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Home My WebLink AboutPZ Agenda Packet 01.21.2021PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Thursday, January 21, 2021 Electronic Formal Meeting – 7:00 PM Zoom Meeting Platform Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Public Discussion of Any Item Not on the Agenda Rezoning Items 4. Case No. REZ20-0014 Applicant: Highland Hotel, LLC Location: 2525 Highlander Place An application for a rezoning from Highway Commercial (CH-1) to CH-1 with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/CH-1) to designate the property as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by going to: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrce2vrz8tH9FZ8b9lLNa_EBO6Kdff7wzT to visit the Zoom meeting’s registration page and submitting the required information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the meeting. If you are asked for a meeting or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the email. If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can call in by phone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting ID 926 6471 4755 when prompted. Providing comment in person is not an option. Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting January 21, 2021 5. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: January 7, 2021 6. Planning & Zoning Information 7. Adjournment If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Anne Russett, Urban Planning, at 319-356-5251 or anne-russett@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Upcoming Planning & Zoning Commission Meetings Formal: February 4 / February 18 / March 4 Informal: Scheduled as needed. Date: January 21, 2021 To: Planning and Zoning Commission From: Joshua Engelbrecht, Planning Intern & Anne Russett, Senior Planner Re: Designation of 2525 Highlander Place as an Iowa City Historic Landmark (REZ20-0014) Background The owners, Highlander Hotel, LLC, submitted a rezoning application requesting that the property at 2525 Highlander Place be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The Highlander Supper Club was built in 1967 and the convention center, a part of the original concept , was added in 1973. The building incorporates modern construction materials such as light steel and large expanses of glass. The design of the entry includes thin columns supporting a heavy canopy. All features embody the late 1960s design aesthetic. The Supper Club and convention center are also examples of 1960s design tied to consumerism and the middle-class culture of recreation and vehicular travel. Landmark designation for 2525 Highlander Place, a property in a Highway Commercial (CH-1) zone, will require Historic Preservation Commission approval of any significant changes to the exterior of the building. Landmark status will also make the property eligible for special exceptions (Section 14-2B-8 of the zoning code) that allow the Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements to help support the continued use of historic buildings. Landmark designation will also make it possible for financial incentives such as tax credits and the Iowa City Historic Preservation Fund to be available. Historic Preservation Commission Review The Historic Preservation Commission met on January 14, 2021 and conducted a public hearing at which they reviewed and evaluated the historic significance of 2525 Highlander Place. The Commission determined that the property meets the requirements for a landmark and voted unanimously to recommend approval of the designation of 2525 Highlander Place as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. The building is significant to Iowa City’s history, architecture, and culture; integrity of location and design; associated with events that have contributed to Iowa City’s history; and embodiment of distinctive characteristics. Additional details are provided in Attachment 2. Planning and Zoning Commission Review Local landmark designation is a zoning overlay and therefore requires a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission to the City Council. The Commission’s role is to review the proposed designation based on its relation to the Comprehensive Plan and proposed public improvements and plans for renewal of the area involved. 2525 Highlander Place is located in the northeast corner of the I-80 and Highway 1 intersection within the North Corridor District of Iowa City, which does not currently have its own adopted district plan. The IC2030 comprehensive plan includes economic development goals related to encouraging the retention and expansion of existing businesses (pg. 31) and improving the environmental and economic health of the community through efficient use of resources (pgs. 33-34). January 15, 2021 Page 2 The Historic Preservation element of the comprehensive plan includes Goal 1: Identify historic resources significant to Iowa City’s Past. Under this goal the Commission is charged with continuing to research and evaluate properties and to pursue local landmark designation when appropriate (pgs. 31-33). The proposed landmark designation conforms with the goals of the comprehensive plan to encourage the retention of businesses and does so through the efficient use of resources by ensuring that an existing structure is re-used. The landmark designation also identifies a historic resource that is not currently protected by landmark designation. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends approval of REZ20-0014, an application to designate 2525 Highlander Place as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from Highway Commercial (CH-1) to CH-1 with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/CH-1). Attachments: 1. Location Map 2. Memo to the Historic Preservation Commission; January 14, 2021 Approved by: ____________________________________________________ Danielle Sitzman, AICP Development Services Coordinator 80WB TO N DODGE ST N D O D G E ST TO 80 WB INTERSTATE 80NDODGESTNDODGESTSBTO80WB N D O D G E S T N B T O 8 0 E B NORTHGATE DR REZ20-0014Highlander Pl Landmarkµ 0 0.06 0.120.03 Miles Prepared By: Joshua EngelbrechtDate Prepared: December 2020 An application submitted by Highlander Hotel, LLC for the rezoning ofapproximately 8.9 acres of property located at 2525 Highlander pl.from Highway commercial (CH-1) to Highway Commercial with a historic district overlay (OHD/CH-1). Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Memorandum Date:January 7, 2021 To:Historic Preservation Commission From:Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner Re:2525 Highlander Place, Highlander Supper Club and Convention Center The applicant, property owner Angela Harrington, has requested that the property at 2525 Highlander Place be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Designation of the property as an Iowa City Historic Landmark will require Commission approval of any significant changes to the exterior of the building. Landmark status will also make the property eligible for special exceptions that would allow the Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements and for State Tax Credit funding of rehabilitation work. As described in the attached Site Inventory Form, the Highlander Supper Club was built in 1967 and the convention center, a part of the original concept, was added in 1973. The original Supper Club is a single-story building to the west end of the complex. The Convention Center addition includes the central section with ballroom, two wings of rooms to the east and the pool and courtyard between them. The brown brick-clad Supper Club features a mansard cornice and stone entry wall. Four steel columns that were original canopy supports also remain. The Convention Center addition is clad in similar brick with a heavy cornice band and a rhythm of large glass sections separated by brick pilasters. The lobby vestibule is clad in the same stone as the entry wall on the earlier Supper Club. The hotel wings have a similar treatment with the lower portion of the wall also clad in brick and the pattern encompassing two stories. The original windows have been replaced. The pool addition has an operable glass wall opening on to a grass courtyard between the hotel wings. A two-story café and penthouse open onto the west end of the pool area as do some of the hotel rooms. This site inventory form evaluates the property according to the National Register criteria as required by the state. Since this property includes the Convention Center as a contributing portion of the building, and it is less than 50 years old, Criteria Consideration G, for properties less than 50 years old, is included in the discussion of the building’s significance. The justification outlined is that the Convention Center was part of the original development project and while it was not built at the same time, it was built soon after. The Convention Center was a necessary addition to continue the viability of the supper club business and was designed to work with the original design. While the local landmark process does not include similar Criteria Considerations, this discussion provides appropriate documentation for the Commission to consider the eligibility of the building as a whole instead of excluding the Convention Center. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 The Commission should determine if the property meets criterion A. and B. and at least one of the criteria C., D., E., or F. for local designation listed below: a. Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture; b. Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship; c. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; d. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; e. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; f. Has yielded or may likely yield information important in prehistory or history. The Site Inventory Form summarizes the cultural importance of the supper club to the Iowa City community and the University of Iowa. These relationships illustrate the importance of the super club in our culture’s recent history. While there have been changes, primarily to the interior finishes, much of the exterior maintains its architectural integrity either visibly or beneath recent alterations which can be reversed. For these reasons, staff finds that this building meets criteria A and B for local landmark designation. The detailed discussion of the development project that resulted in the construction of the Supper Club and the later addition are an example of the inventiveness of late 1960s design and engineering tied to consumerism and the mid-west, middle-class culture of recreation and vehicular travel. Because of this part of the building’s complex history, staff finds that it meets criteria C for local landmark designation. In addition, the use of modern construction materials such as light steel and haydite block, with large expanses of glass, and the entry design of thin columns supporting a heavy canopy all combine to embody the late 1960s design aesthetic. While the west canopy is missing (except for the columns) and the south canopy is obscured beneath modern materials, the changes could be reversed. Interior construction innovations such as the Glu-Lam timbers in the Supper Club and the early enclosed pool remain intact. Because of the integrity of the contemporary design innovations, staff finds that the building meets criteria E for local landmark designation. Based on the information provided in the Site Inventory Form, staff finds that the property meets criteria A, B, C, and E and therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Recommended Motion: Move to approve the designation of 2525 Highlander Place (Highlander Supper Club and Convention Center) as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation: criteria A, B, C, and E. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE IOWA SITE INVENTORY 600 East Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50319 (515) 281-8742 | Fax: (515) 282-0502 www.iowahistory.org/historicpreservation July 2014 JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 1 OF 3 State Inventory Number: __________________________________ New Supplemental 'LJLW6+325HYLHZDQG&RPSOLDQFH5 &1XPEHU ______________________________ 1RQ([WDQW<HDU ______________________ IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM Read the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions carefully, to ensure accuracy and completeness before completing this form. The instructions are available at KWWSZZZLRZDKLVWRU\RUJKLVWRULFSUHVHUYDWLRQVWDWHZLGHLQYHQWRU\DQGFROOHFWLRQVLRZDVLWHLQYHQWRU\IRUPKWPO Basic Information Historic Building Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Other Names: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________ Vicinity County: _____________________ State: _________________ZIP: ____________________________ LEGAL DESCRIPTION Rural Urban Township Name: ______________________________________________ Subdivision: ________________________________________________________________ Township No.: ________________________________________________ Block(s): ___________________________________________________________________ Range No.: ___________________________________________________ Lot(s): ____________________________________________________________________ Section: _____________________________________________________ Quarter: _______________________ of __________________________ &ODVVLȴFDWLRQ A. PROPERTY CATEGORY: B. NUMBER OF RESOURCES (WITHIN PROPERTY): Building(s)If eligible property, enter number of: If non-eligible property, enter number of: District Contributing Noncontributing Site Buildings Buildings Structure Sites Sites Object Structures Structures Objects Objects Total Total C. STATUS OF PROPERTIES LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Listed 'HOLVWHG NHL NPS DOE D. FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT 3URSHUW\FRQWULEXWHVWRD1DWLRQDO5HJLVWHURUORFDOFHUWLȴHGKLVWRULFGLVWULFW Property contributes to a potential historic district, based on professional historic/architectural survey and evaluation. Property does not contribute to the historic district in which it is located. Historic District Name: ________________________________________________ Historic District Site Number: ____________________________________________________ E. NAME OF RELATED PROJECT REPORT OR MULTIPLE PROPERTY STUDY (if applicable) MPD Title: _________________________________________________________ Historical Architectural Database No. ______________________________________________ Highlander Supper Club and Convention Center 2525 Highlander Place Iowa City Johnson Iowa 52245-1111 1 1 1 4 61 JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 2 OF 3 Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________________________________________ County: _______________________________________________ Site Number: ____________________________________________________________________________ District Number: _________________________________________ Function or Use Enter categories (codes and terms) from the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions A. HISTORIC FUNCTIONS B. CURRENT FUNCTIONS Description A. ARCHITECTURAL CLASSIFICATION B. MATERIALS _________________________________________________________________________ Foundation (visible exterior): _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Walls (visible exterior): ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Roof: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Other: ________________________________________________________ C. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION 5 See continuation sheets which must be completed. 6WDWHPHQWRI6LJQLȴFDQFH A. APPLICABLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CRITERIA (mark your opinion of eligibility after applying relevant National Register criteria) &ULWHULRQ$3URSHUW\LVDVVRFLDWHGZLWKVLJQLȴFDQWHYHQWV Yes No More research recommended &ULWHULRQ%3URSHUW\LVDVVRFLDWHGZLWKWKHOLYHVRIVLJQLȴFDQWSHUVRQV Yes No More research recommended Criterion C: Property has distinctive architectural characteristics. Yes No More research recommended &ULWHULRQ'3URSHUW\\LHOGVVLJQLȴFDQWLQIRUPDWLRQLQDUFKDHRORJ\KLVWRU\ Yes No More research recommended B. SPECIAL CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS (mark any special considerations; leave blank if none) A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure. B. Removed from its original location. F. A commemorative property. C. A birthplace or grave. *3URSHUW\OHVVWKDQ\HDUVRISDJHRUDFKLHYHGVLJQLȴFDQFHZLWKLQWKHSDVW\HDUV D. A cemetery C. AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (enter categories from instructions) D. PERIOD(S) OF SIGNIFICANCE ________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ E. SIGNIFICANT DATES F. SIGNIFICANT PERSON (complete if Criterion B is marked above) Construction Date: _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Other Dates (including renovations): ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ G. CULTURAL AFFILIATION (complete if Criterion D is marked above) H. ARCHITECT/BUILDER ________________________________________________________________ Architect: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Builder/Contractor: __________________________________________________ I. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 5 See continuation sheets which must be completed. 2525 Highlander Place Iowa City Johnson 01-Domestic 01D-Transitory Housing 01D01-inn 02G-Restaurant 01-Domestic 01D-Transitory Housing 01D01-inn 09F08-Roadside Commercial 10-concrete 03 Brick 15-Synthetics ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 02 Architecture 1967-1973 1967, 1973 *** David C. Moore, Drew McNamara & Asso. Thompson Construction, Selzer Construction JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 3 OF 3 Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________________________________________ County: _______________________________________________ Site Number: ____________________________________________________________________________ District Number: _________________________________________ Bibliography 5 See continuation sheets for the list research sources used in preparing this form. Geographic Data OPTIONAL UTM REFERENCES See continuation sheet for additional UTM or comments Zone Easting Northing NAD 1. 2. 3. 4. Form Preparation Name and Title: _________________________________________________________________________________________________Date: ___________________________ Organization/Firm: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________________________________________ State: _________________ZIP: ____________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: _____________________________________________ Additional Documentation A. FOR ALL PROPERTIES, ATTACH THE FOLLOWING, AS SPECIFIED IN THE IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM INSTRUCTIONS 1. Map of property’s location within the community. *ORVV\FRORU[SKRWRVODEHOHGRQEDFNZLWKSURSHUW\EXLOGLQJQDPHDGGUHVVGDWHWDNHQYLHZVKRZQDQGXQLTXHSKRWRQXPEHU 3KRWRNH\VKRZLQJHDFKSKRWRQXPEHURQDPDSDQGRUȵRRUSODQXVLQJDUURZVQH[WWRSHDFKSKRWRQXPEHUWRLQGLFDWHWKHORFDWLRQDQGGLUHFWLRQDOYLHZRIHDFKSKRWRJUDSK 4. Site plan of buildings/structures on site, identifying boundaries, public roads, and building/structure footprints. B. FOR ALL STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PART 1 APPLICATIONS, HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND FARMSTEADS, AND BARNS See lists of special requirements and attachments in the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions. 6WDWH+LVWRULF3UHVHUYDWLRQ2ɝFH6+328VH2QO\ The SHPO has reviewed the Site Inventory and concurs with above survey opinion on National Register eligibility: Yes No More research recommended This is a locally designated property or part of a locally designated district. Comments: SHPO Authorized Signature:______________________________________________________________________________Date: ___________________________________ 2525 Highlander Place Iowa City Johnson 15 652128 4616354 15 625324 4616330 15 625296 4616190 15 625138 4616208 James E. Jacobsen September 3, 2020 Des Moines Iowa 50312 historypays@gmail.com 515-274-3625 JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM OF STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE IOWA SITE INVENTORY 600 East Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50319 (515) 281-8742 | Fax: (515) 282-0502 www.iowahistory.org/historicpreservation July 2014 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM – CONTINUATION SHEET Name of Property: ________________________________________________________________________________ Site Number: __________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Related District Number: _________________ City: ____________________________________________________ County: _______________________________ Highlander Supper Club and Convention Center 2525 Highlander Place Iowa City Johnson Refer to continuation sheets, attached. 1 Highland Inn Continuation Pages Description: The Highlander Inn is a substantial motel complex that is located at the intersection of State Highway #1 with Interstate 80, just northeast of Iowa City proper. The building is centered on a nine-acre level site in the northeast corner of that intersection and consists of a mix of one and two-story steel and concrete construction. The original supper club component with a half-basement, occupies the west one-third of the plan, while the more substantial motel addition, consisting of lower-profile ball room, meeting rooms, hallways and support areas with an east end pair of two-story motel rooms is to the east. The wings frame an open-plan enclosed pool area on the west end. The building exterior is brick veneered. The supper club component has a mansard cornice and a stone-faced west entry with remnant portico columns. The current south entrance features an oversized square-cut portico entrance. Paved parking surrounds the building to the north west and south. The courtyard and the property to the east of it are grassed. Figure 7-1: Johnson County Assessor’s property sketch, 2020 Figure 1 depicts the building layout and scale. The extreme western section (83 feet by 105 feet) is the original supper club and its southern plan half is the only basement area (housing one large meeting room, mechanicals and a kitchen area that links upstairs via a dumb waiter). The rest of the building comprises the motel addition. The easternmost portions (BLDG 1 and 2 and ADDN 1) are two stories in height. ADDN 1 contains the pool/court and a two-story west end office area, now a kitchen on the first floor. All of the motel rooms are contained within the twin east wings. The inner rooms of west portions of each of these wings are contained within the pool/courtyard. The exterior building profile is both elongated and low-level in appearance despite the two-story wings. Much of the west half of the building exterior is un-fenestrated and this is particularly the case along the northwest back of the building where kitchens and other support spaces are set opposite the exterior walls. This exterior is wood surfaced. The motel expanses have the expected unbroken cadence of window bands on both floor levels. The only interruption is corner and mid-point exit/entrances. There are two architectural entrance 2 points. The current south entrance consists of a rather blocky portico with substantial-appearing square-cut brick column supports. Here the building exterior is fully glassed on both sides of the entry. The west end entrance, no longer in use has lost its portico but retains its four support columns and its patio surface and what was the original entrance, which is stone-veneered. The east motel end walls are un-fenestrated save for hall windows on each level that are centered on the plan. Within the courtyard, the interior walls of the two wings are banded with window openings on the upper floor, and have paired doors and side windows below. Each room bay front is recessed slightly behind pilasters and an overhanging roof. The east pool/court wall is mostly glass, consisting of operable end overhead doors and two mid-wall inoperable overhead door sections. The building roof profile is rather complex apart from the differing floor levels. Most notably the south entrance, a central hall and the main ball room area have an elevated roof level as does the core of the former west-end supper club. The pool/court roof level is higher than the motel wings. Figure 7-2: Rooftop view of the building looking north (Johnson County Assessor, 2020) (note that the west canopy beams are still in place, pergola-like) Inside, the building layout is both rather straight forward but in some support areas it is a virtual labyrinth of support areas. Figure 7-3 is a largely current summation of the major rom arrangement. All of the kitchen areas are located in the north part of the west end of the plan and this includes space in the basement. The ballroom is the very large area that is north of the south entrance. There is a central hall that is flanked by offices and restrooms (to the east). There is an elongated open plan area in the southeast corner of the west end of the plan. Offices to the east of the south entrance now consist of a small lobby and one office on the east end (the west wall is inscribed with notable guests and entertainers there since 1974). The pool/court is the large rectangle to the right of plan center. The courtyard is to the east of it. 3 Figure 7-3: Building thumbprint plan (Building plans) The structural system is that of thin (four-inch thick) concrete block walls and webbed steel trusses with galvanized steel roofing. The motel wings are roofed using pre-cast concrete slabs (see construction photos, Section 8) All interior ceilings are steel joist framed and perimeter walls are of concrete block construction with exterior brick veneer. Figures 7-4, 7-5: Images showing the ceiling truss system and roofing, 1990 images (Owner scrapbook) The motel rooms are all identical in plan with corner bathrooms set against the halls and paired as shown in Figure 7-3. Some rooms have connective interior doors. Pool/court units have side doors on the ground floor while upper level rooms have doors that lead out to a balcony. 4 Figure 7-6: Dance floor supper club space, looking north (Owner scrapbook) The building material of special interest in the former supper club area is the use of “Glu-Lam” timbers to frame the higher ceiling. All of the heavy structure of the 1966 original building used composite beams but the ceiling open trusses allowed for the open headroom depicted in Figure 7-6. Still in use today, Douglas Fir is a preferred wood type. Haydite block, a light-weight alternative to concrete block, was used in the walls of the original building at least. Figure 7-7: Wall profiles, 1966 plan showing footings (Building plans) 5 Figure 7-8: Profile of Glu-Lam beams, looking north (original plans) The motel addition used Travertine stone to cover the sides of the lobby vestibule and the same stone was observed used as a cladding for the south portico. The current portico might retain this material beneath its existing EFIS covering. Alterations: The alteration history of this building is a complex one given its enlargement and repurposing over time. At the same time, a multi-use building of this type is particularly prone to continual cosmetic make-overs necessary to curry public favor. For this building, the successive re-branding by three national motel chains translated into substantial make-overs. The latter changes have occurred at such a scale as to substantially reduce the chances of retained original finishes and in some instances original room layouts. The integrity section will treat this matter but the bottom line is that integrity will reside largely in the building exterior, massing, exterior and structural materials and systems and in the more monumental interior spaces. The original supper club had three uniquely designed dining rooms and a Banquet Room, Party Room and a cocktail lounge. The convention center added a dining room, the ballroom, a poolside lounge and contained meeting rooms that could suit parties of five to two hundred. The ballroom could serve 750 to 900 in banquet or theater style. Table I: Alterations Summary Date Description Source October 1964 Complete complex conceptual design Site plan, Hansen Lind and Associates Undated Motel and restaurant plans Plan, Hansen, Lind and Meyer Associates July 1966 Original design and construction, Plans, David C. Moore, architect, Black Watch Supper Club July 15, 1966 Plan for Iowa Steel and Iron Works, Cedar Rapids, Thompson Construction Company Jan. 28, 1971 Cocktail lounge addition, not built Plans, Drew McNamara & Associates Nov. 15, 1971 Initial plans, motel addition Plans, Drew McNamara & Associates Dec. 1973 Kitchen enlargement plans ME Engineering & Associates, Bouse, Bradley & Hynes, Cedar Rapids 1973 Plan for a pool house at east end of the courtyard with a triangle-shaped lounge at the west end of the open court Plans, Drew McNamara & Associates Feb. 9, 1975 Outside pool plan (not used) Plans, FPC Equipment Planner, Inc. Memphis 6 Date Description Source Oct. 30, 1979 Remodel dining hall Plans, H. R. Lubben Company May 1980 Main lobby remodel Plans, H. R. Lubben Company June 2, 1981 Supper club south wall bump-out and skylight for lounge, not built Plans Aug. 24, 1982 Hot tub pool addition Plans, Selzer Construction Co., Iowa City Oct. 28, 1982 Remodel supper club, bar area, vaulted ceiling, bar area apparently constructed April 14, 1983, May 18, 1984 Amana display area and poolside “band stand” Plans, J. Pink Oct. 10, 1983 Lobby hallway remodel, construct stained glass interior dome (non-extant) Plans, Selzer Construction Co., Iowa City May 1986 Remodel lobby, bar Dec. 10, 1987 Remodel south pool and bar entrance Plans, Selzer Construction Co., Iowa City 1994 Motel room renovation to a contemporary style with valences, wallpaper, carpet, in-room coffee makers “Main Course”, March 1995 1996 Need for more convention space, eateries reduced to new Prime Grille, new “west ballroom” in former supper club, no more formal dining, chairs on casters, use of more natural light, “casually elegant” dining “Main Course”, Fall 1996 Nov. 14, 1997 Radisson transformation of south entry and interior Plans, Cowetta Seward Asso. Inc. 1998 Automatic door south entry, enlarged lobby, new Italian tile foyer, new mahogany service desk and remodeled lobby, remodeled guest rooms with electronic room locks, larger desks, irons and ironing boards, data ports, voice mail, ballroom given new look with wall coverings, adjustable lighting, room divider to split space, exercise room adjacent to the pool, garden courtyard landscaped with native plants, McGurk’s Pub to east of pool “Main Course”, Fall 1998; Iowa City Press Citizen, October 14, 1998 1999 Just two eateries, McGurk’s Pub and the Prime Grille, return of “old menu.” “Main Course”, Spring 1999 Jan. 3, 2000 $10,000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor July 31, 2000 $,60000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor Feb. 12, 2003 $3,000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor May 24, 2006 $82,676 expenditure Johnson County Assessor Oct. 13, 2008 Quality Inn & Suites remodel, replace pool court east windows Plans, Wilkerson Construction Nov. 26, 2008 $12,000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor April 30, 2009 $7,417 expenditure Johnson County Assessor Jan. 15, 2011 Promised Clarion Motels $250,000 renovation Clarion motel chain, Cedar Rapids Gazette Aug. 31, 2011 $6,000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor Oct. 20, 2011 $25,000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor Oct. 24, 2013 $25,000 expenditure Johnson County Assessor 7 Date Description Source Dec. 2019 Current remodeling, replace pool court east windows, remove bandstand/pergola, eliminate service desk, remodel bar area August 10, 2020 Derecho wind damage removes supper club roof and causes extensive interior water damage Integrity Evaluation: The historical integrity of this building is predominantly expressed by the building massing and exterior brickwork and its entrances. Given the ever-evolving nature of its interior main room remodeling’s, the same is true of its key surviving components, the pool area and motel wings, the ballroom, the original supper club space, the basement Garden Room, the main hallway, south main hall, and the kitchen areas. Its integrity of location is strong given not been moved and it retains the commercial aspects of its site. Integrity of design is good, the original exterior design remaining intact and visually accessible. The original supper club exterior is very much intact, having lost only its wood shingle mansard cladding and the roof portion of its original portico (the four columns curiously survive). The south portico survives though altered in its lower massing but the overall building lines and massing survive. Exterior brickwork and the fenestration patterns on the motel wings survive although the windows have been replaced with inappropriate multi-paned lights. Integrity of setting is strong with the retention of oversized paved parking in three directions and the retention of a mixed retail/office commercial mix of buildings to the east, north and west. The physical proximity of the interstate highway and state highway is retained although tree growth now substantially obscures what was an open exposure. Integrity of materials is good, with the exterior brickwork and mortar being very well preserved, as are the structural components of the whole complex. The original concrete pool survives as does much of the 1973 pool area wall treatment. The more substantial losses are the motel wing windows and the original reception desk. Integrity of workmanship is good, the most visible examples being the brickwork, the supper club ceiling beams, pool, and the building’s structural system. Integrity of feeling is strong given the retention of the building massing, roof lines, points of entry, and key interior spaces (kitchens, pool area, ballroom, halls, motel wings, supper club interior, basement Garden Room). Integrity of association is good to moderate. A former guest or employee could readily find the building, see it as recognizable in its current appearance and find the same feel relative to adjacent properties, and open ground. 8 Historical Significance Evaluation and Recommendation: The Highlander Supper Club and its later iterations is individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places on the local level. It is architecturally significant (Criterion C) as a well-preserved example of its type, the post-World War II supper club. The original building represented the architectural zenith of the building type inasmuch as this was a purpose-built club having a unified theme throughout its history. Its design employed state-of-the-art building materials to realize the vision of its developers. Haydite block was used as a thinner and lighter wall block. Glu-lam beams were used to form the supper club raised roof and Behlen steel was used to achieve the necessary clear spans across the plan. The motel expansion employed one of the earliest enclosed pools. It is historically significant for its long-term successful operation as an interstate highway-based supper club that combined substantial local community support (including sustained associations with the University of Iowa sports programs) with serving as an area entertainment venue. The period of significance is 1967-1973 with the key dates of 1968 and 1973. The supper club and its expanded convention center and motel facilities represented the completion of the original vision of its founders. The added capacity allowed the supper club to survive for decades and made possible a scale of operations that similarly made the business a success as well as a local and regional destination point. The post-expansion history lies outside of the period of significance but it is a testament to the public memory of the Highlander. The convention center-motel-supper club became “one of the most popular venues in the state for meetings, conferences, weddings and just dining out.” For 30 years it hosted the University of Iowa I-Club pre-football home game breakfast events and it was an entertainment venue for a broad range of notable singers. It developed a cooperative working relationship with the nearby Herbert Hoover National Historic Site at West Branch. A three-day series of seminars were held there in early August 1974 as “the Presidency of Herbert Hoover” involving 14 sponsoring colleges and universities. Former president, Gerald Ford participated in a reception in October 1989 as part of another seminar “The Public Life of Former Presidents: Personal Reflections” held at the historic site. An office wall in the motel office was dedicated to serving as a signatory space for notable entertainers, sports figures (primarily golfers) and other luminaries.1 Figure 8-1 summarizes the reaction of locating a supper club a good distance from anywhere, out in the boonies so to speak. Even proximity to the interstate highway was yet to be seen as a locational advantage. Most early supper clubs were rurally located, some distance from yet in proximity to an urban center. Robert McGurk obviously saw what others, even his banker did not, that the finished club/convention center would become a draw in its own right. It would also drive commercial development at the highway intersection in the long term, and that development would provide additional customers to his business. As will be seen, the final pool design was long in coming and a number of alternatives were explored, both inside and outside. Finally, it was decided to build the existing pool complex, doubling what became the pool lounge single-story building and incorporating it into the pool structural system. 1 Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 10, 1974 and National Archives and Records Administration, News from The Archives, Summer 1989, p. 6 9 Figure 8-1: An all-season enclosed pool is the saving factor (Pool News, January 20, 1975) Figure 8-2 explains how the contractor solved the problem of designing an enclosed pool complex that didn’t chlorinate the adjacent motel rooms or melt hairdos with a constant high humidity. The pool structural system, consisting of two steel deck levels separated by four feet, allowed for the installation of HVAC equipment between the roof levels to solve those problems. That same structural system, absent the dual-level component, allowed for the creation of the immense clear span ballroom and other major open areas within the convention center plan. With the exception of the ballroom, these spaces could be readily altered with demising walls and ornamental features as the spatial needs changed.2 2 The Behlen Construction Company, Columbus, Nebraska, first used its double-panel roofing system in October 1959 and trademarked it on July 11, 1961, renewing the registration in 1981. The “dubl panl” trademark continues in use today and can safely 10 Figure 8-2: Behlen Double-Panel (“Dubl-Panl”) steel roof system makes the pool area possible (Behlen Manufacturing Company Spaces Newsletter, page 3, ca.1974) Supper Club Planning and Construction: create clear-spans of 288 feet. The two layers of corrugated steel roofing are braced using light-weight bracing (https://uspto.report/TM/72084507). 11 Figure 8-3: Highland Supper Club location (Building plans) M. Dean Jones (1909-2004) was a landowner whose holdings included much of a developing interstate highway interchange (21.8 acres) that was located just outside of the built-up northeast portion of Iowa City, the county seat of Johnson County. The site was outside of the city when the supper club was built, and it was zoned as residential land when the city annexed it. The inn was grandfathered as a pre-existing “non- conforming use.” A commercial rezoning request wasn’t apparently needed until the operation was expanded to include a motel in 1972. John M. Stevens and Jones partnered in the idea of building a restaurant-supper club and they needed a partner-manager so they recruited John J. “Bob” McGurk (1936-1988). McGurk was involved with operating the Lark Supper Club at Tiffin, in Cedar County, located west of Iowa City, also on Interstate 80. His expertise was actually in bar management and he had co-owned Ted’s Happy Time bar in the early 1950’s in Cedar Rapids prior to his moving to the Tiffin club.3 Supper clubs were the domain of the successful middle class. Akin to private clubs it is noteworthy that the design for the new supper club allowed for no exterior windows. It was a closeted sanctuary. The Highlander also combined prominence with locational privacy. While placed on a visible plateau from the highway and interstate perspective, it was reached by means of a fairly long winding private road. So, it very much resembled a private club siting and architecture. The club entrance did orient west (slightly northwest) towards its highway access and it was positioned on the west end of a slightly raised plateau (Figure 8-3). The initial branding also bespoke both tradition and respectability. The original name was the Black Watch Supper Club., a name that honored the military legacy of a noted Scottish infantry regiment. This name was never publicly promulgated beyond the design table of the first architectural drawings and it was finally replaced with the Highlander name. Sheila Ann McGurk Boyd recalled: I don’t believe either Jones or Stevens had any Scottish roots, but the agreement for dad to come to be a part of the plan was struck on the golf course. All three had a love for golf, so I believe that’s where the Scottish theme started. The Black Watch was a tartan plaid I think what 3 Iowa City Press Citizen, January 10, 1972; Email, Sheila Boyd to James Jacobsen, September 8, 2020. Ellen Dean played a key role in the interior design and designed a waitress uniform that included a tartan sash with broach and a special hat. 12 something they liked so there came the name. However, the 60’s unrest it was decided that that name might be offensive to some, so it changed. The story goes that the land where the supper club was being built was on “high land” and that too was a tartan plaid, so the name was changed. The Black Watch is a basic tartan mix of grouped squares and intersecting lines (akin to a downtown streetscape) that comes in a range of color combinations but greens and blues are the most common.4 Figure 8-4: An example of the Black Watch tartan pattern The developing concept dated back to as early as October 1964 when Iowa City architects Hansen & Lind designed a series of conceptual schemes for a complex that closely envisioned the completed supper club and motel-convention center. Figure 8-5 was labeled “Scheme #6.” It is curious that this plan was the only survivor. It envisioned a north-fronting facility with a series of individual buildings, one of which was labeled administration. The pool(s) were outside, in a courtyard having motel wings on three sides. Figure 5: Site plan for “Motel Development for Iowa City,” October 2, 1964 (Hansen and Lind, Architects, courtesy of Sheila Ann Boyd) 4 Email, Sheila Boyd to James Jacobsen, September 8, 2020 13 Hansen, Lind and Meyer designed a restaurant and motel for the Central Development Corporation, presumably the original corporate entity for the Iowa City partners. The undated plans envisioned most of the fundamental core concepts of what was finally built. At the same time the plan differed considerably, lacking a supper club, having a northwest corner canopy entry, and minimal basement space and a layout with varied floor levels based on the site. What was clearly retained in the final plan were the basic supper club exterior and massing, the west canopy, the basic courtyard with flanking motel room wings and even an enclosed pool. Overall, the first design was a very contemporary one, complete with a bar fireplace and chimney. The partners were Richard Fred Hansen (1932-?), John Howard Lind (1932-?) and Carl Donald Meyer (1932-2004). Meyer joined the partnership in 1963 and his name gets included on the actual plans.5 Figure 8-6: Restaurant (west end) plan for “Motel and Restaurant” (Hansen, Lind and Meyer, Architects Retained features in the as-builts were the west canopy, the basic supper club (restaurant) layout and the east courtyard and twin motel wings. 5 AIA Historical Directory, New Providence: R. R. Bowker, L.L.C., 1970, pp. 374, 545, 617. Moore does not appear in the AIA directories of the period. His 1971 mention credited him with architectural design and the remodel design work entailed a number of themed dining rooms and an entrance lobby (Iowa City Press Citizen, October 19, 1971). 14 Figure 8-7: Three elevation views for “Motel and Restaurant” (Hansen, Lind and Meyer, Architects) The south elevation at the top in Figure 8-7 shows the supper club (west half of the perspective) with its mansard cornice treatment and west canopy and entry. The original plan, also veneered in brick, used pilasters to break up the exterior wall plane and used some sort of vertical interruption (open gutters?) across the mansard cornice. The south wall was much more glassed. Note the changes in floor elevation going west to east. The motel wing fenestration differed with full-length ground level windows and broad spandrels. Figure 8-8: Three elevation views for “Motel and Restaurant” (Hansen, Lind and Meyer, Architects) The middle elevation shown in Figure 8-8 shows the north side of the supper club/restaurant. The lower elevation shows an L-shaped north portico. 15 Figure 8-9: First floor, motel wings and courtyard for “Motel and Restaurant” (Hansen, Lind, and Meyer, Architects) Figure 8-9 shows the elongated courtyard and its enclosure on three sides with motel wings. This element was built and a variety of designs were developed relative to what form the east end of the courtyard would assume. This was never resolved. The original plan made no place for a banquet hall and when the broader convention center was adopted, the pool location was deflected elsewhere as will be seen. The original plan can be said to have broadly defined what the actual supper club and finally the rest of the facility would look like. In some manner, the original architects dropped out of the project and a very obscure local designer took over. Figure 8-10: David C. Moore is named as architect/designer on the 1966 plans (Highlander Archives) David C. Moore is not identified as an architect per se. He does not appear in the American Institute of Architects directories and is not otherwise documented for any other original work. The sole found reference to him dates to late 1971 when he redesigned the interior of the Ming Garden Chinese Restaurant in Coralville as the David C. Moore Design Center (aka “Waterfall Construction”). Moore also documented his role in his sketch for the new supper club, a framed copy of which is on display at the Highlander. 16 Figure 8-11: Architect’s sketch, David C. Moore, 1966, looking northeast (Owner’s framed image) As Figure 8-11 shows, the blank brick walls of the club were festooned with angled gas-lights, as was the approach lane from the west. This feature was lost in the summer of 1980 (or some of the lamps were electrified) when a federal law forbade gas-powered outdoor lighting due to a gas shortage.6 Figure 8-12: The original building footprint and siting (Building plans) In July 1966 David C. Moore as noted, drew the elevation sketches of the planned supper club building but he is not identified as being an architect. Thompson Construction of Iowa City and Davenport was the general contractor. 6 Iowa City Press Citizen, December 4, 1979 17 Figure 8-13: Original supper club and parking plan, 1966 (Building plans) Figure 8-13 shows the supper club portion with its westward orientation relative to its approach and parking areas. The curious curved east wall survives today and locates the east stairway that was added just north of it with the 1973 expansion. Figure 8-14: Original supper club basement plan, 1966 (Building plans) 18 The feature of interest in the original basement was an interior rock garden at the base of the east steps. Figure 8-15: Original supper club first floor plan, 1966 (Building plans) The seven Glu-Lam girders were placed west to east across the west center section of the supper club. The lounge was centered along the south wall and a “party room” in the southeast corner. A rounded coffee shop was in the northeast corner and its arched wing explains why the east side of the original supper club had this curved wall (still extant). The role of the supper club as a national entertainment venue and a preferred event venue for University of Iowa sports and other related events post-dated the original building. McGurk daughter Sheila Boyd recalls: I think it was primarily after the motel with banquet space was built…The I-Club breakfasts and many large functions put on by the university came to the Highlander because we had one of the largest banquet spaces in town, with the exception of the Iowa Memorial Union and parking was always an issue there. Seriously, bragging a bit, we were very good at hosting large groups, both in service and quality of food. This also explains why the developers didn’t simply acquire and expand an existing area supper club. That option, lacking room for expansion, fell short of the long-term scale that was envisioned.7 7 Email, Sheila Boyd to James Jacobsen, September 8, 2020 19 Figure 8-16: The supper club and filling station looking south (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd)8 Sheila Boyd also recalled at what point the “super club” function ceased. She stated “I believe that the type of supper club dining was losing favor with the public in the mid 80’s. In the early 80’s we still had small trio play on the lounge and people would eat as late 10 pm. We kept the menu, and as much of the ambiance until the late 90’s.”9 Figures 8-17, 8-18: Left, aerial photo, late 1950s showing site as farmland; Right, 1963-64 S grading of interstate and new Highway #1 approaches (Iowa Geographic Map Server)10 8 The filling station parcel was sold to Sunray DX Oil Company July 31, 1966 and was operated by them and then the Kron family until it returned to the ownership of the subject property owners (as B J Partnership) at the end of 1986 (Property Abstract). 9 Ibid. 10 It is surprisingly difficult to place completion dates on this highway work but the right of way land condemnation was only recorded in the property abstract on August 8, 1963. 20 Figures 8-19: Ca.1970’s completed supper club and filling station to the north (Iowa Geographic Map Server) Figure 8-20: The remodeled supper club sign, 1969 (courtesy of the owner)11 11 Nesper Sign Advertising did a remodeling plan for the original sign, dated July 3, 1969 (Highlander Construction Documents) 21 Figure 8-21: West supper club frontage, 1974 (March 1974 Cedar Rapids telephone book advertisement) Figure 8-21 offers the most detailed view of what the club façade, roofline and portico looked like. Of special interest is the row of presumed transom windows that would have lit the club interior with evening light. The other key feature is the relatively light structure of the portico. Its reversed mansard sidewalls would have captured snow and rain. Highlander Partnership leased the motel from Highlander, Inc., paying $40,000 in rent and half of the pre-tax supper club income. The tenants paid taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. The initial ten-year lease expired on May 15, 1977 and had renewal options (ten years, two five-year terms). Highlander Partnership was relatively debt-free but Highlander, Inc. owed $260,000, with the supper club as collateral for $160,000 of that amount. The 1970 Highland Partnership financial report contained a few references of interest. Hail damage in 1969 cost $769. Operating costs included those of a private well and sign rental.12 Table 1: Supper Club operational costs, 1968-1970 1968 1969 1970 Operating expenses 253,761 301,866 310,236 Entertainment costs 19,170 41,866 36,452 Gross profit 663,342 775,317 786,220 Income from dinners 461,905 527,425 533,509 Building value (pre-depreciation) 320,104 321,079 321,079 Furniture, equipment, etc. (pre-depreciation) 83,025 85,531 89,394 Affiliate revenue (rent, profits percentage) 75,016 84,730 91,128 The Motel Expansion: The larger facility was as noted, conceptualized as early as late 1964. Detailed planning began to expand the supper club business in 1971 and by the fall of 1972 it was announced that a motel and convention center would be constructed to the east of the inn. The accommodations were to be “above average” to meet the 12 “Highland, Inc. Highland Partnership. Financial Reports, December 31, 1970.” 22 standards of “both businessmen and vacationers, and for residents of Iowa City and the surrounding area.” The 100-unit motel would feature color television, twin queen-sized beds and in-room heating and cooling units. Meeting rooms, banquet and ball rooms would have an upper capacity of 590 attendees. Additional kitchen space, a courtyard cocktail lounge, piano bar and a coffee shop were planned. What turned out to be the “dynamic” aspect of the plan was the pool location and the motel wing design itself. The early concepts envisioned a combination of an enclosed pool, a wading pool, a hydrotherapy pool and a sauna room. Figure 8- 7 depicts one early design, with a U-shaped motel section on the east end and the pool components being housed inside the east end of the open court area. Other plan variations omitted the easternmost two-story section and connected the two wings with a pagoda-like pool enclosure. In the end, the existing building was erected with the pool “court” being located across the west half of the court, and the court itself left open to the east, in anticipation of future additions. The promised 100-room count finally did transpire, reduced by just four units.13 The business expansion mandated a new corporate structure having the three original partners as its directors. Titled Highlander Inn, Inc. the new corporation dated from September 29, 1972 and offered 10,000 $100.00 shares to investors.14 Figures 8-22, 8-23: Two east end motel designs, fall 1970 A remarkable range of convention center/motel designs were devised, in at least three serious alternative concepts. That reflected in Figure 8-24 was certainly the most unconventional with its twin east “towers” with pie-shaped rooms (somewhat reflective of the then-popular open-plan classrooms. 13 Iowa City Press Citizen, January 10, 1972 14 Iowa City Press Citizen, October 27, 1972. The 1970 financial report however noted that20,000 shares at $100 per share were authorized, but just 60 shares had been issued. The new corporation presumably planned to improve on that. 23 Figure 8-24: A sketch of the Figure 8-23 plan, looking northwest Figure 8-25, 8-26: Variations on twin opposing canopied entries, dated November 11 and 21, 1971 These two plans replaced the west supper club entrance and focus with dual monumental entrances. Figure 8-26 angled off of the original supper club and in both plans, the club was simply appended to in awkward fashion. Note that both plans alternated the motel room entrances as did Figure 8-27. Figure 8-27: Architect’s sketch, 1972, looking northeast (note the elevated motel sign left of center)15 15 Iowa City Press Citizen, January 10, 1972 24 The angled plan (Figure 8-26) must have been seriously considered since the architects also did the sketch (Figure 8-27). Figure 8-28: Another alternative plan The Figure 8-28 alternative dropped the north entry, shortened the courtyard, added a triangular bar and centered the ball room on the plan. Figure 8-29: The first plan with a pool 25 The plan envisioned in Figure 8-29 closely approximated the one that was finally built. The pool was in the plan. Mid-point halls and stairs were in the motel wings. The ballroom gravitated north (although there was a minor north-side entry) and overall, the addition was better integrated with the supper club. The south canopy was not a porte cochere and notice how the south motel wing projected south so as to extend beyond it. Figure 8-30: Early motel addition plan, 1973 (Building plans) Figure 8-30 shows a near-final variation of early plan options with a pool pagoda and a triangular bar inset into the east courtyard. The image nicely distinguishes the supper club proper from the addition and shows the core plan and roof profile as actually built. The Architects, Drew McNamara and Associates: Having a proven track record for hiring obscure designers [Richard] Drew McNamara and Associates, not architects, of Iowa City, were selected to design the convention center-motel addition. McNamara was born in Washington, Iowa in 1918, the son of Jay J. and Edna S. Dempsey McNamara. His family relocated to Iowa City in 1824 and acquired the White Furniture Company. Drew studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and spent a summer working with Peter Visser (1892-1979) said at the time to be “an internationally known Chicago designer.” Drew headed the family’s design department and his first major job was designing a “sleepshop” model for the national Burton Dixie Mattress Company. He founded McNamara’s Homemakers House Cedar Rapids by 1948 and had branches in Iowa City and by 1950, but was already working on a regional basis by then as Figure 8-31 shows (and with a sizeable workforce). “Drew McNamara and Associates” was also established at this same time.16 16 No other “associates” are identified but his wife, Catherine Marie McNamara (1918-1974) is said to have served as his assistant (Des Moines Register, January 25, 1992). Marion Sentinel, January 29, 1948 26 Figure 8-31: Drew McNamara’s professional profile, 1950 (Des Moines Tribune, November 22, 1950) Figure 8-32: Drew (second from the left) with his brothers and father (all Jay’s) (Iowa City Press Citizen, October 1, 1935) McNamara relocated from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City in 1950 and then moved to Des Moines in 1974. The Des Moines newspapers of the 1950’s though clearly show him as moving in the higher social circles and enjoying a dominant reputation as an interior designer. He was designing interiors for dance studios, residences, restaurants, theaters (the Capital in Iowa City) business buildings and motels. His most prestigious interior work was his role as a consultant to the architect of the new Des Moines Airport terminal in 1951, where he also secured the contracts for most of the interior design work. By 1953 he was edging into exterior design and whole-building design work. He transformed a former tourist camp in East Des Moines into a modern motel and it received a “motel of the month” award from United Courts Magazine. He designed an 27 entire hotel for John Compiano in Des Moines in 1962 and a “Mount Vernon-like” addition for the J and K Motel there in 1964. Parkway Inns of Des Moines had him design the interior (including a pool room and banquet hall) for their new Beaumont Motor Inn in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1965. McNamara designed the interior and exterior for Babe’s Restaurant in Des Moines in 1966. His known whole building design work dates from 1956 with a 24-building Lake Okoboji resort in Dickinson County. The University Athletic Club (1958) was loosely evocative of his Highlander design, more in its complex interior. It was a split-level layout that combined private club rooms, basement locker rooms, three dining rooms and a large banquet room with an outside pool.17 Figure 8-33: University of Iowa Athletic Club, Finkbine Golf Course (Iowa City Daily Iowan, July 1, 1958) Figure 8-34: Williams, McWilliams and Hart law offices, 2130 Grand Avenue, Des Moines (looking southwest) (Des Moines Register, January 4, 1970) What appears to be the zenith of his whole building design work is the office building at 2130 Grand Avenue in Des Moines (Figure 8-35). He was the architect working with structural engineers [Carlyle W.] Peterson and [Donald W.] Appel. The 12,000 square foot plan cost $222,000 and had a white-painted brick exterior.18 17 Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 29, 1954; June 27, July 8, 1958; July 17, 1963; Iowa City Press Citizen, February 3, 1947; Iowa City Daily Iowan, July 1, 1958 and the Des Moines Register, May 22, 1968; https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GW6W- 3TH; Des Moines Register, December 3, 1950; July 12, 1951; April 12, 1953; May 7, 1962; November 4, 1964; August 22, 1965 18 Des Moines Tribune, July 22, 1969; Des Moines Register, January 4, 1970. The McNamara family suffered numerous major setbacks. The family furniture store was sold for payment of debts in 1964 and Drew’s companies were closely intertwined with it. The family lost a daughter at the age of 37 in 1974 and Catherine McNamara’s obituary makes no reference to her husband (Cedar Rapids Gazette, February 20, 1964; Des Moines Register, December 4, 1974; January 25, 1982). 28 The Selzer Construction Company had the general construction contract. The original estimated new construction cost was $1 million and the building permit was reported as undefined “new commercial with that amount of value at the end of October 1972. Selzer was affiliated with both the Behlen and Chief metal building companies and had a well-established reputation for designing and building custom metal buildings. For the supper expansion the need was that of extensive clear span interior spaces that could remain open in plan (the ballroom) or which could be subdivided without concern for intrusive columns or load-bearing walls. As the building’s final design was formalized, Behlen came to the rescue by making the pool enclosure structurally possible and successful. Equipment Planners, Moline, Illinois coordinated the design and the subcontracts with a nationally distributed range of fabricators.19 Figure 8-35: North end elevation and south end elevation sketches, 1971 (Drew McNamara and Associates) One presumed supper club alteration was the addition of a lounge along its south wall. The architect termed it an addition and included new south elevations showing a presumably elongated frontage. However, the volume of the original supper club does not appear to have been enlarged (see Figure 8-37) and the south façade as shown exactly mirrors that which is present today. No construction photos show any southward extension. There was related interest in doing a centered bump-out with a skylight as a part of the lounge plan but this was not done. Most likely, the lounge was constructed within the confines of the supper club footprint. 19 Iowa City Press Citizen, October 31, 1972; https://chiefbuildings.com/; http://behlenbuildingsystems.com/. Both companies continue in business today. Behlen Building Systems is located at Columbus, Nebraska and Chief Metal Buildings is at Grand Island, Nebraska. Drew McNamara was also a partner of the Red Carpet Ranch nightclub, located next to the Ranch Supper Club at Cou Falls, outside of Iowa City, as of 1962-1964 (Cedar Rapids Gazette, March 24, 1964). 29 Figure 8-36: Lounge addition, 1971 (Drew McNamara and Associates) Figure 8-37: Selzer Construction Company advertisement (Iowa City Press Citizen, October 17, 1979) 30 The complete financial records for the building addition survive and these provide important insights to the difficulties that the builders faced and the dynamic nature of the evolving building layout. Figures 8-38, 8-39: Construction photos; Left, looking southwest, supper club and sign, right, south motel wing looking west, both November 1972 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-38 and 8-39 underscore the unobstructed view between the interstate and the supper club. The original sign was just 36.6 feet high but sufficed to be seen from the traffic to the south. Figures 8-40, 8-41: Construction photos; Left, looking west, supper club and sign, note footings and new south entry, right, supper club original north wall looking southwest, both December 1972 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 31 Figures 8-42, 8-43: Construction photos; Left, looking northeast, precast hollow floor panels, right, load of panels, looking northeast, both December 1972 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-44: Construction photos, lower level of south motel wing decked, looking northeast, both December 1972 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) There were several references to “unforeseen weather” during the surveying and grading phase of work and no construction progress photos survive from January-April 1973. Snow removal cost an impressive $1,723. Table 2 tabulates the project costs as of the end of October 1973. Change orders and new items are endemic to construction work. In this case, the percentage of change orders vis-à-vis the contract (Table 2) was 28 percent. The largest change order was the complete re-planning of the swimming pool and its enclosure, the substantial repaving (all of the original parking was asphalt paved) to the north of the motel when that grade was determined to be too high. Not included in Table 2 was the courtyard work ($9,064) accomplished by late April 1974 which entailed substantial filling, grading and 623 square yards of four-inch thick asphalt paving covered with green astro turf. 32 Table 2: Construction costs to October 1973 Cost Area Cost Construction Loan $1,800,000 Original contract $699,887 Change Orders $196,300 The Highlander 20 $774,761 New items $66,060 Total $1,837,700 Figures 8-45, 8-46: Construction photos, left, infill to the east of the supper club, looking west, and right, same, looking northwest, both May 1973 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-47, 8-48: Construction photos, left, roof framing and wall details, looking west, and right, veneer work on south motel wing, south facade, looking east, both May1973 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 20 This category presumably isolates expenses within the existing supper club and might include the north kitchen addition. 33 Figures 8-49, 8-50: Construction photos; left, hall roof framing and wall details, looking north, May1973; and right, pouring concrete, upper level, south side of north motel wing, looking southeast, June 1973 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-51, 8-52: Construction photos, left, first floor of pool bar complete, looking northwest, and right, steel framing for pool roof, looking northeast, both June 1973 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-53, 8-54: Construction photos, left, finished pool housing, looking west, right, steel framing for south portico, looking north, both June 1973 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 34 Figures 8-55, 8-56: Construction photos, left, original windows, south motel wing, looking southeast, August 1973; and right, second floor on pool bar, completed steel pool housing, looking west, September 1973 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-57, 8-58, 8-59: Various symbolic motifs employed by the supper club (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-60: First “Grand Buffet” (not the first use) in the Grand Ballroom, August 1974 21 21 Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 12, 1974 35 Figure 8-38 depicts the original supper club sign located immediately south of the supper club. The expansion warranted a revised sign that highlighted the added lodging. Several competing advertising firms produced a broad range of new sign concepts between March and November 1973. In late June the original sign designer Nesper encouraged the owners to act quickly to place a taller sign alongside the interstate before a new sign ordinance limited these to 35 feet in height. Figure 8-40 depicts the renaming from supper club to inn and a proposed height increase from 36.5 feet to 49.33 feet. Figure 8-41 shows that the wording was changed but that the original sign was simply relocated closer to the interstate. Figure 8-61: Inn sign redesign, ca.early 1974 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-62: New ca.1975 interstate highway sign, looking northwest (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 36 Figure 8-63: June 1973 site plan and proposed sign relocation (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) The Highlander was directly associated with the Amana VIP Golf Tournament from 1974 until 1990 when it ended. Amana Refrigeration Company president George Forestner conceived of this event as a means of company promotion. The first event was held in 1974 at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, but the hard to reach site was switched to the Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City the next year. The Iowa City Holiday Inn housed the tournament through 1973 by which time it was inadequate. The timing of the Highlander expansion was perfect and it and the adjacent Howard Johnson motel, just south across the interstate, would be completely sold out for the event beginning in 1974. The Amana company dominated the occasion, provided gifts and at one point constructed a temporary appliance display in the convention center. Amana sales managers were paired with the elite golfers. The tournament was the leading funder for the University of Iowa athletic scholarship and the largest funding source of women’s collegiate sports at the university.22 22 Cedar Rapids Gazette, November 20, 1973; May 6, 1976; June 30, 1982. 37 Figure 8-64: Drawing by K. E. Gilbert, Hoffmaster Design Studio, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1984 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-65, 8-66: Left, “One of Iowa’s finest restaurants” (Cedar Rapids Gazette, December 21, 1984); and right, restaurant review (Des Moines Register, October 10, 1980) 38 Figure 8-67: Promotional event item, undated (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-68, 8-69: Left, convention/motel layout, 1995, and right, RJ’s Lounge (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) The 1995 floorplan shows a largely open plan around the ballroom. The King’s Garden Lounge was the sole east-end amenity. To the west was the restaurant with its five subsections. A small sales office was at the west end of the south motel wing. The Garden Room was in the basement level of the original supper club. Bob McGurk died both young and unexpectedly in 1988. By this time, he had presumably bought out his two partners and his family had increasingly become involved in running the inn-motel business. His widow Leona was the chief operating officer, aided by three daughters, Sheila, Debbie and Mary Frances and over time their husbands (Bill Boyd for Sheila, Mike Jensen for Fran). Formally organized as “Group Five Hospitality” and a division of the corporation, the group established T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant franchises, the first in Rockford, Illinois in November 1992. At the same time, they acquired the Howard Johnson motel that was located on the southwest corner of the same highway-interstate and rebranded it as a Country Inn. Two commercial operations were owned on the highway west of the inn, the Express Shop convenience service 39 station and store and an adjacent Express Wash. In early 1993 the group determined that they could replace The Highlander Inn restaurant with one of their restaurants. Structural and mechanical obstacles developed and the concept was deferred finally to 1995, and was finally dropped. The inn portico was a casualty of this planned development, being removed while curiously retaining the four support columns.23 Figure 8-70: Planned T.G.I. Friday west end addition and other associated changes not built, August 25, 1994 (Building plans) Figure 8-70 shows where the new restaurant was to have been built. A south banquet center entry was also planned along with two other corner bump-outs. The poolside lounge does appear to have been converted into a meeting room on the ground level. The proposition provides a snapshot of the inn operation as of early 1993. The restaurant franchise was thought to be a cut above fast food at a time when diners “no longer have the time to linger over a protracted supper club dinner.” Still called the Highlander Inn and Supper Club, it employed 140 persons and it was promised that the T.G.Y. Friday restaurant deal would somehow add 40 to 100 additional workers. The restaurant would seat 240 persons a figure that matched the existing supper club capacity. Traditional inn menu favorites (“steaks, cinnamon rolls” etc.) would be retained. The other major functional change would be the closing of the coffee shop and its conversion into additional banquet space. In November 1992 the corporation had acquired a competing interchange and that operation had an attached Country Inn franchise (likely a model for the new Highlander arrangement). It became a Country Inn motel.24 An inn newsletter, the “Main Course” was initiated in March 1995 to promote special events, and even shared recipes and inn staff news. The annual schedule was dominated by holiday-based buffets (Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving) and the late November Mercy Hospital Festival of Trees. 23 Iowa City Press Citizen, February 28, 1994 24 Cedar Rapids Gazette, April 15, 1993 40 Families with overflow occupancy at Christmas could pay for one motel room and get an adjacent one for free.25 Three successive national motel chains acquired, remodeled and disposed of the complex. The Radisson franchise came first in 1997. In early 2002, SRC Investments foreclosed on the property when the owners defaulted on $10.3 million loan debt. The operating name was “The Radisson on Highlander Plaza” and it finally eclipsed the “Highland Inn and Convention Center” title. Quality Inn was the next franchise/tenant followed by the Clarion in 2011. The operation was clearly rather marginal by 2016 when a carpet cleaning company took the Clarian managers to district court to obtain payment of a $1,184 cleaning bill. A & B of Iowa sold the property to the Posh Hotel LLC by contract with ownership taking place in August 2011. They incurred a tax debt against the state but the title was cleared by December 2019 for a purchase by The Bohemian Iowa City LLC.26 Figure 8-71: Radisson remodeling plans, 1997 (Building plans) 25 “Main Course”; March, June, October 1995; Spring, Fall, 1996; Spring 1997; Fall 1998 and Fall 1999 26 Cedar Rapids Gazette, December 20, 1997. This was the last use of the Highlander Inn and Convention Center name and Property Abstract. 41 Figures 8-72, 8-73: Left, Radisson south portico remodeling plans, 1997, Right, newly configured south portico, looking northwest (Building plans; Iowa City Press Citizen, October 14, 1998) Complex Photo Essay: Figure 8-74: Original promotional brochure, 1975 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 42 Figure 8-75: 1982 Amana VIP golf tournament photo showing original south doors, looking northwest (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-76: The original motel main desk, looking northwest (Building scrap books) Figure 8-77: The hallway outside of the ball room (double doors), ca.1975, looking northeast (Building scrap books) 43 Figures 8-78, 8-79: Ca.1975 view of carpeted pool court (note no upper level balconies), Tudor motif, looking northwest (owner scrapbook) This is the original appearance of the pool court. There were no poolside balconies and there were several ancillary pools north of the main pool. The centered component to the left housed the pool bar on the downstairs and featured Tudor arched windows and a faux half-timber stuccoed effect, much of which survives. A near full-length awning covered the lounge front. The deck was covered with a green astro turf. There was also a painted shuffleboard court. Figure 8-80, 8-81: Knight’s Poolside Lounge, two views (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) The Knight’s Lounge had the Black Watch tartan pattern and the awning with its angled spear supports mirrored the exterior awning to the east in the pool area. 44 Figure 8-82: The Royal Scot, ca.1975, looking southeast (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) The Royal Scot was outside the original supper club (to the west of the main hall, it became the Prime Grille). Note the carpet pattern. A hallway ran along the south wall beyond the arched windows in this view. Figures 8-83, 8-84: The King Arthur Grille (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd)27 27 The King Arthur Grille started out as the supper club’s coffee shop and was succeeded by the Mirror Room (Sheila Boyd). It has the distinctive rounded corner wall, an original feature of the supper club east wall. 45 Figures 8-85, 8-86: The Red Room (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd)28 Figure 8-87: The west supper club entrance, looking southwest (note the chain curtains) (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-88, 8-89: The Supper Club Lounge (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd)29 28 This is presumably the north part of the original supper club (see Figure 87 which shows the club’s west entrance). 29 This is the south half of the original supper club area. 46 Figure 8-90: Original Piper’s Ballroom, looking southest (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-91;8-92: Decorative motifs in the motel rooms (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 47 Figure 8-93: 1975 Ford Granada afloat in the pool, looking northeast (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-94: 1975 Ford Granada afloat in the pool, looking northeast (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 48 Figure 8-95: 1975 Ford Granada afloat in the pool, looking east (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-96: 1975 Ford exhibition in the pool area, looking north (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 49 Figure 8-97: Ford 1975 exhibition in the court area, looking north, looking northwest (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figures 8-98. 8-99: Ford 1975 exhibition in the court area, both views looking northwest (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 50 Figure 8-100: South portico, signage, looking east, ca.1975 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-101: Overview, looking northwest (helicopter in Figure 8-77 visible far left), ca.1975 (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 51 Photo 8-102: Aerial view, looking east, ca.1975 (Highlander Archives) Figure 8-103: Pool area, May 1981, looking north (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 52 Figure 8-104: Pool area, May 1981, looking northeast (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-105: Carpeted pool court, note additional awnings, bandstand, and the presence of added north side upper level balconies, 1984, looking north (owner scrapbook) 53 Figure 8-106: Removal of carpet in pool court, note additional awnings, bandstand, and presence of upper level balconies, 1984, looking southwest (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-107: Tiled floor installed in the pool court, 1984, looking east (owner scrapbook) 54 Figure 8-108: Tiled floor installed in the pool court, 1984, looking southwest (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-109: Demolition of west inn entrance, 1996, looking east (owner scrapbook)30 30 The structural beams and columns were left in place and are visible in the current county assessor’s aerial photo (Figure 2). This resulted in an open pergola effect, which explains why the columns survive today) 55 Figure 8-110: Former Royal Scot Dining room, note faux mansard, stained glass, wainscot, looking southeast, 1996 (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-111: Former Royal Scot Dining room, note faux mansard, pointed arch windows with stone infill, stained glass, wainscot, 1996, looking south (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-112: Interior view, showing lamps and wood trim, 1996 (owner scrapbook) 56 Figure 8-113: Constructing arches in main hallway, looking north (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-114: Ballroom dance, 1996 (owner scrapbook) Figure 9-115: Interior view showing former supper club exterior window, looking southwest, 1996 (owner scrapbook) 57 Figure 8-116: Original east pool/court windows, looking northwest looking southwest, 1996 (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-117: Removal plan for west portico, January 17, 1996 (Building plans) Figure 8-118: Radisson remodeling of the south portico, 1997, looking northeast (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 58 Figure 8-119: Radisson remodeling of the south portico, 1997, looking northwest (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) Figure 8-120: Radisson remodeling, south wall of south wing, 1997, looking northeast (Courtesy of Sheila Boyd) 59 Figure 8-121: McGurk’s Pub (former Knight’s Lounge), looking northeast towards the pool (Iowa City Press Citizen, October 14, 1998) Figure 8-122: Highlander Prime Grille, looking northeast 31 (Iowa City Press Citizen, October 14, 1998) 31 The Prime Grille replaced the Royal Scot and the location is east of the present bar area. 60 Figure 8-123: Highlander Prime Grille (Iowa City Press Citizen, October 14, 1998) Figure 8-124: Clarion motel era photo, pool, 2011, looking southwest (note additional ceiling lighting) (https://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/216010/Reservations-Clarion-Highlander-Hotel-Conference-Center- Iowa-City-2525-North-Dodge-St-52245#HotelName) 61 Figure 8-125: Clarion motel era photo, pool, 2011, looking southwest (https://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/216010/Reservations-Clarion-Highlander-Hotel-Conference-Center- Iowa-City-2525-North-Dodge-St-52245#HotelName) Figure 8-126: Radisson/ Clarion motel era photo, front desk, 2011, looking northwest (https://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/216010/Reservations-Clarion-Highlander-Hotel-Conference-Center- Iowa-City-2525-North-Dodge-St-52245#HotelName) 62 Figure 8-127: Radisson/Clarion motel era photo, main hall inside of south entrance, 2011, looking northwest (https://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/216010/Reservations-Clarion-Highlander-Hotel-Conference-Center- Iowa-City-2525-North-Dodge-St-52245#HotelName) Figure 8-128: Clarion motel era photo, meeting room (just outside of the northeast corner of the supper club), 2011, looking southwest (https://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/216010/Reservations-Clarion-Highlander- Hotel-Conference-Center-Iowa-City-2525-North-Dodge-St-52245#HotelName) 63 Figure 8-129: East pool/court windows, October 30, 2019, looking west (owner scrapbook) (the trees are outside of the court) Figure 8-130: Pool court, looking north (Cedar Rapids Gazette, January 10, 2020) 64 Figure 8-131: Radisson/Clarion ballroom, looking southwest (Cedar Rapids Gazette, January 10, 2020) Figure 8-132: East court, looking east (Cedar Rapids Gazette, January 10, 2020) 65 Figure 8-133: East court, looking north (Cedar Rapids Gazette, January 10, 2020) Figure 8-134: South wing, south entrance, October 30, 2019, looking north west (owner scrapbook) Figure 8-135: South entrance, looking northwest (Boutique News, November 15, 2019) 66 Photo 8-136: Rehabilitation of the pool area, December 2020, looking southwest Biography: Bowker, R. R., AIA Historical Directory, New Providence: R. R. Bowker, L.L.C., 1970 Boyd, Shelia. Emailed communications, September-October 2020 Building Plans Building scrapbooks (three photo albums, property of the Highlander) Highland, Inc. Highland Partnership. Financial Reports, December 31, 1970 Highlander Archives, Sheila Boyd Newspaper articles as cited in the text Original Plans: This is a rather impressive array of original and subsequent plans, property of the Highlander Property Abstract Clarion Hotel: https://www.hotelplanner.com/Hotels/216010/Reservations-Clarion-Highlander-Hotel- Conference-Center-Iowa-City-2525-North-Dodge-St-52245#HotelName) (accessed October 15, 2020) Family Search, Richard Drew McNamara: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GW6W-3TH (accessed October 30, 2020) 67 Additional Information: Figure 10-1: Scaled detailed site map with property line overlay, looking northwest (Iowa Geographic Map Server, 2020) Figure 10-2: Scaled regional map with property line overlay, looking northwest (Iowa Geographic Map Server, 2020) 68 Figure 10-3: Assessor’s aerial photo with property line overlay, looking northwest (Johnson County Assessor, 2020) Figure 10-4: Parcel Map, Second Addition (Property Abstract) Highlander Part One Photo Map: November 1, 2020 Photo Map: Highlander Part One Photos: August 4, 2020 Photo Number 1: Description: Supper club entrance looking southeast Photo Number 2: Description: Supper club entrance looking east, note support pillars for porte cochere Photo Number 3: Description: Supper club entrance detail, looking east Photo Number 4: Description: Supper club entrance detail, looking east Photo Number 5: Description: Supper club southwest corner, looking northeast Photo Number 6: Description: Motel addition, south entrance, looking north Photo Number 7: Description: Motel addition, south entrance detail, looking north Photo Number 8: Description Motel addition, south entrance and offices, looking north: Photo Number 9: Description: Motel addition, south wing, looking north Photo Number 10: Description: Motel addition, south wing, looking north Photo Number 11: Description: Motel addition, east end wall of the south wing, looking west Photo Number 12: Description: Motel addition, courtyard, looking northwest Photo Number 13: Description: Motel addition, north wing, looking south Photo Number 14: Description: Motel addition, west end of the north wing and supper club (right), looking south Photo Number 15: Description: Supper club, northwest corner and west front, looking south Photo Number 16: Description: Supper club, north side of entrance wing and west front, looking south Photo Number 17: Description: Supper club, north side of entrance wing and west front, looking southeast Photo Number 18: Description: Supper club dance floor area, looking north Photo Number 19: Description: Supper club dance floor area, looking west Photo Number 20: Description: Supper club west basement stairs, looking northwest Photo Number 21: Description: Supper club entrance, window arcade above west basement stairs, looking northwest Photo Number 22: Description: Supper club basement meeting room, looking northeast Photo Number 23: Description: Supper club west basement mechanicals, looking west Photo Number 24: Description: Supper club west basement stairs, looking northeast Photo Number 25: Description: Supper club east basement stairs, looking east Photo Number 26-27: Description: Left, basement dumb waiter in kitchen, looking northeast; right, curved wall atop east basement stairs, looking northeast Photo Number 28: Description: Curved wall atop east basement stairs, looking north Photo Number 29: Description: Motel addition, bar which serves as the desk, looking northwest Photo Number 30: Description: Motel addition, hall inside south entrance, looking north Photo Number 31: Description: Motel addition, east (south wing) hallway, south entrance to the right, looking east Photo Number 32: Description: Motel addition, wall used for dignitary signatures, 1974 plus, looking southwest Photo Number 33: Description: Motel addition, south entrance foyer, travertine wall covering, looking northeast Photo Number 34: Description: Motel addition, south entrance foyer, travertine wall covering, looking west Photo Number 35: Description: Motel addition, main office and small lobby to the east of the south entrance, looking southwest Photo Number 36: Description: Motel addition, main ballroom, looking northeast Photo Number 37: Description: Motel addition, main ballroom, looking northwest Photo Number 38: Description: Motel addition, hall inside of south entrance (reversed perspective of #30), looking south Photo Number 39: Description: Motel addition, hall to east of ballroom, looking north Photo Number 40: Description: Motel addition, hall to south of main ballroom, looking west Photo Number 41: Description: Motel addition, pool area, looking northeast Photo Number 42: Description: Motel addition, pool area, looking southeast Photo Number 43: Description: Motel addition, pool area, looking southwest Photo Number 44: Description: Motel addition, pool area, looking northwest Photo Numbers 45-46: Description: Motel addition, left, typical hall, first floor, south wing, looking west; right, stairs at the east wing of the south wing, looking north Photo Numbers 47-48: Description: Motel addition, left, typical hall, second floor, south wing, looking west; right, mid-plan stairs at pool court, south wing, looking north Photo Number 49: Description: Motel addition, typical room, south wing, looking north Photo Number 50: Description: Motel addition, typical room, south wing, looking south Photo Number 51: Description: Motel addition, typical bathroom, south wing, looking southeast Photo Map: Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION JANUARY 7, 2021 – 7:00 PM ELECTRONIC FORMAL MEETING MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Craig, Maggie Elliott, Mike Hensch, Phoebe Martin, Mark Nolte, Mark Signs, Billie Townsend MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Anne Russett OTHERS PRESENT: Josh Entler RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends approval of REZ20-0013 & SUB20-0004, two applications submitted by Crossing Land, LLC for a preliminary plat of the Cardinal Pointe West – Part 3 subdivision, a 19-lot, residential subdivision located South of Kennedy Parkway and West of Camp Cardinal Boulevard and the rezoning of 27.19 acres from Interim Development – Research Park (ID-RP) to Rural Residential (RR-1), Low Density Multi-Family Residential (RM- 12), High Density Single-Family Residential (RS-12), and Medium Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-20) zones subject to the following conditions: 1. Development shall substantially comply with the concept plan for the area shown as “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat, which includes townhouse-style, multi-family dwellings with vehicular access to garages from a rear lane with green space and landscaping between the rear driveways to reduce impervious surface and improve stormwater drainage. 2. Prior to approval of any site plan, Owner shall obtain staff approval of a landscaping plan which shall include the plans for useable outdoor space for “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat and screening of garages along Declan Drive and Mason Drive. 3. At the time of final platting, incorporation of traffic calming devices in a location approved by and designed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. 4. Prior to the issuance of a certificate occupancy, construction of a 5’ sidewalk on the west side of Camp Cardinal Blvd between Preston Lane and Kennedy Parkway. 5. Owner shall obtain staff approval of a Woodland Management Plan. CALL TO ORDER: Hensch called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 2 of 11 CASE NO. REZ20-0013 & SUB20-0004: Applicant: Crossing Land LLC Location: South of Kennedy Parkway and West of Camp Cardinal Boulevard An application for a rezoning of approximately 27.19 acres of land from Interim Development – Research Park (ID-RP) zone to Rural Residential (RR-1) zone for 12.80 acres, High Density Single-Family (RS-12) for 6.05 acres, Low Density Multi-Family (RM- 12) for 3.46 acres, and Medium Density Multi-Family (RM-20) for 4.88 acres and an application for the preliminary plat of Cardinal Pointe West Part 3, a residential subdivision with 12 single-family lots, 6 duplex lots, and 1 multi-family lot. Russett began the staff report noting there are two applications with this agenda item, a rezoning and a preliminary plat. She next showed a map of the area which is located south of Kennedy Parkway and west of Camp Cardinal Boulevard. The property is currently zoned Interim Development Research Park and north of the project area there are multiple residential zones and some rural residential. Russett noted the majority is single family, with the exception of one area which is zoned for multifamily development. In terms of background Russett noted this area was annexed into the City in the late 60s and early 70s and was zoned Interim Development Research Park in 1983 as at that time it was thought that this area could maybe be developed as an office park. The Comprehensive Plans after 1983 recognize that this is probably not realistic, and then the Clear Creek Master Plan was developed as a joint effort between the City of Iowa City, South Gate development, and the City of Coralville in 2015. In 2016 Cardinal Point West Part One was approved predominantly as a single-family subdivision, Part Two was approved in 2018 has some homes that are built and some homes under construction. Unlike the first part, Part Two has a variety of housing types incorporated into the design, there is single family, duplexes, and townhome, multi-family style development. All of the vehicular access to the townhomes is through a private alley and there are also some duplexes planned. Cardinal Point West Part Three is an extension of Part Two and it's located to the south of Part Two. Russett showed some images of the land pointing out slopes and some sensitive areas and showed the property off to the to the west where the trees are located. Russett reiterated this is a proposed zoning with four different zoning designations being proposed. The first is rural residential which are the areas where for the most part will be preserved as open space for the homeowner’s association as a lot of these areas have sensitive features and will not allow any development. The next is the RS-12 area which is the single family and duplex development, there is RM-12 where the proposed townhomes would be located and a proposed outlot for future development that the applicant is requesting a designation of RM-20 which is a medium density multifamily zone. In terms of review criteria staff looks at compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and compatibility with the neighborhood and for subdivision review they also look at compliance with Comprehensive Plan and compliance with the subdivision regulations. In terms of compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, this area is in the Clear Creek Master Plan which was developed and envisioned for residential and commercial and office development. There are also policy goals in this plan related to conservation design because of all the sensitive features and ensuring that there was housing diversity and a variety of housing types. So staff finds that this Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 3 of 11 plan, the rezoning and the preliminary plat, are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Staff is recommending one condition that the property owners install a five-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side from Kennedy Parkway to Preston Lane. In terms of compatibility with the neighborhood, Russett noted this is a continuation of the existing development pattern in the area, the area already contains a mix of single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes, and multifamily buildings. Staff is recommending two conditions that are carried forward from the previous rezoning of Part Two, which are compliance with the concept plan, shown for the townhome style development to ensure that garage accesses is at the rear that there's a private drive and also that there is green space between the driveways. The second condition is approval of a landscaping plan which ensures that there is usable outdoor open space on Lot 54 and that the garages are screened from the streets. Russett next showed the preliminary plat pointing out the single family lots proposed along Preston Lane and will connect with Camp Cardinal Boulevard. In the center are the townhome style multifamily buildings and the duplexes are on the side. There are two outlots, which again are predominantly sensitive areas and are proposed to be private open space maintained by the homeowner’s association. Outlet K is the area that's proposed for future development which the applicant is requesting the RM-20 designation. Russett noted a couple things related to traffic and transportation. The block length of Preston Lane from Declan Drive to Camp Cardinal Boulevard exceeds the preferred 600 foot maximum for block length which is in order to preserve more of those woodlands and sensitive areas. Staff is okay with the increased block length but have asked the applicant to incorporate traffic calming features, so they have incorporated a traffic circle on Preston Lane and then they've incorporated chokers at Declan Drive and Preston Lane. Russett noted that Public Works has reviewed and approved the traffic calming measures so there's no longer any deficiencies associated with the plat. In terms of traffic counts, Camp Cardinal Boulevard is an arterial street and the average daily traffic capacity for that street is over 16,000. Current data shows that at Camp Carnival Boulevard and Kennedy Parkway it is currently around 7,780 and staff has estimated that maximum build out of the proposed development, even including the outlet for future development, would add additional trips per day of around 1,261 so with the proposed development it will still be below the capacity of Camp Carnival Boulevard. Russett reiterated there are sensitive features and so the applicant has submitted a sensitive areas development plan. Russett showed a couple of summary tables to show the preserved areas for both the slopes and the woodlands. For the critical slopes, the Zoning Code allows a disturbance of up to 35% and the applicant’s sensitive areas plan shows a disturbance of below 19% so they meet the requirements of the Code. In terms of the woodlands, they are showing that the preserved area is almost 65% of the woodlands but there are two retention requirements for this area because of the two separate zoning designations. Staff has determined the application does comply with the sensitive areas ordinance as the applicant is proposing to extend the woodlands to the south that have been preserved as part of Part Two. They are doing the same on the west side preserving the woodlands from the north and extending them south. The retention requirements for single family is 50% and the applicant is well above that at 65%. In terms of stormwater management, the basin to the south of the subdivision shown has the capacity to serve Parts One, Two and Three and this has been confirmed by Public Works. Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 4 of 11 In terms of next steps, the Commission's recommendation will go to City Council and then upon approval by City Council the applicant can submit a final plat which will be reviewed by City Council and then upon approval of final plat the applicant can submit site plans and building permits, which will be reviewed by staff. Russett reiterated all deficiencies mentioned in the staff report have been addressed. Staff did receive one piece of correspondence from a resident on Preston Lane who's interested in some type of pocket park or playground area. Staff recommends approval of REZ20-0013 & SUB20-0004, two applications submitted by Crossing Land, LLC for a preliminary plat of the Cardinal Pointe West – Part 3 subdivision, a 19- lot, residential subdivision located South of Kennedy Parkway and West of Camp Cardinal Boulevard and the rezoning of 27.19 acres from Interim Development – Research Park (ID-RP) to Rural Residential (RR-1), Low Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-12), High Density Single- Family Residential (RS-12), and Medium Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-20) zones subject to the following conditions: 1. Development shall substantially comply with the concept plan for the area shown as “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat, which includes townhouse-style, multi-family dwellings with vehicular access to garages from a rear lane with green space and landscaping between the rear driveways to reduce impervious surface and improve stormwater drainage. 2. Prior to approval of any site plan, Owner shall obtain staff approval of a landscaping plan which shall include the plans for useable outdoor space for “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat and screening of garages along Declan Drive and Mason Drive. 3. At the time of final platting, incorporation of traffic calming devices in a location approved by and designed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. 4. Prior to the issuance of a certificate occupancy, construction of a 5’ sidewalk on the west side of Camp Cardinal Blvd between Preston Lane and Kennedy Parkway. Hensch asked about the removal of trees and there were any requirements to replant any trees. Russett replied the applicant exceed the retention requirements so would not be required to replant any trees. Hensch noted by looking at that aerial map it looks like they've already cleared a large area of land and noted they should have to wait to get permission before they clear any land. Russett said they can ask the applicant if anything has been removed. Hensch asked if there’s access to this development from Deer Creek Road or is it all from Camp Cardinal or Kennedy Parkway. Russett confirmed it is all from Camp Cardinal or Kennedy Parkway. Hensch noted looking at Lot 53, it looks like it's closest to Highway 218 and when the Commission approved the rezoning for the development just south of that they put in some specific requirements due to the proximity to 218. He wondered about the distance Lot 53 is from 218. Russett confirmed it is further away from 218 than the other development to the south and none of Lot 53 is located within the 300-foot buffer area. Hensch asked if the large outlots on both sides of this proposal development will be maintained by the HOA. He would hate to see it be overrun with invasive species. Russett noted what would be required is as part of the final plat there will be restrictions placed on those outlets in terms of Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 5 of 11 development but it won't require maintenance and clearing of invasive species and woodland management, there is nothing currently in the Code that would require that. Hensch shared that is a concern, there are so many problems nowadays with invasive species so he thinks it's something as a Commission they need to start looking at when they’re looking at some of these developments. Martin asked about the traffic calming circle, and it appears that there are driveways on the roundabout. Russett noted there are no driveways shown on the plat but there will need to be a driveway off of the circle for lots 64 and 63. Martin noted that seems dangerous. Townsend asked if there is going to be any affordable housing in these units. Russett replied none would be required by the City, but they can ask the applicant their intentions. Craig asked about the alley and thinking about the whole kerfuffle with garbage pickup on the Peninsula in the alleys, will the garbage pickup be in that alley, or is it going to be out of the street. Russett stated the City won't be picking up the garbage for the townhouses it will be a private hauler because it is a neighborhood association, and the City doesn't collect garbage and recycling and compost for multifamily. Signs stated he is intrigued that there is some land left in rural residential zoning and is wondering what is the reasoning or the benefit to that and why wasn't it just pulled into the remainder of the development. Russett stated because those are outlets, the zoning matters a lot less because they're going to be restricted from development through the subdivider’s agreement legal documents as part of final platting. Since Part Two had those rural residential zones this part is just continuing that zoning designation. Hektoen added the outlots will have that rural residential zoning designation and it will be plated as an outlot for private open space and be restricted in that manner. Staff also discussed the possibility of zoning it consistent with the adjacent land, but then imposing a conservation easement, so there's a number of ways to reserve land so that doesn't get redeveloped, they chose this path based on consistency with the previous subdivision. Townsend asked about the traffic counts, noting that right now with COVID people are working from home, so will it be different when there is a regular amount of traffic. Russett explained the counts were taken prior to the pandemic. Craig asked about the letter from the resident about a park and staff replied about a small area near the townhouses of open space. Russett confirmed and noted the City only requires open space and providing open space, but it cannot require playground equipment or anything like that. Hensch noted in the past the Commission has put on requirements to put in some open space or some recreation space or some playground equipment in those areas. Craig noted it is a pretty big development and is a little isolated from lots of recreational options. She asked if transit even goes out there. Russett replied transit currently does not. Signs said they could address it with the developer and also ask if in Parts One or Two were there any parks put into those areas. Signs also noted he feels like dirt has been moved down there, and that is something they need to pay attention to if and when developers get a little ahead of the game. Hensch agreed and said it has happened in the past and people need to be held accountable. Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 6 of 11 Elliott asked about the multifamily lot and it is labeled high rise residential (RM-20). Hensch stated that is for future development so it's not relevant tonight. Russett added a high rise wouldn’t be allowed there. Hensch opened the public hearing. Josh Entler (Crossing Land, LLC) thanked the Commission and did want to address a couple of the questions but first wanted to share some of the highlights of their intent and vision for the area. First with Phase one back in 2016 they had to bring sanitary sewer essentially from Camp Cardinal Boulevard at the pond all the way up through that agriculture field so it seems like there's been years of disturbance, but it was really getting sewer up to Part One and then the heavy dirt moving started in Part Two in 2018. They were essentially just peeling off the excess dirt and shifting it to the old cornfield that has since been stabilized with temporary seeding. In terms of the question about woodland management and what the HOA would do, they are certainly open to providing some information resource connections. Right now they have a development proposal on the north side of Kennedy Parkway in Coralville that they're working with the Iowa DNR as well as the City of Coralville to do a 10% management plan so by the time they execute that plan they will have some good resources to be able to deliver to the HOA should they want to take a more direct approach on woodland management. Regarding the driveways on traffic circles he too had a little bit of a concern, but from the same token, it's not real clear on the plat, but just to point out the technical details, each lane of that traffic circle is ~24 feet in width which is equivalent to a normal two-lane traffic but in the movement of the traffic circle it's only one way traffic so there should be ample amount of room to be able to back out, maneuver a vehicle, and not impede the other lane of traffic. For the land left in rural residential that was really a request from staff to place it in rural residential as another mechanism to be able to convey to the public that they don't intend to develop this land and the land is reserved and not for development. Regarding a possible park area, as in Parts One and Two there is the open space requirement, and again, those are going to go to the HOA once development is complete. Entler did respond that particular neighbor that they would like to see some playground equipment, and there is likely a need for it. They are open to it being part of that initiative, whether it be basketball courts or some playground equipment. With Parts One, Two, and Three all in is almost 72 acres of open space and excluding outlets that have been reserved for future developments it leaves around 33 acres. There's two opportunities within Parts One and Two in the townhome areas that they could do some pocket parks, but also if there's a timber if they need to make sure they stay withing the 10% management plan. Entler also acknowledged he did see on the 2015 Master Plan the label of a high-rise multifamily, it is not their intention to do high rise development, at most they may do a 30- or 40-plex and really requested the RM-20 at this time is to be able to keep their options open. Regarding their vision for the area, Entler stated it is a continued focus on cluster development with minimal impact the surrounding areas. As noted in the staff report the Clear Creek Memorandum of Understanding could go up to 20 units per acre but that is certainly not what their intention is here. In Parts One and Two they development at much less than even the minimum allowance, they prefer to dedicate a lot of space to the HOA management for a more natural type of layout and preservation, and focus their density on providing a diversity of products. They had much success in Part Two and want to continue that model for a much wider buyer pool and a diversity of homebuyers. Lastly he wanted to note one of the major Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 7 of 11 impacts is the connection of Preston Lane which is going to provide a lot of vehicular relief and more opportunities for Parts Two and Three and Outlot K for future development. Entler also acknowledged they did send information packets to the neighbors in the surrounding community in lieu of a in person meeting and there were three comments that they've received. The first one has already been addressed regarding community parks. Second was traffic impact with this development which was covered in the staff report but the short answer is they will still be well under the design capacity of Camp Cardinal Boulevard. The third comment impact on surrounding infrastructure but this development is not going to negatively impact or exceed the stormwater management as well. The basin or pond has been designed to handle actually a much higher intensity than what is planned for the development. Hensch asked for reference to a woodland management plan, and the development of that. He also wanted to know if there is an area or an outlet that could be for a recreation area or recreation equipment how would they see that looking or what would be their preference. Entler replied he thinks how he sees that playing out is once they find success with what works in this part of town and with the natural environment (because what they're working with on the Coralville side of Kennedy Parkway is very similar terrain and steep slopes) then they can deliver that successful plan and packet to the HOA. Regarding the woodland management plan, he stated he personally walked that timber with the DNR and identified pockets that were preferred species and clustered segments of 75 mature Red Oak and Black Oak species in a specific area. They want to focus on retaining those oaks and then actually do some management practices with the understory growth so that those oaks can prosper. Signs asked about the traffic circle issue and noted it seems like an oddly placed traffic circle with just three lots later having a choker corner and prior to the traffic circle there's only two lots so is there some correlation of there potentially being one of the entrances to Outlot K. Entler replied there could be a couple of different options of what Outlot K could look like and the intent is to leave the options open in terms of whether a variety of big buildings or a continuation of Parts Two and Three in the next phase. They did the best they could to align a future intersection, whether it be the entrance to a multifamily or a future intersection where Dubs Drive comes in and hooks into Preston Lane. Martin asked if it has to be a traffic circle, she feels with a lot of the families that live nearby there are a lot of budding young inexperienced drivers. She wants to be thoughtful going forward but acknowledged she doesn’t know what the answer is. Obviously, the City is asking for traffic calming but perhaps there is something else that could be done. Russett stated that staff also explored median islands as a potential option but this pavement was not wide enough for median islands there so staff really felt that the traffic circle was the best option. Signs asked if the traffic circle is required. Russett replied it is not required, staff is recommending it because they've had issues before with long block lengths and speeding in other developments with no traffic calming and within a year the neighborhood comes together and requests speed humps. Signs noted it seems like a relatively short space to have a speed bump and from Declan Drive to Kennedy Parkway it appears to be no traffic calming. He asked if choker would suffice in that area. Russett explained they can only do a choker at an intersection. Townsend asked about affordable housing included in this development. Entler stated they have Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 8 of 11 not specifically identified anything as set aside for affordable housing. Hensch closed the public hearing. Nolte moved to approve REZ20-0013 & SUB20-0004, two applications submitted by Crossing Land, LLC for a preliminary plat of the Cardinal Pointe West – Part 3 subdivision, a 19-lot, residential subdivision located South of Kennedy Parkway and West of Camp Cardinal Boulevard and the rezoning of 27.19 acres from Interim Development – Research Park (ID-RP) to Rural Residential (RR-1), Low Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-12), High Density Single-Family Residential (RS-12), and Medium Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-20) zones subject to the following conditions: 1. Development shall substantially comply with the concept plan for the area shown as “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat, which includes townhouse-style, multi-family dwellings with vehicular access to garages from a rear lane with green space and landscaping between the rear driveways to reduce impervious surface and improve stormwater drainage. 2. Prior to approval of any site plan, Owner shall obtain staff approval of a landscaping plan which shall include the plans for useable outdoor space for “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat and screening of garages along Declan Drive and Mason Drive. 3. At the time of final platting, incorporation of traffic calming devices in a location approved by and designed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. 4. Prior to the issuance of a certificate occupancy, construction of a 5’ sidewalk on the west side of Camp Cardinal Blvd between Preston Lane and Kennedy Parkway. Townsend seconded the motion. Hensch stated he like this development because it has a lot of housing types and some high density to help with the whole missing middle concept. The one thing he is interested in is to perhaps add another condition that a woodland management plan to be developed and this is a great opportunity to start a practice of making sure that larger timber stands are maintained over time and deal with invasive species. Additionally, they could add in something about that plan for some recreation area or recreation equipment if others are interested. Signs agreed starting to look at woodland management issues is probably something the Commission should be doing. Craig also supports that because it sounds like if they're doing it on the northern part it should be simple enough to extend it on down and maybe this is something the Commission should look at more systematically in the future. Martin also agrees. Hektoen asked who the Commission would want to implement the management plan and when. Hensch feels it is something where the developer would create the plan and then ultimately be the responsibility of the HOA. Hektoen agreed that's probably the developer’s preference, she did note they have seen challenges with stormwater management being passed along to a HOA. Hensch shares her concern as there are detention ponds all throughout the City that just don't Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 9 of 11 get maintained. Craig stated it should be the responsibility of the HOA, it's certainly not the developers responsibility 10 years down the road, and it's not the City's responsibility, and it lends value to all their properties if well maintained. Signs agrees but also confirms that traditionally they aren't taken care of, because for one thing, there's money involved with that and no HOA wants to spend any more money than they absolutely have to. It should be the HOA responsibility and they should appreciate it but there's a good chance this is unless they find a way to put some teeth into it. Craig suggested they start by what they're doing, which is asking for this plan from the developer and assuming that the developer will pass that responsibility on to the HOA. If it is problem city- wide then it is something that is put on a to do list of figuring out how to put teeth in it. Hensch suggested they could do it similar to the wording in a condition number two, where it says owner shall obtain staff approval on a landscaping plan, and have the condition say owner must obtain staff approval on a timber management plan. They could put initial responsibility of development of the plan and implementation on the development and then it is transferred to the HOA. Hektoen stated typically the transition of maintenance of common elements from the developer to the home owners is a function of the HOA declaration. If the Commission wants the obligation to stay with the developer, that would need to be expressly stated in the CZA. Otherwise the HOA declaration will control. Signs also wanted to comment as far as the rest of development goes, he thinks they've done a nice job and he also likes the connection to Camp Cardinal Boulevard with Preston Lane and the different types of housing and the preservation of the green space with the cluster development. Nolte amended his motion to add a fifth condition: Nolte moved to approve REZ20-0013 & SUB20-0004, two applications submitted by Crossing Land, LLC for a preliminary plat of the Cardinal Pointe West – Part 3 subdivision, a 19-lot, residential subdivision located South of Kennedy Parkway and West of Camp Cardinal Boulevard and the rezoning of 27.19 acres from Interim Development – Research Park (ID-RP) to Rural Residential (RR-1), Low Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-12), High Density Single-Family Residential (RS-12), and Medium Density Multi-Family Residential (RM-20) zones subject to the following conditions: 1. Development shall substantially comply with the concept plan for the area shown as “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat, which includes townhouse-style, multi-family dwellings with vehicular access to garages from a rear lane with green space and landscaping between the rear driveways to reduce impervious surface and improve stormwater drainage. 2. Prior to approval of any site plan, Owner shall obtain staff approval of a landscaping plan which shall include the plans for useable outdoor space for “Lot 54” on the preliminary plat and screening of garages along Declan Drive and Mason Drive. 3. At the time of final platting, incorporation of traffic calming devices in a location Planning and Zoning Commission January 7, 2021 Page 10 of 11 approved by and designed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. 4. Prior to the issuance of a certificate occupancy, construction of a 5’ sidewalk on the west side of Camp Cardinal Blvd between Preston Lane and Kennedy Parkway. 5. Owner shall obtain staff approval of a Woodland Management Plan. Townsend seconded the amended motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: DECEMBER 17, 2020: Townsend moved to approve the meeting minutes of December 17, 2020. Martin seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-1 (Signs abstained). PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION: Russett gave an updated that the City Council had their public hearing on the Carson Farms annexation and rezoning on Tuesday and the applicant had requested that Council indefinitely defer that item if there wasn't support for it and there was not support to approve the annexation or the rezoning so they approved an indefinite deferral of both. The applicant has withdrawn both applications. Hensch asked if the fundamental issue was it affordable housing. Russett confirmed Council had concerns with the existing affordable housing annexation policy and at the next work session they're going to discuss it and provide more direction to staff on what their concerns are and what they'd like to see changed. Townsend asked about an update for the development off of Dubuque Street where they have all the prefab houses. Russett did not have any updates on that. Signs asked if there could be an introduction of new members at some point. Hensch noted that is a good idea, many things have been difficult in the era of COVID and zoom meetings. ADJOURNMENT: Signs moved to adjourn. Townsend seconded. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0. PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2020-2021 7/16 8/6 8/20 10/1 10/15 11/5 12/3 12/17 1/7 CRAIG, SUSAN X X X X X X O X X DYER, CAROLYN O/E O/E -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ELLIOTT, MAGGIE -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X X X X HENSCH, MIKE X X X X X X X X X MARTIN, PHOEBE X X X X X X X X X NOLTE, MARK -- -- -- -- X X X X X X X SIGNS, MARK X X X X X X X O/E X TOWNSEND, BILLIE O/E X X X X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member