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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Packet 04.11.19 MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION EMMA J. HARVAT HALL March 14, 2019 MEMBERS PRESENT: Thomas Agran, Kevin Boyd, Zach Builta, Sharon DeGraw, Helen Burford, Gosia Clore, G. T. Karr, Cecile Kuenzli, Quentin Pitzen, Lee Shope MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow OTHERS PRESENT: None 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: There was none. PUBLIC HEARING LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION: Old Settler’s Association of Johnson County Cabins, Upper City Park. Bristow said since these are City-owned properties, in addition to the normal process of going to the Commission and then Planning and Zoning and City Council, this item was presented to the Parks and Rec Commission and will be presented to the Senior Center Commission. She said Parks and Rec did vote and there was one dissent on the City Park Cabins. One member questioned the criterion about integrity because one cabin had been relocated to the park in 1918. Bristow explained the City Park Cabins, or the Old Settler’s Association of Johnson County Cabins as they are officially known, are located in City Park. She said the property boundary description was determined by City Engineering for the National Register Nomination. Bristow shared a photo of the cabins from November, after going through a complete rehabilitation. She also shared a 1933 photo of a celebration for the Old Settler’s Association of Johnson County. They were meeting in Upper City Park when they could no longer meet at the fairgrounds. The larger cabin is called a dogtrot cabin because it is made from two boxes, each one being one room. The rooms have a space between them and share a single roof. The intermediate space is called the dogtrot. Bristow shared a 1916 photo of the dogtrot cabin, constructed in 1913. She said it did not have a standing seam metal roof, it was something like a tar paper roof. A photograph from the Weber collection at SHSI was displayed, entitled the “Replica Trading Post.” Bristow said it was known that the Old Settler’s had been meeting at the fairgrounds. They occasionally made some commemorative cabins illustrating the old ways of cabin construction to commemorate the people who settled Johnson County and to memorialize that action. As time went on and the fairgrounds changed ownership, they had to relocate. The City determined they could have a space in City Park for their cabins. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 2 of 11 Bristow said they were originally going to move them, but they were determined to be in too poor condition to move. They instead decided to have a celebration where they would have a cabin building, similar to a barn raising. The Settlers were so interested in doing this that they donated logs for the project. They had bronze letters that they used to mark which log they had donated and who it was memorializing, or in memory to, but we don’t think any of that still exists. Bristow explained they built the dogtrot cabin and it was a big celebration, and they continued to meet in City Park from that point on. Eventually they decided the smaller cabin from the fairgrounds could be moved. A local mover did some minor repairs and moved it to City Park in 1918. She shared a picture showing its original location on the fairgrounds from the 1890s. The photo was from the Patterson Collection at SHSI. She said a lot of the photographs of the cabins were from that Collection. Bristow said the cabins were used by the Girls Scouts, school groups, and they really had a lot of good use until sometime in the 1970s, when they started to deteriorate. She said by the time the City wrote a grant to help with the roof portion of the project they had significantly deteriorated. She shared photos from at least two years before the grant was received. Bristow shared a photo from last summer of the cabins being rehabbed at Heritage Woodworks in Clemons. She said that while some material had to be replaced because it was in such bad condition, this group could use similar wood and they used the old ways of shaping the wood and fitting the building together, so the result was still the same commemorative log cabin. Another photo showed pieces tagged with little yellow labels. These were the original materials retained in the rehab process. She said the cabins were disassembled, taken to Heritage Woodworks, fit with new wood pieces, brought back, rebuilt and rechinked. Bristow said the grant called for the use of cedar shingles because they would last longer than the tar paper roof. The cabins are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We know that the National Park Service has determined they are eligible for that. Bristow said the Commission’s process uses many of the same criteria. She said the cabins need to have the same integrity that they did when the National Park Service reviewed it. She said we are assured of the integrity because, even though the grant was only for the roof, the State reviewed all of the work that was going to be done on the cabins. Bristow explained the State Historic Preservation Office agreed that the work being done was necessary and maintained the integrity of the buildings. Staff believed that they would be eligible as local landmarks for criteria a and b as they are significant to our history and the Old Settler’s and commemorative movement that happened across the United States. They possess an integrity of location because one was built in this location and the other was moved by the Old Settler’s during their period of significance. The small cabin was moved in 1918. Because it was moved by the same group around the same time the other one was built, and the other one was built because they were going to move them there, we do not find an issue with integrity here. Criterion c, which is the events, meaning commemorative and the Old Settler’s Association, and criterion e, the characteristics of the architecture, which obviously they do have. Boyd asked if anyone had clarifying questions for Bristow before opening the Public Hearing. Public Hearing Closed. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 3 of 11 Kuenzli thought it would be appropriate to mention Heritage Woodworks in the history of the cabins to acknowledge their authentic rehabilitation methods. MOTION: Kuenzli moved to approve the designation of the Old Settler’s Association of Johnson County Cabins off of Park Road in City Park as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, c, and e. Agran seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0. PUBLIC HEARING LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION: Ned Ashton House, 820 Park Road. Bristow explained the Ned Ashton House is located right next to the river. She said it has a Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie/Mid-Century Modern look to it. She noted it fits well into the landscape with its limestone, which was from Stone City. Bristow shared a photo of the front entry door facing Park Road with a screened-in porch area. She said this house was all built by Ned Ashton and his family. When they cast the big header for the garage door, they used rope nailed onto the inside of the concrete form to spell out the name Ashton and 1947. A view of the cantilevered breakfast nook was displayed. Bristow noted the owner and designer, Ned Ashton, was a very well-known bridge designer / bridge engineer. She shared a photograph of him working in the lower level. Ned designed the entire house using the same type of engineering principles and calculations that he would for any of the suspension bridges and other bridges that he designed around Iowa and elsewhere. Bristow said the images being shown were from a scrapbook one of his daughters compiled. The daughter notes there were 73 pages of calculations for the concrete. The foundation, footings, and columns were constructed just like he would for a bridge. This was advantageous along the river because it meant the house could flood and he had designed it for that. It also meant he had to design the footings to hold the 64,000 pounds of the chimney. He overengineered the house, but that helped save it, because it has been flooded and was actually flooding when he started construction. Bristow explained his principles as an engineer were also very forward thinking when it came to sustainability and reuse of materials. He bought in some packing crates, not small but gigantic packing crates, that were used to haul things for the war. He disassembled them, reused and straightened as many of the nails as he could. He used the wood for the concrete forms and then reused it in the framing for the walls and the roof on the first floor. He was very interested in passive ventilation. All these things are put into the design of the house. Bristow shared a picture showing the kids involved in the building. It was constructed between 1946 and 1954 and that all of it, including the land, was $16,000. Bristow said the importance of this house is in its design and its integrity, the character of the design, and also its relationship to Ned Ashton. Bristow shared a few things from the scrapbook about Ashton’s career and accomplishments. He was nationally known and had won several awards. She said part of the reason for moving forward with these local landmark designations right now, is not only do we have the City Park Cabins that are done and going to be opening HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 4 of 11 again, but Parks and Rec is celebrating the 70th anniversary of City Park Pool. Ned Ashton was the one who designed that pool. So that ties these two properties together. Staff found this property meets criteria a and b. It is associated with a significant person, so it meets criteria d and e in the fact that it has the integrity and character of its architecture. Boyd asked if anyone had clarifying questions for Bristow before opening the Public Hearing. Public Hearing Closed. MOTION: DeGraw moved to approve the designation of the Ned Ashton House, 820 Park Road, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, d, and e. Clore seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0. PUBLIC HEARING LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION: Old Post Office, 28 South Linn Street. Bristow pointed out only the Old Post Office is being considered, even though it is attached to the Ecumenical Towers. They are two separate properties. Bristow thought many communities assume these kinds of neoclassical civic buildings would be landmarks because they really represent a very specific kind of early 20th century attempt to create a civic ideal and they obviously are landmarks. She said the City has maintained the integrity of this building. When the new Post Office came into existence the City came in and renovated this building to be the Senior Center. It is a building the Senior Center Commission realizes is difficult to care for because it is historic and has plaster walls, high ceilings, and such. Bristow said the original Post Office was constructed in 1904. It was very dressed, very formal, with a little bit of a Mansard roof. She shared a picture of it in its final state with the door to the south on Washington Street. When they added to it, they completely replicated everything. In a way, during this time period, the fact that they went so far to copy the details of the original and just basically took this and made it bigger by more than two-thirds, that was kind of unique. It is unique in that they went to such great lengths to expand it in the same way. They added the full second-floor area where the Mansard roof was. Bristow shared a view after it was rehabbed by the City in order to open as the Senior Center, sometime after 1981. Bristow said the main integrity of the exterior of this building is impeccable. Bristow showed interior photos including some stairs in the southwest corner. She wasn’t sure if they were from the 1904 version that went up to some kind of an upper level under the Mansard roof or if it was from the 1933 version. Bristow said the Senior Center Commission was always questioning the big limestone hunks that are out in the front yard and what to do about them. When the skywalk was put in between the parking garage and the building, an agreement was made to retain them. The project was to put in a skywalk and remove part of the midlevel cornice, which is sculpted limestone. Since skywalks come and go, patching that and making it match in any way would be impossible. It HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 5 of 11 was decided that they would maintain those removed pieces and keep them facing the same direction in the same area of the site so they would weather the same. Unfortunately, they are so close to the traffic they have darkened from soot and exhaust, but they are on a very heavy concrete plinth in order to stay in that spot. She said the City will keep it and for a very good reason, but is not regulated by landmark designation. Bristow said the Senior Center Commission will meet next Thursday and she would go to answer any questions they have. (Note inserted after Meeting: Senior Center Commission meeting was canceled due to lack of quorum. Bristow will attend their April meeting to address any questions) Staff does feel the Old Post Office meets criteria a and b, and also e in the integrity of its architecture. Boyd asked if anyone had clarifying questions before opening the Public Hearing. Public Hearing Closed. Shope was curious if there was any indication of how it came to pass that they just replicated the architecture rather than, as the Federal Government does sometimes, put on a red brick addition. He wondered if it was Iowa City being Iowa City, or if it was public pressure. Agran asked about saving the material, and nothing saying the material had to be saved. He asked about a previous project on Brown and Gilbert where the owners were asked to save a window. Bristow said whenever someone removes an architectural feature, especially if it is stone or brick, so we know it’s going to be hard for them to copy if they need to put it back, we always suggest heavily that they keep that with the house, but we cannot require it. MOTION: Agran moved to approve the designation of the Old Post Office, 28 South Linn Street, as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria a, b, and e. Pitzen seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0. DISCUSSION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN PRIORITIES AND ANNUAL WORK PROGRAM: Bristow said the Commission’s work plan is due as part of the annual report to the State. Bristow said she and Boyd talked about having the formal work plan discussion changed to November so when it’s done, it is for the year starting within a month instead of doing it now, three months into the year. Boyd explained his thoughts for doing the plan in the fall. He noted Commission terms were on a July-June basis. Waiting until fall would allow new Commissioners to make it through a few meetings before setting the plan. Secondly, the budget process gears up in January, so doing the plan in November would allow the Commission to weigh in before the budget was set. He also thought a stand-alone meeting might allow more thoughtful planning as opposed to competing with other agenda items. Bristow noted that the City budget is based on a fiscal year and their annual report to the State was based on a calendar year, causing a bit of a disconnect. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 6 of 11 Bristow explained she would hit the highlights from last year’s plan and provide a status, because some things would need to carry forward, and then point out a few things that are coming up. Bristow said the plan from last year was set up as different sections. There were key projects. Seven local landmarks were submitted and five were successful. Bristow said the Civil Rights Grant was supposed to be done in January. Due to delays an extension was requested. She noted that whenever a community has one Federal grant, its activity impacts all Federal grants, so they want to keep up-to-date. Bristow said Akay Consulting had been hired for the Downtown District Survey implementation. She said interiors of some buildings will be reviewed to confirm whether they are individually National Register eligible. Bristow said the Cabin Grant was complete and would be closed out by Parks and Rec. Bristow explained that they will have a presentation on the Historic Preservation fund in the future.Bristow said seven of eight projects approved during fiscal year 2018 have been completed and the eighth will be complete in the spring. She said for 2019 we have seven approved projects and one large one that is almost ready to be approved. Bristow said we could possibly take another applicant during the fiscal year as some of these projects finish up and come in under $5000. It would not likely be an entire $5000, though. Bristow said we have the intensive survey of 2040 Waterfront Drive. The consultant just dropped off the final project. Bristow said the National Register nomination of Clinton Street has been on her desk to review. It needs to go through the process at SHIPO anyway. It will not be reviewed by their nomination review committee until June. They will ask the Commission to review and comment on it. Bristow reported on the Summit Street Monument. She said the consultant is beginning now and will be done in time. He is reviewing the condition, making recommendations on how to repair or stabilize the monument, planning on whether we should relocate it and put a replica there or not. If it is moved, how should it be displayed and cared for. Bristow said the City’s consultant for the Sanxay-Gilmore House has provided information and costs, which have been sent to the City Manager with a memo.Tthey are currently in discussions with the University about allowing it to stay in its location. She said she would provide a report to the Commission next time. Bristow said recruiting new Commission members was an item on the previous work plan. She said new members were located for each of the areas except for the East College Street District. She said a Jefferson Street representative may apply for the next term. Consideration beyond the work plan was discussed. Bristow noted the Preserve Iowa Conference was postponed. She said that senior staff still seemed supportive of moving forward with it at some point but, at the same time, it will be a staff commitment that will be impossible at this point. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 7 of 11 Bristow noted the Education Outreach section on the work plan was open-ended in 2018. She said they had a digital information priority. She said an intern will be working this summer on the storybook aspect of GIS. The Commission needs to decide what people should be able to search by, what images would go up, and what historic information should be populated related to the Downtown survey. Bristow said design guidelines need to be updated. Bristow noted tax abatement was in the plan. A property tax exemption is available and is tied to State and Federal tax credit processes. Bristow said another item is additional survey and education work. She noted the City has very little information on Kirkwood Avenue area, so it could start with a reconnaissance survey. She said this could be done by volunteers and neighborhood people. She thought it could be done with very little staff time if the Commission chose to take it on as a project. Bristow said last year a newsletter was developed to go out with our yearly mailing to all the property owners. Everybody liked it. The Commission liked it. Our intern wrote it and laid it out and got it ready for us. We do not have that ability now, so Staff is requesting that a subcommittee of the Commission be formed to write something to go in the newsletter and then get it laid out so all we must do is print it and include it with the letters. She said the letter must by done soon. The City now notifies property owners once a year about regulations, traditionally in the spring because that’s when people start thinking about their projects for the summer. Kuenzli believed the newsletter was important because it is the Commission’s PR with the rest of City government, as well as with the community at-large. She said the only way most people would have contact with the Commission would be if they had a house project that needed attention. Boyd believed there might be an opportunity to put out the newsletter in the fall and tie in to the awards: ask for nominations about stuff people have seen, talk about their work, invite them to the event, when it exists, and use that as a tool to talk about what it means to do historic work. Bristow said they needed to completely change how the Historic Preservation awards are done. She said if it takes as much staff time as it had for the past 10 years, the City wanted to do away with it. The awards have been held for 36 years. She noted it is always well-attended. Boyd asked to review the model used by the Human Rights Commission for their annual awards. He said as we are thinking about our events, we should think about other City successful award events. It seems we could ask them to provide some information. Bristow said money was received to mothball the Montgomery Butler House and the mothballing was failing. In order to move forward a determining a use would be the first step. Kuenzli asked if there might be an individual who would like to buy it, restore it, and live there. Bristow said it’s in the middle of Waterworks Park, on City property, without direct driveway access. Bristow noted the City Communications Department might force the Commission to eliminate their Facebook page if it has no regular postings. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 8 of 11 Boyd went through a list of things that must get done by the end of the year. 1. The Civil Rights Grant to finish. 2. The National Historic Register part of the Downtown District. Boyd said he would have a memo next month regarding the steering committee. He noted there are a lot of people and groups offering to be involved. 3. The Certified Local Government Grants. Bristow said all three of them could lead to potential projects that need some Commission help, but they will all be done by June. 4. The Historic Preservation Fund. On Boyd’s should-do list, as future work items: 1. Decide about a local district for the Clinton Street and Railroad Depot area. 2. Historic Preservation Awards. 3. Immediate need with the letter/newsletter. 4. Public relations more broadly. 5. Financial Incentives. 6. Digital library. Bristow added education and updating the Historic Preservation guidelines. Karr noted his priorities. He said informing the public what it means to be and live in an historic district and understanding what is really driving the addition of our districts. He mentioned looking at Clinton Street and Kirkwood down the road, and how it plays into the Downtown, as well. He thought there was a serious education gap because daily he looks at jobs in historic districts and people have no idea what it means. Karr also included the Downtown and taking a closer look at individual landmark status when the property owner did not want to be involved in it. We had that happen this year. He wanted to have an honest, frank discussion about that. Burford expressed concern that people don’t know how to do tax abatements or understand how it benefits them. Bristow agreed with educating realtors so they can talk appropriately about properties they are selling. She thought a similar program might be useful for developers. Boyd said he would like to discuss landmarks and financial incentives, looking at what other communities have done. He wondered if there was someone who could come talk to the Commission about how they have used it and the types of things that have been done. Bristow said she would make a plan of the things that the Commission will be discussing on future agendas and talk about the idea of setting a priority at one meeting for the next meeting so we can compile the information we need. Then during the meeting when it is on the agenda, it can be discussed thoroughly, down to in some cases, the actual tasks that need to happen to accomplish this, and then how does it need to be assigned, depending on the activity. Boyd recommended discussing the newsletter as the priority for next agenda. Agran said he was in favor of setting a subcommittee to handle the letter. Then at the next meeting the Commission could move to approve it. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 9 of 11 DeGraw said she would go with what it is currently, update the photos, update anything out-of- date, and then have a draft ready for people to look at next time for approval. Agran thought the idea of forming a PR subcommittee would still be good, though, so the subcommittee could start to strategize a few plans for the awards, for instance, or for communication with people. Burford wanted to look for a model demonstrating the economic benefit of the work that is done by the Commission and the dollars that are brought into the community. She wanted the City Manager to see there is a large investment that happens in the community because of the work of the Commission and then maybe we could get more staff time. Bristow agreed that staff time and projects must be tied to the City’s strategic plan and the financial stability of the community. REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF Minor Review – Staff Review. 809 South 7th Avenue – Dearborn Street Conservation District (new front and rear stoops). 527 North Van Buren Street – Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (non-historic rear step and canopy removal). CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2019 MOTION: Agran moved to approve the minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission’s February 14, 2019 meeting. Karr seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 10-0. COMMISSION INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION: Agran provided an update on 410 Clinton, the brick Italianate house that did not get approved for landmark status. He said the City is in negotiations with the owner of that property to, in exchange for landmarking the building, give the property owner the opportunity to buy the two properties directly to the south and they are seeking increased development rights on that land. City staff sought Council’s indications of whether they would approve that project, not in a commitment, but tentatively, so City staff did not pursue it down the road to find out later that City Council was not interested. They talked very basically about what that project could look like. Agran wanted to bring it up, partially because that property sold and transitioned owners during the process of identification and landmarking. He noted since he has been on the Commission there have been three prominent properties that have been leveraged by developers to get increased development rights somewhere else. He believes the City uses that as a strategy for protecting properties. He noted City Council will not vote to landmark a building but then, directly after that, the building gets landmarked as part of a negotiation for increased private benefit at the expense of the public. He noted other examples to be the Unitarian Church and Tate Arms. Agran did not believe it was an effective strategy to mortgage public agreements about how zoning works to protect individual properties. Though it does protect the properties, developers HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION March 14, 2019 Page 10 of 11 could approach owners of properties listed as potential landmarks to buy those properties, knowing they could then leverage them for gain. He said 410 Clinton had very little development potential on that site, so there was very little loss of development potential on that site if it had been landmarked. Now we’re looking at landmarking it and giving away a lot more. Agran thought a conversation should happen at the City Council level or City Manager about how do we proceed as a Commission in identifying and protecting properties without leaving them and the City vulnerable to being leveraged for private gain. He believes the City got played and is concerned as a Commission member and as a citizen how the City proceeds. Karr said it was not a good precedent to set. In a previous City meeting, Bristow noted Staff commented it could be difficult for the Commission to make a decision to take down one historic house to save another. This was related to the Sanxay-Gilmore House and the two properties on Gilbert Street. Bristow thought the 410 Clinton situation was similar. You must put one property over another, which is not something preservationists usually like to do. While the house at 410-412 Clinton is very important and should be preserved, the house at 400 Clinton is also individually eligible for listing in the National Register. Boyd noted City Council had an opportunity to decide what policy would exist for everything, to make sure it was known and public for all to use. He said they chose not to do that and now they are offering benefits one-by-one. If Council wants to know what the Commission thinks they should ask in a public way, putting it on an agenda so the public could come into the discussion too. ADJOURNMENT: Agran moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Karr. The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. Minutes submitted by Judy Jones HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2018-2019 NAME TERM EXP. 4/12 5/10 6/14 7/12 8/9 8/23 9/13 10/11 11/08 12/13 1/10 2/14 3/14 AGRAN, THOMAS 6/30/20 X X X O/E X X X O/E X X O/E O/E X BAKER, ESTHER 6/30/18 X X X -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- BOYD, KEVIN 6/30/20 X X X X X X X X X X X X BUILTA, ZACH 6/30/19 X X X X X X X X X X X X X BURFORD, HELEN 6/30/21 -- -- -- X X O/E X O/E X X X X CLORE, GOSIA 6/30/20 X X X X O/E O/E X O/E X X O/E X X DEGRAW, SHARON 6/30/19 X X X X O/E X X X X X X O/E X KARR, G. T. 6/30/20 X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X KUENZLI, CECILE 6/30/19 X X X O/E X X X X X X O/E X MICHAUD, PAM 6/30/18 X X X -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- PITZEN, QUENTIN 6/30/21 -- -- -- X X X X X X X X X X SHOPE, LEE 6/30/21 -- -- -- X X X O/E X X O/E X X SWAIM, GINALIE 6/30/18 X X X -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- WAGNER, FRANK 6/30/18 X X X -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --