919 when The Iowa Federation Home for Colored Girls bought the house to use it as female student housing. Bristow next showed a picture of the house soon after the tornado in 2006 where a window was blown out and there was a gaping hole in the roof. The next image showed what the building looks like from the direction of Woodlawn Avenue, there once was a porch on the southeast corner of the home. The next image shown was from the back of the house and the northeast corner where there is still an original porch and also an addition to the home, it is not known when that addition was added. Bristow noted the door is the original front door and from the image one can see the transom and side lights and the pyramid trim detail that is similar to the more elaborate detail trim that still exists on the inside of the house. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 2 of 14 Bristow showed a photo from the 1940’s and at that point the house had been covered in asphalt shingle siding and the columns are also different, as the home had been remodeled several times over the years. The asphalt shingle siding was eventually removed and replaced with aluminum siding and after the tornado the clapboard siding was used. Bristow stated there is an original staircase in the interior between the first and second floors, most of the doors in the house are modern slab replacements, but a few are four-panel doors that may be original. It is believed the current floor plan is similar to when the home was used as a rooming house. Bristow noted the significance of this property is the story of de facto racial segregation and an effort at community building to deal with the problem of cultural isolation with African American men and women in the early part of the 20th century. The University of Iowa was the first university in the United States to admit both men and women equally, they also admitted nonwhite students from the beginning, however the first graduated in the late 1870’s. Before 1913 there were no dormitories for the University so all students had to find housing off campus and it was common for students to rent rooms from professors or families in town. Before 1900 there were few black students at the University, maybe a maximum of 8. In 1916 the numbers doubled and at that time there were only a few families in town where black women students could find housing, many of them lived with white families, most of those families were associated with the University, often they had to work also as domestic servants at the same time as being a student. In 1916 all of the 16 black students that were in the University at that time lived at different addresses and found it difficult to find housing and felt a sense of isolation and lack of community. That year this group of students appealed to the Iowa Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs to raise funds for housing and that is what lead to the Iowa Federation Home for Colored Girls but it did take three years for the funding to come through and for the house to be purchased. For a sense of community in 1917 five students rented an unknown house and also established a home at 932 Market Street from 1917-1918. Increasing housing for these women also established social bonds for them and created a sense of community for African American students for both social and academic networks. Bristow noted there were several women’s clubs, in 1913 the Mary Church Terrell Club was followed by the GSUI in 1914 (a women’s group) which sent women to the Iowa Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs of Des Moines in 1915. Then in 1917 they also formed the Alpha Club and these clubs were ways for groups of women to form an organization that existed for at least a year and could lead to the creation of a sorority. In 1919 they formed a black sorority, the Delta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. Bristow showed a photo of the group of women that tried to get funding from the Iowa Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs for housing, next was a photo of a group of women that lived in the home (likely in the 1920’s). Bristow noted the importance of this home, although it has had some alterations, is in relationship to this group of women with not only a local significance but also a state-wide significance. The Iowa Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs originally was the Iowa Federation of Afro American Women’s Clubs and was formed in Ottumwa in 1902 and grew out of a late 19th century women’s club movement to help women gain autonomy and voices as women for education, politics and other things. These black women were fighting against a perception in the white community that black women were HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 3 of 14 considered immoral, unintelligent, and culturally primitive. Therefore, by creating these clubs they were able to emphasize community and organizational effort to prove they do not conform to the racial stereotypes. In 1919 the Iowa Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs purchased the house at 942 Iowa Avenue making payment over time to the owner, it was one of the few women’s dormitories or rooming houses that was owned and operated by a formal group of African American women. In 1922-1923 the Club was struggling a bit financially and the Governor stepped in and helped by erasing the debt owed for the home so the Club could continue and the home was paid off completely in 1924. The Club did very well marketing the home and it was “remodeled and beautified” by Archie A. Alexander, the first African American graduate of the University of Iowa’s College of Engineering. The home was a dormitory for black female students for 31 years. Bristow noted there were a couple periods of time in the late 1930’s and again in 1950-1951 where black male students lived in the home, likely a group from the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity who rented it, there were a number of female students at the University at the time however they were living elsewhere. The house was run like a sorority with a house mother and rules with 9-12 women living in the home. In 1943 the house was dedicated as the Sue M. Brown Hall, the president of the Iowa Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs when this home was purchased in Iowa City. Bristow noted the house is also notable for some of the remarkable and pioneering black women that lived in the home, one of which was Elizabeth Catlett the first student at the University of Iowa to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in a studio art, another was Helen Lemme who like Catlett now has buildings in Iowa City named after them. Lastly in 1967 there was the passage of the fair-housing amendment to the Iowa Civil Rights Act that led to the idea that these types of homes were no longer needed. Bristow stated this house is eligible for the National Historic Register under criteria A as an event and that event is the black history and social history. MOTION: DeGraw moved to recommend the Iowa Federation Home for the Colored Girls at 942 Iowa Avenue is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in criterion category A at the statewide level and meets the criteria for both significance and integrity. Clore seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION: 914 S. Dubuque Street – Tate Arms: Bristow noted the Tate Arms is a local landmark. It is located across the street from the Johnson County Building on South Dubuque Street. She showed a recent photo of the building and noted it has been significantly altered throughout the years. The exterior was originally brick but has been covered in stucco, the roof line has been somewhat altered, the wall in the back now a fake stucco board. The home did suffer slightly during the 2008 flood but not beyond repair. The home has recently gone through an entire remodel, with some elements new but also some that are kept with the original feel of the house. Bristow noted the HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 4 of 14 importance of this home is not relying on the architecture but on both event (the same event as the 942 Iowa Avenue house) and the people who have been involved with this house. Bristow showed photos of the property, noting there are no interior historical finishes remaining, it has all been changed. Since the original intent of the rooming house it has been a business and now is used as a duplex. Bristow stated the significance of this house is its relationship to African American housing in Iowa City during a period of heighten racial segregation in housing in the first half of the 20th century. This house was not only for students but also non-students. Out of at least four dozen homes that shared this historic context only four survive, this house, one was significantly altered (downtown), one had a very weak association with this context, and the other was the Iowa Federation Home for the Colored Girls at 942 Iowa Avenue. This home is the only one in the 1st Ward of the City and it was noted in the research the accumulation of African American households in the City at this time were in the 1st Ward. Bristow added that they hope to include some education signage of this area in the new Riverfront Crossing Park to let people know about the history of this area. Bristow showed a photo of the house between the 1940’s and 1960’s noting the stuccoing of the house came slowly over time, there were monumental gate posts out front also which no longer exist. Bristow noted this nomination had more significant discussion of Iowa City’s African American community from 1860-1940 than the other nomination, the population ranged from about 50 people to 110 people during the entire period or about 1.2% of the City’s population right after the Civil War. Then from 1890 to 1970 the African American population fell to about one-half and one percent of the total population. In 1880 about 14 households were headed by either black men or women and there was a population of about 86 who were mostly long-term residents and that decreased so that in 1900 there were only 12 households and half were in that south side area near Maiden Lane and Ralston Creek. By the 1920 census about 14 of the 18 black households were in that 1st Ward. Bristow noted research shown on page 13 of the nomination packet shows racial segregation in Iowa City rose following 1900 until about 4 out of 5 black households were in the 1st Ward from 1920 – 1940. The majority of black male students in the early 20th century formed a chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (formed in 1914) in response to housing issues they had were greater than those of the black female students (partly because they didn’t work as domestic servants) and in 1922 they formed a second fraternity called Alpha Phi Alpha. Bristow stated the Tate Arms was built by Charles Alberts, he was notable because as an African American he was a mason and had a successful concrete block manufacturing business. This house was the first one built in Iowa City for an African American man to be used as a dormitory for African American individuals. After this other families started moving into the area as well. In 1915 or 1916 Charles Alberts and his wife Dorothy divorced. Charles stayed in the house with a housekeeper and five roomers, but was arrested and sentenced to jail for the sexual assault of his housekeeper’s daughter in 1923 but in 1925 he won on appeal. He at one time married the housekeeper thinking it could help him get out of the charges (which didn’t happen) but around 1925 legal costs made him loss everything and he sold the house to his attorney H. H. Rate (Edward Rate’s father) who held the house as collateral for the legal costs. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 5 of 14 In 1926 the housekeeper divorced Alberts as well. H. H. Rate continued to lease rooms to African American men exclusively during his ownership. These early residents were not students, but later black male students did live there and continued that way until 1928 when it became known as the Williams Hotel. Albert’s second wife, the housekeeper, actually returned to live in the house from 1934-1940. The next owner in 1940 was Elizabeth Tate and she and her husband Junious Tate bought the house and operated it as a rooming house for black male students for 20 years. They were already renting another house to black male students for 10 years prior to acquiring the Albert’s house showing why Tate was so remarkable in our community for her work supporting the African American community. Elizabeth Tate was born in 1906 in Fairfield, Iowa, graduating from Fairfield High School in 1926, then reportedly worked for three years in Cedar Rapids and then moved to Iowa City. In July 1929, she married Aljoe Saulsbury, who was then living at 914 S. Dubuque Street, they did not live for long at that address. By the time of the 1930 federal census, taken in April 1930, they were living at 514 S. Linn Street in Iowa City. In November 1933, Aljoe Saulsbury was convicted of assault with intent to commit manslaughter, and was in and out of jail for three years and they divorced by 1936. Tate began renting rooms to black male students during the marriage and by 1938 she had married Junious Tate and they bought the house at 914 S. Dubuque Street but did not have it paid off until 1962. They named the house Tate Arms and they marketed it heavily to black male university students and operated it as a rooming house until the early 1960’s. In 1954 Elizabeth Tate also began working as a clinical technician in the University Cardiovascular Lab. In 1961 the house was no longer a rooming house and soon after Elizabeth and Junious divorced. While they were married they adopted a daughter. Neither of the Tates lived in the house after 1964 and by 1970 the house was vacant and it was sold in 1979. Elizabeth Tate was active in Iowa City for civil rights and the theater. Both Charles Alberts, who was able to have a house built to serve as a rooming house for African American residents, and Elizabeth Tate with her connections to civil rights are what make this house eligible for the National Register under Criterion B (important persons) as well as Criterion A (event). The house does suffer from issues of integrity on the interior but for a National Register nomination it needs to have some semblance of integrity in the seven aspects that are discussed in the beginning of the nomination and it does meet those aspects. The importance lies in the relationship to the event of the issues with African American student housing in Iowa City during this de facto desegregation and the individuals Charles Alberts and Elizabeth Tate. MOTION: Agran moved to recommend the Tate Arms at 914 S. Dubuque Street is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in criterion category A and B at the local level and meets the criteria for both significance and integrity. DeGraw seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 6 of 14 CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS – CONSENT AGENDA: 317 E. Fairchild Street. Bristow said there did not need to be discussion for this item. Bristow said the consent agenda works by having Commission members read the material and then vote on a motion. She asked if anyone had questions about the project. MOTION: Kuenzli moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the installation of solar panels on the garage at 317 E. Fairchild Street as presented in the application. Agran seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). 1120 Sheridan Avenue. Bristow asked if anyone had questions about the project, if none they can vote on a motion. MOTION: Agran moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the installation of solar panels on the garage at 1120 Sheridan Avenue as presented in the application. Karr seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). 519 N. Johnson Street. Bristow asked if anyone had questions about the project, if none they can vote on a motion. MOTION: Karr moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the project at 519 N. Johnson Street as presented in the application. Kuenzli seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: 628 S. Lucas Street. Boyd outlined the Commission guidelines that state before a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition will be approved for a primary building the Historic Preservation Commission must approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the building that will replace the one being demolished. If the demolition will not be approved, then they do not need to discuss the new building. Bristow began the staff report noting this house is in the Governor-Lucas Street Conservation District, the far southern end of Lucas Street. She stated some of the houses in this area don’t have site inventory forms which is what the Commission usually looks at to determine what the historic context is. Since the house at 628 S. Lucas Street does not have a site inventory form, staff used a notable historian (who is a consultant on a different project) for information. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 7 of 14 This house is a one-story gable front and wing house, which was a style built in Iowa City between 1850 and 1870. Some of the interior door trim and the front door with transom and sidelight date from 1870s millwork catalogues. It is likely the house dates from the 1870s. The house has been altered, originally it had both a front and rear open porch, the front porch was altered in the 1920s and enlarged. The 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the rear porch as already filled in therefore that alteration happened very early on. The back of the house is covered in asphalt shingle siding, and it is unclear what is underneath. The soffit eave area and frieze board along the top of the wall is likely original, some of the window trim could be original but could also be from the 1920s remodel, it would have had a wood shingle roof originally and now has a metal roof (also likely form the 1920s remodel) and there is no evidence that that window pattering has changed. The front porch construction is not original and has also been covered in asphalt shingle siding which was then painted white. With regards to the interior, Bristow noted the finishes are conducive to the 1870s construction. Some of the deterioration discussed in the application is flooring, damage to plastered walls, probably from water from the windows. The basement is made of a brick foundation, the north foundation wall is deteriorated and the wall above it is out of plumb, it is noticeable more from the outside of the house. Bristow also showed evidence of termite damage in the basement on a beam that runs parallel to the floor joist, so its purpose is to provide support to an interior wall above, it has been penetrated by wiring and eaten heavily by termites. The area underneath the enclosed rear porch is most concerning with some of the concrete pulling away as well as the asphalt siding deteriorating from the sun. The original foundation wall had been removed and relocated at the perimeter of the enclosed porch. The other houses in area are bungalows and some two story four square houses all of which are covered in synthetic siding. There was a house next to the subject property that burnt down in 2015 and has been removed. Bristow said that the existing condition of the house includes: There are some original materials they can see but they cannot see what is under the siding. There are interior issues and structural issues with the house. It is up to the Commission to decide if they found the house to be structurally unsound and irretrievable. If this house, because it is in a conservation district, is a contributing structure, it must be found as structurally unsound and irretrievable to remove it. If it was noncontributing or non-historic the Commission would evaluative its historic integrity and historic character. If this house was in a historic district instead of a conservation district it might not be contributing anymore because of the fact it has had so many exterior alterations to it. Kuenzli asked about the examination that was done of the structure of the house and if it was done at the request of the owners, the people who want to demolish it. Bristow confirmed that was correct, she went through the house with the owners and then let them know they would also need a structural assessment from a structural engineer which they did and provided the letter as part of the application. Bristow noted the house is currently a duplex and has a rental permit, if it were to stay here and be remodeled it could continue as a rental, if it is demolished it loses its rental permit and must become an owner-occupied property. DeGraw asked if there were other homes in the 1870 time period in the area. Bristow is unsure, this end of Lucas Street does not have a lot of integrity left. There may be one brick home closer to Burlington on Governor Street that may be from before 1870 but most of homes in the area are from the 1890s and the bungalow period of the 1920s. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 8 of 14 Boyd opened the public hearing. Jim Jacob the structural engineer with VJ Engineering that reviewed this house for the owners and finds the house to be in extremely poor construction. The north wall, the south wall, the north foundation wall are all nearing collapse state, the termite damage or wood destroying insects have infested a lot of the wood frames in the first floor, it is unknown to what extent on the upper levels. The chimney of the house is basically supported by the roof structure because it is built at such a severe angle and there is no way mortar can support a chimney built at that angle. Burford asked if Jacob made any additional studies of underneath the siding. Jacob is convinced it is a lap siding but he did not tear off any finishes other than what was already exposed and he does not believe it is brick. DeGraw asked if there were lots of old houses with wall problems and can owners have the walls rebuilt so the house could be used thereafter. Jacob said in this case the floor framing that supports the wall, the foundation wall, everything is at the end of its life, there is nothing to support going forward off of. The foundations walls would have to be rebuilt, the first floor structure would have to be rebuilt, and new walls cannot be built on top of materials that are completely denigrated. Boyd stated the structurally unsound part is clear from Jacob’s report, he is unsure of the irretrievable part. Jacob reiterated you cannot rebuild on something that does not have a sound base. Bristow noted in her review of the basement it is wet, there is structural damage, there are insect infestations, and something very incorrect happened in the corner where the porch was enclosed. The wall itself is to some degree intact but the floor joists have damage from insects or water. Kuenzli asked about the rental permit and if the owner has been cited for any of these issues on the rental permit, or does it pass rental inspection. Bristow is unsure of any citations but if it has an active rental permit it must have passed inspections. DeGraw asked for an estimate of how much time it takes for this type of damage to get to this state of disrepair. Jacob said it takes a long time, at least 30 years. Bristow added she found an inspector’s note from 1973 that stated the house was in poor condition inside and out at that time. Paul Weldon bought the property next door and this came with it as a package deal, it was rented and they planned on working on the house to make improvements. Once the renters moved out they were able to view the property more closely and decide what they were going to do with it and this is where they ended up. Boyd closed the public hearing. Agran discussed the other two house demolition applications he had been a part of in the past. One on Ronalds Street where the big issue was cat urine but the house was structurally sound. In that case the roof and floor framing was undersized, as similar to this case, but that is the case in almost every older home. The demolition permit for the house on Ronalds Street was HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 9 of 14 denied. The other house was east of Dodge Street and the only thing that was left original on that house was the framing, so it may be changed to non-contributing. Agran noted he struggles with demolition applications and deciding if something is irrevocably damaged. Sometimes the repairs may be a lot of work, but so is tearing down and building a whole new house. Burford noted the house she lives in had tremendous termite damage when they purchased it but the interior integrity of the house existed for the most part. She noted when there is termite damage the entire house has to be checked and exposed, it is not confined to one space, it is a major undertaking and she is unsure if this property has enough internal integrity to justify the enormous expense. Builta noted the Commission is not to discuss the expense, but it is hard not to think of it, and he struggles with going against what a structural engineer recommends and telling a homeowner what to do. Builta asked about garages. Boyd said that is a different standard. Builta asked why. Bristow noted there is a different value for the primary structure versus the outbuilding so the primary structure is what is contributing to the neighborhood. DeGraw noted this case is difficult because it is a contributing structure and looking at this case she has two immediate thoughts. First in the case of the cottage Argan was discussing that was deemed not worth saving by experts but the adjacent neighbors bought it, slaved on it, and brought it back and it is now a darling cottage and quite functional and being used. The other thought is this is a case of a house being victim of poor stewardship over the years and to agree to demolish it may encourage property owners to rent properties to the point of disrepair and tear it down. Kuenzli asked if one were to approach rebuilding the foundation if at the stage of elevating the house is the wall that is buckling at risk of failing. Bristow said anytime one was to lift a house, whether moving it or working on the foundation, there is always the element of risk because there may be a structural issue that is unknown. For example, when discussing the insect damage and not knowing if it continues in the upper floor walls and it could cause problems. Pitzen said the house is not level in several places so even if the foundation is redone and made level there will be a lot of stress with settling into its former condition. It may be too much stress. Boyd stated he is inclined to deny the application for two reasons. One because it is a contributing property and two while the house may be irretrievable he does not feel they have that evidence at this time. He also agrees this will encourage disinvestment in historical properties so they can say it is irretrievable. Agran looks at preservation of these neighborhoods relying on stability of these neighborhoods and with the change in the rental permit process this house, currently a rental, would be replaced with an owner-occupied home and that would contribute to the neighborhood in a healthy way. Kuenzli agrees, she feels it is important to look at preserving communities and not just individual structures. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 10 of 14 Builta agrees and since the current owner has only had the property since January they are not responsible for the deterioration and will move into the neighborhood and not be renting. Bristow reminded the Commission their charge is to decide if this particular house is structurally unsound and irretrievable. The question of preserving neighborhoods, the Commission is doing that one house at a time because the neighborhood is made up of individual properties that have their historic character or not. Burford agreed that not knowing what is underneath the asphalt siding, not knowing how far up the insect damage extends, she is not sure there is enough information to know if it is structurally unsound. Clore noted they will not be able to get all that information unless the structure is torn down or taken apart and exposed so they have to make a decision as to what is known at this point. Boyd said he is comfortable stating he doesn’t feel they have enough evidence. Pitzen said there has to be a way to remove some of the siding to see what is underneath without too much effort. Builta discussed the chimney as it is one aspect to the reason as to why the structure is unsound, if there was a permit filed to move the chimney he assumes it would be considered noncontributing. Bristow said it’s not an ornamental chimney or a prominent chimney so if an application was filed to take the chimney down given it is at a precarious angle it could be considered by the Commission as an individual application. Boyd took an informal poll of the Commission on their thoughts at this time for tentative approval or denial. Bristow said a deferral to the next meeting is possible but they would need to clarify what information is needed by the next meeting. DeGraw asked about the interior spaces, are the floors, and doors and moldings intact. Bristow said some of the walls have original plaster, some have original damaged plaster, some of the floors are covered, there is asbestos in some of the floors so it would be costly to remove to see what is under them. During one of the remodels a bathroom was created awkwardly in the front parlor of the house. In the back, the porch floor is raised slightly above the main floor of the house, so it is in a variety of states. Many of the window sashes are original, none of the storms are original, the window condition was varied, some were operable, but most were not. Agran said he would be more comfortable making a decision if the Commission visited the property. Bristow discussed the complicating factors of arranging such a visit but could discuss with the City Attorney holding a special meeting that was just a field trip to this property. The public would also be invited. Kuenzli asked if this house were to be demolished, there would be two vacant lots and that could be large enough for a bigger structure (multifamily) – is that a possibility? Bristow said the process is if the Commission agrees to the demolition they would then discuss the proposed new construction for the site and the Commission has to approve the new construction. The process is set up to protect from something else being built on the site, the new construction that is approved by the Commission is all that can be built there. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 11 of 14 Boyd asked the Commission if any one wishes to defer and if so what additional information would they need to aid them in making a decision at the next meeting. Buford said she would like to have more evidence in areas where there is moisture to see if the areas are infested by insects or not. Boyd noted if it is termites the moisture will not affect them, they are not attracted to moisture. Bristow asked the applicant (Paul Weldon) his thoughts on getting more evidence on the condition of the house. Weldon said it is possible, but he would have to know what exactly they are looking for. He added if they were to try to repair the house when finished there would be nothing left of the house that is historical. Kuenzli noted she defers to the two builders on the Commission and their expertise. If they agree it is best to demolish the house she concurs, however still feels this is rewarding bad stewardship of a property. Boyd moved forward to discuss the new construction project at 628 S. Lucas Street. Bristow showed photos of some of the neighboring properties, many of which are bungalows, staff has been working with the property owner on the proposed new construction. The applicant is proposing to build a house that is 50’ long by 30’ wide and Bristow showed an image of the proposed home elevations. It will be Craftsman Bungalow style house which is an appropriate style for this neighborhood, it is one story and any structure from one to one-and-a- half stories is appropriate in this neighborhood. The house would have double hung windows that are metal clad in a divided light pattern to work with the Craftsman Bungalow, the front door would be appropriate with the style as well, the siding would be either a smooth wood or smooth cement board lap siding with a cement board shake shingle siding in the gable ends. The porch would not have a railing as it would be less than 30” above grade, it would have square wooden columns and there would be an asphalt shingle roof with open soffits and 2’ overhang. The basement will have egress windows as required by Code and will be designed with the possibility of a future bedroom and bathroom. Bristow reviewed the interior floor plan of the first floor. She noted the application also has a possibility for a garage, there is not currently a garage on the property and therefore they would not require a garage be built at this time, but it could be added in the future. Bristow noted this new house would only be slightly larger than the existing structure, the existing house is about 1078 square feet and the new one is just over 1300 square feet. The new house will set back slightly further than the existing house and it would only extend a little further into the lot than the existing house. Staff feels the new plans for the property are appropriate. Kuenzli asked about the metal clad windows and if the guidelines allow for those. Bristow said the guidelines do, there is language that the metal clad wood windows are allowed so long as they can be painted and the sashes should be black because it is less likely they will be painted over time. MOTION: Builta moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the new construction project at 628 S. Lucas Street as presented in the application with the following conditions: HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 12 of 14 Garage overhead doors are approved by staff. Clore seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). MOTION: Karr moved to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of 628 S. Lucas Street. Builta seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 7-2 (Boyd and DeGraw dissenting, Shope absent). REQUEST FOR COMMENT ON REPLACEMENT ANTENNAS ON 102 S. CLINTON STREET (JOHNSON COUNTY SAVINGS BANK): Bristow said this comes before the Commission when someone wants to do something that could impact a National Register property and it becomes a Section 106 review. Per Bristow’s memo in the agenda packet she has requested more information regarding the review from the applicant and has not yet received that information. Due to not receiving the information requested (the height of the existing antenna, integrity of roof of the bank, etc.) Bristow suggests the Commission just comment they did not receive sufficient information to review. Boyd concurred and noted his concern is the height of the current antenna, is the new antenna triple in size, half in size. He agrees they need more information before they can do a correct review. REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: Certificate of No Material Effect – Chair and Staff review: 624 N. Gilbert Street. Bristow stated this was approval to repair the original six-over-six windows and the brick stucco coated foundation. Minor Review – Staff Review: 404 Brown Street. Bristow noted this is a minor review because it is in a new construction addition part of the house, not in the historic part of the house, they are changing a window size and actually matching the windows on the front of the house which was found to be appropriate by staff. 755 Oakland Avenue. Bristow noted this application was non-contributing because the porch is enclosed and also has ramps. The ramps are to be removed and new entry and stairs will be installed on both the side and front locations. Intermediate Review – Chair and Staff review: HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION September 13, 2018 Page 13 of 14 1025 Burlington Street. This application was a garage demolition and new construction that came before the Commission previously, and the applicant has requested some minor changes. They had six windows on the exterior of the garage but they have a fence that runs along the one side of the garage so Staff allowed the applicant to not put windows on that side. Additionally, due to proximity of the neighbor’s garage a window will be on the north end of one side of the garage but not the south side. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR AUGUST 9, 2018: MOTION: Agran moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's August 9, 2018 meeting, as written. Karr seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR AUGUST 23, 2018: MOTION: Agran moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's August 23, 2018 meeting, as written. Kuenzli seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0 (Shope absent). COMMISSION INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION: Historical Preservation Award Subcommittee. Bristow noted they need to create a subcommittee for the Historical Preservation Awards, should be three to four members. Volunteer members are: Boyd, Kuenzli and Karr. Update of Transfer of Development Rights. Bristow stated City Council did asked the Planning Staff to go ahead and write a new policy and it will be presented at the October meeting. Boyd noted there is more information regarding this in this week’s Council packet if people are interested in reading ahead. ADJOURNMENT: Agran moved to adjourn, Clore seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m. Minutes submitted by Rebecca Kick HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSIONATTENDANCE RECORD2018KEY: X = PresentO = AbsentO/E = Absent/Excused--- = Not a Member NAMETERM EXP.10/12 11/9 12/14 1/11 2/8 3/8 4/12 5/10 6/14 7/12 8/9 8/239/13AGRAN, THOMAS6/30/20 X X X X X X X X X O/E X XXBAKER, ESTHER6/30/18XXXXXXXXX--------BOYD, KEVIN6/30/20XXXXXXXXXXXXXBUILTA, ZACH6/30/19XXXXO/EXXXXXXXXBURFORD, HELEN6/30/21 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X XO/E XCLORE, GOSIA6/30/20 X X O/E O/E X O/E X X X XO/E O/E XDEGRAW, SHARON6/30/19XXO/EXXXXXXXO/E XXKARR, G. T.6/30/20XXXXXXXXXO/EXXXKUENZLI, CECILE6/30/19O/EXXXXXXXXO/E XXMICHAUD, PAM6/30/18XXX XXXXX--------PITZEN, QUENTIN6/30/21 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X X XXSHOPE, LEE6/30/21 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X X XO/ESWAIM, GINALIE6/30/18XO/EXXXXXXX--------WAGNER, FRANK6/30/18XXO/EO/EXXXXX--------