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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-12-2021 Historic Preservation CommissionIowa City Historic preservation Commission J / L d 'i 1111 Thursday August 12, 2021 5:30 p.m. n nr, Sally. Emma Harvat Hall City Hall IOWA CITY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Thursday, August 12, 2021 City Hall, 410 E. Washington Street Emma Harvat Hall A) Call to Order B) Roll Call C) Public discussion of anything not on the agenda D) Certificate of Appropriateness 1. HPC21-0072: 114 North Gilbert Street —Jefferson Street Historic District (chimney removal and reconstruction as veneer) 2. HPC21-0072: 120 North Gilbert Street —Jefferson Street Historic District (chimney removal and roof replacement) E) Discussion of the Summit Street Monument Assessment & Conservation Options Plan F) Discussion of the Montgomery Butler House G) Report on Certificates issued by Chair and Staff Certificate of No Material Effect —Chair and Staff review 1. HPC21-0057: 324 East Church Street — Northside Historic District (garage repairs) 2. HPC21-0052: 817 East Bloomington Street — Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (front porch stair reconstruction) 3. HPC21-0059: 816 East College Street — College Green Historic District (roof shingle replacement) 4. HPC21-0063: 824 East College Street — College Green Historic District (roof shingle replacement) 5. HPC21-0065: 1022 East College Street — East College Street Historic District (replacement of deteriorated porch floor, column bases, siding, and trim) 6. HPC21-0066: 1036 Woodlawn Avenue — Woodlawn Historic District (replacement of deteriorated porch floor, column bases, and railing) 7. HPC21-0067: 935 East College Street — College Hill Conservation District and Local Landmark (roof shingle replacement) 8. HPC21-0069: 811 Brown Street — Brown Street Historic District (fascia repair and replacement, foundation stucco repair) 9. HPC21-0070: 704 Clark Street — Clark Street Conservation District (modem porch column replacement) 10. HPC21-0073: 418 North Gilbert Street — Northside Historic District (newel post replacement) 11. HPC21-0077: 324 East Jefferson Street —Jefferson Street Historic District (roof shingle replacement) Minor Review —Staff review 1. HPC21-0050: 617 Grant Street — Longfellow Historic District (porch floor, stair and stair railing replacement) 2. HPC21-0061: 742 Rundell Street — Longfellow Historic District (roof shingle replacement) 3. HPC21-0068: 1111 East Burlington Street — College Hill Conservation District (porch floor and floor structure replacement) Intermediate Review —Chair and Staff review 1. HPC21-0055: 435 Grant Street— Longfellow Historic District (minor change to previous pool COA) 2. HPC21-0058: 429 Ronalds Street — Goosetown/ Horace Mann Conservation District (non - historic outbuilding demolition) H) Consideration of Minutes for July 8, 2021 I) Commission Discussion 1. Providing Input for American Rescue Plan Act 2. Mid -year Work Plan Review J) Commission Information I) Adjournment If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Jessica Bristow, Urban Planning, at 319-356-5243 or at jessica-bristow@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Staff Report August 4, 2021 Historic Review for HPC21-0072: 114 North Gilbert Street District: Jefferson Street Historic District Classification: Key The applicant, James Pinkerton, is requesting approval for a proposed demolition and reconstruction project at 114 North Gilbert Street, a key property in the Jefferson Street Historic District. The project consists of the demolition of the chimney and its reconstruction in a veneer material. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines: 4.0 Iowa City Historic Preservation Guidelines for Alterations 4.2 Chimneys 4.8 Masonry 7.0 Guidehnes forDemobtlon 7.1 Demolition of Whole Structures or Significant Features StaffComments This house, built ca. 1900, has a modified Gable -Front and Wing form with an open gable facing the front and a shallow closed gable section facing south. The front gable has cornice returns and modillions along the eaves with a round arched double -hung window in the gable peak. A porch extends across the front and wraps around the south facade filling the shallow ell. The porch has slender smooth columns extending to the deck, a solid paneled balustrade, and closely spaced modillions along the porch eaves. The porch skirting has a dense basketweave pattern. Fenestration includes original 4/4 double -hung sash of various sizes and shapes with a cottage window to the right of the entrance and a flat fanlight above the door. the house is set on a concrete block foundation with brick or brick veneer walls. The house has Colonial Revival detailing including the multi -fight windows and modillioned cornice. In 2019, the porch, with the exception of the roof, was removed and rebuilt without approval. Earlier this year, staff approved the reconstruction of the porch to match the historic porch and reusing the original columns. This approval also includes the replacement of the main roof with new standing seam metal roofing. This approval has been revised for approval to remove the modem, unsympathetic dormers. The applicant is proposing to demolish the deteriorated chimney from the attic through the roof and to reconstruct it using frame construction and a cement board product that is made to look like brick. The chimney would remain unused and be capped. Section 4.2 Chimneys, states that Fireplace Chimneys are often a defining architectural feature of historic houses. Chimneys may have decorative brickwork and often are a distinguishing feature of the roof profile. Therefore, historic chimneys should be preserved. This section of the guidelines recommends repairing and capping unused historic chimneys. It is disallowed to remove prominent chimneys that are important to the historic architectural character of the budding. Several other disallowed actions include plastering over a masonry chimney in place of proper repair, pointing with mortar that is too hard for historic, soft brick, and using synthetic sealants, adhesives and/or wraps to repair masonry chimneys. Section 7.1 Demolition also states that it is disallowed to remove any historic architectural feature (including chimneys) that is significant to the architectural character and style of the building. In Staffs opinion, many of the "disallowed" actions regarding chimney repair have happened to this chimney over its history. The current chimney has a partial plaster covering, inappropriate pointing with inappropriate material as well as metal straps attempting to hold it together. This has resulted in a chimney that is extremely deteriorated. Many bricks are broken or damaged. There are many large cracks, and the applicant has stated that the chimney is also structurally unsound below the roof. For a chimney with this level of deterioration, repair typically involves removing and reconstructing the chimney to match the original configuration. In this case, the deterioration below the roof makes this reconstruction potentially either impossible or invasive to the interior of the building because more of the chimney would need to be dismantled and reconstructed. In staffs opinion, this is an architecturally significant chimney. It is also visible from the street and is detailed with a stepped brick pattern. The structural condition of the chimney makes reconstruction in reclaimed or matching brick problematic. The applicant has suggested rebuilding the chimney with wood framing and a cement board product, an example of which has been installed in the entry at John's Grocery nearby. Staff finds that the brick facsimile in this product does not share many similarities with the historic brick on this building, such as the tighter mortar joints, brick color and sharp edges. Staff also finds that it will be difficult to use this product to mimic the stepped profile of the top of the chimney. For some past projects, when historic chimneys needed to be altered or reconstructed, staff has recommended the use of thin brick veneer to recreate chimneys. This allows a better match for the brick color, texture and shape, as well as the mortar joints. This product may also be difficult to use in a stepped pattern but would be preferred to the sheet material. Staff recommends that the Commission approves a demolition and reconstruction in thin brick veneer with the bricks chosen to match the house and the stepped pattern mimicked as closely as possible. Recommended Motion Move to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the chimney demolition and reconstruction project at 114 North Gilbert Street as presented in the staff report with the following condition: The thin brick match is confirmed by staff. 114 North Gilbert Street - chimney from rear Fiber -cement panel with brick texture installed at John's grocery Brick wall on north side of 114 North Gilbert Street ?1 VV. t� 4 rl t A A- ')� F C+.. Staff Report August 5, 2021 Historic Review for HPC21-0074: 120 North Gilbert Street District: Jefferson Street Historic District Classification: Key The applicant, James Pinkerton, is requesting approval for a proposed demolition project and a roof replacement project at 120 North Gilbert Street, a Key property in the Jefferson Street Historic District. The project consists of the demolition of the deteriorated, unused chimney and patching the opening with new roofing as part of a roof replacement project. Applicable Regulations and Guidelines: 4.0 Iowa Cit,rHistoricPresermoon Guidelines forAllterations 4.2 Chimneys 4.7 Mass and Rooflines 7.0 Guidehnes for Demofition 7.1 Demolition of Whole Structures or Significant Features StaffComments This house was built ca. 1908 with an American Foursquare form, a steeply pitched hipped roof, and a gable attic dormer centered on the front facade. The dormer gable has cornice returns and a single round arched window. A short projecting 2-story addition with canted walls on the first floor is located on the south fagade. A flat roof porch extends across the front with the entrance steps set off -center. Tuscan columns extend to the porch deck and a low balustrade contains closely spaced 2' x 2' balusters. Porch skirting ahs a tightly spaced lattice pattern. Windows include original one -over one double -hung with a cottage window to the right of the entrance. The house is set on a concrete block foundation and is clad in narrow clapboard siding with corner board trim. The house has a standing seam metal roof. The ramp was added in 2011 and the vinyl siding and soffits were added between 1998 and 2012. The applicant is proposing is proposing to replace the metal roof with new flat panel standing seam metal roof. As part of the project, they propose to remove the chimney and patch the location with new roof material. Section 4.2 Chimneys, of the guidelines recommend repairing and capping unused historic chimneys. It is disallowed to remove prominent chimneys that are important to the historic architectural character of the building. Section 7.1 Demolition also states that it is disallowed to remove any historic architectural feature (including chimneys) that is significant to the architectural character and style of the building. In Staffs opinion, this chimney, while visible, is a simple utilitarian chimney that is not architecturally significant and does not add to the historic character of the property. In addition, it is heavily deteriorated and unused. Staff recommends approval for demolition of the chimney and replacement of the roof material in a true flat panel standing seam metal roof. Recommended Motion Move to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 120 North Gilbert Street as presented in the application. r 1�� 120 North Gilbert Street — West facade 120 North Gilbert Street — NE comer 120 North Gilbert Street — Chimney detail r �.p CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: August 4, 2021 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Anne Russett, Senior Planner, Neighborhood and Development Services Re: Summit Street Monument Assessment & Conservation Options Plan The City received a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant in the amount of $5,500 from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in late 2017. The purpose of the grant was to develop a plan to determine how to preserve the deteriorating Summit Street Monument; a historic obelisk that marks the original boundary of Iowa City. In late 2018, the City executed a contract agreement with Atlas Preservation, Inc. to prepare a report that provides guidance on ways to preserve the monument. The report was finalized in June 2019 [Attachment 1]. The report outlines conservation treatment options if the monument is left in its current location. It also provides advice on possible relocation options. At the Historic Preservation Commission's August 12, 2021 meeting, the Commission will have an opportunity to discuss the findings in the report and options moving forward. Attachments: 1. Summit Street Monument Assessment & Conservation Options Plan, Prepared by Atlas Preservation Inc., June 2019 Atlas Preservation Inc. 122 Spring Street B1 Southington, CT 06489 860-558-2785 June 1, 2019 Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 356- 5243 Regarding: Historic Iowa City marker, which is located near the house at 331 S. Summit Street. The activity that is the subject of this project has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. Summit Street Monument Assessment & Conservation Options Plan Historical Background: The Summit Street Monument is a six-foot tall limestone obelisk that acted as survey marker for the original 1839 town plat of Iowa City. The obelisk marks the southeast corner of the original boundaries of the city, as surveyed by Robert Ralston, John Ronalds, and Chauncey Swan, who were commissioned to select a site in Johnson County for the Territorial Capital of Iowa. In addition to its historical significance, the monument is an example of the early 19`h century interest in ancient art and architecture. The monument's architecture mirrors the form of ancient Egyptian obelisks, made up of a monolithic tapering rectangular shaft that ends in a pyramid. Though this monument predates residential development in this area, it is located within the Summit Street Historic District, the first historic district in Iowa City to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This district is recognized for its architectural and historical significance, as it was home to many of Iowa City's middle-class business and professional residents in the late 19`h and early 20`h century. The obelisk is one of the most significant historic resources in the district and is considered a key object. The monument was vandalized in the 1890s and restored in 1935 by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Their restoration included the attachment of bronze plaques that carry the monument's original inscription, which described the purpose and history of the monument. The monument has deteriorated significantly, and the original inscription has been worn away. The stone itself shows many cracks, chips, and holes, and is discolored in many places. The areas behind the plaques show significant wear as well. There is an interest in preserving this historic monument in some manner. Due to the type of limestone it is composed from, over one hundred fifty years of outdoor weather exposure, and past vandalism, the monuments current condition is poor. The object and scope of this assessment is to document the marker's current condition, and to provide the best possible options for conservation at its current location or preservation at an indoor climate -controlled location. If the monument is moved, possible replacement or duplication options will be considered. Figure 1. Photo of the monument from about 1900 when the inscription was still visible. Note- uneven edges & irregularities including holes from which aggregates had filled when the stone was formed geologically. Limestone is a carbonate- based stone which is formed under what were ancient sea beds. Limestones vary in durability but are adversely affected by acid deposition/ acid rain. 2 Uid "; f Figure 8. Plaque added to monument by Daughters of the American Revolution in 1935. Photo shows copper staining, which has leached out from the bronze and deeply stained the limestone along the water runoff channel. June 2017. i low i 6 ; Figure 9. Missing chunk from the monument. June 2017. 5 7" Figure 10. The limestone of the monument is weathered and deteriorating. June 2017. Figure 11. Damage to monument where plaques were attached. June 2017. 0 Figure 12. Cracking located at the lower portion of the monument. June 2017. Figure 13. Uneven weathering and wear patterns attributed to the specific geology and formation of limestone which is composed of layers of compressed sand and shell fragments cemented together with mineral binders, primarily calcite crystals. June 2017. 7 1. 1 Figure 14. Cracks and holes in the limestone. June 2017. Figure 15. Missing chunk from the monument. June 2017. 93 Site Visit: Visit monument, photograph, measure and excavate to research underground depth & condition. On the afternoon of May 12 of 2019 a site visit was conducted to assess and document the monument's current condition and to suggest conservation treatments if it is to remain in its current location. An extensive number of still photos and a group of short videos were made. If desired additional photos and or videos can be added to complement this assessment report. The weather was overcast with occasional light drizzle. Conservation Treatment Options if Monument is Left at Its Current Location: 1) Cleaning. Biological Activity_: Biological activity of lichens and molds are located on some portions of the monument to varying degrees. This can be cleaned and removed with a biological cleaning solution and is not to be considered a major issue. Conner Stainin¢: When cast bronze is displayed in an outdoor environment, it should be protected and maintained periodically in some manner. Depending on when the plaque was first created, varying techniques have historically been incorporated into the final manufacturing and display of bronze plaques. A lacquer, wax, or combination of both is commonly applied as a sacrificial coating to protect from weathering as the final treatment prior to installation. After installation, ideally the waxing process is performed annually as a maintenance procedure. However, this rarely occurs under most circumstances. If untreated bronze is exposed to weather conditions for extended periods of time it will begin to oxidize, turn green, and leach out copper from within the bronze. Removing copper staining can be difficult as it will permeate under the surface and into the pores of the stone similar to the way a sponge will absorb soapy or dirty water. A poultice is a material similar to a mayonnaise or papier-mache like substance and is applied to the surface for an extended period of time. When allowed to dry, it will in principle draw out the staining from the stone into the poultice. Once the poultice is completely dry it is carefully scraped away and then rinsed off with water. If successful, the staining would be diminished or entirely removed. Poultices can be bought in ready-made form or can be created by a conservator for a specific application like removal of copper staining. It can be especially tricky to clean metal staining from marbles and limestones because they are composed primarily of calcium carbonate, which is highly sensitive to many cleaner like acids which will cause degradation to the stone if applied in a high concentration. As part of the cleaning process, first, a small test area in an inconspicuous place should be employed in order to see if the cleaning procedure is effective before upscaling to the entire stained area. 9 2) Consolidation & Water Repellants. There is a long history of attempting to protect and to attempt to preserve monuments in an outdoor environment since ancient times. However, many treatments can trap moisture and in the long run might do more harm than good. A consolidation treatment is a stone strengthener, and if effective will re -bond the molecular structure filling the voids that have developed from weathering. A water repellant will act to reduce water infiltration, creating a sheeting effect which encourages water to run off instead of being absorbed. Any surface treatment must be breathable or water will become trapped within the stone and over the course of time do more harm than good. The most important thing to understand when considering the application of any surface treatment is that if properly selected they can help slow down erosion and general weathering for some time period, usually on longer than 10 years and would then need to be re -applied. The weathering can only be completely stopped in a climate controlled indoor environment such as a museum. 3) Raising and/or Re -grading of the Landscape Surrounding Monument The monument is currently set directly into the soil. Test excavation indicates approximately 12- 18 inches of the monument is underground with a somewhat irregular bottom. There are possibly some rocks placed underground in an attempt to help stabilize. It is currently leaning towards S. Summit Street. Interestingly, the historic photograph seems to indicate that the monument might have originally been closer to the city roadway. All stone and masonry absorbs moisture from capillary action that climbs up the stone from rising damp if in direct soil contact or in a wet area. Creating an above ground foundation or adding a stone base would greatly reduce the amount of rising damp getting into the stone from below. However, every time it rains it will still get wet from above. It should also be considered that adding a base stone would alter the monument visually and that logistics involved are unknown as its impossible to know exactly what the bottom looks like, unless it is completely unearthed. 4) Possible Interpretive Signage Due to the historical significance of the monument, the addition of some kind of signage is highly advisable. Signage could include the original inscription only and/or tell the basic story of the monument's local history. There are many possible options ranging from bronze which is costly and unfortunately can be a target of theft to granite which is considered to be permanent and has no resale value. There are many other less enduring options. 10 Technical Advice on Possible Relocation Options, Indoor Conservation & Support The only way to entirely stop all additional erosion and the continued deterioration of the monument is to carefully move and relocate it into an indoor climate -controlled environment. Due to the regional historical significance this would be my professional recommendation. Since there has always been a monument occupying this location from before the region was largely settled, it would seem wise to create a replica monument to replace the original and place in the exact same location. Recommendation on Moving the Monument: The monument is highly weathered and has become gradually more fragile since it was initially installed. Great care needs to be exercised if it is to be relocated. First, it should be carefully excavated around the bottom until the entire monument is visible. Then, the monument should be carefully laid over onto a padded cradle and lifted onto a truck for transporting. Once delivered to its new location, it would then be lifted off while cradled, brought to its new location and raised back to a vertical position and placed into a custom made base or platform. Drawings: In order to display the obelisk in an upright position, a weighted base needs to be employed. A mortise and tenon or similar support mechanism means that the obelisk would fit into a recess, called a keyway. A keyway is a socket within a piece of stone or cast cement. Then, the small area between the obelisk and the keyway would be filled with a soft mortar or plaster to prevent movement. SCALE DRAWING OF SUMMIT STREET MONUMENT WITH PROPOSED BASE/COLLAR •RASECIF DIRC" E 1 1.cc C. CaR c.s'r IX LIF 1 t ISL INCNES i 1 Bnwnl oRlusX sn 1 1 IXN YEYWAV 1 � Figure I & Scale drawing of the Summit Street ,..E Monument. 11 Possible Display Options if Monument is Moved to a Protected Location: The obelisk is monolithic, meaning it is a one-piece monument. The underground portion, holds up the visible above ground portion of the stone. It is impossible to know exactly how deep or how symmetrical the underground portion of the stone is until it is unearthed and removed from the ground. If the determination is made to move the monument indoors for protection, the final display plan will need to be created once it is completely out of the ground and can be accurately measured and assessed. At that time, the exact dimensions and shape of the lowermost portion will be understood. If the decision is made to move the monument to an indoor museum setting, a dialogue would ideally occur with that facility to collaborate and create a viable plan that fits their needs. A few different options for display are possible. Ultimately there needs to be something created at the lowest area acting as an anchor to stabilize, and to keep it upright, and make it safe for display purposes. A base should be created that has a recess in it to accommodate the entire lower portion of the stone. The most economical option would be to cast a base out of a modern concrete which could be pigmented. The exact width and height would need to be determined once the obelisk is completely visible out of the ground. A more desirable option would be to create a base out of natural stone. The process would be very similar whether it was created from concrete or natural stone. Once the base is created in the proper dimensions, a mortise within the base will allow the obelisk to fit into it and hold it upright structurally. Stability will be created from the weight at the very bottom, where it meets the ground, like an anchor. The mortise needs to have some extra tolerance, in other words a small space about '/4 - % inch, that should then be filled in with some material to completely lock it into place and prohibit movement. For indoor display this small space could be filled with a soft mortar, a plaster, or some other combination of materials because it does not need to withstand weathering conditions. Another option would be to create a simulated landscape feature in a museum display that would hide the lower portion. Ultimately it would still need a lower support of some kind but if it was completely hidden it could be made from many varying materials. It could possibly be created out of wood and propped up with sandbags to allow future movement more easily. Possible Bronze Plaque Removal from Obelisk for Indoor Display: The Monument was originally a one-piece limestone obelisk without any attachments. In the 1930's, 2 bronze plaques were created and attached to opposite sides at approximately the center of the obelisk. The bronze plaques are in amazingly good condition for their age however, over the course of 80+ years a small amount of copper has leached out of the plaques and stained the obelisk. This stating is primarily cosmetic affecting the appearance. If the decision is made to move the obelisk to an indoor location for display and protection from the environment, the option should be considered to remove the plaques and to display the obelisk as it was originally created without any plaques. The removed plaques could then be cleaned, waxed, and reinstalled on a new replica monument or incorporated into new signage at the site of the original obelisk. However, if the plaques are to be removed there would be four 12 holes where each plaque is attached in addition to the previously mentioned copper staining located just below where the plaques are affixed to the obelisk. Recommendations on How to Mark This Location for the Future: There are many signage options. As previously stated, the residential neighborhood has grown around this monument, so it seems the most sensitive and practical solution is to have a replica monument created and placed in the exact location of the original. The new replica monument should then have inscribed into it attribution and replacement information. This should be clearly visible and stated to avoid any possible confusion to visitors and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to provide our historic preservation planning services. Regards, Jonathan Appell Jonathan Appell Monuments Conservator 13 r _.- -4 CITY OF IOWA CITY -�� MEMORANDUM Date: August 4, 2021 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Anne Russett, Senior Planner, Neighborhood and Development Services Re: Montgomery -Butler House The Montgomery -Butler House is a historic home that is owned by the City of Iowa City. It is located on N. Dubuque Street just south of the Iowa River in Waterworks Prairie Park. The City purchased the land and home in 1995 in order to facilitate construction of the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. In 2001, Marlys Svendsen completed a feasibility study that examined options to preserve and reuse the building [Attachment 1]. The study analyzed the following options: 1. Reuse as a historic site and interpretive center; 2. Iowa River Trail amenity; 3. Iowa City visitor center; and 4. Do nothing. In May 2020, the Historic Preservation Commission Chair wrote a memo to the full Commission regarding the Montgomery -Butler House. In the memo the Chair requested City staff to help form a working group of relevant City departments and citizens to develop a path forward for the Montgomery -Butler House [Attachment 2]. In May 2021, staff from multiple City departments, including Parks and Recreation, Neighborhood and Development Services, and Public Work, conducted a site visit to the property. Photos from the site visit are in Attachment 3. The purpose of the site visit was to evaluate the property and discuss possible ways to re -use the building. Due to the location of the home, which is away from the main trail and not accessible via automobile, staff felt there is little use for the building in its current location. The site is additionally constrained since the home is not connected to City water and sewer. Staff discussed turning it into an amenity space for bicycle riders along the Iowa River Trail; however, there were concerns with this idea. Specifically, staff does not think there is enough bicycle traffic for it to be of interest to a vendor for operating. There was a suggestion that it may be feasible to include a portion of the house with interpretive signage as a shelter, art work, or other park amenity if it were re -located near the trail head adjacent to the parking lot. See Figure 1. August 4, 2021 Page 2 Figure 1. Aerial of the Montgomery Butler House and Waterworks Park At the Historic Preservation Commission's August 12, 2021 meeting, the Commission will have an opportunity to discuss ways to move forward. Due to the number of different City Departments and Commissions involved, their ongoing workloads and existing priorities, requests from the Historic Preservation Commission may require direction from the City Council. Attachments: 1. Montgomery -Butler House Feasibility Study Report; September 2001 2. HPC Chair Memo to the Commission; April 28, 2020 3. Montgomery -Butler House Photos; May 2021 I1 O TTGONIERY-BUTLER HOUSE FEASIB Y S T L'DY RIEP®W T Prepared for the City of Iowa City Prepared by Marlys A. Svendsen Svendssn Tyier, Inc., Sarona, Wisconsin September 2001 AGKNO- MGENiENTS Preparation of this report would not have been possible without the assistance of several Iowa City residents whose interest and work on behalf of the Montgomery - Butler House extends over the past two decades. Marie Neubauer, a local photographer, recorded the house and its outbuildings in haunting black and white images in 1978. About the same time, Colette Pogue, a community volunteer and local Quester member, turned her curiosity about the house and the Butler family into a 25-year pursuit of its history. Susan Licht, an Iowa City architect and member of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, devoted many volunteer hours to assist in the preparation of the restoration plan and cost estimates contained in this report. Richard Carlson, a professional historian and also a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, prepared the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the property — an effort that will make the house eligible for matching restoration grants. Other individuals who made their time available for personal interviews and to respond to email inquiries are listed on page 81. The enthusiastic interest shared by everyone contacted for this feasibility study bodes well for the future of the Montgomery -Butler House — an important Iowa City landmark that now belongs to the community. M.Svendsen Cover Photo Credit: Mane A Neubauer, 1978 TABLE OF COYNIFA S ExecutiveSummary. ...........................................................................3 R. Introduction and Purpose........................................................13 S. History of Property................................................................. f4 C. Assets and Liabilities of Montgomery -Butler House and Site ...... 18 D. Community Planning Worzshop..............................................28 E. Reuse Recommendations.......................................................31 e "How should the Montgomery -Butler House be reused?" Historic Site and Interpretive Center..........................................................32 Iowa River Corridor Trail Facility... ........................... ............................. 39 VisitorCenter.......................................................................................43 Community Center. ........................................ __ .................................. 45 • "Who should be responsible for managing the property during restoration vs oion?°..........................................................................................46 • "Do Nothing".........................................................................................54 F. Restoration Plan and Budget..................................................55 • "What should the scope for the restoration work include, how should it be phased and when can it be completed?" G. CpeTations Budgets..............................................................66 • "Once in operation, what will it cost to operate the Montgomery -Butler House as a historic site and interpretive center?" H. Funding Strategy, Funding Sources and Partners....................68 • "What funding sources for restoration work and operation should be pursued?" • "Which sponsors or partners should be recruited to assist in completing the work and raising funds?' 1. imp."ementation Steps...........................................................76 e "What are the steps the City of Iowa City should take to establish the Montgomery -Butler House Historic Site and Interpretive Center?" J. Sounes..................................................................................81 KAppendices.............................................................................82 iq MONTCOAIMY-BUTZER HOUSE REUSEFEAS7ffflY 37UDY Execudve 5ummaiy A. Purpose of Study: To determine hopi the Montgomery -Butler House can best be preserved and reused by the City of Iowa City. Reuse of the house should be consistent with the three goals established for Waterworks Park in the 1999 Dunbar/Jones Master Plan: protect wellhead and water service infrastructure, provide public access to Waterworks Park, and preserve and enhance. natural areas. S. History of House: The Montgomery -Butler House was constructed in ca. 1858 for the family of Elizabeth (Galbreath) Butler Montgomery, widow of Martin Montgomery, and her Butler children. Because the property is better known for its later ownership by Butler descendants of Elizabeth and her first husband, Walter Butler, the house has frequently been referred to as the "Butler House." Similarly, the former ferry landing and bridge on the Iowa River historically associated with the house were known as "Butler's Landing" and "Butler's Bridge." The Montgomery -Butler House is significant historically for its association with an important early ferry operation on the Iowa River inaugurated by Martin Montgomery and continued by the Butler children. The building is also architecturally significant as an example of a vernacular stone dwelling with Greek Revival features typical of residential architecture predating the Civil War in Iowa City and Johnson County. Members of the Butler family stayed on the site until after the death of Elizabeth Butler Montgomery in 1888. Thereafter, the house and farm were rented with tenants growing melons on the fertile river bottomland, raising livestock and operating a wood lot. In 1944 the Butler descendents sold the property. The house stood vacant for about two decades before it was acquired by the City of Iowa City in 1995 as part of land purchased for the construction of the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant During the environmental review process required of all federally funded and licensed projects, the stone house was identified as a historic site that met the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Stabilization measures to preserve the building were taken as part of an agreement between the City, the State Historical Society of Iowa, Corps of Engineers and the National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The City has set aside 4.28 acres within the future Waterworks Park, including the stone house, to be developed as a cultural resource. The house was mothballed in 1998, and a nomination for the property to the National Register of Historic Places will be considered later this year. C. Assets & Liabilities Summary. - Assets: A. Location of house is adjacent to county highway & Interstate 80 B. Natural setting adjacent to Iowa River, wooded bluff C. Good access to Iowa River Corridor Trail system D. Waterworks Park parking lot to be built below bluff E. Restrooms to be developed near Iowa River Corridor Trail, below bluff F. Proximity to new Waterworks Park G. Convenient for Iowa City and Johnson County schools H. Near Iowa City Water Treatment Plant I. Stabilization of building already completed in 1998 by the City of Iowa City J. House tells important stories about early Iowa City and Johnson County K. Building eligible for National Register of Historic Places; nomination scheduled for consideration in October 2001 by State Nominations Review Committee Liabilities_ 1. Limited parking potential adjacent to house 2. Poor Visibility from Dubuque Street 3. Building is small, rooms are small 4. Difficult to make building meet ADA requirements due to site grades and width of exterior and interior openings 5. Limited potential for adding water and sewer to site due to location adjacent to Water Treatment Plant 6. No historic furnishings available 7. No sponsoring organization at present time 8. No volunteer structure identified S. No municipal staff readily available for management of Montgomery -Butler House 10. Rehabilitation costs substantial for active use D. Community Planning t0forkshop: A community planning workshop was held on April 24, 2001 and attended by approximately 30 representatives of various bicycle, open space, historic preservation, and civic organizations as well as City staff members. Participant discussion focused on three questions: a) what are the best use(s) for Montgomery -Butler House? b.) which organizations should serve as sponsors or partners to direct the reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House? and c.) what potential funding prospects should be explored to support the reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House? The workshop concluded with participants ranking the suggestions for building use. E. Reuse Recommendations. "How should the Uontg+omW-Buller House be reused?" The merits of four potential uses were evaluated, including use as an h1§19ric, site nd Interpretye center, a trail h"A facilh for the Iowa River Corridor Trail an Iowa City_visitor center and a cDmmunity center. A fifth option of doing nothing was also considered. Input from community planning sessions in 1995 and earlier this year was carefully reviewed as it related to each of the uses. The overall preference of participants was for reuse of the property as a historic site with interpretive programs offered to the public. Participants also showed an interest in having the Montgomery -Butler House serve as a trail amenity. The requirements of each use were then evaluated, and the limitations of the building and/or site to sustain each use were analyzed. The goals already established for the development of Waterworks Park were assessed, especially the need to protect wellhead and water service infrastructure. And finally, the overall cost and operational feasibility were evaluated. Of the four reuse ideas considered, the concept of reusing the Mont ome -Butler House as an historic site and interpretive center was determined to be the most feasible. The importance of the house historically and architecturally provides a compelling story about the early decades of Iowa City and Johnson County. The house and site provide an opportunity to relate the story of an early ferry operation and important river crossing as part of the larger story of the geological history of the Iowa River Valley. Together with the interpretive opportunities planned for Waterworks Park and the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant, the Montgomery - Butter House as the potential to serve as an important historic site within Iowa City and along the Interstate-80 corridor, The option of using a Iota{ historical organization to provide long-term management of the site enhances the feasibility of this option. And finally, a separate option for "doing nothing' with the Montgomery -Butler House was evaluated. As a part of this approach, the general maintenance requirements for the site and the liabilities associated with having a minimally secured building within a new city park were assessed. "YVho should Be responsible for the Montgomery -Butler House during restotahon? ownership of the house by the City of Iowa City makes it the most likely candidate for seeing that conscientious restoration work that meets s edfic standards for historic buildings is completed in the early stages of developing the house as a historic site. City of Iowa City bidding procedures also should be observed for construction contracts. For subsequent phases of work, it is recommended that the situation be reassessed, and if warranted, responsibility reassigned to the operator/manager of the house. Several City departments have the experience and capacity to oversee and coordinate the restoration work. The stabilization work completed in 1998 was coordinated by the Planning and Community Development Department. The Park and Recreation Department maintains dozens of structures and facilities throughout the city. An internal decision will need to be made by the City Council based an departmental staffing capacity. "How and by whoArn should the k9ontgomery-Buder House be managsd during oaeration? Ownership does not obligate the City of Iowa City to be the primary operator. Based on the successful experience of other historic sites in Iowa and around the country, it is recommended that an operation contract for the house as a historic site and interpretive center,be negotilaW with a local historical organization such as the Johnson County Historical Society. Initial oversight would be provided by a Montgomery -Butler House Task Force appointed by the City Council. Once the contract is negotiated, this task force or another similar group, would provide operational oversight on behalf of the City of Iowa City. Details regarding grounds maintenance, tour hours, volunteer recruitment, special event planning, and scheduling would be negotiated In the contract. F. Restoration plan and Budget: "What should the scope for the restoration work include, how should it be phased and when shoula it be comple*ed?" The scope of restoration work for use of the Mon ome -Butler House as an historic site and int@rmretive center should be divided into four „phew. The first phase would include start-!jr) measures designed to introduce the site in a preliminary way. No exterior work would be completed except for security measures and development of an access road, small parking lot and trail spur included in a currently approved TEA-21 grant for the development of a trailhead at the site. The second phase would include the minimal amount of exterior work necessa to return the building's early appearance. In addition, interpretive markers and accessible paths would be installed at specific vantage points designed to give visitors the story of the house, the ferry, the farmstead, and the river valley's geology. The third phase of work would begin after the house had been in operation for several years and public support for its interpretive mission had been demonstrated. Success of the site would be measured by its use as a local history site for area school children and by visitor attendance during a limited schedule of guided tours. The second phase would continue exterior restoration work necessary for the long-term preservation and interpretation of the house and begin interior work. An effort should be made to incorporate the restoration process into the visitor experience beginning with the archeological work and continuing through each element of restoration. The fourth and final phase of work should be undertaken only r the house is well established, staffing secure and the potential for deve-lopirin a collectionof interior furnishings realisti . After completion of this phase, portions of the interior of the house would be open demonstrating the way of fife of early rural families in Johnson County. An extended schedule of hours of operation would be provided using paid staff and volunteers. The development of quality heritage tourism sites has the potential to draw visitors to the community and provide a reason for them to linger. Coordinating operation of the Montgomery -Butler House with other local historical attractions and museums will enhance the visitor experience. Restoration of the Montgomery -Butler House. began with stabilization measures completed in 1998 totaling approximately $45,723. The start-up work (Phase 1) recommended to establish the house as a historic site with links to Waterworks Park and the Iowa River Corridor Trail will cost an estimated $47,000 of which $40,000 is already available in a TEA-21 Grant for the establishment of trailhead improvements. Subsequent phases of work designed to provide restoration of the of the building and expand the interpretation of the house by providing interior access will cost an estimated $87,000 (Phase ll), $89,000 (Phase lll) and $119,500 (Phase IV) respectively in today's dollars. The total cost of the remaining four phases of restoration work in today's dollars will be an estimated $342,500. A table itemizing these budget items by phase is contained on pages 56 & 57. G. Operations Budget "Once In operation, what will It cost to operate the Montgomery -Bader House as a historic she and interprative center?" Operation of the Mont ome - utler House should be accomplisbgO through a combination of City gversight and a Professional management contract with either an existing or new not -for -profit organization. To get the site operational in a preliminary fashion, a start-up budget of $7,000 per year is recommended to cover the costs of a monitored security system and minimal maintenance of the site. Once a management contract is in place, an annual operations budget in the range of $17,300 - 40,000 should cover the costs of the contract, utility expenses, grounds maintenance, a security system, publication of promotional materials and general upkeep. Operation of the interpretive center mission for the house by a not -for -profit organization is recommended. Their work would include developing a tour program, completing outreach to local schools and civic groups, handling promotion of the property, scheduling tours for school groups and adult visitor groups, and coordinating special events. Because of the nature of the site, it is not recommended that the property be kept accessible during the winter months. Instead, an eight -month operation schedule extending from late March through October is recommended. Preliminary discussions with the Johnson County Historical Society indicates an interest by their organization in discussing the possibility of entering into a management contract for the Montgomery -Butler House. H. Funding Strategy, Funding Sources and Partners "What funding sources for restorafRon work and operation should be pursued?" Funding for restoration of the Montgomery -Butter House and the creation of the infrastructure necessary to operate the house as a historic site and interpretive center should be orawn from a combination of sources including overnment grants, private foundations or grant programs individual and corporate contributors special events and the CN of Iowa C. There is abundant precedence in Iowa for municipal ownership and operation of historic buildings including several examples of house museums. As the building's owner, the City of Iowa City will need to continue to take a leadership position in funding the building's restoration and management. By dividing the restoration into three phases, funding can be achieved at a moderate pace and partners recruited for the project. Since the property is and will continue to be publicly owned, it is recommended that the first phase of restoration work be undertaken using a mix of municipal funds and grants. Subsequent restoration should be accomplished with a mix of grants, individual contributions and corporate gifts. It is recommended that as the operation of the site matures, consideration be given to a community -wide capital fund drive. Establishment of an endowment to underwrite the operations budget should also be considered. In order to generate sufficient income to fund the Montgomery -Butler House's entire operating budget of $17,000 to 38,000 annually, an endowment fund of approximately $425,000 to $950,000 would be needed. Continued investment in the property by the City of Iowa City is consistent with 10 investments made by other Iowa municipalities and a strategy that will strengthen the amenities of Waterworks Park and the Iowa River Corridor Trail. "Which sponsors or partners should be recruited to assist in completing the work and raising funds?" Potential sponsors or partners should be recruited for various aspects of Me Montgomery -Butler House project based on their shared interest. For example, Friends of Historic Preservation's organizational mission includes the preservation of historic buildings while the Johnson County Historical Society focuses on museum and education programs. Both organizations expressed a willingness to assist in developing the Montgomery -Butler House. Leaders of local Quester chapters, organizations interested in antiques and historic interiors, expressed a willingness to explore potential funding opportunities through their organizations. A representative of the University of Iowa identified a connection through the Iowa River while leaders of other museums in the community expressed an interest in coordinating programs once the Montgomery -Butler House is operating as a historic site. There was strong evidence offend during the feasibility study process of a willingness to collaborate in order to make the house a successful historic site. L implementation Steps. ' ORhat are Yore steps the City of Iowa Cl-y should take to esgabiish the i or—agornery-Butler House Histr: fc Site and ia, Qigjredve Ce.at;,?" 1. City Council adopts the feasibility study report recommendation that the Montgomery -Butler House be reused as a historic site and interpretive center. 2. City Council establishes a Montgomery -Butler House Task Force and names its members. 3. City Council assigns responsibility for staffing the Task Force to representatives of the Planning and Community Development Department, Parks and Recreation Department and Water Treatment Plant. 11 4. Under the direction of the Montgomery.Butler House Task Force, a concise written statement should be prepared outlining the plan for reusing the house. Presentations should be made to community groups about the plan and recruitment of a volunteer support network should begin. 5. The first phase of start-up measures including preliminary security steps, construction of an improved access road and trail spur, and installation of temporary interpretive signs should be completed. These measures would also include the installation of overhead electrical service, the addition of a telephone line to the property, and the installation of a security system to monitor access to the house. 6. The house and site should be readied for a public open house and private tours for prospective donors and volunteer groups. 7. A funding plan should be prepared for the first phase of work that includes a major leadership commitment from the City of Iowa City. Grant requests and foundation requests should be prepared. 8. Once funding has been established to initiate construction, continued efforts should be made to give restoration of the house a higher profile in the community. g. A management contract should be drafted for operation of the Montgomery - Butler House once it is operational. This step could be introduced at an earlier point if responsibility for coordinating promotional activities and volunteer recruitment is part of the contract. The contract fee will initially be an expense of the City of Iowa City. 10.Once the second phase of restoration of the house is well underway, the public should be introduced to the Montgomery -Butler House through one or more special events. 11. Coordination of the interpretive program at the Montgomery -Butler House with nature programs and tours at Waterworks Park and the new Water Treatment Plant should be encouraged. Collaboration with other visitor attractions in the area will be important to the house's success. They include historic sites (Old Capitol, Plum Grove, Heritage Museum of Johnson County and the Herbert 12 Hoover Birthplace), museums (Museum of Natural History, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum, and University of Iowa Art Museum), and special attractions (Carver Hawkeye Arena, Hawkeye Hall of Fame and Visitor Center, Lake MacBride Raptor Center, Hancher Auditorium, and the Devonian Fossil Gorge). 12. Once operations are firmly established, fundraising from various sources for the third and fourth phases of work should commence. Consideration should be given to a capital fund drive in the community designed to see restoration completed for the house's 1 S& anniversary in 2008. Timing of the fund drive so as not to conflict with other fundraising efforts in the community will be critical to its success. 13.An endowment fund should be established to support all or a portion of the house's ongoing operation as a historic site. 13 A, INTRODUC77ONAAD PURPOSE In the early 1990s the City of Iowa City began planning efforts for the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant to be located north of Interstate 80 along North Dubuque Street. An old stone farmhouse and the remains of several out buildings were among the buildings identified on the parcels to be acquired. An historical survey of the site eventually identified the building as an 1850s-era building associated with an early ferry operation on the Iowa River and the lives of various members of the Montgomery and Butler families, Johnson County pioneers. In 1995 this historic property - the Montgomery -Butler House - was purchased by the City of Iowa City as a part of a larger parcel to support the operations of the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. The house was stabilized in 1998 pending decision making for its reuse. This purpose of this feasibility study is to determine how the Montgomery -Butler House can best be preserved and reused by the City of Iowa City. Marlys Svendsen, a historic preservation consultant with the firm Svendsen Tyler, Inc. was retained earlier this year to assist in developing a reuse plan for the building. Work on the plan has included an analysis of the assets and limitations of the Montgomery -Butler House site as they relate to its reuse. A community planning workshop was attended by historic preservationists, bicyclists, educators, naturalists, civic leaders, municipal workers and concerned citizens to assist in finding the best combination of uses for the Montgomery -Butter House. Interviews were conducted with City staff various experts to follow up on ideas suggested. Based on the results of the planning workshop, interviews and other research a series of recommendations were developed for the property and presented to City staff members for review. During the course of the project, members of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission provided pro bona professional assistance. Susan Licht, AIA served 14 as architectural consultant, preparing cost estimates for various elements of the building's restoration and overall assistance in identifying reuse options. In order to make the building eligible for a range of state and national grant programs, Richard Carlson prepared a National Register of Historic Places nomination. Unlike many feasibility studies prepared for historic buildings, the findings and recommendations of this study have been designed for implementation over a period of years rather than months. The conservative nature of such a plan has the advantage of spreading the cost over several years and taking the advantage of multiple grant opportunities. It also provides an opportunity to build community interest and to fine-tune the house's reuse plan before the most costly capital and operational aspects are implemented. A HISTORY OF' THE MONTGOMM Y-BUYL R HOUSE The best reuse plan begins with understanding the history of a property to the fullest extent possible. On behalf of the City of Iowa City, historic studies were completed by Jan Nash, Tall Grass Historians, L.C. in 1995 and archeological investigations were undertaken by David W. Benn and Robert Vogel, Bear Creek Archeology, Inc. in 1996. Material uncovered in their research combined with work completed by Richard Carlson, a historian and member of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, reveal the story of an important pioneer family in Johnson County. The historical summary that follows was taken from published reports by Tall Grass Historians and Bear Creek Archeology as well as the draft National Register of Historic Places nomination prepared by Carlson that is pending before the State Historical Society of Iowa. A complete copy of Carlson's draft nomination appears in Appendix II. The Montgomery -Butler House was constructed in ca. 1858 for the family of Elizabeth (Galbreath) Butler Montgomery and her Butler children. When acquired by the City of Iowa City in 1995, it was part of a farm that included the bluff top site 15 of the house as well as alluvial bottomland to the west. The Iowa River flows from east to west past the house before bending south about a half mile west of the house. In addition to the house, the property includes a partially collapsed double corncrib dating from the first half of the twentieth century and several stone or concrete foundations of former outbuildings built between the mid -nineteenth century and the mid -twentieth century. The site also contains a deeply rutted section of roadbed that formerly extended west from the present route of Dubuque Street, past the house and outbuildings, and down to a ford on the Iowa River. This "relic road" appears on a General Land Office map surveyed between 1839 and 1841, predating construction of Old Capitol by at least five years. Carlson writes that the land on which the house stands was first sold by the federal government to a private owner in 1844 and four years later Alphonso B. Newcomb and James P. Miller built a steam sawmill on the site near the Iowa River. This two -acre mill site was sold in 1850 to Martin M. Montgomery, the owner of a sawmill on the west bank of the Iowa River in what is now Coralville, approximately two miles downstream from the Montgomery -Butler House. The same year Montgomery married Elizabeth (Galbreath) Butler, widow of Walter Butler — Iowa City pioneer and namesake of the young capital city's famous "Butler Capitor. The combined Montgomery and Butler household included several of Elizabeth's six Butler children. In 1853, Martin Montgomery purchased 14.24 acres adjacent to the mill site and moved his family to temporary quarters described by Elizabeth's son Martin Van Buren Butler as "a board shanty in the timber north of Iowa City." Martin Montgomery died in 1855 before the stone house was built. Before his death, Martin Montgomery had operated a ferry service across the Iowa River. ' Esther Stratton, "An pld Settlers Story' (1923), p. 2. Located in the collection labeled SHSL MS 22, in the State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City. 16 Earliest photograph of the allontgomery-Butler House shows twin brothers Glen and Guy Stevens sitting on the south porch in the mid-1890s. Photo courtesy e Colette Pogue. Scanty early records make dating of the Montgomery -Butler House difficult. However, Carlson's research suggests that changes in valuations of the property made in 1856 and 1859 were an indication that the house appeared during this period.2 The Greek Revival elements on the house are consistent with a construction date between the 1840s and the 1860s. The upstairs was possibly completed or remodeled in the 1860s. Elizabeth and her children continued to live on the site until at least the time of Elizabeth Montgomery's death in 1888. 2 In the draft National Register of Htstodc Places nomination prepared in May 2001, Richard Carlson writes the following: "In 1856, the land was valued at $150, the same price at which Martin Montgomery purchased it in 1853. By 1859, the land was valued at $800, suggesting that the stone house was built by then. Later census records value the land at least $1,000. Although the house appears to have been built between 1856 and 1959, additional work on the upstairs may have been done during the 1860s_ At the time the house was mothballed in 1998, an account book of one of the early occupants of the house, Thomas Butler, was found behind the lath in the upstairs halt. Although most of the entries in this book date to the 1850s, a few smudged pencil notations appear to date to 1862 or 1863. while this may indicate that the house was not completed until the mid-1860s, it is also possible that the book was sealed in the wall during a later remodeling of the upstairs." 17 Because the property is better known for its later ownership by the Butler descendants of Walter and Elizabeth Butler, the house has frequently been referred to as the Butler House. Similarly, the former landing and bridge on the Iowa River historically associated with the house were known as Butler's Landing and Butler's Bridge. Although Martin Montgomery's sawmill was dismantled around 1857 or 1858, the ferry service he inaugurated was continued by the Butler children for several decades. John W. Butter and his wife Elizabeth stayed on the site the longest, living there until after the death of Elizabeth Montgomery in 1888. South side of MontgomeryZutler House taken in Into 196tts. Photo courtesy of Colette Pogue. The farm continued to be owned by members of the Butler family until 1944. The house and land were rented to various families. Brothers Glen and Guy Stevens grew melons in the bottomland, chopped and sold wood, and raised hogs. The earliest photographs of the house appear below showing the twin brothers on the south porch in the 1890s. The property continued to be operated as a farm until the 1970s. Iowa City photographer Marie Neubauer produced the best photographic record of the house and outbuildings later in the decade. With the exception of the double crib, now partially collapsed, none of the outbuildings on the property survive. 18 The property stood vacant for about two decades before it was acquired by the City of Iowa City in the 1990s as part of land purchased for the construction of a new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. During the environmental review process required of all federally funded and licensed projects, the stone house was identified as a historic site that met the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Stabilization measures to preserve the building were recommended by the State Historical Society of Iowa as part of an agreement between the City, State, Corps of Engineers and National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The city has set aside 4.28 acres within the future Waterworks Park, including the stone house, to be developed as a cultural resource. The house was mothballed in 1998. Montgomery -Butler House, April 2001. Photo Credit. Marlys A. Svendsen C_ ASSM AND LIABILITIES — HOUSE AAD SITE The Montgomery-Butfer House is a historic property with a unique combination of assets and liabilities attributable to its location, municipal ownership, history and building attributes. Some attributes add to its usefulness while others limit the flexibility of the property. 19 The Montgomery -Butler House is located on a four -acre parcel of ground situated immediately adjacent to North Dubuque Street approximately a half -mile north of Interchange 244 on Interstate 80. Traffic counts along the east and west bound lanes of Interstate 80 in the vicinity of Interchange 244 (Dubuque Street) show approximately 40,000 and 50,000 vehicles per day. Approximately 6, 600 vehicles travel the north and south bound lanes of Dubuque Street north of Interstate 80 while approximately 19,500 vehicles per day use the north and south bound lanes of Dubuque Street south of the interstate. The high -volume traffic counts along Interstate 80 indicate that the house has convenient access to both local and regional travelers. Uses that benefit from ready access to such visitors and/or consumers include certain types of visitor attractions such as information or welcome centers, historic sites, parks, trails or other service sites for travelers. The setting of the Montgomery -Butler House is on an upland bluff overlooking the Iowa River valley approximately 70 feet above sea level. From this site, the geological history of the Iowa River is revealed including the story of how the valley was formed by glacial melt carving right-angled bends through fracture traces of bedrock over a half -million years and the subsequent development of the alluvial plain north and west of the house. According to Dr. Jean C, Prior, research geologist with the Geological Survey Bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the physical setting of the house provides considerable potential for interpreting geological resources. The potential for interpreting this aspect of the house and its location are discussed in Appendix 4. The area surrounding the Montgomery -Butler House is part of one of three existing wooded areas identified in the "Iowa City Water Works Park Master Plan" developed by Dunbar/Jones Partnership in 1999. The diverse plant stock of the area represents a blend of native species and cultivated plants introduced during the more than 100 year's that the house and farmstead were occupied. Both native and introduced plant materials are assets of the Montgomery -Butler House site for 20 RJlontgomery-Butler House Site, Map: "Iowa City West, Iowa 41091-FS-TF-024," U.S. Geological Survey, 1994 interpretive and natural landscaping purposes. The Dunbar/Jones plan identified such resources as suitable for inclusion in an environmental education program to be developed for the Waterworks Park. The Montgomery -Butler Mouse is located approximately 400 feet south of the system of service roads/recreation trails recently built within the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant and Waterworks Park. A trail section in this area will in turn serve as a designated link of the Iowa River Corridor Trail system when the Waterworks 21 Park opens. Currently the Iowa River Corridor Trail has approximately 1,500 users per day in the sections close to the University of Iowa campus and about 300 users per day in sections off campus. The clustering of visitor assets near recreational trails is a well -established practice for drawing visitors. Trail spurs designed to link historic attractions, public rest rooms, picnic areas, natural vistas or other service facilities for trail users, enhance the trail's attraction. The strategy also works in reverse. Current plans for the Waterworks Park call for construction of a parking lot with space for approximately 30 cars and a drop-off/parking area for school buses. The parking lot site is below the bluff, north of the Montgomery -Butler House and will have convenient access to Dubuque Street. Plans also call for the development of public restrooms near the Iowa River Corridor Trail, below bluff. The close proximity of the parking lot and restrooms (approximately 400 feet) to the Montgomery -Butler House has the potential for meeting some of the needs of the house depending on the reuse option selected. The Montgomery -Butler House is located approximately one-third of a mile north of the new Water Treatment Plant site. Once this facility opens in 2003 it is likely to be a magnet for regional and local visitors. The main building within the Water Treatment Plant campus includes a meeting room with a capacity for 80 people. In addition, it is likely that tours of the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant— the largest single capital improvement in Iowa City s history — will draw a substantial number of visitors. Several uses of the MontgomeryButler House would benefit from shared access to visitors, especially students from Iowa City and Johnson County schools. The presence of a parking lot capable of handling school buses just 400 feet from the Montgomery -Butler House has the potential to encourage school trips to the site. Other assets of the Montgomery -Butler House relate to its municipal ownership and history. The City of Iowa City has owned the house since 1995. Extensive 22 stabilization work was completed on the building in 1998 by the City of Iowa City including roof repairs, internal structural measures, and closure of all openings to limit access. Since the work was completed the building has remained relatively secure with no damage occurring due to moisture penetration. Because the stabilization measures were planned in anticipation of being in place for some time, reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House can be undertaken with deliberate, careful planning. The history of the Montgomery -Butler House has the capacity to relate a number of important stories about early Iowa City and Johnson County pioneers. It is a good example of the type of simple, sturdy stone buildings that were built by the earliest settlers in the area. They used readily available materials, fashioning them into vernacular building forms than they brought with them. The house was constructed in ca. 1858 by members of the Montgomery and Butler family on a site adjacent to a ferry crossing along the Iowa River that also contained a saw mill operation. Remnants of the wagon road employed by ferry users are still visible on the south edge of the property. The story of the Montgomery and Butler family, the operation of the ferry and saw mill, and the early agricultural history of settlers in rural Johnson County are associated with this site. The house and site have been determined eligible for the listing in the National Register of Historic Places and a formal nomination to the Register is scheduled for consideration in October 2001 by State Nominations Review Committee. Once listed, greater public iuttention will be focused on the house and site. The property will also become eligible for several state and federal grant programs to support its restoration. Designation will also be a key factor in winning public support and potential contributions. The Montgomery -Butler House also has liabilities or limitations that will affect its reuse. Access to the immediate house site is currently made using a short and steep unpaved road. Passing traffic, though not constant, is steady, making 23 access onto and from Dubuque Street difficult. Once at the house site, there is limited capacity for the development of parking spaces without disturbing important site features such as the foundation ruins of outbuildings and the "relic road," the original road used by wagons and carts accessing the ferry landing. The Montgomery -Butler House itself is relatively small. The main house has three floors with a center hall plan. A one-story summer kitchen is attached at one end. The interior is divided into two rooms on the basement level with three rooms on the first floor, and three rooms and two small storage rooms on the second floor. Narrow stairs connect the three levels. The rooms have modest ceiling heights and range in size from 12 feet by 23 feet (basement kitchen) to 14 feet by 15 feet (first floor parlor) to 14 feet by 11 feet (small bedroom, second floor). The interior passage openings are narrow, measuring 28 to 30 inches. As a result, the house does not have the capacity to house large groups of people or provide for uses that require free intemal circulation. Providing handicapped access to the interior of the building will be difficult, though not impossible. Ramping options using either the south or north doors will significantly detract from the building's historic character. The better option will be to develop an access through a chair lift at the west end of the summer kitchen. The narrow width of interior openings and the stairs to the second floor will preclude providing wheel chair access to much of the house, The Montgomery -Butler House served as a rural residence until the early 1970s. The house had limited electrical service, a private well with minimal plumbing, and no sewer service. Provision of basic electrical service will be possible but providing sewer and water service will be more difficult because of proximity to the new Water Treatment Plant and its source wells. The cost of providing new utilities to the site will be considerable. 24 Basement Phan, Montgomerg-puler House, drawing prepared by Susan LICK AIA and John Shaw, AIA, 1996 Nip, �_ IIr==-_ ----------=-_ ---=-�� q4 II11 Jill IIII IIII IIII II q IIII Jill B"T 25 First Floor Plan, E;ontgomery-Butier House, drawing prepared by Susan Licht, AtA, and John Shaw, AtA, 1996 FIR5T 26 Second Floor Plan, flAontgomery-Butler House, drawing prepared by Susan Licht, AIA, and John Shaw, AIA, 1996 27 As noted above, stabilization measures were completed for the Montgomery -Butler House in 1998. Since the building had been vacant for nearly 25 years prior to that time, considerable deterioration occurred. Any plan for active reuse of major portions of the house will need to carefully consider the costs associated with restoration, as these are likely to be considerable. At the present time, there is no sponsoring private or not -for -profit organization associated with the house. Interest has been shown by several local groups with some expressing a willingness to be a partner in its development. No existing organization has volunteered to lead the effort, however. As a result, no volunteer or fundraising structure is readily in place to guide the building's restoration. One of the strengths of the Montgomery -Butler House is also one of its weaknesses. Although the City of Iowa City owns it, responsibility for the house is spread across several departments. Acquisition of the house was Incidental to the development of the new Water Treatment Plant, not a deliberate decision to develop a historic site. As a result, one of the key outcomes of the current planning process will need to be a determination of management structure for the house and an appropriate staff complement. Summary of Assets: H. Location of house is adjacent to county highway & Interstate 80 L Natural setting adjacent to Iowa River, wooded bluff J. Good access to Iowa River Corridor Trail system K Waterworks Park parking lot below bluff L. Restrooms to be developed near Iowa River Corridor Trail, below bluff M. Proximity to new Waterworks Park N. Convenient for Iowa City and Johnson County schools O. Near Water Treatment Plant visitor site P. Stabilization of building completed in 1998 by the City of Iowa City Q. House tells important stories about early Iowa City and Johnson County R. Building eligible for National Register of Historic Places; nomination scheduled for consideration in October 2001 by State Nominations Review Committee 28 Summary pf Liabilities: 1. Limited parking potential adjacent to house 2. Poor Visibility from Dubuque Street 3. Building is small, rooms are small 4. Difficult to make building meet ADA requirements, grade and width of exterior and interior openings 5. Limited potential for adding water and sewer to site due to location adjacent to Water Treatment Plant 6. No historic furnishings available 7. No sponsoring organization at present time 8. No volunteer structure identified 9. No municipal staff readily available for operation of Montgomery -Butler House 10. Rehabilitation costs substantial for active use D. COMMUNH Y PLA NNING WORKSHOP FINDINGS On April 24, 2001, a community planning workshop was held at the Iowa City Civic Center to discuss opportunities for reusing the Montgomery -Butler House. Invitations were sent to 50 individuals and over 30 attended the two-hour meeting. The invitation list for workshop participants and a roster of those who were able to attend is included in Appendix A. Marlys Svendsen, planning consultant for the feasibility study, facilitated the workshop. 5vendsen shared information about the background of the Montgomery -Butler House including both its recent ownership by the City of Iowa City and its nearly 150 year old history as an Iowa River ferry landing and saw mill site. Three City staff members gave updates and status reports. Ed Mereno, Public Works Department, discussed the status of the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. John Yapp, Planning & Community Development provided an update on the 29 construction of the Iowa River Corridor Trail and plans for its future expansion. Terry Trueblood, Parks and Recreation Department, reviewed the design plan and construction schedule for the Waterworks Park. A brief overview of the assets and liabilities of the Montgomery -Butler House and Site was shared by Svendsen. Then participants were asked to join in a group discussion focused on three questions: a) what are the best use(s) for Montgomery -Butler House? b.) which organizations should serve as sponsors or partners to direct the reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House? and c.) what potential funding prospects should be explored to support the reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House? The workshop concluded with participants ranking the suggestions for building use offered during the group discussions. Each individual was given three votes with a value of 3 points for the highest ranking, 2 points for the second choice and 1 point for the third choice. Values were totaled and the results appear below with ideas listed in descending ranking with the most highly ranked suggestions receiving the most points. Suggestions for potential sponsors and funding sources were not ranked. After the workshop concluded, a sunset tour of the Montgomery -Butler House was conducted for interested participants. Building Use Suggestions House is restored as a historic site with furnishings and guided interpretation 19 House becomes part of a wayside stop for trail users equipped with selected amenities such as bicycle racks and water but no vending machines 10 House is used as an active educational center rather than passive use 8 v House is used as a living history site, hosting annual reenactments 8 o House is used to highlight the history of the Iowa River, to tell the story of the beginnings of Iowa City and Johnson County 8 c House and site are used as an example of a historic building interconnected closely with the natural setting and historic use of the entire site 8 30 Restoration of the house is staged 5 House is used as an example of a historic building with minimal interior restoration, exterior preserved including window openings 3 House is used as a waterworks museum 3 House is used to tell the story of the building's architecture, how it was built 3 o Picnic site 2 e House is preserved as an example of a historic building, passive use 2 a House is used to highlight the history of the Butler Landing ferry operation 2 < House is used as a historic site with original views of the property interpreted 0 • House is used to tell the story of where pioneers got their water 0 o House site should be restored to an earlier ere with invasive plants removed but homestead plantings restored 0 Interpret horticulture of site 0 o House should have exterior preserved and interior rehabilitated for use as a residence for rental use or as housing for a Water Treatment Plant employee 0 Access to the house is developed from the interior of the Waterworks Park and the North Dubuque Street access Is cut off 0 Potential Partners or Sponsors for the Bulldina's New Ilse Johnson County Historical Society Iowa City Water Division o Iowa City Park and Recreation as part of a Regional Park Friends of Historic Preservation Local Quester Groups — five local chapters Not the City of Iowa City Potential S u of Funding Annual grants up to $5,000 from Questers at the local, state or national levels o TEA-21 grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation Historic Site Preservation Grant through State Historical Society of Iowa, minimum $40, 000 Historic Resource Development Program grants through State Historical Society of Iowa • Soil and Water Conservation District grants for site work VISTA workers for donated labor projects 911 • Friends of Historic Preservation to provide in -kind match through labor, donated materials, or hosting a special event • University of Iowa, connecting site to the Iowa River • Department of Natural ResourcesAJS Geological Survey • Individuals with a family link to the house E. AWSEIZECOMMbNDATTONS "How should the Montgomery Binder House be reused?" This was the first and most important question to be answered by this feasibility study. In the course of answering this question, others arose related to the scope for the restoration work, appropriate phasing, a schedule for completion, funding sources for restoration work, sponsors or partners for completing the work and raising funds, and a management structure suitable for operating the site. The uses evaluated during this feasibility study were based on three sources: the suggestions of participants at the community planning workshop, the ideas of City staff members and the experience and research of the planning consultant. From the onset, it was assumed that the City of Iowa City would retain ownership of the property and that the site and/or house would have some level of public access. Uses in conflict with these requirements such as use as a park caretaker's residence or rental housing, were eliminated from consideration. After a thorough review of the house's assets and liabilities, four uses were evaluated for this feasibility study. Each use incorporates some type or level of public use. The restrictions posed by location adjacent to the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant were evaluated in each instance. The overall merits of each of the potential uses are discussed below with the uses appearing in order of preference. They include use as: an historic site and interpretive center, a trail head facility for the Iowa Rarer Corridor Trail, an Iowa City visitor center and a community center. Collaborative elements of the various uses are discussed where appropriate. 32 Historic Site and Interpretive Center Reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House as a historic site and interpretive center first surfaced during a joint planning session of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission in 1996. Earlier this year during the community planning workshop held in conjunction with this feasibility study, it was the most frequently recommended use suggested by participants. Such a use falls under a broadly defined definition of both heritage tourism and heritage education. "Heritage tourism" is what the National Trust for Historic Preservation describes as "travel designed to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past." Heritage tourism destinations such as historic sites, living history museums, and special activities organized around historic events make up a growing share of the tourism market nationally. According to a 1998 study completed by the Travel Industry Association of America, 46% of the 199.8 million U.S. adult travelers (92.4 million) included a cultural, arts, heritage, or historic activity while on a trip of 50 miles or more, one-way. The report listed visiting a historic site as the most popular cultural activity among travelers (31%), followed by visiting a museum (24%), visiting an art gallery (15%) and seeing live theater (14%). The Center for Historic Preservation located at Middle Tennessee State University defines `heritage education" as "the use of local cultural and historic resources for teaching the required curricula of grades K-12. Activities, lessons plans, and units of study focus on, but are not limited to, architecture, archaeology, cemeteries, documents, folk ways, objects and artifacts, community and family history, photographs/portraits, historic sites, museums, and the urban and rural landscape." Use of the Montgomery -Butler House as a historic site provides an 911 opportunity for cross -disciplinary study of nearly all of the subject areas included in heritage education. Workshop suggestions for how to use the Montgomery -Butler House included the establishment of interpretative programs aimed at specific audiences such as school children or trail users. The use of trained guides, interpretive signs, special programs and historic reenactments were all recommended. The story of the building's construction, its architectural style, its occupants, and the operation of Butler's Landing ferry and saw mill were suggested as topics for incorporation into the building's interpretation. Other aspects of the site suitable for interpretation include the geology of the Iowa River valley and the natural history of the wooded bluff -top setting of the house. In each of the planning exercises conducted, the overall preference has been for using the property as some type of historic site and interpretive center. To evaluate the merits of such a concept it is necessary to first understand the demand for historic sites currently operating in the Iowa City-Coralville area. At the present time. There are four historic sites actively interpreted in Iowa City and Coralville. These sites are each under separate ownership with three managed by the same organization, the Johnson County Historical Society. They include: e Old Capitol on the campus of the University of Iowa, • Plum Grove owned by the State Historical Society of Iowa and operated under contract by the Johnson County Historical Society, • the Heritage Museum of Johnson County in Coralville owned and operated by the Johnson County Historical Society, • the Johnson County Poor Farm and Asylum owned by the Johnson County Conservation Board and operated under contract by the Johnson County Historical Society 34 Interpretation programs for these sites range from self -guided tours and state exhibits to volunteer conducted tours to professionally guided tours handled by paid staff members. Old Capitol is the centerpiece of the University of Iowa's downtown campus, dominating the Pentacrest Historic District. Designated as one of only a handful of National Historic Landmarks in the state, it attracts approximately 30,000 visitors annually from over 100 foreign countries and throughout the United States. Among the visitors are 5,000-8,000 school (k-12) age children. Director Ann Smothers indicates that Old Capitol has a staff of two full-time University employees, work-study students equal to 2.5 full time positions and 30 volunteers working hours equal to approximately 2.5 fuit-time employees. Old Capitol is open seven days a week, year round except for University and national holidays. Peak periods of attendance according to Smothers are returning snow birds in late March, school groups in April, May, and June, vacationing families and summer programs in July and August, and football game traffic, parent's weekend, alumni reunions, etc. during September and October. Plum Grove is owned by the State Historical Society of Iowa and managed under a renewable term contract with the Johnson County Historicat Society. The contract covers a range of management tasks including hours of operation, tour scheduling, development of the interpretive program, collections management, special event planning, and certain maintenance tasks. The contract fee is renegotiated annually to reflect changes in the cost of operation. The Johnson County Historical Society allocates a portion of one paid staff person in its budget to handle this site. The site is open afternoons from Memorial Day through October five days a week, from Wednesday through Sunday. Current attendance for the property has been 1,200 to 1,500 people per year with attendance relatively static. Attendance at the house is limited by the house's small size and the lack of a visitors center or 35 alternate setting for rotating tour groups through the building. Minimal outreach is currently conducted for recruiting school tours and as a result, student tour group attendance is low. Under the current management contract there is no admission charge and no attendance goal. Plum Grove has an Advisory Committee that provides general oversight for the operations of the house. The Plerifzge Museum of Johnson County at 310 Fifth Street in Coralville is owned and operated by the Johnson County Historical Society. Located in the 1876 brick Coralville Public School, the Heritage Museum features changing exhibits as well as a furnished schoolroom. The Heritage Museum also offers outreach programs for schools, lectures, history camps, and other programs. Hours of operation are similar to Plum Grover but extend throughout the year. The Johnsen County Poor Farm and Asylum is owned by Johnson County and operated by the Johnson County Historical Society. The arrangement is provided for as part of an agreement between the County and the Society wherein the County provides an annual block grant to the Historical Society and in return, the Society provides several services including operation of the Asylum. Tours are provided by trained volunteers with all visits scheduled in advance. Restoration work and interpretive program development are ongoing at this site. When contacted, a member of the Board of Supervisors indicated their satisfaction with the services provided by the Johnson County Historical Society. Other sites in the area which are regularly included on school tours or as visitor stops include museums such as the Museum of Natural History in MacBride Hall, the University of lows Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum, and the University of Iowa Art Museum, and special attractions such as Carver Hawkeye Arena, the Lake MacBride Raptor Center, Hancher Auditorium, and the Devonian Fossil Gorge. Future development of the Hawkeye Hall of Fame and Visitor Center will also draw visitors. 36 An analysis of the historic sites, museums, and special attractions in the Iowa City area shows a diverse offering with attendance dependent on a range of factors including location, proximity to other attractions, scale of operation (budget and employees), scheduled hours, and promotional efforts. The Iowa City-Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau has not conducted visitor surveys that compare interest in these sites. However, anecdotal information from their staff suggests that the cultural sites that visitors ask about most frequently are Old Capitol, the Museum of Natural History, the Devonian Fossil Gorge, the Medical Museum, the Museum of Art, and the Johnson County Heritage Museum. The addition of a historic site such as the Montgomery -Butler House to the mix of heritage sites and museums in the area would not appear to duplicate existing sites or attractions. Its semi -rural location and modest construction contrasts with Plum Grove's larger scale and more elaborate furnishings. The Montgomery - Butler House is favored by its location adjacent to Interstate 80, close proximity to future visitors viewing the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant, and amenities planned for the new Waterworks Park and the Iowa River Corridor Trail west of the house site. The quality of an interpretive program frequently determines the success of a site, which in turn depends on how well the message is conveyed, and to what extent the audiences are properly targeted. If done well, the Montgomery -Butler House should be able to compete well with other local historic sites. The strengths of the Montgomery -Butler House as an historic site are not those of typical house museums. In its current state, it does not have an appealing appearance or an important decorative arts collection. It never had large well- groomed or formal gardens. Its occupants were not Iowa City's most prominent family and its association was never with the proverbial "rich and famous." Rather, the value of the Montgomery -Butler House as a historic site comes from its lengthy association with an important early Johnson County pioneer and her family 37 — Elizabeth Butler Montgomery and her children. Built of limestone likely quarried from nearby outcroppings, its construction marked the first generation of settlement in the area by Euro-Americans. Its vernacular form and competent craftsmanship reflected the tastes and Skills of local builders. The historic lessons about the settlement of Iowa City as a territorial capital and the relationship between farm and city are embodied in the house and farmstead. Its site marked an important early road leading into Iowa City. Elizabeth's children operated a ferry at this site conveying wagons and passengers across the Iowa River. The family name of Butler became associated with the place name for the site — "Butler's Landing" and the bridge that would eventually be built across the river, "Butler Bridge." Interpretation of the Montgomery -Butler House is more complex and rich than many historic sites due to its extraordinary setting on a bluff -top location along the Iowa River, less than a half -mile from the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. The site provides an opportunity to understand the geological story of the area: the laying down of coral in ancient seas, the formation of limestone strata hundreds of feet deep, the creation of the Iowa River valley when the glaciers melted, and the subsequent formation of alluvial plains and limestone outcroppings along the river edges. Each of these lessons is part of the pre -historic "story of water" evidenced on the site. Construction of the house from sedimentary limestone, building of a ferry across an important Iowa river, and farming the rich farm land along the river edge continue the "story of water" through the historic period of occupancy in the 1 gt' and early 20"' centuries. The development of a new Water Treatment Plant, which necessitated the drilling of wells through layers of ancient bedrock, the pumping of water directly from the Iowa River itself, and the storage and purification of water for daily consumption by thousands of people continues the "story of water" into the 218' century. The house and site can serve as a focal point for telling this important and complex "story of water." 38 The development of historic sites frequently involves restoration. Even buildings that appear to be well-preserved frequently undergo careful study to determine original elements, to date alterations and changes, and in some cases, to reestablish historic features or appearances. The best historic sites today use restoration work as a part of the education process. Historic archeological investigations are undertaken with the assistance of volunteers and in full view of museum visitors. Building restoration workers are often encouraged to serve as tour guides, explaining the processes of reconstruction being undertaken or painstaking restoration work involved. As a result, some of the richest interpretative programs for historic sites are those undertaken while restoration is taking place, not after it is completed. As a result, it is recommended that the Montgomery -Butler House be restored in three phases with interpretation taking place during their completion through a variety of means including archeological digs for volunteers, °restoration chautauquas," specially scheduled restoration tours, before -and -after open house events, and hands-on restoration work for volunteers. A phased approach would allow restoration to be implemented over a period of years while interest and support in the site builds. A multi -phase restoration process would also distribute the cost over a period of years and, therefore, reduce the initial cost of opening the facility to the public. A broad scope of work supported by the phased approach is outlined below with items ranked as A, B or C priorities. To get the project started with a minimum capital outlay, an initial Start -Up Phase (Phase 1) is recommended. No restoration would be completed on the house with efforts concentrating on providing access and securing the building. Since funding has already been secured through a TEA-21 Grant to establish a trail head at the site, only a nominal additional cost of approximately $7,000 would be required from the City of Iowa City. 39 Once use of the house is established as a historic site, work could proceed on the development phases. Phase II would include "A" priority items that concentrate on what is necessary to protect the house and site and to provide for its public interpretation when viewed exclusively from the exterior. Phase III would include "B" priority items that would provide greater access to the house and give visitors a more complete picture of the building's early appearance. Only upon completion of Phase IV and the "C" priority work would regular interior access to the building be provided and a collection of appropriate period furnishings be sought. The work items are described in greater detail under Section F below. The development and implementation of an interpretative program at the Montgomery -Butler House will require considerable creativity and experience. It is recommended that this work be handled by professionals and trained volunteers under their direction. The Montgomery -Butler House has the potential to serve as a key visitor destination within Waterworks Park. Together with the environmental areas being established in the park and the new Water Treatment Plant itself, the "story of water' can be creatively offered to school children, trail users, passing interstate visitors and local residents. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has developed policies and programs to promote appreciation for a wide range of historic resources in the United States. During the past decade, the work of the Trust in the field of heritage tourism lead the organization to establish a national initiative and develop five guiding principles to establish a sustainable heritage tourism program in a community, region or state. These straightforward principles appear below and should be used to guide the development of the Montgomery -Butler House and its interpretive program_ • Focus on authenticity and quality of experience • Preserve and protect resources • Make sites come alive Find the fit between a community or region and tourism o Collaborate 40 Iowa River Corridor Trail Facility The idea of using the Montgomery -Butler House in conjunction with the Iowa River Corridor Trail was first proposed in 1996 during a brainstorming session of potential uses for the house jointly attended by members of the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission. The idea resurfaced during the community planning workshop earlier this year. The short distance between the Montgomery -Butler House and the trail seems to make it a natural site for locating support trail head services such as a picnic area, restrooms, and parking lot for trail users. In 1999-2000, the City of Iowa City successfully secured a TEA-21 Transportation Enhancement Program Grant with matching funds totaling $100,000 to develop a trail head at the house site including construction of a 450 foot trail spur, a small parking lot and public restrooms. At the time the grant request was made and approved, plans called for location of these facilities south of the house and north of the relic road. During the preparation of this feasibility study, the exact location of these amenities was deferred pending its completion. There are ample precedents around the country for locating trail head facilities in and near historic buildings. The fact that many trails are located on former railroad routes has meant that historic railroad depots are frequently converted for this use. The 32-mile long Elroy -Sparta Trail in southwest Wisconsin is an example. The oldest rail -to -trail in the U.S., its trail headquarters are located in a restored railroad depot in Kendall which also offers sale of trail passes, bike rentals, drinking water, refreshments, rest rooms, a parking lot, and souvenir sales. Elsewhere along the trail in the village of Wilton a visitor center is located in a caboose right next to the trail. More simply outfitted, the caboose offers brochures for area attractions and accommodations for bicyclists as well as a photo display of sr village and railroad history. The Sparta Depot located some distance from the Elroy -Sparta Trail has a spur that joins the trait. It also serves as the trail headquarters for the La Crosse River State Trial. Located at 111 Milwaukee Street, it, too, has a spacious parking lot, restrooms, vending machines and an area set aside for interpreting the history of the railroad. The trains most complete services are located at the eastern terminus of the Elroy -Sparta Trail. The Elroy Commons is located in a series of new buildings at 303 Railroad Street in Elroy and provides the most complete trail head facilities. It serves as an information center with space provided for restrooms, parking, a picnic area, tot lot, showers, a place to purchase trail passes, a bicycle shuttle service stop and bicycle rentals. These trail head types demonstrate the range of services that can be provided, from a self -serve stop with the minimal distribution of brochures and a few parking spaces to a full -service, staffed facility. In most of these examples, the trail head is centrally located in the community where the facility is clearly visible and provided with good access to utilities. The depots were easily equipped with updated rest rooms and drinking fountains. Convenient at -grade parking lots were created adjacent to the sites. The Montgomery -Butler House poses problems for all but the most minimal use as a trail head. The site is located approximately 450 feet from the main Iowa River Corridor Trail and if no other option for a parking facility existed, one could be created at the house site. However, the preferred parking lot location is the one scheduled for development along the Iowa River just west of the Dubuque Street bridge. This site is larger and already disturbed. It has the capacity to accommodate larger vehicles including buses, vans and trailers. It also has the advantage of directly adjoining the trail. The site south of the Montgomery -Butler House, on the other hand, would have difficult access onto Dubuque Street because of the steep incline and poor visibility to vehicles approaching from the south. Construction of the 10 toll 5-space parking 42 lot currently proposed for the trail head south of the house would detract from the house's historic setting. Protection of the historic ferry road would be difficult to maintain during construction and require careful planning to avoid damage from parking lot run-off. In order to use the house as a multi -service trail head while preserving its historic attributes, a significant rehabilitation would be necessary. Underground electrical service and telephone lines would need to be introduced. Provision of drinking water at the site would be costly but feasible. The location of sewer service for public rest rooms in a separate building or in a portion of the house would be more problematic due to site restrictions posed by location of the property on the Water Treatment Plant site. The limited size of the building would make the space unsuitable for bike rentals, vending machine refreshments, and souvenir sales. As with the parking lot, the preferable location for a trail head would appear to be adjacent to the parking lot in Waterworks Park near the Dubuque Street bridge. There is adequate room here to erect an attractive structure to house portable handicapped restrooms. During the winter months and in the event of high water, portable toilets could be easily removed thus keeping the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant safe. From spring through fall, these units could be serviced based on a regular schedule or on -demand pumping. An example of such a structure is the enclosure built in the fall of 2000 for the portable toilets in Lake Calhoun Regional Park in Minneapolis, MN. Designed by Darmon Farber Associates for the Minneapolis Park Board, the structure is one of several designs for similar trail and park facilities located at Lake of the Isles, Powderhorn Park and other Minneapolis municipal parks. Sizing of the portable toilet enclosure for the Iowa River Corridor Trail at Butler's Landing should consider sufficient space for use by small to medium sized groups such as small bicycle touring groups and visiting student groups touring the Montgomery -Butler House and the natural areas developed to the west in Waterworks Park. 43 Installation of a drinking fountain, telephone, and brochure display can also be handled at the trail side location. It is recommended that construction of the connecting spur to the house site be retained. Several picnic tables can be placed along the spur within the stone foundations of the former outbuilding. Bicyclists would be encouraged to make a visit to the house and the interpretive markers around it part of their rest stop. The simple, open design of this enclosure provides for safety and minimal constnrctica cost. Lake Calhoun Regional Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board/Damon Farber Associates, Minneapolis). Iowa City Visitor Center A third potential use for the Montgomery -Butler House is as an Iowa City visitor center to serve interstate motorists and regional travelers. At the present time [_t travelers visiting the Iowa City-Coralville area use the Convention and Visitor's Bureau Welcome Center at Iowa Riverview Square, 408 First Avenue in Coralville. Located along a major access route into Coralville, this site doubles as office space for the Convention and Visitor's Bureau and a staffed welcome center. It is conveniently located along routes to Iowa City hospitals, the University of Iowa campus and the University sports complex on the west side of the Iowa River. Until about five years ago, an information kiosk was also maintained south of Interstate 80 on North Dubuque Street. At that time the kiosk was removed and replaced with picnic tables and a pay phone. The site contains no building or staffed visitor contact point. At the present time the University of Iowa offers several welcome centers in facilities scattered throughout the campus. They include facilities at Old Capitol, the Admission Visitors' Center in the Bowman House at the southeast comer of Clinton and Bloomington streets, and several visitor centers at the University hospitals. A new Athletic Hall of Fame and Visitors Center is currently being planned as part of the recreation complex being developed near Finkbine Golf Course. The complex will include swimming, tennis, and soccer facilities as well as the Hall of Fame site. An evaluation of the need for a comprehensive visitor site to serve travelers entering Iowa City is beyond the scope of work of this study. However, the suitability of the Montgomery -Butler House for such a use is not. Located north rather than south of Interstate 80, the house is poorly sited for visitors entering the main activity areas of the community that are located south of the interstate — the University of Iowa, the central business district, the University sports complex, and University hospitals_ The house's modest size and the 4-acre slopping site would be prohibitively small for providing the utilitarian services needed at a welcome center. These typically include a large parking lot with oversized spaces for recreational vehicles and buses; multiple restrooms; large circulation areas containing wall maps, kiosks, brochure displays, computer monitor stations, 45 vending machines, and public telephones; staff support areas; storage rooms; and seating areas. Although the house could be developed as a self -serve welcome center with no staff or limited hours of operation and minimal services, visitors to the area would be poorly served. A well -developed and planned visitor center modeled after the Mississippi River Welcome Center in LeClaire, Iowa and other such facilities around the country would be more appropriate to the scale of visitors to the Iowa City-Coralville area. Placement of a visitor center in the Montgomery -Butler House would be incompatible with the nature and location of the site as well as the physical limitations of the house. Community Center Municipally owned historic buildings are frequently converted to community center use with space scheduled for meetings, parties, weddings, receptions, special events, etc. These uses generally arise out of public demand for such space and the capacity of many historic buildings to hold medium to large-scale gatherings in spacious rooms or on adjacent grounds. As in the case of a visitor center use, the physical limitations of the Montgomery - Butler House would preclude its use for all but very small gatherings. Even for these uses, the building would require a complete rehabilitation along with the installation of rest rooms and bath an ADA entrance and internal circulation plan. Public use of the grounds only for small special events such as picnics and weddings would be feasible though not ideal without the provision of rest rooms and ample parking on the immediate site. Limited exterior use of the site for gatherings could be accomplished with considerably less financial investment than regular interior use. For larger special events such as historic reenactments, special provision could be made for rest rooms and potable water. 46 Because of the limitations of the building and the general availability of meeting space in a wide range of public and semi-public facilities in Iowa City and Coraiville, it is not recommended that the interior of the Montgomery -Butler House be developed as a community center. Scheduled use of the exterior grounds for this purpose could be incorporated as an ancillary use for the property without compromising its primary recommended use as a historic site and interpretive center. "Who should be responsible for managing the property during restoration and operation?" Since the Montgomery -Butler House was "mothballed" in 1998, the house and site have not been open to the public for any level of use. Responsibility for the property has been shared by several City departments with the lead currently being taken by staff of the Planning and Community Development Department. Although there was evidence of transient occupancy of the property prior to acquisition by the City and before the building was stabilized and secured in 1998, there has been only one instance of curiosity seekers entering the building since then. The site has been periodically inspected and several maintenance projects have been handled by coordination with the Park and Recreation Department or through private contract. Planning work including the coordination of the professional services contract for completion of this feasibility study has been handled through the Planning and Community Development Department. There is ample evidence of municipal ownership of historic properties in Iowa. According to anecdotal information provided by the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Main Street Program, dozens of municipalities in Iowa own and operate historic buildings and sites. Examples include a wide range of historic building types and uses. They serve as city halls and municipal buildings, libraries, park buildings, music pavilions, coliseums, auditoriums, statuary and monuments, and senior centers. In several instances municipally owned historic buildings 47 function as house museums or historic sites with operation coordinated through local historic preservation commissions, non-profit historical organizations or appointed bodies charged with specific responsibility for a property. Municipalities include small towns such as Bonaparte (pop. 465) and Lake City (pop. 1,841), county seats such as Hampton (pop. 4,133) and Marshalltown (pop. 25,178) and all of the state's largest cities. Some cities own only one historic property while others such as Davenport have ten individual buildings, one historic district with more than 20 separate buildings, and four city parks, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A short list of municipally owned historic resources appears below: Partial List of Municipally Owned Historic Builrif ngs, Sites and Structures in lowa3 Municipal Building - Ackley Bandsheil - Ackley Fire Station — Albia Bandsheld - Ames Iowa Soldiers' Orphan's Home - Ames Anamosa Public Library - Anamosa City Hall — Bloomfield Auntle Green House (museumllibrary) - Bonaparte. City Hall — Bonaparte City Hall — Burlington Fire and Police Station — Burlington Burlington Public Library - Burlington City Halt & Memorial Building — Cedar Rapids Hose Station No. 5 — Cedar Rapids Hose Station No. 2 (city transportation department offices & training center) — Cedar Rapids Charles City Camegie Library (art center) - Charles City Council Bluffs Public Library — Council Bluffs City Hall — Davenport Central Fire Station -- Davenport Firehouse No. 4 (fire fighting museum) - Davenport Adler Theatre (former Orpheum Theater, part of civic theater complex) — Davenport Iowa Soldiers' Orphan's Home /Annie VViittenmyer Complex (children's theater, branch library & park offices) - Davenport Antoine LeClaire House (museum and community center) Davenport Dibiion Fountain — Davenport 8 Compiled from lists provided by Kerry McGrath and Berry Bennett with the Community Programs Bureau of the State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines and Tim Reinders with Main Street Iowa in the Iowa Department of Economic Development 48 W.F.Petersen Music Pavilion, LeClaire Park - Davenport Collins House (senior center) — Davenport John Littig House (community center) — Davenport Vander Veer Park, Riverview Terrace Park, Prospect Park, Lindsay Park in National Register historic districts— Davenport Phelps Park — Decorah Municipal Court and Public Safety Building - Des Moines Municipal Building — Des Moines Fire Station No_ 4 — Des Moines Five Flags Center (opera house) Dubuque City Hall - Dubuque Opera House/City Hall- Elkader Memorial Hall - Hampton Iowa Falls Carnegie Library - Iowa Falls Municipal Park on Black Hawk Lake with Chief Black Hawk Statute and stone pier and walkways around the lake shore — Lake City Town Hall and Fire Station — Laporte City City Hall — LeClaire Municipal Building and Police Station — Marshalltown Marshalltown Public Library - Marshalltown Marshalltown Memorial Coliseum — Marshalltown Town Hall/Jail - Maynard City Hall — Mount Pleasant Memorial Park Watertower and Pumphouse - Mount Vernon New Hampton Carnegie Library (museum) - New Hampton Band Gazebo, City Square and Chief Mahaska Statute - Oskaloosa Oskaloosa Fire Station - Oskaloosa City Hall — Oskaloosa Turner Hall (city hall) — Postville City Hall - Sioux City City Hall (former Grand Auditorium and Hotel Block)- Story City Memorial Hall -- Sigoumey Hope Fire Company Engine House - Toledo Fire Station No. 2 — Waterloo City Hall & Fire Station —West Des Moines City Hall — What Cheer As these cases demonstrate, many Iowa Cities own and successfully operate historic buildings for a range of uses. At the present time, the City of Iowa City's direct involvement with historic buildings is limited to its ownership and joint operation of the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center in the old Post Office at the northeast comer of Washington and Linn streets. A 28E agreement between the City and County spells out conditions 49 under which the Senior Center operates. The City has lease agreements with several senior service agencies that occupy rent-free space in the building. Ownership of College Green Park in the National Register and local historic district known as "College Square" is an example of a historic landscape feature under City ownership. The pak k forms the centerpiece of one of Iowa City's six historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In several other instances in the past the City has taken temporary ownership of historic buildings pending final disposition to private or not -for -profit owners. The City's recent involvement with the Engled Theatre was an example of temporary ownership playing a key role in preserving a building_ The City's purchase of this threatened downtown landmark was followed by its subsidized resale to the Englert Civic Theatre, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation. A strong case was made at the beginning of the development of the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant for the acquisition and ownership of the parcel of ground containing the Montgomery -Butter House. Although its use as a historic site was not anticipated at the time, its operation as a facility open to public in one fashion or another is consistent with the recommendation for the development of the adjacent Waterworks Paris and the public use areas within the Water Treatment Plant itself. Transfer of the Montgomery -Butler House through sale or gift to a non - municipal owner would be inconsistent with the goals set forth in its original acquisition. Responsibility for the development and day-to-day operation of the Montgomery - Butler House could be placed with one of several City departments including Planning and Community Development, Parks and Recreation, or Water Treatment. Attematively, general responsibility could be given to one of these departments with development and day-to-day operation handled through contractual arrangements with an existing or new not -for -profit organization. Two 50 of the local historic sites mentioned previously, Plum Grove and the Johnson County Poor Farm and Asylum, are successful examples of governmental ownership with contractual management by a not -for -profit organization, the Johnson County Historical Society. In both cases, the properties have been in governmental ownership for a considerable period of time. In the case of Plum Grove the management structure has changed through the years with the quality of operations ranging from poor to marginally successful until recently. The State of Iowa acquired the property in 1943 and completed restoration work before opening it to the public in 1946 as a memorial to former Governor Robert Lucas. In recent years the State Historical Society of Iowa has had responsibility for Plum Grove with several state departments and civic groups supporting its restoration and operation in the intervening period. Operation of the site was shifted by contractual arrangement to the Johnson County Historical Society in 1998. Since that time all maintenance, tours, scheduling, and special events have been coordinated by a paid Johnson County Historical Society staff member and volunteers recruited by the organization. According to Steve Ohm, historic site administrator with the State Historical Society of Iowa, the current contractual operation with the Johnson County Historical Society for Plum Grove has provided a cost effective operation and his office is very satisfied with the way the current contract is working. He especially praised the efforts of the Johnson County Historical Society. Because ownership and primary responsibility continues with the State Historical Society, major capital improvements at the site, fund raising for these improvements, and administering related contracts are all handled by the State. Ohm's office has not completed any strategic planning for Plum Grove and has not set attendance goals and other measurable objectives. It should be noted that the State Historical Society does maintain a collaborative relationship with the University of Iowa's Department of Anthropology with archeological fieldwork completed at the site each year. 51 It is recommended that to launch the reuse plan for the Montgomery -Butler House that the City establish a "Montgomery -Butler House Task Force" made up of five to ten mayoral appointees and staffed by designated representatives of the Planning and Community Development Department, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Water Treatment Plant. A current or former City Council member could also be appointed. This task force would be in place for a period of no more than several years during which time the first phase of work for creation of a historic site and interpretive center at the Montgomery -Butler House would be completed. During this time, the task force would oversee the start-up phase including construction of the parking lot, improved access road, trail spur, and security system. Negotiations could also begin for a management contract with the Johnson County Historical Society, Inc. for the building's more active operation as a historic site and interpretive center once Phase II gets underway. Preliminary discussions with the Johnson County Historical Society, Inc. have indicated their willingness to consider such an agreement. The basic format for such an agreement should be similar to the "Agreement for Cooperative Action" between the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Johnson County Historical Society. Once the management contract becomes operational, an oversight committee similar to the task force would provide guidance to the site's operation. Provisions in the management agreement would spell out such things as responsibility for grounds upkeep, seasonal hours, visitor attendance goals, types of scheduled events allowed and not allowed at the site, recruitment of volunteers, admission fees (if any), and a compensation structure for the site operator. An alternative to contracting for operation of the house would be the formation of a new not -far -profit 501c(3) organization. Such an organization would take considerably longer to get up and running than a task force and would require significantly more involvement at the onset by dedicated and committed individuals. If this alternative is selected, it is recommended that the founding 52 group also include an attorney experienced with the legal requirements and obligations of establishing a 501c(3) organization. Once the Montgomery -Butler House becomes established as a local heritage attraction as well as an amenity along the Iowa River Corridor Trail, plans should begin on Phase III or "B" priority improvements. This work can be completed incrementally, with the site remaining open to visitors. Work should be able to be completed within the next four to seven years. Responsibility for grant writing, fundraising and administration of construction contracts could continue with the City or be negotiated as part of the management contract for the site. Continued completion of site maintenance work as a part of the City's operation of Waterworks Park could also remain with the Parks and Recreation Department. Visits to Waterworks Park's natural habitat areas and tours of the Water Treatment Plant should be closely coordinated with visitors to the Montgomery -Butler House. Most of the work items included in Phase IV, the final phase of development of the Montgomery -Butler House, can be deferred for an indefinite period of time. Work items included in this phase will require a thorough understanding of how the house operated, which is not known at the present time. A hurried completion of this phase of work should not be encouraged. Selected items such as completion of a restored landscape or restoration of the stucco cladding could be accomplished without completing a full interior restoration called for in the final phase. After Phase III is completed the house will allow installation of a collection of appropriate period furnishings. It is possible that some items appropriate for this use may already exist in the collections of the Johnson County Historical Society. Other items will need to be solicited. A collection policy should be carefully crafted to meet the specific interpretative needs of the Montgomery -Butler House. 53 "Do Mothing" One of the questions put to the consultant during the course of completing this feasibility study was °What happens if the City of Iowa City decides to `do nothing'?" There are costs and risks, both hidden and obvious, associated with such a decision. Since its acquisition, City staff associated with management of the Montgomery -Butler House have made a deliberate effort to maintain a low - profile for the property. No publicity has been sought for it, no signage has been installed, the house remains hidden behind a dense stand of trees and bushes along North Dubuque Street for most of the year, the access road remains chained closed, and the access lane and parking area south of the house have been covered with a layer of large limestone that carries the subliminal message `don't tread on me." Security has been breached only minimally with a few loads of debris left at the site and only one recorded instance of curiosity seekers entering the building. Once construction on the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant is completed and Waterworks Park is developed and opened to the public, the visibility of the Montgomery -Butler House will change. The building will become a natural attraction for park visitors and trail users. In a worse case scenario, the house has the potential to become an attractive nuisance for curiosity seekers. The low level of security that has sustained the building since stabilization measures were completed in 1998 will not be sufficient to protect it once it becomes more visible. The general liability risk associated with doing nothing at the Montgomery -Butler House will be heightened as a result. The site will also require a minimal level of general maintenance. City staff will need to monitor the property for illegal dumping and regularly assess hazardous conditions that might result from tree falls. Curiosity by the general public may also prompt park staff to carry out a minimal level of maintenance for the immediate site with several mowings during the growing season. 54 As has been noted previously, the stabilization measures taken in 1998 have succeeded in doing what they were intended to do, i.e. halting the building's decline thus giving the City the option of carefully considering how to reuse the building and fund its future rehabilitation and operation. These same stabilization measures with a few modifications for greater security will allow the City to defer making a reuse decision for some time. F. RESTORAHONPLANAAD BUDGET 'What should the scope for the restoration wort include, how should it be phased and when should N be completed?" The recommendations outlined here suggest a scope of work that is designed to meet the requirements for use of the Montgomery -Butler House as historic site and interpretive center within Waterworks Park. Because of the house's condition and because it currently has no historic collection that is threatened, a phased approach is recommended. Such an approach would allow restoration to be implemented over a period of years while interest and support in the site builds. In such an approach, the restoration process itself could become part of the interpretive program and a source for educational programs. A multi -phase restoration process could also distribute the cost over a period of years and, therefore, reduce the initial cost of opening the facility to the public. To keep the initial costs of making the Montgomery -Butler House a historic site and reducing the operating expenses associated with such an effort, a "Start-up Phase I" has been developed. Only the absolutely essential work would be completed to make the site minimally accessible to trail users and park visitors. No restoration work on the house would be completed and "low -tech" temporary interpretive signs 55 would be posted near the house and along the trail spur. Even during this Start-up Phase, however, it is recommended that certain security measures be taken since the house will have a heightened visibility. An overhead electrical service and telephone line would need to be installed. The next phase of developing the property as a historic site and interpretive center should concentrate work on what is necessary to protect the house and site and enhance its public interpretation. No interior access is provided under this scenario with attention focused on further stabilization measures, preliminary restoration efforts, and a self -guided interpretive program. These items have been given an "A" priority ranking in the table below and are included under Phase 11. Items that have a "B" priority ranking would provide greater access to the house and give visitors a more complete picture of the building's early appearance through reconstruction of such items as the south porch_ These items are necessary for its long-term use as a historic site, but deferring their completion will not pose a threat to the house. If desired, several "A" priority items could be reclassified as "B" priorities. For example, repairs to the roof should include completely removing the temporary metal roofing installed in 1998 as %Pmll as the standing seam metal roof beneath it that likely dates from the tum-of-the-2& century or earlier. The building's original roof should be reproduced using new wood shingles to match the historic appearance. This work could be reclassified. "B" priority items comprise Phase III. Items that have a "C" priority ranking will be necessary for a full and complete restoration of the property as an historic house museum. These items are necessary to provide visitor access to the interior spaces in the building_ A modest collection of furnishings appropriate to the house's interpretative period could be installed after completion of this phase of work. The "C" priority work items constitute Phase IV. 56 Montgomery -Butler House Rehabilitation Cost Estimates Work Item Priority Cost Estimate/ Range 1. Structural Stabilization, Historical Documentation, Architectural Services completed 1998 45,723 STABILIZATION PHASE $45,723 2. Install Overhead Electrical Service and Security System A 6,000 3. Temporary Sign and Improved House Secufity. A 1,000 4. Build Connecting Spur to Waterworks Park and Iowa River Corridor Trail funded with TEA 21 Grant A 20,000 5. Build 3-Car Parking Lot & Access Road to North Dubuque Street funded with TEA-21 Grant A 20,000 START-UP PHASE 1 $47,000 6. Wood Shingle Roof on Main House & Standing Seam Metal Roof on Summer Kitchen A 24,500 7. Repair Cornice & Eaves A 4,500 B. Rebuild Chimneys A 2,500 9. Repair Window & Door Openin s, Sash & Doors A 23,500 10. Prepare & paint all exterior wood A 10,500 11. Ventilation System A 1,500 12. Research & Install Inte retive Markers A 10,000 13. Build Accessible Paths from Parking Lot to Historical Markers; Clear Relic Road Route A 10,000 Phase II: "A" Priorities $87,000 14. Underground Electrical Service to House B 5,500 15. Rebuild South Porch & Pre -Construction Archeology B 15,000 16. Rebuild South Basement Entrance & Pre- Construction Archeology B 5,500 17. Summer Kitchen B 1,500 18. Restore Interior Walls B 29,000 19. Rebuild Central Staircase B 10,500 20. Repair and Finish Floors B 5,500 21. Restore Interior Doors & Trim B 16,500 Phase III: "B" Priorities $89,000 22. Paint Interior Walls and Strip Trim C 12,000 23. Install Electric Heating System C 13,000 24. Archeology- Privy& North Basement Entrance C 2,500 25. First Floor Wall Coverings C 8,000 57 26. Document Historic Landscape & Replant C 10,000 27. Rebuild North Porch & Pre -Construction Archeology C 6,000 28. Basement Window Restoration C 3,000 29. Basement Interior Restoration C 11,500 30. Cement Stucco Removal and Restore Original Stucco Finish C 33,500 31. ADA Measures for House Interior, First Floor — Install Wheel Chair (rift in Summer Kitchen C 20,000 P a e IV. "C" Prioli "es $119,600 TOTAL PHASES I, 11, fil & IV $342,600 Structural Stabilization — This work was completed in 1998 by the City of Iowa under the design and direction of architects Susan Licht, AIA and John Shaw, AIA. Work included removal and storage of the south porch miltwork, installation of permanent structural supports in the building interior, laying of a temporary metal roof over the existing metal roof and early wood shingles, installation of gutters and downspouts, secure enclosure of all window and door openings, and installation of a passive ventilation system. Total cost for design services and the construction contract was $45,723. Rase I — &fart -tip_ 2. Install Overhead Electrical Service and Security System — Overhead Electrical Service is being recommended here as a cheaper means of providing power to the site during the start-up phase of operations. Installation of underground electrical service is recommended in Phase Ill. Operation of the house security system will be the only electrical requirement initially. Installation of a security system for the house is recommended in order to alert the City of any intrusion into the building and monitor for fire. The house will have a higher profile in the community and because of its 59 sheltered location, it has the potential for being entered. A security system with a telephone line connection to a monitoring location such as Central Fire Station is recommended. In addition, the house should be connected to the security procedures established for Waterworks Park. Temporary Sign and Improved House Security — To provide a minimal interpretation of the house and site, installation of two signs is recommended. One should be located adjacent to the parking lot and the other along the trail spur. Content could be developed based on themes recommended in this report and using the National Register nomination prepared for the Montgomery -Butler House. Additional text could be prepared with the assistance of Dr. Jean Prior with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 4. Iowa River Corridor Trail Spur — A trail spur connecting the Montgomery - Butler House site to the main Iowa River Corridor Trail should be built along the alignment of the existing farm access road that runs parallel to the north edge of the relic road. This recommendation is consistent with the TEA-21 Grant to establish a trail head in the vicinity of the house. 5. Parking Lot and Access Road — A 3-car parking lot would be built to provide handicapped access to the site, to allow for deliveries and provide access for the solitary visitor to the site. The access road to North Dubuque Street would be regraded and both the lot and drive given crushed limestone surface consistent with the property's historic appearance. The surface would be suitably compacted to allow for disabled access. Phase Y - "A" Priorities, 6. Roof — Inspection of the interior of the building indicates that the temporary metal roof is serving the purpose originally intended of keeping rain and snow out of the building. It is not a permanent or long-term solution, 59 however. To reestablish the historic appearance of the main building, the temporary metal roof and the standing seam metal roof beneath it should be removed. Then, the exposed wood shingles should be inspected to determine their age and removed, the hewn wood sheeting strips should be inspected and repaired, and a new wood shingle roof that matches the original should be installed. 7 Cornice and Eaves — The wood cornice and eaves should be inspected to identify their condition and the presence of any unexposed openings. Repairs should be made using matching materials. A minimalist approach calls for replacing only the minimal amount of wood necessary and repairing the balance with epoxy materials. A paint analysis should be completed to determine the chronology of paint coatings and to ascertain historic paint colors on all wood (and stone) surfaces. The repaired wood surfaces should be scraped, primed and painted accordingly. Chimneys — The house originally had gable end chimneys that served wood stoves. The west chimney has been removed to the roofline while the east chimney remains but in poor condition. The brick and tuck pointing in the east chimney should be inspected to determine their stability_ Rebuilding will likely be necessary. Salvaged brick should be used with a mortar mix and tooling matching the original. A chimney for the west end should be reconstructed using similar brick. Because the chimneys will not be used, no liners will need to be installed. 9. Window and Door Openings — Only one original window sash remains in the house. It is located on the wall between the summer kitchen and the west room on the first floor in the main house. This 6/6 double -hung sash should serve as the prototype for the design of all replacement windows. New sash should most likely be built with single glazing in a true divided -light 7111 configuration. Prior to making a final decision, security measures for the house should be fully evaluated and attemative glazing materials analyzed. 10. Painting — All exterior wood on the sofit, facia, returning cornices, windows and trim should be scraped, patched and painted. 11. Ventilation System — Once windows have been reinstalled in the house, the current passive ventilation system in place will no longer be viable. To retain the critical balance of moisture in the building during the changes in season, the installation of a humidistat controlled mechanical ventilation system is recommended. 12. Interpretive Signs — The initial plan for interpreting the house and site for visitors calls for the installation of three to four carefully placed interpretive signs. likely locations include: North of the approach to the relic road that extends along the south edge of the site. This sign would discuss the history of the old ferry operation, the deep nits in the road and how they tell the story of the narrow wagons that used it, the presence of a hedge row of Osage orange located south of the relic road and the importance of farm -to - market roads for the residents of Johnson County who sold crops and made their regular purchases in Iowa City. South of the house adjacent to the small parking lot to built south of the house. This would be the principal interpretive sign containing information about Martin Montgomery and Elizabeth Butler Montgomery; the saw mill, ferry and farming operations associated wth this site; the architectural form and construction methods found in the house, and its 20t" century use as a rented farm. Northwest of the house near the fallen oak tree. From here, visitors can observe the Iowa River Valley through an opening in the trees and 61 study the remains of an oak tree predating the house that formerly stood here. This location also provides a view of the north entrance without its original porch or door hood. The interpretive sign would seek to relate the geological story of the formation of the river valley thousands of years ago, discuss where the stone for the house likely originated, explain the history of the site prior to Euro-American settlement using the rings of the tree, and speculate about what the original entrance door treatment may have looked like using drawings of various designs. o West of the house along the Iowa River Corridor trail spur and near the ruins of one of the stone building foundations. From this location visitors will be able to see the flood plain area and the stabilization pond in the distance. The stone and concrete foundations of the former farm buildings will also be visible. This sign will be used to interpret the agricultural use of the site from the 1850s until the 1990s when the site was acquired for use in conjunction with the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant The various sources of water for the facility will be described in the context of the geology of the site. 13. Paths and Restoration of Relic Road To provide visitor access to the site several short paths should be built connecting the parking lot and trail spur to the interpretive signs. The grades should be established to meet accessibility standards. To maintain the historic appearance of the site, these paths should be rocked and compacted. Alternatively, the paths could be covered in brick pavers. To restore the relic road, the encroaching scrub trees and shrubs should be carefully removed and the residual roots treated to deter their regrowth. No regrading should be done in this area. The relic road should be treated as a significant historic resource and its integrity preserved regardless of how the property is reused in the future. ry? Phase ICI - " B" Priorities: 14. Electrical Service — Installation of a new underground electrical service to the house is recommended. Initially, only minimal electrical usage will be require for such things as the ventilation system and security system. Expanded restoration of the house will trigger greater power usage. 15116. South Porch — Reconstruction of the house's south porch and basement entrance will require pre -construction archeology work adjacent to the house to determine the presence of all footings and early below -grade basement access steps. Salvaged porch millwork, including one section of balustrade, brackets and posts are currently in storage. They should be reused in the reconstruction and to design missing porch elements. Reconstruction of the porch should be based on photo documentation, field inspections and archeological findings. Reconstruction of the basement entrance and steps will require a close examination of surviving stone elements and excavation patterns. 17. Summer Kitchen — The summer kitchen's original configuration needs to be careful analyzed prior to making final decisions. Discussions with architect for the house, Susan Licht, AIA, indicate that the north section was added at a later time. The historic interpretative period of the house, likely the period of Elizabeth Butler Montgomery s occupancy from ca. 1858 —1888, predates the addition of the north section of the summer kitchen. This section of the summer kitchen should be removed after complete documentation. At this time the summer kitchen's original foundation material and openings would be reestablished as well. 18. Interior Walls — During the phased restoration of the house, interior walls will be repaired and original room dimensions reestablished. Any non -original openings will be closed. An effort should be made to document whether or 63 not the wood wainscoting in the west rooms of the basement and first floor is original or a post-1888 addition. If it was in place during the thirty years that Elizabeth Butler Montgomery occupied the house, it should be restored. 19. Central Staircase — The hardwood banister and newel post for the central staircase were removed from the house prior to its acquisition by the City of Iowa City. Individual spindles in the position of several local residents make it likely that they were removed as souvenirs during the years that the building stood abandoned. The availability of these salvaged pieces will make reconstruction of the banister straightforward. No attempt should be made to modify the narrow width of the stairs. 20. Floors — The floors on the main and upper levels are in generally sound condition. Careful research should be conducted of similar rural dwellings from the mid-191h century to determine the most likely finish used by Elizabeth Butler Montgomery s family 21. Interior Doors and Trim — The doors and miltwork for the house may have been manufactured on site or more likely purchased from a planning mill in Iowa City. An effort should be made to preserve the original dimensions of openings and to restore the original finish of the window trim, door trim and baseboard. Phase IV - "C" Fdaddes: 22. Painting Interior Walls and Trim — A paint analysis should be completed of interior walls and trim. All interior surfaces should have surfaces restored to match the colors and finishes identified in the analysis. Portions of the trim will likely require stripping and refinishing as well. M 23. Heating System - The "C' priorities include completion of interior finishes and installation of period furnishings that require that the building be heated. A system of low-level heat supplied by the electric power supply available on site is recommended in order to avoid the introduction of other fuels to the site. 24. Historic Archeology — This investigative work will involve testing to determine the location of early privy site(s) and the north basement entrance. Items found will become part of the historic collection for the site. 25. Wall Coverings — During completion of the 1998 stabilization work, early wall coverings were recovered from the house and preserved. These will need to be studied and dated to determine their age. If original wall coverings cannot be identified, appropriate finishes should be adopted based on a careful examination of the practices of similar families in Johnson County in the mid-19`" century. 26. Historic Landscape — This phase of the work will require retaining an historic landscape architect to prepare a planting plan for the properly based on historic photographs and the known practices of mid-19ih century farm families in Johnson County. Work completed in earlier studies of the property and site will be incorporated into this analysis. 27. Forth Porch — The present crude pediment that surmounts the north entrance likely dates from the mid-20"' century. At the present time there is no historic photographic record that reveals the original configuration of the north entrance door hood. It is likely that during the course of restoration photographs of the house will surface and it is possible that its appearance may be documented. Until such time, it is not recommended that this door hood be rebuilt since its design would be based completely on speculation. 65 28. Basement Window Restoration — the window openings and sash for the lower level need to be rebuilt following a close inspection of the site evidence to determine their original configuration and the design for window wells. 29. Basement Interior Restoration - During the final phase of restoration, the finishes of the floor, walls and ceiling in the basement will be restored using a careful analysis of site evidence. A decision will be made regarding the north basement entrance based on the findings of the historic archeological investigation. X Cement Stucco Removal and Restore Original Stucco Finish — The final phase of restoration will include a series of masonry measures designed to reestablish the original appearance of the exterior or the building. Before work can begin, a careful analysis will need to be made to document the number of layers present and their original composition. If the house was originally completely stuccoed, a determination will need to be made regarding preservation of exposed stone wall sections for interpretation. 31. ADA Measures — During the final phase of restoration, access to portions of the house's main floor will be established through the installation of a chair - lift in the lower level of the summer kitchen. Modification in the Summer Kitchen's north door may be necessary to provide access to the south porch. It is not recommended that any interior openings in the house be widened. Alternatively, a video tour of the house should be made available to visitors. G. OPERATIONS BUDGETS "Once in operation, what will it cost to operate 03 Nontgor wW 48-uVer House as a historic site and inferp:e*e center?" 66 It was previously recommended that establishment of the Montgomery -Butler House as a historic site and interpretive center should be accomplished in four phases beginning with a start-up phase that would require a minimal capital outlay followed by three development phases. Oversight for the Start -Up Phase would be provided by the Montgomery -Butler House Task Force and City staff_ The development phases would be handled through a professional management contract between the City of Iowa City and either an existing or new not -for -profit organization. Separate budgets outlined below suggest figures that might be expected for the Start -Up Phase and later, once the building is fully up and running. Items that have not been included in the budget include miscellaneous expenses for preparing the site and general clean-up, cyclical maintenance work at the property that will be needed as time passes, and emergency measures such as the removal of fallen trees, a regular occurrence on wood lots such as the Montgomery -Butler House site. Operation of the interpretive center by a not -for -profit such as the Johnson County Historical Society would involve the organization developing a tour structure for the property, completing outreach to local schools and civic groups, handling promotion of the property through media contacts, scheduling tours for school groups and adult visitor groups, and handling coordination for special events. If guided tours are restricted to pre -scheduled time slots, these activities could likely be coordinated by a quarter to half-time staff person with volunteers used to assist with the completion of various tasks. Because of the nature of the site, it is not recommended that the property be kept accessible during the winter months_ To take advantage of interpreting the site from early spring through fall, an eight -month operation schedule extending from late March through October is recommended. Preliminary discussions with the 67 Johnson County Historical Society indicates an interest by their organization in discussing the framework for a management contract and fee structure. Montgomenw-Butier House Oblation Budgets START-UP PHASE Expanse Item Cost Estimate Range Management Contract $0 Electric $100 Telephone (for security system) $600 Promotional Materials $0 Grounds Maintenance $500 Security System $900 —1,200 TOTAL 1 $2,100 - $2,400 FULL OPERATION Expense Item Cost Estimate Range Management Contract $10,000 - 20,000 Electricity (including heat, ventilation $600 - 3,000 Telephone (for security system) $600 - 1,000 Promotional Materials $2,000 - 8,000 Grounds Maintenance $3,000 - 5,000 Security System 900 -1 200 TOTAL $17,100 - 38,200 11. FUNDING STRATEGY. SOURGff AAD PARTNERS `What funding sovvices for rwtoradon wod; and operadon should be pursued?" Funding for restoration of the Montgomery -Butler House and the creation of the infrastructure necessary to operate the house as a historic site and interpretive 68 center should be drawn from a combination of sources including govemment grants, privately funded grants or foundations, individual or corporate contributors, special events, and the City of Iowa City. As noted earlier, dozens of municipalities in Iowa own and operate historic buildings for a wide range of purposes. The merit of municipalities taking a leadership position in preserving buildings through ownership and responsible historic rehabilitation has been proven repeatedly across the country. By dividing the restoration of the Montgomery -Butler House into three workable phases, both funding and development can be achieved at a moderate pace. Since the property is and will continue to be publicly owned, it is recommended that the first phase of restoration work be undertaken using a mix of municipal funds and government grants. As a new development, a "leadership contribution" to the Montgomery -Butler House will likely be necessary by the City. As the house's operation takes root in the community and a support base develops, subsequent restoration should be sought with the support of grants and private contributions. Once the Montgomery -Butler House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places late this year or early next year, it will be eligible for matching grants through two programs administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa. The REAP/Historical Resource Development Program (REAP/HRDP) is funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP) established in 1989. The program is directed at preserving and enhancing Iowa's natural and cultural resources with collaboration encouraged among various levels of government. Moderate sized grants in the $10,000 to $20,000 are most likely from this program. Further information regarding submittal deadlines and application procedures can be secured by or by contacting Lavon Grimes with the State Historical Society at Lavon.Grimes ca.s us or by checking online at ignhistorY. ora/arants/shsi grants/hrdp/aop process.htmt. G4] In 1998, the second program, the Historic Site Preservation Grant Program (HSPG), was established for the restoration, preservation, and development of historical sites through the "Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund" Funds are provided in the form of grants covering one-half of the total eligible project costs. These grants are generally larger than HRDP grants. Further information regarding submittal deadlines and application procedures can be secured from Cynthia Nieb, Grant Programs Manager with the state Historical Society at Cynthia. NiebOdca.state.ia.0 or online at iowahistory. org/grantstshsi grants/hsag/hsoo.html. A third program administered by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, the Iowa Community Cultural Grant program, offers financial support for projects which support the development of Iowa's cultural and historical resources. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 are awarded to historic preservation, museum, tourism, or ethnic heritage projects that are designed to "enhance Iowa's cultural climate and which provide employment for Iowans while serving the general public." As a result, these grants are rarely awarded to "brick and mortar" projects and are more frequently given to operational support, including staffing, for specific programs and special projects associated with historic or cultural resources. More information can be obtained by contacting Jill Hermann with the Iowa Arts Council at Wl.hermann@gca.state.ia.us or online at cggfturalaffajrs.orghg orantnroaram.htm. Another grant program that the Montgomery -Butler House could qualify for is the Challenge America Fast Track Grant program through the National Endowment for the Arts. These grants are awarded "to support partnerships between arts organizations and community groups that highlight the potential of the arts to address key community concems." Projects covered by this broadly stated purposed include "efforts to make a community more livable by addressing civic design issues, such as the preliminary planning for the design of buildings or public spaces, or the design for restoration of historic structures." Grant requests may be 70 submitted for either $5,000 or $10,000. Guidelines for the program can be found online at the National Endowment for the Arts web site, www.arts.gov. Once the Montgomery -Butler House becomes operational, small special event or limited program grants can be applied for through Humanities Iowa, a private, nonprofrt state affiliate of the national Endowment for the Humanities with offices located in Iowa City. The goal of Humanities Iowa is to create greater cultural awareness through the humanities. Grants range from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000. The humanities includes several fields of study relevant to the Montgomery -Butler House - archeology, history, literature, and art history. More information can be secured online at uiowa.edu/^-humiowa/. The number and variety of government programs with grant components are constantly changing. In order to provide up-to-date information on federal programs in late last year the Federal Commons Web portal went online at cfda.gov/federalcommons. The site is intended to provide "one -stop shopping" for the entire federal grant application process. Applicants will eventually be able to submit grant requests online and track their review. The site includes an excellent search tool, a General Services Administration Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at cfda.gov/aublic/faors.htm. In order to qualify for a number of grant programs offered by various government agencies and private foundations, it will be wise to continue to promote an expansive view of the Montgomery -Buller House's reuse as an interpretive center. As a historic site, it has strong linkages to Iowa City and Johnson County pioneer life, American women's history, Iowa River Valley history, transportation history, architectural history and agricultural history. Its proposed use for interpreting geological history and the environment enhances its capacity to serve as an educational resource. Its location along the Iowa River Corridor Trail qualifies it as a trail amenity and convenient access to travelers along Interstate-80 has the potential to make it a tourist destination. Add to these factors, the house's 71 advantageous location in an important new municipal park, and the opportunity for qualification of a wide range of grants and foundation programs is enhanced It is recommended that as the operation of the site matures, consideration be given to a community -wide capital fund drive. Such an effort typically begins with establishing a fundraising committee and recruiting a chair or co-chairs to guide the effort for a period of six months to a year. A written case statement is prepared that spells out in clear and pithy terms the mission for the Montgomery -Butler House historic site and the benefits to be seen from preserving the house and making it available to the public_ Other elements of a written case statement typically include a brief history of the project with a chronology of the events leading up to the creation of the capital fund drive. A description of how the funds will be spent and a site plan and/or floor plan showing how the property will function will be especially important in the case of the Montgomery -Butler House where many potential givers may still be unfamiliar with the property. A case statement should also include annual income/expense projections for the property once it is in operation; a list of funding sources or major pledges to date; a list of major capital needs and the endowment goal; a breakdown of the anticipated number and size of gifts needed to meet the fund drive goal; and a list of the fundraising committee members and their positions in the community. The merits of retaining a fundraising consultant to guide a capital fund drive should also be considered. Factors to evaluate in making this decision will include the size of the capital fund drive, whether or not a substantial portion of this goal can be committed to in advance, and the experience of those involved with shepherding the fundraising effort with capital fund drives of a similar sole. Consideration was given to the possibility of launching a capital fund drive prior to completing any restoration work of the site or beginning operations. This idea was rejected for several reasons. Unlike many community projects, the creation of the 72 Montgomery -Butler House does not have a ready-made audience of users and supporters to readily translate into contributors. These will need to be developed over time. Second, because the property will be a City -owned facility, potential contributors expect to see municipal leadership demonstrated in planning, funding and managing the site. The City has begun to demonstrate this leadership with its investment in stabilization and completing this feasibility study. Third, despite Iowa City's sophistication on many levels, relatively few solely community -based projects have been developed and undertaken as a result of large-scale capital fund drives. Community facilities such as YMCAs, performing arts centers, theaters, art museums, and botanical centers have been successfully developed in many Iowa communities of smaller population that have a long tradition of coordinated fundraising efforts. Iowa City has been blessed by the presence of a large number of facilities funded and maintained by the University of Iowa. Although local residents have generously supported these facilities, they have not had to bear the exclusive cost of their development The fourth and final reason for not recommending launching a capital fund drive for the Montgomery -Butler House now is that the timing does not appear to be right. The past eighteen months have seen the launching of efforts to preserve the historic Englert Theatre. Creation of a not -for -profit 501c(3) organization, the Englert Civic Theatre, Inc., to lead the effort has been done with tremendous community effort and energy. Until such time as this project is further along, launching a major capital fund drive to support the Montgomery -Butler House would be inappropriate and potentially crippling to both projects. A better course is to wait until the Englert Theatre is a demonstrated success, and then build on the public good will developed in its wake. 73 If a capital fund drive is eventually selected as a means for funding Phases II and III for the Montgomery -Butler House, a side benefit will be the opportunity to build support for future operations. Donors frequently become the basis for an ongoing membership program and volunteers to staff operations and special events. Establishment of an endowment to fund operations of the Montgomery -Butler House historic site and interpretive center should be considered. Should a fund drive be considered, an endowment goal should be included as a part of it. Endowments for historic house museums are usually established for operations and/or capital improvements. Income earned by the endowment flows to the museum operations or improvement project based on a specific dollar amount needed or, more often, as a percentage of the total return. Policy statements governing endowments can be as elaborate or simple as the governing body chooses. The endowment funds are generally invested under the direction of an oversight board and an experienced investment committee. Many funds allow up to 50% of the annual earned income to be spent on operations — including cyclical improvements, with approximately 10% used to pay for fund management and custodial fees and the remaining 40% used to cover inflation by being returned to the corpus. To avoid the ups and downs of robust and lean years, an alternate endowment income formula similar to that of Harvard University's endowment fund might be adopted. Established in 1973, this formula assumes a balanced investment portfolio for an endowment with approximately half in stocks and half in bonds or short-term reserves. In the first year, an amount equal to 4% of the endowment's total value is taken. In subsequent years, the dollar amount of the previous -year's withdrawal is increased by the previous year's inflation rate. In some cases, museums establish separate endowments to fund operating budget needs and capital improvement needs with different policies governing the ME] money earned from each fund. A two-tier endowment structure may be worth considering for the Montgomery -Butler House. Such a structure allows for accumulation of earnings for larger projects and avoids the temptation of using all of the income from a single endowment fund for operating expenses. In order to generate sufficient income to fund the Montgomery -Butler House's entire operating budget of $17,000 to 38,000 annually, an endowment fund of approximately $425,000 to $950,000 would be needed. These endowment income estimates are derived using the Harvard endowment fund plan. If less than the full amount of the budget is expected to come from endowment income, it follows that the corpus could be smaller. Another area of funding examined as a part of this feasibility study was the potential for grant support from private foundations. The fields of interest and limitations on giving for approximately 100 foundations operating in Iowa were investigated. Only a few identify historic preservation or historical projects as major fields of interest or categories funded, Natural resource conservation and protection as well as community development are separate categories under which restoration of the Montgomery -Butler House and site might qualify for grants. Appendix 3 contains a list of potential Iowa -based foundations that should be approached for support once the restoration and reuse plan has been adopted. Although a number of nationally -based foundations provide funding for historic preservation projects, the qualifying projects are usually of national significance. In cases where they are not, the award is based on the geographic location of the project in an area connected to the long-standing interest of the foundation or the home of a foundation's corporate affiliate. Several foundations or corporate funding programs with Iowa City -based affiliates should be pursued when and if a capital fund drive is launched. 75 "Mich sponsors or partners should be recruited to assist in completing the work and raising; hinds?" Potential sponsors or partners should be recruited for various aspects of the Montgomery -Butter House project based on their shared interest. For example, Friends of Historic Preservation's organizational mission includes the preservation of historic buildings while the Johnson County Historical Society focuses on museum and education programs. Both organizations expressed a willingness to assist in developing the Montgomery -Butler House. Leaders of local 4uester chapters, organizations interested in antiques and historic interiors, expressed a willingness to explore potential funding opportunities through their organizations. A representative of the University of Iowa identified a connection through the Iowa River while leaders of other museums in the community expressed an interest in coordinating programs once the Montgomery -Butler House is operating as a historic site. There was strong evidence offered during the feasibility study process of a willingness to collaborate in order to make the house a successful historic site. I. ih2PI..EWNTA7707VSTEPS "What are the steps the City of Iowa City should take to establish the (Montgomery -Butler House Historic Site and Interpretive Center?" Converting the Montgomery -Butler House to a public historic site has begun with the completion of this feasibility study and report. Considerable thought by community representatives, City Staff, and elected officials has already taken place. When viewed as a single task conversion of the Montgomery -Butler House is daunting. If divided into discrete tasks the project becomes manageable even if no less daunting. An outline of the steps necessary follows. 76 1. City Council adopts the feasibility study report recommendation that the Montgomery -Butler House be reused as a historic site and interpretive center. 2. City Council establishes a Montgomery -Butler House Task Force and names its members. This group should include several local civic leaders; representatives of potential partnering organizations such as the Johnson County Historical Society, the Friends of Historic Preservation, Project Green, the University of Iowa and Questers; and City staff members from the departments of Planning and Community Development, Parks and Recreation, and the Water Treatment Plant. Include a minimum of five and maximum of seven individuals in addition to the City staff representatives. Distribute copies of feasibility study to these individuals. 3. City Council assigns :esponsibility for staffing the Montgomery -Butler House Task Force to representatives of the Planning and Community Development Department, Packs and Recreation Department and Water Treatment plant To date, lead responsibility has been assigned to Planning and Community Development with oversight provided by the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission. Several maintenance tasks have been performed at the site by staff working for the Parks and Recreation Department. Because of the immediate proximity of the house to the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant, it is recommended that a representative of this operation be added to the City staff involved with the property for purposes of communication. lead responsibility could be continued with Planning and Community Development or transferred to Parks and Recreation depending on an assessment of staff capabilities. In either case, close coordination should be maintained for purposes of developing Waterworks Park. 4. Under the direction of the (;ontgomery-Butler House Task Force and drawing on the feasibility study repc t, a concise statement should be 77 prepared outlining the plan for reusing the house. Civic clubs and community groups should be identified for purposes of distributing information about the house. A short slide show suitable for group presentations should be developed from images assembled for the community planning workshop. Task Force members should make presentations about the house's reuse plan to community groups. 5. The first phase of start-up measures including preliminary security steps should be completed. These measures would include the installation of overhead electrical service, the addition of a telephone line to the property, and the installation of a security system to monitor access to the house. Construction of an improved access road, a small parking lot south of the house, and a trail spur connecting the house to the Iowa River Corridor Trail should be completed. Temporary interpretive signs should be installed. S. The house and site should be readied for a public open house and private tours for prospective donors and volunteer groups. This will be the first public showing of the house and site. It should be timed for a time of the year when the site is most presentable — spring most likely. An advance clean-up of the site should be a volunteer activity with assistance provided by City workers in hauling away debris. Temporary access steps to the house will need to be built and the tour should be advertised as having limited accessibility for the disabled to the constraints of the building. Trained volunteers versed in the plans for the house should be stationed in the house and throughout the site to provide information and answer questions. The event could be modest or more expansive depending on the creativity of the Task Force. The goal is to introduce the house to the community and plant the seeds for its introduction as a historic site with an intriguing story to tell visitors. 7. A funding plan should be prepared for the first phase of work that Included a major leadership commitment from the City of loeva City. The rdl first question asked by potential funders be they foundations, government granting agencies, or individual contributors is generally "what are you giving to the project?" Without a strong and enthusiastic financial commitment by the City of Iowa City, raising funds from others will be extremely difficult. The City should submit grant and foundation funding requests after it has budgeted its own commitment. 8. Once funding has been established to initiate construction, efforts should continue to give restoration of the house a higher profile in the community. This includes regular efforts to publicize and promote the activities involved in support of the project, continued presentations to civic clubs and groups, outreach to school children and hosting of special events. 9. A management contract should be drafted for operation of the Montgomery -Butler House once it is operational. This step could be introduced at an earlier point if responsibility for coordinating promotional activities and volunteer recruitment is made a part of the contract. The contract fee will initially be an expense of the City of Iowa City. I O.Once the second phase of restoration of the house is well underway, the public should be introduced to the Montgomery -Butler House through one or more special events. II.Coordination of the interpretive program at the-Aontgomery-Butler House with nature programs and tours at Waterworks park and the new Water Treatment Plant should be encouraged. Collaboration with other visitor attractions in the area will be important to the house's success. They include historic sites (Old Capitol, Plum Grove, Johnson County Heritage Museum and the Herbert Hoover Birthplace), museums (Museum of Natural History, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum, and University of Iowa Art Museum), and special attractions (Carver Hawkeye Arena, Hawkeye 79 Mall of Fame and Visitor Center, Lake MacBride Raptor Center, Hancher Auditorium, and the Devonian Fossil Gorge). 12.Once operation$ are firmly established; fundraising from various sources fo2, the second and third phases of woi k should commerce. Consideration should be given to a capital fund drive in the community designed to see restoration completed for the house's 1500' anniversary in 2008. Timing of the fund drive so as not to conflict with other fundraising efforts in the community will be critical to its success. 13. Are endoviment fund should be established to support all or a portion of the house's ongoing operation as a historic site. i SOURCES Interviews and Correspondence: Jeff Davidson, Planning and Community Development, City of Iowa City Brad Neumann, Planning and Community Development, City of Iowa City Robert Miklo, Planning and Community Development, City of Iowa City Terry Trueblood, Director, Parks and Recreation Department Terry Robinson, Forester, Parks and Recreation Department John Yapp, Planning and Community Development, City of Iowa City Carol Sweeting, Public Works, City of Iowa City Scott Kugler, Vierbicher Associates, Madison, WI (formerly with City of Iowa City) Susan Licht, AIA, and member of Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Richard Carlson, member of Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Colette Pogue, member of local Quester chapter, Iowa City Margaret Wieting, Executive Director, Johnson County Historical Society Leigh Ann Jero, Johnson County Historical Society Helen Finken, Iowa City Schools Ann E. Smothers, Old Capitol Director Jean Prior, Senior Research Geologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Julia Golden, Acting Director, Museum of Natural History, University of Iowa David Brenzel, Education Director, Museum of Natural History, University of Iowa Linda Kopping, Coordinator, Iowa City Senior Center Marie Neubauer, photographer 81 K. APPEADICS 82 Appendix 1: Workshop Invitation and Attendee 0 List Montgomery -Butler House Community Planning Workshop Participant Invitation List - April 24, 2001 Jackie Briggs, Director - Friends of Historic Preservation* Jeff Schabilion, President - Friends of Historic Preservation* Mary Neuhauser, Director - Johnson County Heritage Trust John Chadima, President - Johnson County Historical Society Margaret Wieting, Executive Director - Johnson County Historical Society* Leigh Ann Jero — Johnson County Historical Society* Casey Cook - Friends of Iowa River Scenic Trail Terry Dahms - Friends of Iowa River Scenic Trail Steven Poggenpohl - Bicyclists of Iowa City, Inc. Gregory Kovaciny - Bicyclists of Iowa City, Inc. Sheila Boyd - Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Anne Hesse, President - Project Green A.K. Traw Brian Witzke, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey Bureau Dave Merrill - North Liberty Community Center Julie Johnson - Parks and Recreation Department, City of Coralville Wendy Ford - Iowa City-Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau Rex Preuss Melanie Haupert Susan Licht, AtA - Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission John Shaw, AIA Jan Nash, Tall Grass Historians Helen Finken, Iowa City School District Brad Colton, Grant Wood AEA Richard Carlson - Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission' Larry Wilson, University of Iowa* Jim Walters - Johnson County Songbird Project, Inc.* Colette Pogue — Questers, Project Green* Luella Puhrman, Plum Grover Questers` Merle Puhrman* Carol Seydel, Old Capitol Questers Margaret Loomer, Robert Lucas Questers Sherry McKay, Rose Hill Questers Heidi Hodge, Octagon Questers Cherry Sparks, Questers Note Edwards, Questers* Ginalie Swaim* Michael Gunn, Chair, Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission Ann Bovbjerg, Chair, Iowa City Planning & Zoning Commission* Craig Gustaveson, Iowa City Park & Recreation Commission* Barbara Endel, Iowa City Park & Recreation Commission` Jeff Davidson, City of Iowa City, Planning & Community Development* Bob Miklo, City of Iowa City, Planning & Community Development* Brad Neuman, City of Iowa City, Planning & Community Development* John Yapp, City of Iowa City, Planning & Community Development* Terry Trueblood, City of Iowa City, Parks & Recreation* Terry Robinson, City of Iowa City, Parks & Recreation Chuck Schmadeke, City of Iowa City, Public Works Ed Mereno, City, of Iowa City, Public Works` Card Sweeting, City of Iowa City, Public Works* 83 Appendix 2: The Craft Mationai Register of Historic Places Nomination prepared by Richard Carlson, June i, 2001 arsd submitted to the State Historical Society of Iowa for consideration on October 12, 2001. 84 NIPS Farm 10-900 OMB No. 10024-0010 (Oct. 1990) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting detemninations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National ReglsterofHistoric Places Regis ration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A)- Complete each item by marking'x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. if an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter'WN' for "not applicable-" For functions, architectural classification, materials and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10.900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. name other names/site number Butler House city or town Iowa City- CJ vicinity state Iowa code IA county Johnson code 103 zip code 52245 3, State/Feder'al Aner icy certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this tj nomination Ll f request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic f` Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property L] meets L] does not meet the National Register criteria, I recommend that this property be considered significant L] nationally t-1 statewide I,j locally. (L] see wntinuation sheet for additional comments). Signature of certifying ofhcaal[nile Date State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property L] meets L] does not meet the National Register criteria. (t j See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying otficialrn le Date State or Federal agency and bureau t] entered in the Natfonal Reglster- F I See continuation sheet Lj determined eligible for the National Register. tj See continuation sheet. [] determined not eligible for the National Register. r I removed from the National Register. [j other, (explain:) 95 Montgornary-Butiorlows Cb None of P Johnson and S. loam property County and State 5. C ss' atio Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Chock as many boxes as apply) (Chock only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Lj private RC buiiding(s) Contributing Noncontributing XU public -local U district i t buildings Lj public -State LJ site [� public -Federal [J structure 2 3 sites LJ object Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "NA" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) $. FyrFctfart or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTICIsingle dwellinafresidence AGRICULTURE/SgBSISTENCEffamrstead TRANSPORTATION/oedestrtan,-rp!gW/road grade structures objects 3 4 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed In the National Register IN Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) VACANJINOT IN USE (Enter categories from Instructions) (Enter categories frwt instructions) MID-19TH CENTURY/Greek Revival _ foundation STONEAirnestone - walls STUCCO roof METAIJconuggted galvanized motat over teme _ T other Narrative Description ,Describe the historic and current condition of the prop" on Ono or more cordinuatlai slrects.) 86 Montaomery-a r Name of Property Wn Co ..,__ante toy6a County and State 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark'e in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the Property for National Register listing.) L] A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. L] B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. jx] C Property 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 lack individual distinction. L] D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark V in ag the boxes that appy.) Property is: L] A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. Lj B. removed from its original location. U C a birthplace or grave. L] D a cemetery. L] E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. L] F a commemorative property. L] G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ARCHITECTURE Period of Significance 185g-1888 Significant Dates ca 1858 Significant Person (compere if Criterion 8 is marked above) Cultural Affiliation ArchitectlBulider unknown 9 Alior Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on fde (MPS): Primary location of additional data: U preliminary determination of individual listing L] State Historic Preservation Office (36 CFR 67) has been requested L] Other State agency L] Federal agency L] previously listed in the National Register LJ previously determined eligible by the National N Local government Register L] designated a National Historic Landmark L] University L] Other L] recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: Lj recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # 87 MgAon �ofinty, tonne County and State UTN References (Place ad8dional UiM referances on a continuation sheet.) 1 1151 62[ 084§1 MI§4141 2 LI-I 11 j 1 1 1 11 1 j 1 1 1 1 1 Zone EasUng Northing Zone Easgng Nothing 3111_ [1T1T1T [i111,111 4j__jJ1_111111[11111T1 j See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justilcation (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a sheet.) 11.Form Prepared By name/tide _Richard Carlson organization Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission date June 1 001 street & number _ 410 E. Washington telephone , (319) 356-WO city or town Iowa City state IA zip code 52240 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the complete farm Continuation Sheets hhaps A USGS map (T5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Representative black and white photographs of the property. Additional itgm� (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any addifional items) Pf MAV Owner (Complete this tern at the request or SHPO or FPO.) name street & number 410 E. Washington Street telephone (319) 35"000 city or town Iowa City. state IA zip code _ 6224Q properties for listing or determine eligbihty for ring, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to henefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estenate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024A618), Washington, DC 20503. 88 rtvsrm rasrw� aua nAa afn 1024.ac+8 (ace) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Nationai Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 3 Description:, The Montgomery -Butler House, also known as the Butler House, is part of a former farmstead located on a bluff that overlooks the Iowa River at the northern edge of Iowa City. The farmstead is situated at a bend in the river near the Dubuque Street bridge. The property includes a stone house, built in the late 1850s, a partially collapsed double crib dating from the first half of the twentieth century, and several stone or concrete foundations of former agricultural outbuildings built between the mid -nineteenth century and the mid -twentieth century. The site also contains part of an old road grade that formerly extended west from the present route of Dubuque Street, past the house and barn, and down to a ford on the Iowa River. Because of the small number of extart resources on this property, the property is nominated as a building rather than as a district. Three features of the site, all of which date to the mid -nineteenth century, are considered contributing elements: the house, stone foundation of a former barn, and road grade. Non-contributing features include the crib and three concrete foundations. House. This house is a 1'/z-story, double -pile house with a center hall and a full basement. It exhibits elements of the Greek Revival style, including a frieze band, frieze band windows, open cornice retums, and a transom over the two principai exterior doors. The exterior walls of the house are constructed of uncoursed limestone rubble set in sand mortar. The exterior of the house has been finished in gray stucco, which has broken off in places and has been patched with cement in others. The stucco may be original to the house, or it may have been added in the late nineteenth century. It is shown in the earliest available photographs of the house, which appear to date to the turn of the twentieth century.4 The modern corrugated metal roof was placed over an earlier teme roof in 1998 as part of efforts to mothball the building. On the west side of the house is a one-story flame addition that dates to between about 1880 and 1910. This shed -roofed addition projects north beyond the north facade of the stone section, but it is flush with the south facade. The addition rests on a foundation constructed primarily of concrete blocks, although the north end is support by bricks. It is clad in clapboard siding. Parts of the north and west facades were covered in plywood in 1998 to protect areas where clapboards were missing. Although there is some question as to whether the north or the south facade was originally intended to be the front facade, in later years --and possibly from the outset ---the south faeade was treated as the front facade.' A Queen Anne - style porch with turned posts and an open railing extended across the south facade from its construction in perhaps the I980s until it was removed in 1998. The salvageable portions of this porch have been retained and could be used to reconstruct a similar porch if that is determined to be desirable. It is not known what type of porch, if any, was present on the house when it was fast constructed. The three -bay front facade and rear facade each have a central door flanked by a window on each side. A single frieze band window is centered above each door. At the west end of the south facade is a basement entrance. The east gable end has one window in each bay on the first story, and two smaller gable windows. The west gable end may originally have had the same configuration, but the first story is now covered by the frame addition. The north bay ° These photographs are not reproduced in the present nomination. Most are located in the personal collection of Colette Pogue, Iowa City, Iowa. The earliest known photograph that depicts the house is a photograph of Guy and Glen Stevens, who are believed to have lived in the house in the 1890s. See "Saving Butler house for history," Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette, July 23, 1995, included in the Colette Pogue collection. ' Jan Nash, Intensive Level Architectural and Historical Survey of the Montgomery -Basler House (1995), p. 9. 89 nms romp 10-9Do-a *661 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 'dational Reg:slter of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 OWAPMVMft 1024-0Of9 Page 2 of the first story has a door between the stone house and the addition rather than a window. Other fenestration on the stone section includes basement windows on all but the south facade. The windows in the stone section were probably 616-light sash originally. The remains of one such window can still be seen in the south bay of the west facade, between the stone house and the addition. Most of the windows were replaced by 1/1-light sash prior to 1930.6 Windows on the frame addition included multi -light sash on the west facade, and what appear from historic photographs to have been 6/6-light sash on the north facade. None of the glass remains in any of the surviving sash. The windows and door openings, including those in the frame addition, are currently sealed by ventilated plywood panels installed when the building was mothballed. The interior plan is very similar on all three stories, including the basement Each story has one large room on the west and two smaller rooms of roughly equal size on the east The two stories above the basement also have a central hail_ This hall is offset slightly to the west, making the rooms on the east slightly wider than those on the west In addition to the three principal rooms, the second story also has two closets. One is located at the north end of the center hall, and the other at the north end of the west room_ All walls and ceilings in the house are or were finished in lath and plaster. The west room on the first story is the only room in the stone section in which beaded board wainscoting has been applied over the lath and plaster. The frame addition also has beaded board wainscoting. The lath and plaster ceilings on the second story of the stone section were removed at the time the building was mothballed, but the boards to which the lath was nailed remain in place. The ceilings on the first story are approximately 7' 10" high, while those on the second story arc approximately 6' 4" high. A staircase on the west side of the center hall connects the different stories, The newel post and railing of the staircase between the fast and second stories were evidently removed some years ago by vandals, although a few broken spindles remain. The octagonal outline of the newel post can be seen in the floorboards at the foot of the stairs. Access to the basement steps from the first story is gained through an entrance located just inside the front door. The door to this basement entrance is capped by a two -fight transom. The basement has a concrete floor in the two main rooms and a dirt floor in the southeast room, which appears to have been used for cold storage. The stone walls of the basement are finished in plaster. The front and rear entrances in the stone section have decorative recessed panels in the jambs. The two doors are surmounted by three -light transoms. Most of the original doors in the stone section are missing their original knobs and locks, and have been removed from their hinges, but most remain in the building. All of the extant doors have four panels. The interior door casings are constructed of simple unornantented boards. A few of these casings have been removed, but most remain in place. Other interior finishes include baseboards in all rooms other than the wainscoted west roam on the first story, and chamfered window openings that narrow from the interior to the exterior wall. Two rooms on the first story have patterned floors. The floorboards are laid diagonally in the west room. In the southeast room, they appear to be laid in concentric rectangles, although a linoleum floor in this room conceals most of the wood floor beneath it. The patterned floors have been laid over the original floor, and may not be original. The central hall on the first story is raised to the same level as the patterned floors, and ha4 the same type of floorboards (varying between about 3'/." and 3'/z" in width), but its floorboards have the simple north -south orientation found elsewhere in the house. On the second story, the floorboards vary between about 4" and 51/2" in the center hall and large west room. Wider floorboards, varying between about 5" and 7", are found in the two west rooms on the second 6 A photograph, dated March 1930, that depicts the house is included in Susan L. Licht and John Shaw, Mothball the Butler House (1996). The original photograph is located in the collections of the State t1istorical Society of Iowa, Iowa City. 90 NM Fa IOWO-a (8-W) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 8, 8 OMB Appoval Na. 1024 W'8 Page 3 story,as well as in the northeast room on the first story. The wider and less regularly sized floorboards were evidently used in the less public areas. The house has been wired for electricity, but no interior plumbing was ever installed, The stone section was heated by stoves rather than fireplaces. The stoves were ventilated into chimney stacks at each gable end of the house. These chimneys extend the full height of the house, from the basement floor to the roof. Crib. This dilapidated crib appears to date to the early to mid -twentieth century. The east wall and roof have collapsed, and the other three walls are leaning or partially collapsed. The building was originally a double crib with a central drive aisle. It is clad in drop siding and rests on concrete piers. The roof appears to have been clad in composition shingles. (Nher features. Although the house and the dilapidated crib are the only buildings now standing on the property, the foundations of several former buildings can also be seen. These include the stone foundation of a older barn, a concrete foundation of a newer barn, and at least two concrete foundations of smaller sheds or other outbuildings. An old road grade extends in a roughly east -west direction along the south line of the property, curving north towards the river as it heads west. A row of osage orange trees lines the southern edge of the site, just south of the old road grade. Osage orange hedges were commonly planted as fencing in prairie states during the mid -nineteenth century.' 8. Statement of Significauce This house is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C as an excellent and Largely unaltered example of vernacular stone architecture with Greek Revival elements built in the Iowa City area in the late 1850s. Further research is necessary to determine whether it may also be eligible under Criterion A, for its association with the ferry on the same property, and Criterion D, for the information potential of the site as an area of 1850s settlement. An archaeological investigation of the site conducted in 1997 found disturbed soils around the buildings and no artifacts pre -dating the late nineteenth century.s However, because the site is known to have been occupied since 1853, and since certain important archaeological features, such as privy holes, were not located during this investigation, further archaeological investigation may uncover artifacts relating to the site's early residential and agricultural use, and perhaps also to the nearby sawmill and ferry. The period of significance of the property is limited to the period during which the site was occupied by the Montgomery and Butler family. As described in greater detail below, this family was important to the history of the site not only as the builders of the house, but as the operators of a sawmill and a ferry across the Iowa River, both of which were located on the same property. The family moved to the site in 1853, about five years before the house was built, and apparently left shortly after Elizabeth Butler died in 1889. The period 1853--1888 is therefore taken to be the period of significance. The only significant date during this period is ca. 1858, the date of construction of the stone house. 'Nash, p.11. 8 Robert C. Vogel, Michelle M. Terrell, and David G. Stanley, Phase 11 Cultural Resources Investigation of the Historic Butler Farmstead (Including .archaeological Site 13JH714), City oflowa City, Johnson County, Iowa (1997), p. 41. 91 NY$ Fw.; iP900a 0W AppM1WW, W24600r (8-" United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Haiiional Register of Historic Places Cont`nuat¢oi Sheet Section number �_ Page 4 The exact date of construction of the stone house is not known. However, valuations of the property made in 1856 and 1859 suggest that the house was built between those two years 9 The Greek Revival elements on the house are consistent with a construction date between the 1840s and the 1860s. The house was built for Elizabeth Galbreath Butler Montgomery, widow of Walter Butler (died 1844) and later of Martin M. Montgomery (died 1855). Because the property is better known for its later ownership by the Butler descendants of Waiter and Elizabeth Butter, the house is generally referred to locally as the Butler House. Similarly, the former landing and bridge on the Iowa River historically associated with the house were known as Butler's Landing and Butler's Bridge. However, because the house was first built for Elizabeth Montgomery and her children, and because its owners and occupants during the period of significance included both Elizabeth Montgomery and her Butler children, it is more accurate to refer to aw house as the Montgomery -Butner House, the name used here. A road that passed by the future site of the Moutgomery-Butler House on the way down to a ford in the Iowa River was one of the earliest in the area. This road is shown on a General Land Office map surveyed between 1839 and 1841. Historic maps appear to indicate that the older road was abandoned in favor of the present route of Ihtbuque Street prior to 1859. The intact section of this former mad on the Montgomery -Butler House site is included as a significant contributing resource in the present nomination. The land on which the house stands was first sold by the federal goverment to a private owner in 1844. No building is known to have been constructed on the property until 1948, however, when Alphonso B. Newcomb and James P. Miller built a steam sawmill along the Iowa River new the ford. This two -acre mill site was sold in 1850 to Martin M. Montgomery, who at the time owned a sawmill on the west back of the Iowa River in what is now Coralville, approximately two miles downstream from the Montgomery -Butler House. The same year that Montgomery bought Newcomb and Miller's sawmill, he was married to Elizabeth (Galbreath) Butler, widow of Iowa City pioneer Walter Butler. At the time of her second marriage, Elizabeth had had several children by Walter Butler. Martin Montgomery, who also had been married previously, apparently had no children by either of his two wives. The Montgomery family lived in Coralville until 1853, when Martin Montgomery purchased 14.24 acres adjacent to the mill site he had purchased in 1850. He moved with his family to this property, now the site of the Montgomery - Butler House, that same year. According to Martin Van Buren Butler, son of Walter and Elizabeth Butler, after their 1853 move to this site, they occupied "a board shanty in the timber north of Iowa City."16 This indicates that the stone house had not yet been built at the time the family moved to the property. As noted earlier, otter records indicate that the stone house was most likely constructed between 1856 and 1$59, with the upstairs possibly completed or remodeled in the 1860s. Martin Montgomery died just two years after moving to this site, in 1855, and before the construction of the present house. His widow and her children continued to live on the site until at least the time of Elizabeth Montgomery's death in 1888. Before his death, Martin Montgomery had operated a ferry service across the Iowa River 91n 1856, the land was valued at $150, the same price at which Martin Montgomery purchased it in 1853. By 1859, the land was valued at $800, suggesting that the stone house was built by then_ Later census records value the land at at least $1,000. Although the house appears to have been built between 1956 and 1859, additional work on the upstairs may have been done during the 18611s_ At the time the house was mothballed in 1999, an account book of one of the early occupants of the house, Thomas Butler, was found behind the lath in the upstairs hall. Although most of the entries in this hook date to the 1850s, a few smudged pencil notations appear to date to 1862 or 1863. while this may indicate that the house was not completed until the mid-1860s, it is also possible that the book was sealed in the wall during a later remodeling of tine upstairs. 16 Esther Stratton, "An Old Settler's Story" (1923), p. 2. Located in the collection labeled SHSL MS 22, in the State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City. 92 p1p$Form 10A00e OWH Wp Wm 1024-00-8 f9�1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 849 Page 5 in conjunctionwith his sawmill. Although the sawmill was dismantled around 1857 or 1858, the ferry service continued long afterwards. The site later came to be known as Butler's Landing, named for the sons of Walter and Elizabeth Butler who lived on the site and operated the ferry in addition to £arming the land. John W. Butler and his wife Elizabeth stayed on the site the longest, living there until after the death of Elizabeth Montgomery in 1888. A ferry is shown at the location of the present Dubuque Street bridge on historic landowner maps published in 1859 and 1870, but not on later maps_ Historic maps do not show a bridge in this location until 1917. No bridge is shown on maps published in 1889 or 1900, although no ferry is depicted on these maps either. It is not certain how long the ferry remained in operation, or whether any bridge was built prior to the twentieth century. The first bridge on this site, replaced only recently, was known as Butler's Bridge. The farm continued to be owned by members of the Butler family until 1944, although there is no evidence that any Butler family members occupied the property after about 1890. The property was rented to various families until 1944, and continued to be operated as a farm until the 1970s. Most of the extant buildings on the fart in the 1970s. were built in the early to mid -twentieth century. With the exception of the double crib, now partially collapsed, none of the outbuildings on the property survive. The property stood vacant for about two decades before it was acquired by the City of Iowa City in the 1990s as part of land purchased for the construction of a new water treatment plant. The city has set aside 4.28 acres within the water treatment park, including the stone house, to be developed as a cultural resource. The house was mothballed in 1998, preserving it until an appropriate future use for the building can be determined. The house will likely function as an interpretive center along a regional trail system. 9. Major Bibliographical References Licht, Susan L., and John Shaw. Mothball the Butler House and Building Assessment of the Montgomery -Butler House. Companion typescripts with photographs and plans. Submitted to the City of Iowa City, March 1, 1996. Copy on file, Department of Planning and Community Development, Iowa City. Nash, Jan. Intensive Level Architectural and Historical Survey of the Montgomery -Buller House. Typescript prepared by Jan Nash, Tallgrass Historians, Iowa City Iowa, November 24, 1995. Submitted to Susan L. Licht and John F. Shaw, Iowa City, Iowa. Included in Susan L. Licht and John Shaw, Building Assessment of the Montgamery Butler House, cited above. Pogue, Colette. Research collection. Located in the Office of Planning and Community Development, City of Iowa City, Iowa City, Iowa. Stratton, Esther, "An Old Settler's Story." This oral history interview with Martin Van Buren Butler is Esther Stratton's entry in a history essay contest for high school students, sponsored in 1923 by the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs. The essays are located in the collection labeled SHSL MS 22, in the State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City. Vogel, Robert C., Michelle M. Terrell, and David G. Stanley. Phase II Cultural Resources Investigation of the Historic Butler Farmstead (Including Archaeological Site 13JH714), City of Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa. Prepared for the City of Iowa City, February 1997. Copy on file, Department of Planning and Community Development, Iowa City. NPS From, 10-900e CAMAppfoua� M. }02d-00}8 93 c8-" - Untied States Department of the Interior National Park Service Mationai Register of itiistorEc Pieces Continuation Sheet Section mimber 10 10. Verbal Boacdary Description Page 6 The nominated property includes 4.28 acres set aside by the City of Iowa City from the grounds of the city's new Water Treatment Plant (currently under construction). Boundary Justification The nominated property includes all of the acreage of the original 16.24-acre farmstead owned by the Montgomery and Butler families that remains undisturbed by the construction of a new Water Treatment Plant on this property. The nominated property contains the most significant historic features of the larger farmstead that are known to survive, including the house, crib, the most intact section of the £ormor road, and the extant foundations of former agricultural outbuildings. Aside from the sawmill and ferry landing, which were located along the river, no significant buildings or structures outside the nominated area are known to have been built on the site. Two small houses constricted along the Iowa River in the early twentieth century have been removed by the City of Iowa City. 94 Appendix 3: Iowa Foundations with potential for supporting development of the Montgomery -Butler House and site • Amerus Group Charitable Foundation 699 Walnut St_ Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 283-2371 Field of Interest: natural resource protection 8 conservation; community development Geographic Area: primarily Iowa • Robert T. Bates Foundation cto First Iowa State Bank 19 Benton Ave. E. Albia, IA 52531 (515) 932-2144 Field of Interest: historic preservation Geographic Area: primarily Iowa • Harold R. Bechtel Testamentary Charitable Trust 1000 Firstar Ctr. 201 W. 2otl St_ Davenport,IA 52801 (319)328-3333 Field of Interest: community development Geographic Area: primarily Scott County but also Iowa • James W. Hubbell Jr. & Helen H. Hubbell Foundation Go Bankers Trust Co., Trust Dept. 665 Locust St. Des Moines, IA 50309 (515) 245-2800 Feld of Interest. historic preservation Geographic Area: primarily Iowa • Pella Rolscreen Foundation cJo Pella Corp. 102 Main St. Pella, IA 50219 (515)628-6070 Field of Interest: arts/cultural programs Geographic Area: primarily Iowa • Martha Ellen Tye Foundation P.O. Box 428 Marshalltown, IA 50158-0428 Field of Interest: historic preservation Geographic Area: primarily Iowa 95 Appendix R: Interpretation oi'Geological Resources at Montgomery-Butier House Sits Based on an outline provided by Dr. Jean C. Prior, Ph.D, Geological Survey Bureau Department of Natural Resources, Iowa City, IA, May 16, 2001. Topographic features and landscape evolution Upland bluff overlooking Iowa River valley. History of Iowa River carving the valley and shaping the surrounding terrain. Bedrock control (right-angle bends following fracture traces). Glacial -age materials composing the bluff and their origins Earth materials on site: their geolog4cal story Loess (and blow sand?) overlying 500,000 -year-old glacial till (glacial age materials and processes); Iowa River valley alluvium (glacial meltwater route). Devonian bedrock beneath. Silurian bedrock beneath. Construction materials used in house Native stone -Devonian age (375 million years ago); either State Ouary Limestone or Cedar Valley Group (tropical marine environments; fossil remains of life forms). Tie-in to Devonian Fossil Gorge at Coralville Dam and Iowa Hall Gallery at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History. Groundwater resources and now municipal wells River water; shallow alluvial sand and gravel; and deeper bedrock aquifers. Wells draw water supplies from these underground sources. 96 Appendix 5: Consultant for Montgomery -Butler House Reuse Feasibility Study - Marlys A. Svendsen, Svendsen Tyler, Inc. Marlys A. Svendsen is president of Svendsen Tyler, Inc., a historic preservation consulting tirm located in northwest Wisconsin. Svendsen founded the firm in Davenport, Iowa in 1988 after working for 12 years for state and municipal governments in the historic preservation and community development fields. The firm relocated to Sarona, Wisconsin in 1993. Svendsen graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa in 1975 with a degree in history and political science and continued study at the University of Iowa in journalism. She worked for the State of Iowa's historic preservation office for three years beginning in 1976. During the 1980s she served as historic preservation planner and senior planner for community development initiatives for the City of Davenport. During her nine- year tenure with the City of Davenport, she was closely involved with restorations of municipal properties and local landmarks owned by commercial developers and private individuals. Svendsen has written and published three popular books on Davenport history and architecture including Davenport, Iowa: A Pictorial History published in 1986 to celebrate the city's sesquicentennial. During the decade of the 1990s Svendsen completed a variety of projects for the City of Iowa City. Her first involved preparation of the Iowa City Comprehensive Historic Preservation Plan in 1993 followed by completion of the Brown Street National Register Nomination the following year. Subsequent projects included neighborhood surveys in the North Side, Goosetown and most recently, the Downtown. She has been a frequent guest lecturer and presenter at the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission's Annual Historic Preservation Awards Program. In 1993, the Commission selected Svendsen to receive the Margaret Nowysz Preservation Person of the Year award. Svendsen's work today principally includes historical research and architectural analysis for individual properties and neighborhoods. She also works with private developers, municipal governments and not -for - profit corporations doing master planning for historic buildings, neighborhood conservation, comprehensive preservation planning and historical survey work. She frequently participates as a consulting member of Main Street resource teams and works with local historic preservation commissions. Svendsen has been active in a range of community and statewide organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and the Riverboat Development Authority in Davenport. In the 1980s Svendsen was named by the Quad City Times as a local 'Mover and Shaker" and in 1990 the Des Moines Register named her as one of 25 "Up and Comer" leaders from throughout Iowa. 97 aC Montgomery -Butler House, Chicken House (non -extant), west and.south sides, facing north nottheaf' Montgomery -Butler House, Barn (non -extant) south and east sides, facing north northwest Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission `� • City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 MEMORANDUM Date: April 28, 2020 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Kevin Boyd, Chair, Historic Preservation Commission Re: Montgomery -Butler House Request: We ask City Staff to help form a working group of relevant city departments and citizens out a plan and recommendation for an adaptive reuse and path forward for the Montgomery -Butler House. Background: The City acquired this historic asset in the 1990s as part of the land acquisitions for the water plant site. Shortly after, the City received a grant to moth -ball the property to preserve it for future use. While it is located in Waterworks Prairie Park, the land surrounding the water treatment facility at the park is maintained by the Public Works Department. We likely need representatives of all relevant City Departments as well as citizens including someone from our commission, someone from Parks and Recreation Commission, perhaps some of the regular users of Waterworks park (many of whom recently engage the City Council over an unrelated issue). It's our job to provide concrete direction and let the City Staff map out the details. Why find an adaptive reuse of the Montgomery -Butler House? 1. Previous City leaders made this commitment. The City acquired a historic asset in the late 1990s as part of the land acquisition for the water plant site. The City received a grant to moth -ball the property for future reuse. That moth -balling is showing signs of failure. We need to act. 2. The City has had recent success in adaptive reuse of historic properties. Public Space One's new home at 225 and 229 N Gilbert is a great example of the City preserving historic resources and opening up discussions and ideas from the community about what the use for this historic asset might be. The group should invite a community discussion about how to use this historic asset. While the result might simply be a shelter or trail head, the creative minds of our community may result in a great idea. 3. It's the right thing to do during the climate crisis. The structure already contains the embodied energy, the energy it used to construct the building - its materials, transport, and assembly. If the building is demolished because of neglect, that energy is lost. Let's keep this city -owned resource out of the landfill and find another use for this structure. It's an opportunity to lead by example - get the community thinking about how to reuse buildings instead of demolishing them and adding to our landfill. 4. It's part of our shared history. Cultural continuity between generations, stitch together our past and our future. Walter and Elizabeth Butler were a little like the godparents of Iowa City. When the territorial legislature needed a place to meet in Iowa City, the Butlers built what came to be known as Butler's Capitol. After Walter's death, Elizabeth lived in this house and with her second husband, Martin Montgomery, they operated a ferry to cross the Iowa River at this point on Dubuque Road. This structure was likely built between 1856 and 1859. Finding an adaptive reuse is part of the Historic Preservation Commission's Annual Work Plan and the City's Historic Preservation Plan. Montgomery -Butler House & Farmstead Prairie Park Chicken House 1980s Corn Crib (looking northeast) One of the oldest structures in Johnson County, the Montgomery -Butler house was built around 1858 for the family of Elizabeth (Galbreath) Butler Montgomery (widow of Martin Montgomery) and her Butler children. This area is also historically significant for its support of a steam -powered saw mill and a ferry service across the Iowa River (known as "Butler's Landing") , which began in 1854. The Montgomery - Butler House is noted architecturally as an example of a vernacular stone dwelling with Greek Revival features that were typical of residential architecture predating the Civil War in Iowa City and Johnson County. The property also includes a partially collapsed double corncrib dating from the first half of the twentieth century and several stone and concrete foundations of former outbuildings built between the mid - nineteenth and mid -twentieth centuries. An important pioneer family in Johnson County, Waiter and Elizabeth Butler came to Iowa City in 1839. Mr. Butler was a local businessperson and real estate investor. He died in 1844. Elizabeth married Martin Montgomery in 1850. Members of the Butler family lived on the site until after Elizabeth's death in 1888. Since then, the house and farm were rented to tenants who grew melons on the fertile river bottomland, raised livestock and operated a wood lot. The Butler descendents sold the property in 1944. The house was vacant for about twenty years before the City of Iowa City acquired it in 1995 as part of land purchased for the construction of the new Iowa City Water Treatment Plant. Buder-Montgomery House, southwest side Mrs. Stevens on river, Bend in river near farm, Glen & Guy Stevens Glen & Guy Stevens c. 1890s c. 1890s feeding pigs, c. 1890s at woodpile, c. 1890s Tend Ran'Abnipwrrery-Bulky Hansa Feuslel1V Study Repwl."Svondon, Tyler, Inc., SaroM, Wl, Sept 2001 Unless oUnarcnse Maier photos were taken In 1978 Uy Mane Neutteah 3 ram'' t1w n.. 11, MINUTES PRELIMINARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION EMMA J. HARVAT HALL July 8, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT: Margaret Beck, Kevin Boyd, Carl Brown, Sharon DeGraw, Lyndi Kiple, Cecile Kuenzli, Kevin Larson, Jordan Sellergren, Noah Stork MEMBERS ABSENT: Deanna Thomann STAFF PRESENT: Jessica Bristow OTHERS PRESENT: Andy Martin, Amy Pretorius Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff, and the public presented by COVID-19. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL: (become effective only after separate Council action) CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Boyd called the electronic meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. utilizing Zoom. ROLL CALL: Beck said that she is an archeologist with research interests in Pre -Colombian North America at the University of Iowa, but has worked with several different interest areas as well as with the National Register. She said this was what made her more interested in the history of Iowa City, and she was delighted at the chance to join the Commission. Stork said he works at Pearson and has lived in Iowa City since 2005. He said he was interested in joining the Commission because he recently purchased a home in the College Green Park district and is in the process of fixing it up. Larson said he is an urban planning student with a background in architecture at the University of Iowa, which is what lead to his interest in historic preservation. Boyd welcomed the new Commission members and said he is excited to work together. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS: 525 Van Buren Street — Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (deck and rear porch changes) Bristow said this property is a Craftsman bungalow with a clipped gable roof, shingled lap siding in a staggered lap, a half -porch, and a high brick foundation. She said the north side of the building has a two-story porch with the enclosed lower portion containing storm windows and a storm door. She said the proposed project is to remove and replace the storm windows with a simple screen system. Bristow said that they would also replace the porch door with a storm door, which could be done without Commission review. She said the proposal also includes adding another storm door as well as a deck. She said the deck is 8 feet wide by 8 feet deep and protrudes a little bit from the side of the house, with railing that meets Commission guidelines. She said that this project approval would need to include an exception to allow the deck to extend beyond the side wall of the house. Boyd opened the public hearing. Boyd closed the public hearing. MOTION: DeGraw moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 525 North Van Buren Street as presented in the staff report with the following conditions: the railing is constructed to follow the guidelines, and any added stair is located on the west side of the deck. Kiple seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0. 716 Bloomington Street — Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (side porch enclosure Bristow said the owner of this property was approved a few years ago to restore some of the details of the front porch. She said the original porch had Gothic -Revival details, and that a previous owner had removed the columns completely and altered the rear porch to look how it does today (almost partially enclosed). Bristow said the guidelines disallow the enclosure of a porch that is either on the front of a house or highly visible from the street, but Staff feels that this porch has already been altered so that it no longer has the same details as the original, so they recommend approving the full enclosure. She said the project proposes to install Brighton Quaker windows and a custom door to fit the existing framework. Bristow said that a window on the back corner of the north side has a raised sill, and she wasn't sure if it was an existing condition or alteration made by a previous owner. Boyd opened the public hearing. Andy Martin, the contractor for the proposed job, said that the idea is to replicate the existing trim on the windows as closely as to the imagined proportion, and that the proposed proportions are a best guess estimate as to what the homeowners would want. Kuenzli asked if the smaller window was shorter for a reason and why it wouldn't be made to match the new screen depth that is coming in. Martin said that the homeowner had requested to leave it like it is, so he isn't sure if there is a reason or not. Boyd closed the public hearing. Brown asked if the proposed side porch enclosure was previously an approved recreation of the side porch. Bristow said that the previous approval just had to do with the front porch and that there has never been a project on the side porch since the district became a historic district. DeGraw said that if the smaller window on the side was changed to match the neighboring windows then the project would look better, and she recommended that the homeowners consider that change. MOTION: Kuenzli moved to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 716 Bloomington Street as presented in the staff report with some encouragement to consider making the shorter window match the neighboring windows. Sellergren seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0. 611 Oakland Avenue — Lonafellow Historic District (aaraae demolition and new construction Bristow said this property is a craftsman bungalow with a front -facing gable and exposed purlins, a full porch, dormers on the side, exposed rafter tails, aluminum siding, and an historic attached garage. She said a previously approved project had altered the enclosed rear porch and improved the window condition. She said the roof of the garage is starting to deteriorate. Bristow said, typically with a detached garage, some of the damage could be fixed by lifting the garage, but since the garage itself is attached Staff recommends approving the demolition and its replacement. She said the applicant has designed a single car garage where the existing garage is located that protrudes just a bit further into the backyard. She said it is designed as a side -facing gable structure (which matches the house better than the current structure) with a door facing the screened porch addition and a window on the back wall. She said the current proposal is to see what the lap and trim details are underneath the current metal siding and match that in the new garage. They will also put in a new driveway. Kuenzli asked when the garage and house were originally built because it is the only house in the neighborhood with an attached garage, and she is wondering why the new constructed garage won't be consistent with those of the other houses. Bristow said that the house was built between 1920-1925 and the garage shows up on the 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, which is why they believe it is the only garage that has ever existed on the property. She said they are attaching the new garage because the current one is attached and the homeowners had no desire to have the new one in the rear corner of the yard, and that there also might be future consideration about adding an interior entrance onto the structure. Boyd opened the public hearing. Boyd closed the public hearing. Boyd said he believes their guidelines would tell them to approve what would help retain the historic structure of a property, even if it included something different or unique to the area. Brown said that the garage was already older than 50 years when the district was declared historic, which would make it part of the original historic structure. Sellergren said she believes this is a case where the historic nature of the garage is trumped by its aesthetics. MOTION: Sellergren moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 611 Oakland Avenue as presented in the application with the following conditions: the siding and trim configuration is reviewed by Staff and the door and window product information is approved by Staff. Brown seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 8-1. Nav: Kuenzli. 324 Fairchild Street — Northside Historic District (demolition of addition and new addition Bristow said this house is a key contributing property. She said it is a four square with narrow lap siding, a hip roof and hip dormers, specially detailed lap siding and soffits, large double - hung windows, a partially enclosed porch. She said the project proposes to remove the existing rear enclosed porch and to add a two-story addition. She said the addition will have a hip roof and be set in from the corners of the house and include paired windows separated by trim, individual windows, a side door, and a deck on the back with a French door. Bristow said that Staff recommends the special details found on the front of the house not be replicated with the new addition in order to emphasize the difference between the addition and the original structure. Sellergren asked if the roofline on the new addition will match what is on the original structure. Bristow said that Staff will recommend the kick -out roofline instead of a straight slope. Beck asked if the rear out -building would be affected by the construction in any way. Bristow said that it is considered part of the property that the Commission would regulate, and she believes that the homeowners have gone through and met all of the zoning regulations regarding open space and property lines, and the construction shouldn't impact the barn in any way. Boyd opened the public hearing. Amy Pretorius, a representative of Elevation Homebuilders, said that the goal of the homeowners and the construction company is to replicate the roofline on the new addition to tie the project together. Boyd closed the public hearing. MOTION: Brown moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project at 324 Fairchild as presented in the application, including the staff recommendations regarding siding, soffit, and paired windows with the following condition — window and door product information is approved by Staff. DeGraw seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0. REPORT ON CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY CHAIR AND STAFF: Certificate of No Material Effect — Chair and Staff review 430 East Jefferson Street — Jefferson Street Historic District (roof shingle replacement) Bristow said this apartment building has a simple roof shingle replacement. Minor Review — Staff Review 930 East College Street — College Hill Conservation District (overhead door replacement) Bristow said the owners are removing a pressed steel door and temporarily installing a flat, smooth -paneled door. She said they plan to install carriage house doors once they are done with the house, which they will go through the approval process for. 515 East Davenport Street — Goosetown/Horace Mann Conservation District (roof shingle replacement) Bristow said that the house is getting its roof shingles replaced. 317 Fairchild Street — Northside Historic District (Radon mitigation system installation) Bristow said this house has had many past projects, including a rear addition, and the owners are installing a Radon mitigation system in this location with the rest of the equipment. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES FOR JUNE 10, 2021: MOTION: Kiple moved to approve the minutes from the June 10, 2021 meeting. Brown seconded. The motion carried on a vote of 9-0. COMMISSION DISCUSSION: Outgoing Commissioner Thank You rd Boyd said that this was Kiple's last meeting. He said that Kiple was their first Commissioner from the Jefferson Street District, so he was initially excited to have her on the Commission. He said that he has appreciated Kiple's contributions and has always been impressed with her dedication to the Commission's professional development, her clarification of discussions and offering thoughtful solutions that helped to advance the conversation, and her reliability in making a motion or second. Kiple said it has been an honor and a privilege to serve the City with the rest of the Commission and she has learned a lot of great things that she is looking forward to utilizing in Williamsburg, Virginia. Return to in-Derson meetinas Bristow said the Governor has allowed public meetings to continue over Zoom only through July 25, so any meetings after that date will be in person. She said they have typically met in Emma Harvat Hall and Staff is thinking of returning to meetings there. She said that all future meetings will also be recorded. Sellergren asked if the August 12 meeting will be at City Hall. Bristow said that it is safe to assume that as of now. Larson asked if the City would consider having an option for the public to join virtually. Bristow said she doesn't think they are thinking about that at this moment, but that would be a better question for the City Clerk. Sellergren said she is excited to return to in - person meetings, but accessibility is a huge issue for both the Commissioners and the public and she hopes that the City will consider how accessible and successful the Zoom meetings have been for both parties over the past year. Larson echoed Sellergren's statement. Boyd agreed and said that they should encourage the City to give them clarification on remote Commissioner participation as a useful tool for future meetings. Bristow said they have a note on the bottom of all of their agendas that says to reach out if anyone has issues with accessibility, so the City Clerk might be able to provide some general accommodations going forward. Ed (Unknown), a member of the public, thanked everyone from Iowa City. He said he is majoring in Journalism and Writing at New York University and he and his fellow journalists from Iowa University are doing a thesis on cities and historical landmarks. Brown said he lives in Iowa City but works in Muscatine, and said that it has been very helpful for him to join meetings via phone and he would really appreciate if there was a way in the future to let Commissioners call in if needed. Brown said he is excited for Ed and looks forward to reading his thesis. Ed said he is also writing a book about it. Boyd asked if everyone felt comfortable with meeting in Harvat Hall and/or if there were any concerns that they wanted Staff to address before their first meeting in -person. Kuenzli said it would be helpful to know if everyone was vaccinated or not because that would affect everyone's comfort level in regard to the meeting venue. Boyd said they can reach out to him or Bristow individually if they have any concerns before their August meeting. Bristow said there are a few projects that she was unable to get ready in time for this current meeting, so she hopes that they can schedule a special meeting to discuss them. She proposed having the special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21. Sellergren asked if they needed to meet about the Historic Preservation Awards. Bristow said she would reach out via email. COMMISSION INFORMATION: 5 None. ADJOURNMENT: Kiple moved to adjourn the meeting. Brown seconded. Meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m. 11 HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2020-2021 TERM 9/10 10/08 11/12 12/10 01/14 01/28 02/11 03/11 04/08 05/13 06/10 7/08 NAME EXP. BECK, 6/30/24 X MARGARET BOYD, KEVIN 6/30/23 X X X X X X X X X X X X BROWN, 6/30/23 X X X O/E X X X X X X O/E X CARL BURFORD, 6/30/21 X X X O/E X X X X X X X HELEN DEGRAW, 6/30/22 X O/E X X X X X X X X X X SHARON KUENZLI, 6/30/22 X X X X X X X X X X X X CECILE KIPLE, LYNDI 6/30/22 O/E X X O/E X X X X X X X X LARSON, 6/30/24 -- - -- - X KEVIN PITZEN, 6/30/21 X X X X X X X X O/E X X QUENTIN SELLERGREN, 6/30/22 X X X X X X X X X X O/E X JORDAN STORK, NOAH 6/30/24 _ X THOMANN, 6/30/23 __ O/E DEANNA WU, AUSTIN 6/30/23 X X X X X X O/E O/E O/E X X -- 7 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 July 1, 2021 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.lcgoy.org On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law. This legislation established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which provides significant resources to state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to support urgent COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost public sector revenue and restore service levels, support immediate financial stabilization for households and businesses, and address public health and economic challenges caused by the pandemic and that have disproportionately impacted certain populations. While the funds provide broad flexibility to local governments, the U.S. Treasury has released detailed guidance on how these funds can be used. A summary sheet of eligible uses is attached to this letter. You can also visit www.icgov.org/ARPA to learn more, find a link to full U.S. Treasury Guidance, and view other City resources and outreach materials. The U.S. Treasury has allocated $18.3 million to the City of Iowa City. The City received approximately half of this funding in May 2021 and anticipates receipt of the remaining balance in May 2022. All funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024. The City anticipates ongoing public input opportunities throughout the eligible use period (December 31, 2024) and will collect an initial round of public input through August 15, 2021. We encourage the community to imagine how these funds can be transformative for Iowa City. On behalf of the City of Iowa City, I would like to invite all Iowa City Boards, Commissions, and Committees to share ideas for spending these funds. Thoughts and ideas can be submitted through the following: • Online survey: https://www,surveymonkey.com/r/ICARPA • E-mail to publicinput(a)iowa-city.org Additional virtual and in -person listening sessions are also being scheduled and details on these opportunities will be published online at icgov.org/ARPA and through other City platforms. Thank you for your consideration and all the work you do to make our community better. Sincerely. R'ic /)� l./ e` rg Assistant City Manager p4U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURI tNT rr AY A i me The American Rescue Plan will deliver $350 billion for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and bring backjobs. The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide a substantial infusion of resources to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery. Funding Objectives • Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control • Replace lost public sector revenue to strengthen support for vital public services and help retain jobs • Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses • Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the inequal impact of the pandemic ®Support Public Health Response Fund COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff Replace Public Sector Revenue Loss Use funds to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic Water and Sewer Infrastructure Make necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water and invest in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure Eligible Jurisdictions & Allocations Direct Recipients • States and District of Columbia ($195.3 billion) • Counties ($65.1 billion) • Metropolitan cities ($45.6 billion) • Tribal governments ($20.0 billion) • Territories ($4.5 billion) Indirect Recipients Non -entitlement units ($19.5 billion) � �nAddress Negative Economic Impacts all ffl Respond to economic harms to workers, families, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector Premium Pay for Essential Workers Offer additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors (� l) Broadband Infrastructure •• • Make necessary investments to provide unnerved or underserved locations with new or expanded broadband access Q For More Information: Please visit www.treasury.gov/SLFRP For Media Inquiries: Please contact the U.S. Treasury Press Office at (202) 622-2960 For General Inquiries: Please email SLFRP@treasury.govfor additional information U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Example Uses of Funds ® Support Public Health Response Services to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including vaccination, medical expenses, testing, contact tracing, quarantine costs, capacity enhancements, and many related activities • Behavioral healthcare services, including mental health or substance misuse treatment, crisis intervention, and related services • Payroll and covered benefits for public health, healthcare, human services, and public safety staff to the extent that they work on the COVID-19 response Replace Public Sector Revenue Loss • Ensure continuity of vital government services by filling budget shortfalls • Revenue loss is calculated relative to the expected trend, beginning with the last full fiscal year pre - pandemic and adjusted annuallyfor growth • Recipients may re -calculate revenue loss at multiple points during the program, supporting those entities that experience revenue loss with a lag ;% Water & Sewer Infrastructure • Indudes improvements to infrastructure, such as building or upgrading facilities and transmission, distribution, and storage systems • Eligible uses aligned to Environmental Protection Agency project categories for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund g Equity -Focused Services • Addidonal flexibility for the hardest -hit communities and families to address health disparities, invest in housing, address educational disparities, and promote healthy childhood environments • Broadly applicable to Qualified Census Tracts, other disproportionately impacted areas, and when provident by Tribal governments s 0 Address Negative Economic Impacts • Deliver assistance to workers and families, including support for unemployed workers, aid to households, and survivor's benefits for families of COVID-19 victims • Support small businesses with loans, grants, in -kind assistance, and counseling programs • Speed the recovery of Impacted industries, including the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors • Rebuild public sector capacity by rehiring staff, replenishing state unemployment insurance funds, and implementing economic relief programs A Premium Pay for Essential Workers • Provide premium pay to essential workers, both directly and through grants to third -party employers • Prioritize low- and moderateancome workers, who face the greatest mismatch between employment - related health risks and compensation • Key sectors include healthcare, grocery and food services, education, childcare, sanitation, and transit • Must be fully additive to a worker's wages i.�t. Broadband Infrastructure • Focus on households and businesses without access to broadband and those with connections that do not provide minimally acceptable speeds • Fund projects that deliver reliable service with minimum 100 Mbps download / 100 Mbps upload speeds unless impracticable • Complement broadband investments made through the Capital Projects Fund (S) Ineligible Uses • Changes that reduce net tax revenue must not be offset with American Rescue Plan funds • Extraordinary payments Into a pension fund are a prohibited use of this funding • Other restrictions apply to eligible uses The examples listed in this document are non-e xhaustive, do not describe all terms and conditions associated wfth the use of this funding, and do not describe all the restrictions on usethat may apply. The U.S. Department of the Treasury providesthis document, the State and Local contact channels, and other resources for informational purposes. Although efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, the information is subjectto change or correction. Any Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds received will be subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement entered into by Treasury and the respective jurisdiction, which shall incorporate the provisions of the Interim Final Rule and/or Final Rule that implements this program. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 2021 Historic Preservation Work Plan The Historic Preservation Commission annually updates its work plan. This year we aligned our work around the goals that the City Council outlined in the Strategic Plan. Advance Social Justice, Racial Equity, and Human Rights Recent Accomplishments Civil Rights Grant. This two-part project with grant funding from the National Park Service was completed with the successful listing in the National Register of Historic Places of both the Tate Arms and the Iowa Federation Home, two important sites in Iowa City's Civil Rights History. Educational signage and digital online materials were also created. The research and information from the project will continue to be used in future presentations to educate and inform the public. Short Term Goals Get clarity from the City Council on staffing a subcommittee charged with telling the full history of Iowa City. Staff and the Commission should discuss the purpose and make-up of the subcommittee, as well as specific goals and actions of this endeavor. Online Heritage Map: Several local landmarks and historic resources within existing historic districts tell a story of Iowa City's historic efforts to advance social justice, racial equality, and human rights. We should tell those stories and allow citizens to see the physical structures connected with the historic struggles for justice. Long Term Goal Partner with Parks and Recreation Commission, Public Art Commission, Lucas Farms Neighborhood, and other community organizations to make Oak Grove Park a public space that honors the site's heritage. The park, originally owned by the railroad, was home to many Mexican immigrants who lived in company -owned housing, old boxcars. Many of those immigrants moved into the surrounding neighborhood. When the City sold Elm Grove Park, near the Johnson County Administration Building, it bought the land where Oak Grove Park now sits. The park is currently scheduled for major renovation in 2026 or 2027 which provides plenty of time for us to investigate outside funding sources and develop a community plan that makes it a public space both for the neighborhood but also the City. Demonstrate Leadership in Climate Action Good preservation is about using the least invasive measures first and then working up to removal and replacement only if necessary. This tactic values embodied energy and minimizes construction waste. Ongoing Work One of the fundamental principles of historic preservation is to preserve, reuse, and adapt rather than demolish and create waste. Our work and previous commission's work has kept immeasurable tons out of landfills. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Short Term Goals We need to continue to advocate that embodied energy is worth valuing. Currently the Climate Action Committee does not take this into consideration. We should continue to advocate to fix this. While what we've saved from landfills is immeasurable, embodied energy in existing materials is still measurable. Provide resources for energy efficiency, repair, and maintenance of older homes on the City's website. Structures built before World War II, used different methods of construction compared to construction of today. Trying to modernize an old structure with modern technologies often isn't the right approach. Sometimes it's the wrong approach. There are significant ways to increase energy efficiency in older homes that are minimally invasive. There are ways to repair and maintain a home and keep resources out of the landfill. Other organizations have already documented these. We should just find a way to make them available for more citizens. Contribute to the discussion on demolition. As the Climate Action Commission considers how to deal with demolition, we should contribute. And so should other commissions. If we're serious about climate change, we should be serious about demolition and the waste it produces. The cost to the environment, even considering dumping fees, doesn't match the $50 fee. Some cities are discussing removing demolition by right. Rather than just paying for a demolition fee, citizens are given an opportunity to evaluate the new structure - and make sure the new structure aligns with our expressed values - do we get affordable housing, is it energy efficient, are there significant elements of history of the building that should be valued? Long Term Goal Develop a disaster preparedness guide for preservation. As the effects of climate change manifest themselves in more natural disasters, we need to be prepared. The 2020 derecho, followed the 2008 floods, and the 2006 tornado. The City earned national awards for its work around the 2006 tornado. The commission and city staff should develop a playbook for when a disaster hits (because one will again). The goal would be to more rapidly know how to provide support to those dealing with a disaster. Strengthen Community Engagement and Intergovernmental Relations The Commission, as a Certified Local Government, is the place for intergovernmental relations success. We work with SHPO and the National Parks Service, who oversees historic sites across the country. We also are trying to engage cross -departmentally with other commissions where our work overlaps. Ongoing work Annual Historic Preservation Awards: The annual awards program highlights successful preservation work within the community and the expertise of contractors and consultants. As one of the Commission's main forms of community outreach, the awards are a high priority every year and attract an audience of about 100 people. The annual awards have been moved to May to coincide with Preservation Month activities. The awards will require Commission involvement for nominating properties and for work on the awards sub -committee producing the awards. We will continue to partner with Johnson County Historic Preservation Commission. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 New Commissioner Recruitment: With three vacant positions, we should recruit new commissioners. Short Term Goals Meeting with Realtors: The first of perhaps an annual meeting with Realtors to help them understand the benefits of historic districts and what the trade-offs are. The Homebuilders often feel like they are the ones who have to tell new property owners about historic districts. Increased Digital online presence: The City has valuable resources and information on historic properties in several different formats. Currently the ability for the public to access this information is dependent upon the format of the information. Digitizing hardcopy information and combining it with existing digital information in a searchable online database would make this information about city history more available for property owners and researchers. The City is considering a revamp of its website, we should try to partner when this happens. Invest in Public Infrastructure, Facilities and Fiscal Reserves The city assets need care and occasionally reinvestment. Doing a little work along the way helps avoid urgent situations down the road. Recent Accomplishments Three City -owned assets on the National Historic Register became local landmarks: The Old Post Office (now the Senior Center); the Old Settler's Cabins in City Park, and the Ned Ashton House. The Old Settler's Cabins were also rehabilitated. Short Term Goals Follow-up on the commission's request to City Staff on the Montgomery -Butler House. In May 2020 the Commission requested that staff from the Planning Department, Public Works, and Parks help develop a working group to map out the work of this city -owned historic asset. In 1998, as part of a Memorandum of Agreement for the development of the new water plant, the City mothballed the Montgomery/Butler House, a significant historic resource, for roughly $70,000. Summit Street Monument: In 2019 the consultant, Atlas Preservation, completed the "Summit Street Monument Assessment and Conservation Options Plan" that was financed in part through a Certified Local Government Grant. Given the ongoing deterioration of the monument, the Commission will review the options and recommend an appropriate action to City Council. Enhance Community Mobility for All Residents These are largely transit and transportation related goals. Many preservationists are sympathetic to these issues. Historic neighborhoods were designed to accommodate pedestrians, transit, and modes of transportation that aren't car -reliant. The Commission should consider how we might engage on this when opportunities arise. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 Foster Healthy Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Throughout the City Many older neighborhoods, that are now historic districts, were designed with mobility, neighborhood commercial nodes, and a variety of housing types in one neighborhood. Ongoing work The core work is protecting healthy neighborhoods. Many of the districts were developed out of a response to unhealthy developments in these areas that motivated the neighborhoods to take action. We help provide stability and provide a platform for reinvestment. Historic Preservation Fund. With the implementation of the fund in FY 2018, the Fund has approved 28 grants or loans improving 25 properties. This is a popular program which has helped property owners maintain the historic character of their properties and has helped keep valuable material out of the landfill. Be ready to partner with neighborhoods interested in historic preservation. There's been some interest in the past, particularly the Lucas Farms -Kirkwood Avenue area with reconnaissance surveys and our job is to be ready and willing partners. Short Term Goals Advocate for the continuation or growth of the UniverCity Program. The success of the program has helped stabilize historic neighborhoods and provide affordable housing. Long Term Goal Work to get form -based code for areas that are adjacent to or are surrounded by historic districts. The exchange between the public and developers in form -based code is that the code would allow for different uses which the public would need to accommodate, but in turn they would get more certainty about community values such as walkability, affordability, and the look and feel of the neighborhood. Developers get more flexibility in use in exchange for requirements in form. The areas that are adjacent to, or surrounded by, historic districts often are areas where development disagreements happen. Form -based code in these areas would help reduce some of that friction and would align with goals set by council and staff. Promote an Inclusive and Resilient Economy Throughout the City Preserving our physical heritage is an asset to an inclusive and resilient economy. Preservation is a tool for economic growth. The preservation work done in our districts is often done by smaller local businesses, and potential for growth opportunities exist in smart deconstruction and trade development for contractors who have specific skills related to older homes. Recent Successes The Tailwinds development on College St. This development is an exciting mix of the historic and new. We have several historic commercial buildings saved and new development. The Highlander is making an old structure vibrant by reviving its history. Their efforts to become a local landmark as part of these efforts should be supported. They intend to take advantage of tax credits. Short Term Goals Downtown National Register Historic District. Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 This is scheduled to be reviewed by the State Nomination Committee in February. This has been a long -sought goal. For consideration Revolving loans for tax credits: In talking to Downtown property owners, some of them expressed concern about the timeline of tax credits. They are available on the backend, but often cash is needed up front. The idea would be to create a 12-18 month loan option to bridge the immediate construction needs until project completion when the tax credits are available. Transfer of Development Rights Revisit: The previous council opted to not consider a specific TDR proposal that was developed on a tight timeline. We have had two (or maybe three) new council members since then. A new TDR proposal could be developed without the constraints of making them work for a specific property so they could benefit the whole community. Opt in incentives for local landmarks in commercial zones. One of the challenges I have heard about local landmarks or historic districts with primarily commercial buildings is that the needs of the building may be different than residential properties. Often, more flexibility is needed to make old buildings work. As a city, we can incentivize all kinds of things we value, there's no reason why commercial landmark properties can't be part of that mix. Long Term Goals Consider partners on a historic trades mentorship program. Dubuque's HEART program is a model example of this - training high school students in trades related to preservation, while transforming blighted neighborhoods (largely historic) back into livable and walkable neighborhoods and helping young people achieve goals of graduation and career training. Those who have been through the program often start small businesses in the trades they have learned. Ongoing Administration of Our Work Short Term Goals Update of the College Green Historic District: In 2016, the Commission approved the relocation of the Houser -Metzger House from 422 Iowa Avenue to 623 College Street where the contributing structure had been damaged beyond repair by fire and water. In order for the relocated house to be considered contributing to the Historic District, an amendment to the National Register -listed district is required as a first step. This amendment will be reviewed by the Commission following revision by staff and the District representative. Update of the Iowa City Preservation Handbook (Maps): The most recent version of the handbook was updated in 2010 and does not include several recent changes and needs to be reviewed for accuracy. Since many properties have changed status (for example, a non- contributing property has become contributing because of siding removal and porch rehabilitation) in the past ten years, the maps, which are the basis for review -type, application Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240 of exceptions, and in some cases eligibility of the Historic Preservation Fund, are outdated. The full Commission would review and approve updated maps. Long-term goal One of the at -large positions of the commission is reserved for a professional in the industry. In a recent meeting between the Home Builder Association, your chair, and several city staff members, they suggested that one of the at -large positions be designated for a professional builder, tradesperson, or architect (or perhaps preservationist). Frank Wagner served three terms. Quentin Pitzen currently does this work. We could define this at -large position for someone who does this work professionally. Preserve our Heritage Our history belongs to all of us. We owe it to ourselves and future generations of Iowa Citians that we preserve the physical aspects of this history and make sure our shared history isn't forgotten. This work often encompasses multiple areas of the priorities set by Council. Our shared heritage is worth preserving as its own goal. Recent Successes: Sanxay-Gilmore House. The University has a plan to move, restore, and use this house. Cochran -Dennis House is a local landmark. The compromise proposal has been approved by council. Self-starting landmarks: We've had several that we've helped shepherd through the process. We should continue conversations with interested property owners. And be mindful of opportunities that present themselves. Short Term Goal 2040 Waterfront Drive Intensive Survey: Funded in part through a Certified Local Government Grant, an intensive survey of the property at 2040 Waterfront Drive was completed. The final document will be provided to the Commission and the property owner for their review in the coming months. Long Term Goals Evaluation of Mid-century Modern Housing Stock: Since these properties have reached historic status, Commissions across the country are developing plans for how to evaluate them. In Iowa City, many of the areas where they are concentrated have not been reviewed but could begin with reconnaissance -level surveys in future years.