HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-11-15 OrdinanceItem Number: 9.a.
A
CITY OF IOWA CITY
www.icgov.org
November 15, 2022
Ordinance rezoning property located at 937 E Davenport Street from Medium Density Single -Family
Residential Zone (RS -8) to Medium Density Single -Family Residential with a Historic District Overlay
(OHD/RS-8). (REZ22-0013) (Second Consideration)
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Staff Report with Attachments
Late Correspondence
P&Z 10. 19.22 Minutes
Rezoning Ordinance
STAFF REPORT
To: Planning and Zoning Commission
Item: REZ22-0013 937 E Davenport Street
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Applicant:
Contact Person:
Owner:
Requested Action:
Purpose:
Location:
Location Map:
Size:
Existing Land Use and Zoning:
Surrounding Land Use and Zoning:
Prepared by: Emani Brinkman, Planning
Intern
Date: October 19, 2022
Marybeth Slonneger
mbslonn@mchsi.com
See above
See above
Rezone from Medium Density Single -Family
Residential (RS -8) to Medium Density
Single -Family Residential with a Historic
District Overlay (OHD/RS-8).
To designate the property as an Iowa City
landmark
937 E Davenport St
0.17 Acres
Medium Density Single -Family Residential
(RS -8)
North: Medium Density Single -Family
Residential (RS -8)
South: Medium Density Single -Family
Residential (RS -8)
East: Medium Density Single -Family
Residential (RS -8)
West: Medium Density Single -Family
Residential (RS -8)
Comprehensive Plan: Single -Family & Duplex Residential
District Plan:
Neighborhood Open Space District:
Public Meeting Notification:
File Date:
45 Day Limitation Period:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Central
C1
Properties within 500' of the subject property
received notification of the Planning and
Zoning Commission public meeting. A
Landmark Designation sign was posted on
the site.
September 22, 2022
November 5, 2022
The owner, Marybeth Slonneger submitted a rezoning application requesting that the property at
937 E Davenport Street be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. 937 E Davenport
Street, the John and Anna Vrchoticky Prybil Cottage, was constructed around 1874. The home
is in the style of other early Goosetown cottages from the same period. The subject property is a
simple single -story ell cottage. It has a rear gabled wing and a corner open porch on the right-
hand side of the house in the rear.
Both Historic Districts and Local Historic Landmarks are zoned as a Historic District Overlay.
While Historic Districts are geographically cohesive and have properties with different owners
around each other, Local Landmarks typically stand alone. Local Historic Landmarks are similar
to Local Historic Districts in that some part of the property has historic significance.
ANALYSIS:
Current Zoning: The property is currently zone Medium Density Single -Family Residential Zone
(RS -8). The purpose of RS -8 is primarily to provide for the development of small lot single-family
dwellings. The regulations are intended to create, maintain, and promote livable neighborhoods.
The regulations allow for some flexibility of dwelling types to provide housing opportunities for a
variety of household types.
Proposed Zoning: Local Historic Landmark designation for 937 E Davenport Street, a property
in a Medium Density Single -Family Residential Zone (RS -8), will require Historic Preservation
Commission approval of any significant changes to the exterior of the building. Landmark status
will also make the property eligible for special exceptions (Section 14-2B-8 of the zoning code)
that allow the Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements to help
support the continued use of historic buildings. Landmark designation will also make it possible
for financial incentives such as tax credits and the Iowa City Historic Preservation Fund to be
available.
Planning and Zoning Commission Review: Local landmark designation is a Historic District
overlay and therefore requires a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission to
the City Council. Per 14-8E-1 E the Commission's role is to review the proposed designation
based on its relation to the Comprehensive Plan, as well as proposed public improvements and
plans for renewal of the area involved.
937 E Davenport Street is in the Central Planning District. The Central District Plan encourages
preservation of historic homes, resources, and neighborhoods, especially in areas close to the
University. The plan also encourages a mix of housing types in a neighborhood (p. 2). This
3
property is almost 150 years old and has seen very few changes. 937 E Davenport is one of the
few remaining houses that show Goosetown's early history as a semi -agrarian ethnic community.
With the local landmark designation, the underlying zoning of RS -8 will not change.
The Historic Preservation element of the Comprehensive Plan includes Goal 1: Identify historic
resources to Iowa City's Past. Under this goal the Commission is charged with continuing to
research and evaluate properties and to pursue local landmark designation when appropriate
(pg. 21,31-33). The Comprehensive Plan also mentions taking opportunities to preserve historic
features of a site to add character and amenity values to neighborhoods (pg. 20). Landmarking
this property allows the City to preserve a part of the Bohemian heritage of Iowa City and Iowa.
Iowa City's Historic Preservation Plan encourages pursuing local landmark designations when
appropriate to provide protection for important historic resources in areas that are not in
conservation or historic districts.
In terms of proposed public improvements, the only planned improvement per the 2022-2026
Capital Improvement Program are renovations to Reno Street Park, which is approximately two
blocks from the proposed rezoning. The designation of this property will not impact the ability of
the City to make these park improvements.
SUMMARY:
In summary, Staff supports the local landmark rezoning of 937 E Davenport Street from Medium
Density Single -Family Residential (RS -8) to Medium Density Single -Family Residential with a
Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8). Both the Comprehensive Plan the Central District Plan
contain language about protecting historic resources through regulatory measures and conserve
historic neighborhoods.
NEXT STEPS:
Upon recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission, the rezoning will be
considered for approval by the City Council.
I.0r_IamV=K.LVA iLVA Ian■7VI1IW04
Staff recommends approval of REZ22-0013, an application to designate 937 E Davenport Street
as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from Medium Density Single -Family Residential
(RS -8) to Medium Density Single -Family Residential with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8).
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Location Map
2. Staff Report to the Historic Preservation Commission; October 13, 2022
Approved by: _i • Sl ^�
Danielle Sitzman, AICP, Development Services Coordinator
Department of Neighborhood and Development Services
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Attachment 2
®® 1 2 Iowa City
Historic Preservation Commission
City Hall, 410 E Washington Street, Iowa City. IA. 52240
Memorandum
Date: October 5, 2022
To: Historic Preservation Commission
From: Jessica Bristow, Historic Preservation Planner
Re: 937 East Davenport Street, John and Anna Vrchoticky Prybil Cottage
The applicants, property owners Marybeth and Kenneth Slonneger, have requested that the property
at 937 East Davenport be designated as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Designation of the property
as an Iowa City Historic Landmark will require Commission approval of any significant changes to the
exterior of the building. Landmark status will also make the property eligible for special exceptions
that would allow the Board of Adjustment to waive or modify certain zoning requirements and for State
Tax Credit funding of rehabilitation work as well as funding through our Historic Preservation Fund for
eligible rehabilitation projects.
As the attached site inventory form describes, the cottage at 937 East Davenport was built as a side -
gabled one -room cottage with a loft above for the children to sleep. The front door is centered on the
house and there is a single window to the east of the door. A gable addition was added to the rear of
the house before 1882 and a second, smaller gabled addition was added prior to 1920. Also prior to
1920 an open porch was added to the EL created by the original portion of the house and the first
addition. The house has wood lap siding with corner boards, minimal flat casing surrounding double -
hung windows, and a brick chimney in the end of the first addition.
This house has had very few changes since 1920. At some point, rolled asphalt siding was installed,
covering the original wood. The asphalt siding was removed before 2012 and the roof, which was
originally wood shingle and likely replaced over time with metal, was also replaced by then with the
existing metal roof. The current owners extended the porch to the rear of the house, along the side of
the rear addition. New trim boards have been installed over the original trim which remains
underneath. This alteration could be reversed. Unlike similar small cottages in the area, 937 East
Davenport has not had the history of numerous additions and alterations that many other small
cottages have suffered. It is still recognizable in its historic configuration.
John Prybil was a Bohemian immigrant and a brick mason. Returning to Iowa City from Chicago in
1873, he married Anna Vrchoticky and by 1874 they were living in the one room Cottage at 937 East
Davenport Street. The cottage was likely built by them. It does not appear on the 1868 Bird's Eye
View Map of the neighborhood. By the time of the 1880 census, the couple was living in the house
with their first two children. While living in the one -room house they built the first addition and
increased their family to four children. In 1882, the Pribyl family purchased 405 Reno Street, the
former district schoolhouse, moved there, added to that house, and grew to a family of ten.
In her June 2000 report on the area, Survey and Evaluation of the Goosetown Neighborhood (Phase
lll), historian Marlys Svendsen wrote,
The survey found that the patterns of development experienced in Goosetown over the
past 13 decades have produced a neighborhood that shows few remnants of its
earliest history as a semi -agrarian ethnic community. These surviving vestiges include
the dozens of 1 and 1 '/z -story frame dwellings densely clustered along the 900-1100
blocks of Bloomington, Davenport, Fairchild and Church Streets.'
The area consisted of mostly long narrow lots with the house located near the street allowing for
gardens, orchards, and animal grazing in the yards. A large portion of the Goosetown area was home
to a largely working-class immigrant population from Bohemia and Germany.
The Woods addition was known for the density of the lots. When it was platted in 1855, Woods did not
include the continuation of Summit Street as the major North/south street separating the Outlots of the
original town plat from Woods Addition. This allowed him to create longer block with more lots. He
also reduced the width of the north/south streets in the addition. Despite Woods' goals for increased
density, many of the original landowners purchased multiple lots where they only built one house. This
allowed them to utilize the rest of the property for subsistence farming. Additional houses were added
later as family members built houses on the larger lots or the original lots were sold off.
At the time the house was constructed at 937 Davenport the lot was a narrow, 20 feet wide, an
example of that density that Woods sough for his Addition. The small house and long lot would have
provided the family with space to grow food and tend animals. Eventually over time, a portion of Outlot
7 was added to the lot for 937 East Davenport, increasing the width of the lot to 50 feet.
Small houses such as this were often used as starter homes for young couples. In fact, as Svendsen
states in her report, "Rental housing had been a part of Goosetown's history from its earliest days with
small cottages serving as first -homes for the young families who rented them. Some of Goosetown's
most modest residences provided housing for multiple generations .112 By 1892, the house at 937
Davenport was owned and occupied by James Solnar, a laborer and his wife Frances. By 1899, their
son, who was also a laborer, was boarding in their home and within a few years had married and the
house was occupied by the young couple. After 1915, the property became a rental house.
Landmark Designation
The Commission should determine if the property meets criterion A. and B. and at least one of the
criteria C., D., E., or F. for local designation listed below:
a. Significant to American and/or Iowa City history, architecture, archaeology and culture;
b. Possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship;
c. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our
history;
d. Associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
e. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction; or
represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values; or represents a significant
and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction;
f. Has yielded or may likely yield information important in prehistory or history.
Page 8
Page 9
Staff finds that the property is recognizable as a small, historic Goosetown Cottage and that the
history of Goosetown is a significant aspect of our community history, so the property meets Criterion
A. In addition, the property is located in its original location, retains most of the historic materials that
define its historic character, and surrounded by residential properties that are indicative of its original
setting even though the area is not farmed in the same way it was historically. Therefore, staff finds it
meets Criterion B.
This house is an intact example of the small cottages constructed by the immigrant population of
Goosetown. Its was owned and built by a Bohemian immigrant who worked as a stone mason and
was later occupied by multiple generations of one family and even became a rental property or starter
home that was common in the neighborhood. The house is also one of the only remaining relatively
unaltered cottages of this one -room side -gabled type. For these reasons, staff finds that this house is
associated with the Goosetown immigrant population, the historic housing types of the neighborhood,
and their living habits, so that it also meets Criterion C.
While information is known about the first occupants and later occupants of the house, none of these
occupants could be considered significant to Iowa City's past as individuals or through their
occupations. So, Staff does not find that it meets Criterion D.
937 East Washington is intact, but the roof has been replaced, more modern trim covers the original
trim, and there have been changes to some rear openings and the rear porch. The windows are
historic wood windows but at least the front window was likely replaced from the original window.
While the house has integrity to be eligible for landmark designation, and may be considered to still
embody the distinctive characteristics of a type and period of construction, at this time, staff does not
find that the house meets Criterion E.
Criterion F typically involves the possibility that the property has the potential to yield archeological
information. Given the limited number of changes to the building and the rest of the property, it may
be possible for the property to contain archeological resources, but nothing is known about it at this
time. The use of brick in the wall as a form of insulation is evident in the house and does provide
information about some past building practices. Even so, staff does not find that there is enough
information to consider the property meeting Criterion F at this time.
Based on the information provided, staff finds that the property meets criteria A, B, and C, and
therefore qualifies as an Iowa City Historic Landmark. Attachments include Site inventory forms for
the property, a statement and history document created by the applicant, a location map, and photos.
Recommended Motion:
Move to approve the designation of 937 East Davenport Street (John and Anna Vrchoticky Prybil
Cottage) as an Iowa City Historic Landmark based on the following criteria for local designation:
criteria A, B, and C.
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STATE HISTORIC New Site Inventory form by applicant STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
�/
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
PRESERVATION 600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
OFFICE OF IOWA 515)281-5/42 j Fax:(515)
iowacu I [u re, gov/histstory/ prese rva do n
IOWA DEPARTMENTOF BULTURALAFFAIRS
State Inventory Number: 52_01309 ❑ New Fv] Supplemental
9-DigitSHPOReview and Comphance(iNumber: _ — ❑ Non -Extant Year:
__
1NA:SIfiE INVENTUitY FARM -
Read the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions carefully, to ensure accuracy and completeness before completing this form. The instructions are available at
littp://www.I owa h isto ry.org/historic-pre se rvati on/sta tewi de-Inve No ry-a n d -collect i ons/iowa-site-inventory-form. html.
Historic Building Name: John and Anna Vrchoticky Prybil Cottage
Other Names: —
Street Address: 937 East Davenport Street
City: Iowa City ❑ Vicinity County: Johnson — State: Iowa ZIP: 52245
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Rural
Urban
Township Name:.____ _ _--___ ___--_------.---_-_
___---_ Subdivision: Woods —
7ownship No.:Block(s):
�..----- — --------------
No.: __
Lot(s): 10, east 30' of N 1/2 & W 1/2
Section;—_
-
quarter: of
_
A. PROPERTY CATEGORY: B. NUMBER OF RESOURCES (WITHIN PROPERTY):
❑ Buildings) if eligible property, enter number of: If non -eligible property, enter number of:
❑ District Contributing Noncontributing
❑ Site Buildings Buildings
❑ Structure Sites Sites
❑ Object Structures Structures
Objects Objects
Total Total
C. STATUS OF PROPERTIES LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ❑ Listed ❑ De -listed ❑ NHL ❑ NPc DOE
D. FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT
❑ Property contributes to a National Register or local certified historic district
❑ Property contributes to a potential historic district, based on professional historic/architectural survey and evaluation.
❑ Property does not contribute to the historic district in which itis located.
Historic District Name:
Historic District Site Number:
E. NAME OF RELATED PROJECT REPORT OR MULTIPLE PROPERTY STUDY (if appli(able)
MPD Title:
Historical Architectural Database No
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SII c INVENTORY FORM 101 3
Address:
City:
Site Number.
unttloiY or -USO
Enter categories (codes and terms) from the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions
A. HISTORIC FUNCTIONS
Example of Early Goosetown Cottage
Uescriod ome
A. ARCHITECTURAL CLASSIFICATION
single story ell wilM1 gahlad marwing, wi1M1 a lower gabled addition behind I( and wHh a W, porph
County: -
District Number:
B. CURRENT FUNCTIONS
Private Dwellina
B. MATERIALS
Foundation (visible exterior): brick
Walls (visible exterior): frame
Roof: metal
Other:
C. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION Q See continuation sheets which must be completed.
�$a$etrrent'��St�tiifltanse ��
A. APPLICABLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CRITERIA (markyour opinion of eligibilityafter applying relevant National Register criteria)
Criterion A: Property is associated with significant events. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion B: Property is associated with the lives of significant persons. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion C: Property has distinctive architectural characteristics. ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
Criterion D: Property yields significant information in archaeology'hista y. X Yes ❑ No ❑ More rescarch recommended
B. SPECIAL CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS (mark any spec considerations; leave blank if none)
❑ A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purpcses. ❑ E A reconstructed building object, or structure.
❑ B. Removed from its original location,
❑ C. A birthplace or grave.
❑ D. A cemetery
C. AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (enter categories from instructions)
E. SIGNIFICANT DATES
Construction Date: 1874
Other Dates (including renovations):
❑ P. A commemorative property.
❑ G. Property less than 50 years of page or achieved significance within the past 5O years.
D. PERIOD(S) OF SIGNIFICANCE
The home relates to the sorest from apmmlgrmAdwelllng wMCM1 Is rapidly disappearing.
F. SIGNIFICANT PERSON (complete if Criterion B is marked above)
G. CULTURAL AFFILIATION (complete if Ci iterion U is marked above) H. ARCHITECT/BUILDER
Iowa City immigrant community of Bohemians
--- Architect: ----
------------- --. Builder/Contractor May have been John Prybil, a brick mason
1. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 14 See continuation sheets which must be completed.
JULY 1, )014 V 1.0 Oy/A SITE INVENTORY FORM 2OF3
Address:
City: --
Site Number:
Bibliography_
Q See continuation sheets to list research sources used in preparing this form.
Geographic Data
OPTIONAL UTM REFERENCES
❑ See continuation sheet for additional tff M or comments
1.
2.
3.
4.
Zone
rm PreptCton_
Easting
Name and Title: Ken & Marybeth Slonneger, owners
Organization/Firm:
Street Address:
City: Iowa City
Email: mbslonn@mchsi.com
l[dltlonal,Documentatot
Northing
Counly: __-
District Number:
NAD
9-12-2022
State: Iowa ZIP 52245
00-071
319-4
Telephone:
A. FOR ALL PROPERTIES, ATTACH THE FOLLOWING, AS SPECIFIED IN THE IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM INSTRUCTIONS
1. Map of property's location within the community.
2. Glossy color 46 photos labeled on back with property/building name, address, date taken, view shown, and unique photo number.
3, Photo Trey showing each photo number on a map and/or Tom plan, using arrows next top each photo number to indicate the location and directional view of each photograph.
4. Site plan of buildings/structures on site, identifying boundaries, public roads, and building/structure footprints.
B. FOR ALL STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PART 1 APPLICATIONS, HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND FARMSTEADS, AND BARNS
See lists of special requirements and attachments in the Iowa Site Inventory Form Instructions.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Use Only
The SIPPO has reviewed the Site Inventory and concurs with above smveyopinlon on National Register eligibility:
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ More research recommended
❑ This is a locally designated property or part of a locally designated district.
Comments:
SNPO Authorized
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SITE INVENTORY FORM 3 01" 3
STATE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
OFFICE OF IOWA
IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
IOWA SITE INVENTORY
600 East Locust Street I Des Moines, IA 50319
(5] 5) 281-8742 1 Fax: (5'5) 282-0502
iowaculture.gov/history/proservatioii
IUWA$ITE IM1�IICNTORY FbRM °CONTINUATIUNSH_EET a _._
Name of Property: John and Anna Vrchoticky Prybil Cottage site Number: ____
Address: 937E. Davenport Street __- Related District Number:
city: Iowa City – -- .-.. ---- —— county: Johnson - ---------------
What today is described as a single -story ell cottage with gabled rear wing was originally a one -room cottage with loft
above for children's sleeping quarters. The home is in the style of other early Goosetown cottages of the same period as
visually documented in the book Small But Ours*. The home was probably built in 1874 by the Bohemian brick mason,
John Prybil (known as Jan Pribil on the deed but also spelled as Sybil or Sibbell) after his return to Goosetown when
completing a spell of work in Chicago. He had sought employment there in the building trades after the 1871 Great Fire
but returned to Iowa City by the time of his marriage in 1873 to Anna Vrchoticky. The couple purchased the lot in 1874
and, presumably, built the house soon after.
This simple home with side -gabled roof has a single window to the east of the centered entrance door on the front
facade; it was probably a six over six window at that time. There is a small window in the loft. The house is set on a brick
foundation with additional brick work in the original walls as an insulating layer between the clapboard exterior and the
plastered interior (plastered walls exist under the modern drywall).
The Prybil family inhabited the the home for eight years—four of their eight children were born there—before moving to
the Old District Schoolhouse of 1868 at 405 Reno Street. Because it is known that John built the addition to the
schoolhouse, it is likely that he had built the pre -1882 addition to the 937 Davenport house as well. They both share a
similar treatment of shelving in the chimney flue behind what was once a wood -burning stove.
This second one-story addition creates a gabled ell behind the 1874 cottage that would have given this family of six more
living space. It is possible that they moved to Reno Street when the couple became more financially secure in order to
obtain its once double -lot as the 1874 cottage had been set on a 20' wide lot, though the depth of the property would
have given them productive space for outbuildings, no longer extant, and a vegetable garden—old elderberry bushes do
survive.
A third, slightly lower gabled addition was added at an unknown time before the Sanborn fire map of 1920.
The roof was probably covered in wood shakes originally, but is now seamed -metal. A previously existing side porch was
slightly extended to the south end of the house by the present owners and has been clad in metal to match.
The cottage represents one of the very few Goosetown cottages still in existence (two were taken down this past
summer) as developers have found that they are able to purchase these small homes at low cost—letters of offer for
houses we've restored have been sent to us for years (see enclosure).
Restoration of 937 was undertaken by us to preserve the Bohemian heritage of Iowa City as we watch these simple
houses disappear; we will not be showing a profit on the restoration.
* Small But Ours: Images & Stories from a Nineteenth Century Bohemian Neighborhood, Marybeth Slonneger, 1999
JULY 1, 2014 V 1.0 IOWA SIZE INVENT ORY FORM OF
- 683x803 pixels
< Back to Browse Maps
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Date (,duly 1920
00
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1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (first oi,... «, include this area) showing property
with all additions
https://maill.mediacombb.net/service/home/-/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=1449486&part=5 Page 1 of 1
Older site inventory form - prior to recent research on original owner
Site Inventory Form State Inventory No. 52-01309 ❑ New N Supplemental
State Historical Society of Iowa ❑ Part of a district with known boundaries (enter inventory no.)
(January 28, 1997) Relationship: ❑ Contributing ❑ Noncontributing
❑ Contributes to a potential district with yet unknown boundaries
National Register Status: (any that apply) ❑ Listed ❑ De-listed ❑ NHL ❑ DOE
Review & Compliance No.
❑ Non-Extant (enter year)
1. Name of Property
historic name James and Frances Solnar House
other names/site number
2. Location
street & number 937 East Davenport Street
city or town Iowa City ❑ vicinity, county Johnson
Legal Description: (If Rural) Township: Name No. Range No. Section Quarter of Quarter
(If Urban) Subdivision Orieinal Town Block(s) OL7 Lot(s) E20'olNhalf&Par1Woodsl/10
3. State/Federal Agency Certification [Skip this Section]
4. National Park Service Certification [Skip this Section]
Category of Property (check only one box)
Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources)
N building(s)
Contributing Noncontributing
❑ district
I buildings
❑ site
sites
❑ structure
structures
❑ object
objects
1 Total
Name of related project report or multiple property study (Enter'N/A' if the property is not part of a multiple property examination).
Title HistoricabtAmhdectursf Data Base Number
Goaeetown Neighborhood Phase III Survey 52-034
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions)
01A01 DOMESTIC/single dwelling/residence 01A01 DOMESTIC/sineledweliine/residenoe
from instructions)
09A03 OTHER/House/Side-Gabled One Stare
(triter caregornes rrom a uwons)
foundation
walls 08B ASPHALT/Rolled
roof 08A ASPHALT/Shingle
other
Narrative Description (N SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED)
Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark'x' in one or more boxes for criteria that may qualify the property for National Register listing)
N Yes ❑ No ❑ More Research Recommended A Property is associated with significant events.
❑ Yes N No ❑ More Research Recommended B Property is associated with the lives of significant persons.
❑ Yes N No ❑ More Research Recommended C Property has distinctive architectural characteristics.
❑ Yes N No ❑ More Research Recommended D Property yields significant information in archaeology or history.
Criteria Considerations
❑ A Owned by a religious institution or used ❑ E A reconstructed building, object, or structure.
for religious purposes. ❑ F A commemorative property.
❑ B Removed from its original location. ❑ G Less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50
BC A birthplace or grave. years
D A cemetery
Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) Significant Dates
Construction date
14C06 ETHNIC HERITAGE/EUROPEAN/Bohemia ca. 1885
Other dates
Significant Person
ArchitecUBuilder
(Complete if National Register Criterion B is marked above) Architect
N/A
unknown
Builder
unkno%4m
Narrative Statement of Significance (N
SEE CONTINUATION SHEETS, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED)
raphy ® See continuation sheet for citations of the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form
10. Geographic Data
VTM References (OPTIONAL)
1 2
Zans Easting Northing Zone - Eastihg Northing
❑ See continuation sheet for additional UTM references or comments
11. Form Prepared By
nameAftle Marius A Svendsen
organization Svendsen Tyler, Inc. date 3/2000
street & number N3834 Deep Lake Road telephone 715/469-3300
city or town Sarona state W1 zip code 54870
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION (Submit the following items with the completed form)
FOR ALL PROPERTIES
1 Map showing the property's location in a town./city or township
2. Site plan showing position of buildings and structures in the nominated area in relation to adjacent public road(s).
3. Photographs. representative black and white photos. If the photos are taken as part of a survey for which the Society is to be curator of
the negatives or color slides, a photo/catalog sheet needs to be included with the negatives/slides and the following needs to be provided
below on this particular inventory site.
RolUslide sheet # 9636 Frametslot # 13 Date Taken 11/3/99
RolUslide sheet # Frametslot # Date Taken
RolUslide sheet # Frame/slot # Date Taken
❑ See continuation sheet or attached photo & slide catalog sheet for list of photo roll or slide entries.
❑ Photos/illustrations without negatives are also in this site inventory file
FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF PROPERTIES, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AS WELL
1. Farmstead & District (List of structures and buildings, known or estimated year built, and contributing or noncontributing status)
2. Barn:
a. A sketch of the frameltruss configuration in the form of drawing atypical middle bent of the barn.
b. A photograph of the loft showing the frame configuration along one side.
c A sketch floor plan of the interior space arrangements along with the barn's exterior dimensions in feet.
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Use Only Below This Line
This is a focally designated property or part of a locally designated distr
Comments:
Evaluated by (name,01e); Rate.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form
Continuation Sheet
James and Frances Solnar House Johnson
Name of Property County in Iowa
7. Narrative Description
Site Number -52-01309
This 1 -story single-family frame dwelling dates from ca.1870 according to City Assessor Records. Property Transfer Records and city
directory listings do not confirm such an early construction date, but the form of the house is consistent. The house is an example of the Side -
Gabled Roof One Story house form frequently used for small houses in the Goosetown neighborhood. This example is a very small building
on a very narrow lot (only 20' wide). It has a single window to the left of the centered entrance door on the front facade although the rolled
asphalt brick siding on the house could be covering an additional window. Fenestration includes 111 double -hung sash in various sizes in
other locations. The house is set on a stone and brick foundation and is clad in rolled asphalt brick siding over clapboard siding. Added floor
space is provided in two successive gabled additions at the rear that form an ell. An open porch fills the rear ell.
8. Statement of Significance
This house is a well-preserved example of a very small Goosetown residence. It is a variation of a house form once common in the
Goosetown neighborhood, the Side -Gabled Roof One Story cottage. This house form was typical of many of the dwellings built and
occupied by residents of Iowa City's Bohemian Goosetown neighborhood in the years preceding the turn -of -the -century. Such houses were
easily expanded, moved, and modified as the needs of the families dictated. Like many such houses, this example has several additions. As a
result of changes made in its appearance, this house is not eligible for the National Register individually under Criterion C. Retention of its
basic form, however, makes it a contributing structure in a potential Goosetown Historic District.
This house likely dates from ca. 1885 shortly after James Solnar acquired the parcel from E.G. Fmcker. Solnar, a laborer, and his wife
Frances were listed in city directories at this address in 1892. By 1899 James, Jr., also a laborer, was boarding in his parents' home. Within a
few years it appears that the son married and he and his wife Josephine made this house their residence. In 1915 James Solnar sold the
property to Fred Zinkula who it city directories do not indicate resided here. Tenants in subsequent years included William Stoddard, a
plumber, and his wife Carrie, a helper at the State University of Iowa Laundry. Lillian Zinkula, Fred's widow, eventually sold the house in
1958.
9. Maior Bibliographic References
Iowa City city directories.
Property Transfer Records, Johnson County Auditor's Office.
Tax Assessor's Records, City of Iowa City Assessor.
#52-010-1031, Goosetown Neighborhood Survey, 1985.
Sanborn maps, 1879, 1888, 1892, 1899, 1906, 1912, 1920, 1926, 1933, and 1933 updated to 1970.
Slonneger, Marybeth, Small But Ours, Iowa City, Iowa: By Hand Press, 1999, pp. 314, 343.
Additional Documentation
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
State Historical Society of Iowa
Iowa Site Inventory Form
Continuation Sheet
2
James and Frances Solnar House Johnson
Name of Property County in Iowa
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Older site inventory form with asphalt siding photo
Iowa Site Inventory
Guice of Historic Preservation Site Number 51-- A 3
Iowa Stale Historical Department
District Name Gonsetolan
East 12th 3 Grand Avenue
Des Moines. Iowa 50319
Map Reference N 172
Identification
1. Site Name_
2. Village/Town/City
Iowa City Township
County Jeshnson
3. Street Address
937 East Davenport
OT OL7 F201 of M
4. Legal Location
Woods
1 10 W1J —
Urban: subd4wuon
block parcel wbirarcel
Rural. township
range section .b section of k section
5. UTM Location: zo
6. Owner(s) Name _
7. Owner(s) Address
(51,eet address)
B. Use:
Description
(date) 12ip)
9. Date of Construction its /U ArchitecvBuilder
10. Building Type:
EZ single-family dwelling ❑ industrial ❑ other institutional ❑ religious
❑ multiple -family dwelling ❑ educational ❑ public ❑ agricultural
❑ commercial
11. Exterior Walls: ❑ clapboard ❑ stone ❑ brick ❑ board and batten ❑ shingles ❑ stucco
®other aglhalt- roll shingle,
12. Structural System: ❑ wood frame with interlocking joints 5d wood frame with light members (balloon frame)
❑ masonry load-bearing walls ❑ iron frame ❑ steel frame with curtain walls ❑ reinforced concrete
❑ other
13. Condition: ❑ excellent ❑ good ® fair ❑ deteriorated
14. Integrity:7❑ original site ❑ moved—if so, when?
Notes on alterations, additions (with dates and architect, if known) and any other notable features of building and site:
15. Related Outbuildings and Property:
❑ other
16. Is the building endangered? ® no
❑ barn ❑ other farm structures ❑ carriage house ❑ garage ❑ privy
❑ yes—if so, why?
17. Surroundings of the building: ❑ open land ❑ woodland ❑ scattered outbuildings ❑ densely built-up ❑ commercial
❑ industrial 173 residential ❑ other
18. Map
19. Photo '.'-
Roll— AT Frame— 7 _View
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The Prybil Family
A FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT COTTAGE IN GOOSETOWN
About a half a block away from our house stands a tiny cottage at 937 Davenport Street, a cottage that I've always admired,
one that is typical of the first homes built in Goosetown by the original immigrant families. A number of years ago, I was very
pleased when I saw that a brand new metal roof had been installed in the prevailing style and thought it a good omen. I kept a
careful eye on the house, for if it came on the market, I wished to purchase and restore the home.
So when seeing a demolition sign on 937 a few years ago, I was distressed. It was one of only a handful of small cottages that
I knew of in the neighborhood and three of those had disappeared in the last six months of 2022. Developers continue to
send letters to owners asking to buy up these properties for redevelopment. And because the eastern half of Goosetown has
been given no protection by the city, these small historic homes are particularly vulnerable to demolition.
After we bought 937, I traced the history of the family that owned it back to the early 1870s. Originally, it had consisted of
a single room with a loft above. And to my amazement, I learned that th s tiny cottage had been owned by John and Anna
Prybil soon after their marriage. The Prybils were old "friends" as they had moved over a block to the one -room schoolhouse
that my husband and I restored and I had interviewed their son, Edward in the 1990s. Like the schoolhouse, an additional
room had been built on the back of 937 by Mr. Prybil. It mirrored the one he built at the the schoolhouse, including match-
ing shelves in the chimney piece. (In both cases, a third bedroom was added, but it is not known when they were built or by
whom.)
As mentioned, the earliest known owner—though the house may date from an earlier period is associated with John Pribyl/
Sybil (1850-1933) and his wife. Family history says that John's ancester in Bohemia "had quite a bit of land. At that time a Bo-
hemian acre was the equivilent of 2.5 acres American. Bohemians were not allowed to own more than 25 acres in one place,
but John's father, Joseph Prybil, had managed to accumulate a number of pieces in different locations, as well as fuel, oxen,
and a wagon for trips to the coal mines.
Traditionally, oxen would make the trip to the mines in one day and return home on the second, but Mr. Prybil had been able
to purchase horses that made the trip there and back the same day, lowering the cost of each trip. When three Prybil sons
decided to emigrate from the town of Pribyslav in the Pilsen region of western Bohemia, (thought to be named after their
father—though it's more likely that they were named after it), their father gave each son some money before leaving—the
sum was remembered as $3,700. Because his oldest son, Frank, had already been conscripted into the Austrian army and the
Austrians would soon be at war with Prussia in 1866, it was not believed that Frank and his share of the money would make
it to America. His two brothers crossed the ocean with their gold coins, but their money was stolen from their trunk during
the seventeen -day voyage. On arriving in New York without money, they contacted the Shalla's (their Uncle Mataj had married
Maria Shalla and came to America in 1857) and were able to borrow money to get as far as Chicago. But on arrival there, they
were very surprised when met by their brother Frank. Frank had talked or bribed a Prus sian officer into putting him on a ship
—the details of how he escaped conscription were not recorded—and reached America before his brothers.
One of those brothers was Joseph, who with his wife, Katerina, came to America around 1865. Initially, they lived on the
northwest corner of Davenport and Governor. Their son John became the owner of 937 E. Davenport. Even with an uncle
in the brewery business in Washington, Iowa, John wasn't interested in brewing, he wanted to be a mason. After the Great
Fire in Chicago in 1871, masons were in great demand, so he moved there looking for work, still with only rudimentary Eng-
lish. When needing a place to stay in the city, he looked up and saw a sign that said "Rooms for Rent." The girl that answered
the door was from his home town (not clear if this meant Iowa City or in Bohemia) and knew John's family. So he boarded
there. The story was later confirmed by Mrs. Adelaide Laschek-Burge. Whether missing home or having earned enough
money, John returned to Iowa City.
He met his future wife, Anna Vrchoticky (ca. 1856-1902) while she was waitressing at Rees' wine garden at the corner of
North Dodge and Prairie du Chien. They married at St. Mary's in 1873 and purchased the property at 937 soon after. Re-
cently, it was found that the interior walls of the frame cottage are filled with bricks for added winter insulation, fire protec-
tion, and to discourage vermin, perhaps the work of John. Nine years and four children later, they moved a block away into
the recently vacated Old District School House #11 at the corner of Davenport and Reno. There he built on an addition, an
enclosed porch, and a garden shed. He also built a barn, dug awell, and filled in the stream running past the east side of the
property This once double -lot also had a garden for raising geese, chickens, and a runt pig—when it was legal—and grew
cherries, apples and plums. Something similar can be imagined on their earlier property at 937.
A story was passed down that John's young son Albert brought about the change in the spelling of their last name. While
attending kindergarten at the Third Ward School on Davenport St., the teacher asked for Albert's name and, because he was
missing his front teeth, she heard and wrote Sybil rather than Prybil. Somehow, the name differentiated this branch of a large
family from the Johns, James, Josephs and Franks through many generations of Prybils. Conversadons with Edward Sybil, Gooreto"
Archiver
One of two other small, extant cottages in the neighborhood is a "sister cottage" in the 900 block of Bloomington, placed to
best utilize two yards tended by family members for growing vegetables and raising geese. A second example is at 911 E. Dav-
enport St. Each must represent a familiar early model that has all but disappeared.
My husband and I have purchased and restored five homes in Goosetown. The first was the limestone cottage from the
1850s at 410 N. Lucas. It was in a very degraded condition when we bought it: mushrooms grew on the interior stone walls,
the ceiling was blackened with soot the floor rotted (it was replaced( and a lean-to cardboard "room" was removed from
the back. This now delightful building is on the National Register. The second project was the 1868 one -room schoolhouse
at 405 Reno St. It had been stripped of its plumbing, electricity, and heat by a former owner. The small amount of electric-
ity needed for him to play music was generated by a stationary bike. Again, cleaning, painting, stripping out and rebuilding
decaying walls, plumbing, etc. were all necessary to restore this historic, oldest one -room schoolhouse in Iowa City. An attempt
was made to get the building on the National Register, but to do so a glassed -in side porch would have had to be removed
and we thought the extra space it provided for this small house was a positive and, as it was built by the first family that had
acquired it, it was left it in place. The third project was moving and restoring the Wetherby House from Market St. to 611 N.
Governor St. It, too, had been a rental property in very bad condition and was gutted, a new foundation laid, walls rebuilt, all
new utilities, painting, etc. and it is now on the National Register. We've worked on a second -generation Goosetown home at
the corner of Church and Governor Streets, now in the Conservation District and have restored the 1906 home that we live
in on Davenport Street. Most of these projects have involved near-demoliton buildings that have shown merit when restored.
All are located in Goosetown, grew out of living in the neighborhood, and were attached to its immigrant history. This led to
interviewing third generation Bohemian families and to writing a book called Small But Ours about the Goosetown neighbor-
hood. lFctberlyt Gallery followed about the first portrait painter and photographer in Iowa City, Isaac Wetherby, whose home is
preserved on Governor St.; The Burg, about the writing community at the Hamburg Inn; Fina&, about our historic downtown
and recently, Remembrance Park, about the beginnings of our county. Rather than destroying these tiny, historic cottages, we
feel it is important to protect and highlight them, ideally as a historic district, for only the western half of Goosetown is now
under protection.
Ken and Marybeth Slonneger
WORK LIST FOR 937 E. DAVENPORT STREET
Work on the cottage is not completed for we are getting tired; we have done the following:
Painted the exterior & interior of the house
Added the new side porch & metal roof
Added the french doors in bedroom
Purchased a new stove, refrigerator, and water heater
Added a new kitchen sink, counter and cabinetry
Provided all new electricity, ceiling lights & exterior lights
Blew in insulation behind all new drywall including loft
Rebuilt & recapped chimney
Provided a new cement pad as a patio
Installed all new combination screen/storm windows
Added a new side door & a period -style front door
Installed new base -heating system
Installed antique, claw-foot bath tub, shower system, new sink & toilet
Had railings/banister installed in loft
Polyurethaned the floors for more durability
Added some new plantings
PLANT LIST FOR 937 E. DAVENPORT STREET
WILDFLOWERS:
Starry solomorA seal
White trout lilies
Virginia bluebells
Wild ginger
Pink turtleheads
Violets
Ferns
DOMESTICATED PLANTS:
Allium
Pink Naked Ladies
Redbud trees
Elderberry bushes
Crabapple tree in front
Assorted hostas
Peonies
Assorted Dianthus/Pinks
Daylilies
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DocuSign Envelope I D: 730E05133-09C34C63-81320-131 D1 B2369203
To the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, and
City Council:
The Historic Landmark designation of 937 Davenport Street will be an important addition to our
community's efforts to preserve the broad patterns of Iowa City history. We have several
landmarks and historic districts that represent the grand homes of Iowa City's early founding
families. We also have designated middle-class neighborhoods—like Longfellow, that
represent the streetcar developments of the early 20th Century—as historic districts. But very
few of our historic landmarks represent the immigrant laborers who helped build our city.
The small cottage at 937 Davenport Street is a good example of the modest homes built by
Czech immigrants in the Goosetown Neighborhood during the 1800s. Very few of these
cottages remain intact, making the preservation of this fine example all the more important.
The current owners, Marybeth and Kenneth Slonneger, should be lauded for their efforts to
preserve this and other historic buildings in the Goosetown Neighborhood. Their investment
not only helps preserve the immigrant history of Iowa City, it also preserves affordable housing.
We urge the City to recognize their good work and the importance of immigrants in Iowa City
history by designating 937 Davenport Street as a Historic Landmark protected by the Zoning
Code.
Sincerely,
CDocuSigned1/"b/�y AA
Maeve Clark,
President, Friends of Historic Preservation.
Friends of Historic Preservation is a nonprofit that began in 1975 with efforts to save Old Brick
from the wrecking ball. We continue today with educational programs, tours, advocacy efforts,
and operation of the Salvage Barn, all with the intent to preserve Johnson County's historic
heritage.
MINUTES PRELIMINARY
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
OCTOBER 19, 2022-6:OOPM—FORMAL MEETING
EM MA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Craig, Maggie Elliott, Mike Hensch, Maria Padron, Mark
Signs, Billie Townsend
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Emani Brinkman, Sara Hektoen, Anne Russett, Parker Walsh
OTHERS PRESENT: Marybeth Slonneger, Mike Oliveira, Kevin Boyd, Jon Marner
RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL:
By a vote of 6-0 the Commission recommends approval of REZ22-0013, an application to
designate 937 East Davenport Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from
Medium Density Single -Family Residential (RS -8) to Medium Density Single -Family Residential
with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8).
By a vote of 6-0 the Commission recommends approval of SUB22-0013, an application
submitted by Warrior Enterprises LLC for a Preliminary and Final Plat, a two lot, 1.94 acre
commercial subdivision located at 1501 and 1515 Willow Creek Drive.
CALL TO ORDER:
Hensch called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
CASE NO. REZ22-0013:
Location: 937 E. Davenport Street
An application for a rezoning from Medium Density Single -Family Residential (RS -8) to RS -8 with
a Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8) to designate the property as an Iowa City Historic
Landmark.
Brinkman began the staff report showing an aerial map and zoning map of the property for the
proposed rezoning. The zoning map showed how the property fits in with the surrounding area.
The property was constructed around 1874 as a simple single -story ell style cottage and is in the
style of other Goosetown cottages from the same period. Brinkman showed photos the cottage
noting a gable addition was added to the rear of the house before 1882, and a second smaller
gable addition was added prior to 1920 as show in the Sanborn Insurance fire maps. Since 1920
Brinkman stated this property has not had many changes unlike similar small cottages in the
area. Another addition prior to 1920 was an open porch added to the L created by the original
portion of the house and the first addition and that porch has been extended by the current
property owners.
Planning and Zoning Commission
October 19, 2022
Page 2 of 10
The Historic Preservation Commission met on October 13, 2022 and conducted a public hearing
at which they reviewed and evaluated the historic significance of the property located at 937 East
Davenport. The Commission determined that the property met the requirements for landmark
designation and voted to recommend approval of the local landmark designation. The Historic
Preservation Commission determined that the property met the required criteria that it's
significant to American and Iowa City history architecture, archaeology and culture and
possesses integrity of location, design, setting materials and workmanship, and is associated
with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history, and has
yielded information important in history. This property is one of the few intact examples of early
Goosetown cottages that show the area's semi agrarian history. This area consists of many long
narrow lots, with the house located near the street, allowing for gardens, orchards and animal
grazing in the yards. A large portion of the Goosetown area was home to a largely working-class
immigrant population from Bohemia in Germany.
The property is currently zoned medium density single family residential, the purpose of RS -8
zoning primarily provides for the development of small lot single family dwellings. The proposed
zoning will retain the RS -8 base zoning and add an overlay historic district which will require the
building to go through the Historic Preservation Commission for any approval of changes to the
exterior of the building. Landmark status will also make the property eligible for special
exceptions that allow the Board of Adjustments to waive or modify certain zoning requirements to
help support the continued use of historic buildings. Landmark designation will also make it
possible for financial incentives such as tax credits, and the Iowa City Historic Preservation Fund
to be available.
Brinkman next reviewed the rezoning criteria and how the proposed development fits in with the
policy vision of the City. The Planning and Zoning Commission reviews the proposed landmark
designation of a zoning overlay and therefore requires recommendation to City Council. The
Commission's role is to review the proposed designation based on its relation to the
Comprehensive Plan and the proposed public improvements and plans for the renewal of the
area involved. 937 East Davenport Street is in the Central Planning District which encourages
preservation of historic homes, resources and neighborhoods, especially in areas close to the
University. The Plan also encourages a mix of housing types in the neighborhood. This property
is almost 150 years old, has seen very few changes and is one of the remaining examples that
show Goosetown's early history. The Comprehensive Plan also has language about preserving
historic features of a site to add character and amenity value to neighborhoods. Landmarking
this property allows the City to preserve a part of the Bohemian heritage of Iowa City and Iowa.
The Iowa City Historic Preservation Plan encourages pursuing local landmark designations when
appropriate to provide protection for important historic resources in areas that are not in
conservation or historic districts. In terms of proposed public improvements, the only plan
improvement per the 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program are renovations to Reno Street
Park, which is approximately two blocks east from the proposed rezoning. The designation of this
property will not impact the ability of the City to make these park improvements.
Staff recommends approval of REZ22-0013, an application to designate 937 East Davenport
Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from Medium Density Single -Family
Residential (RS -8) to Medium Density Single -Family Residential with a Historic District Overlay
(OHD/RS-8).
Planning and Zoning Commission
October 19, 2022
Page 3 of 10
Brinkman noted the landmark designation was voted unanimously by the Historic Preservation
Commission to recommend approval of the landmark designation and City Council has set the
date of the public hearing for the property for November 1.
Brinkman noted after the packet was submitted, staff received one late correspondence from
Maeve Clark, president of Friends of Historic Preservation, urging the designation 937 Davenport
Street as historic landmark.
Elliott asked if a good neighbor meeting is not required for this type of application. Russett
stated that's correct, typically staff does encourage the applicant to hold a good neighbor
meeting but didn't encourage the applicant in this case since there's no proposed change or
development project that was being proposed, it's basically keeping the building status quo.
Elliott asked what's the difference between the historic and a conservation district. Russett
stated local historic districts are typically also listed in the National Register and are districts that
have a larger concentration of properties that are historically significant. The conservation
districts are still important districts, but they have fewer homes that are historically significant, so
they can't be designated in the National Register.
Hensch noted the base designation of zoning, RS -8 remains the same, the only thing that will
change would be the addition to the historic district overlay. Brinkman confirmed that is correct.
Hensch opened the public hearing.
Marybeth Slonnecler (937 E. Davenport Street) is the owner of the house and was available to
answer questions. She has been working on Goosetown history for a very long time.
Elliott asked about how it looked like there was a box above the front door and wondered if that
significant. Slonneger replied there's a cement goose in there, sitting on some hay and when her
husband and her first started this restoration, they hadn't thought about this part of it and just
wanted to set this house aside so that people would know that it isn't just a little Goosetown
cottage so she wrote the name of the man that built it and his wife and the date as a way of
augmenting the culture in history that they wish to preserve.
Hensch noted in the report it said that bricks were added to the wall to act as insulation so did
they open up the existing construction and place the bricks in there and then close it up.
Slonneger is unsure, John Prybl built the house and she assumes he just put the framework up
first as he was a brick layer. He went to Chicago for the Chicago Fire to help there and she
assumes when he came back he wanted a cozy house and he just stuck a bunch of brick in
before they plastered the inside. They came across those bricks in the basement where the
outside external pieces were missing so they could see where the brick insulation was.
Townsend noted it was very interesting to read the history of the home.
Mike Oliveira (owner, Prestige Properties) wanted to address the Commission from a different
perspective. He can tell from the committee that everybody is pretty gung-ho about making
Planning and Zoning Commission
October 19, 2022
Page 4 of 10
things historic in Iowa City, but there's a different perspective. When Bob Miklo was in this City
office, they discussed the pros and cons of conservation districts and the impact that it has on
neighborhoods, and it's not always favorable. In this case, taking a home in an area that is being
revitalized for single family homes with some lots that are under construction right now that are
being built to have larger family homes in the area, to help revitalize the neighborhood. Having a
house like this in such an area, even though it's a labor of love, will not fit. His company has
remodeled 14-15 houses in the north side and own over 120 properties in the 10 -block radius of
campus. The challenge they have with taking a piece of property and making it historic, for the
current owner it may be fine but when a new owner comes in they are burdened with the cost of
trying to keep a house up to the historic standards and that is not easy. This Commission needs
to think about that because there's other things that can be done, this house can stay in an area
but not be designated historic. The other thing is the surrounding properties are being
redeveloped and the area is going to change, and this house is going to be next to properties
that have families that don't want to move into the smaller houses. This house would be better
serviced if they pick up this house and maybe move it to another area. That's an option this
Commission should think about if they want to keep that style of house, but Goosetown is
changing and changing quickly. People want to live there, but they can't afford the right type of
housing for their families to live. He hears it all the time, especially with parents with two or three
kids, they don't want to have the kids on one floor and they're living on another floor. Goosetown
has a good mix of different types of housing but to take the Goosetown from that block and start
a designated historic area is a problem for the area. Iowa City has done a good job making the
Northside historic, they got huge conservation districts in area, but to start taking individual
properties and making them historic is problematic. He has two of them that he has bought that
got railroaded into this thing and now he can't do anything with them because of the historic
designation and it's very expensive to remodel or even improve on those properties. Oliveira
noted two houses nearby that are slated to be demolished and an empty lot across the alley
where a four-bedroom home is going in, and another house nearby already on the market that is
a five -bedroom house, so the Commission needs to know what's going on in the neighborhood
before they designate this house as a historic house. They can preserve it or just keep the same
designation on it without making it historic.
Kevin Boyd (Chair, Historic Preservation Commission) urges the Commission to make this a
local landmark and move it forward to City Council. As a community they have lost so many
small Goosetown cottages and are scheduled to lose a whole bunch more. This is a restored
example of what this neighborhood once was, the cottage owner literally wrote the book on
Goosetown, uplifting stories of immigrants, the neighborhood, small bars, etc., while
development pressures are actively buying up these small houses demolishing them and part of
the City's shared heritage as they do. The owner saved this cottage, and her work is
commendable. Let this small cottage stand for generations as a living symbol of what once filled
this neighborhood, this is shared heritage and shared history. While the structure may be small, it
is worth landmark status.
Hensch closed the public hearing.
Craig moved to recommend approval of REZ22-0013, an application to designate 937 East
Davenport Street as an Iowa City Historic Landmark and rezone from Medium Density
Single -Family Residential (RS -8) to Medium Density Single -Family Residential with a
Planning and Zoning Commission
October 19, 2022
Page 5 of 10
Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8).
Townsend seconded the motion.
Craig appreciates the perspective from Oliveira and the other side of it because they do need
housing in Iowa City and families today want larger houses, but this is not a district, it's not the
whole district, it's one piece of property that is very special and has history. To not move ahead
and do this, they would be losing something that they'll never get back and she doesn't want to
drive down that street and see nothing but five -bedroom houses. To drive down that street and
see a few bigger houses, along with some smaller houses will maintain the character of the
neighborhood and continue to serve people in Iowa City who like history, and a few who want to
live in a bigger house.
Townsend added that someone buying a home that is designated historic knows what they're
getting into when they buy it and they know that they have to keep certain standards and the
costs involved.
Hensch agrees the mixture of the new houses being developed and the retention of some
historic properties is exactly the mix that they want. They're always looking for balance and
mixture and it's not always pretty, but in the end, they end up generally with what the community
wants.
A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0.
CASE NO. SUB22-0013:
Location: 1501 and 1515 Willow Creek Drive
An application for a combined preliminary and final plat for McGrath Subdivision, a 1.94 -acre
subdivision containing two commercial lots.
Walsh began the staff report showing an aerial of the proposed subdivision and the zoning map
which showed it's primarily intensive commercial. For a little bit of background, the existing lot
and building on 1515 Willow Creek Drive was constructed in the early 1980s. A site plan for 1501
Willow Creek Drive was approved and construction began in 2017 and in September of this year,
staff received the application for preliminary and final plat for the subject properties. Looking at
the preliminary plat, it is approximately a total of 1.94 acres, with lot 1 being approximately 1.02
acres with an existing building and lot 2 being approximately 0.92 acres with the existing building
that was constructed in 2017. They also have Willow Creek at the base of the property as well as
the proposed conservation easement. A Sensitive Areas Development Plan was submitted that
meets the base requirements of a level one sensitive areas review and will be reviewed
administratively. What is shown is Willow Creek as well as its 30 -foot buffer. Staff has requested
that the portion of the property with the sensitive areas be placed in a conservation easement.
The Comprehensive Plan recommends general commercial as well as encourages
interconnected system of open space with sidewalks and trails to connect the community and
safe and pedestrian friendly street systems. The Southwest District Plan shown in the Willow
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Doc ID: 031998230004 Type: GEN
Kind: ORDINANCE
Recorded: 11/18/2022 at 31:00:31 AM
Fee Amt: $22.00 Pape 1 of 4
Johnson CountV Iowa
Kim Painter County Recorder
fEt
STATE OF IOWA }
)SS
JOHNSON COUNTY }
I, Kellie K. Fruehling, City Clerk of Iowa City, Iowa, do hereby certify that the Ordinance attached
hereto is a true and correct copy of Ordinance No. 22-4890 which was passed by the City Council of
Iowa City, Iowa, at a regular meeting held on the 15th day of November 2022 is a true and correct
copy, all as the same appears of record in my office.
Dated at Iowa City, Iowa, this 174"" day of November 2022.
U
S
Kellie {. Fruehling
City Clerk
\ord
410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET • IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 • (319) 356-5000 . FAX (319) 356-5009
f:
P
Kellie {. Fruehling
City Clerk
\ord
410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET • IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240-1826 • (319) 356-5000 . FAX (319) 356-5009
Prepared by: Parker Walsh, Associate Planner 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240; (REZ22-0013)
Ordinance No. 22-4890
Ordinance rezoning property located at 937 E Davenport Street from
Medium Density Single -Family Residential Zone (RS -8) to Medium Density
Single -Family Residential with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8).
(REZ22-0013)
Whereas, the applicant, Marybeth Slonnegger, has requested a rezoning of property located
at 937 E Davenport Street from Medium Density Single -Family Residential to Medium Density
Single -Family Residential with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8); and
Whereas, this structure was originally constructed in 1874 in the style of early Goosetown
cottages and is significant to Iowa City's history; and
Whereas, this structure is associated with architecture significant to the mid -west and Iowa;
S d
Whereas, the Comprehensive Plan encourages the preservation of historic buildings; and
Whereas, Goal 1 of the Historic Preservation component of the Comprehensive Plan calls
for identification of resources significant to Iowa City's past with the objective of designating
individual buildings as landmarks; and
Whereas, the Historic Preservation Commission has reviewed the proposed Historic
Landmark designation, has found that it meets the criteria for landmark designation in its
significance to Iowa City history, integrity of location and design, association with events that have
a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history, and may likely yield information important
in our history; and
Whereas, the Planning and Zoning Commission has reviewed the proposed Historic
Landmark designation rezoning and has found that it is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan
goals of preserving historic resources
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa:
Section I. Historic Landmark Approval. Property described below is hereby reclassified to
Medium Density Single -Family Residential with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/RS-8) zone:
The east 20 feet of the north 150 feet of Outlet 7, Iowa City, Iowa, and the west 30 feet of Lot 10
in Block 1, in Wood's Addition to Iowa City, Iowa, all as shown by the recorded plats thereof,
situated in Johnson County, Iowa
Section II. Zoning May. The building official is hereby authorized and directed to change the
zoning map of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, to conform to this amendment upon the final passage,
approval and publication of this ordinance by law.
Section III. Certification And Recording. Upon passage and approval of the Ordinance, the
City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to certify a copy of this ordinance and to record the
same, at the office of the County Recorder of Johnson County, Iowa, at the owner's expense, all
Ordinance No. 22-4890
Page 2
as provided by law.
Section IV. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of
this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section V. Severabilify. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to
be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section VI. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval
and publication, as provided by law.
Passed and approved this t s to day of w��, _ , 2022.
(�—
Ma
Attest:
ity Clerk
Approved by:
City Attorne s Office —1012612022
Ordinance No. 22-4890
Page 3
It was moved by Weiner and seconded by Taylor that
the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS:
ABSENT:
x
Alter
x
Bergus
x
Harmsen
X
Taylor
x
Teague
x Thomas
—�
Weiner
First Consideration 11/01/2022
Voteforpassage: AYES: Alter, Bergus, Harmsen, Taylor, Teague, Thomas
Weiner NAYS: None ABSENT: None
Second Consideration _
Vote for passage:
Date published November 22, 2022
Moved by Weiner, seconded by Taylor, that the rule requiring ordinances to be
considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the
meeting at which it is to be finally passed be suspended, the second
consideration and vote be waived and the ordinance be voted upon for
final passage at this time.
AYES: Alter, Bergus, Harmsen, Taylor, Teague, Weiner NAYS: None
ABSENT: Thomas
Item Number: 10.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
� - 1
�r ;�* COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
November 15, 2022
Ordinance amending Title 10, entitled "Public Ways and Property," Chapter
3, entitled "Commercial Use of Sidewalks," to allow sidewalk cafes outside of
the downtown and Riverfront Crossings. (First Consideration)
Prepared By:
Susan Dulek, FirstAss't. City Attorney
Reviewed By:
Rachel Kilburg, Ass't. City Manager
Ron Knoche, Public Works Director
Fiscal Impact:
none
Recommendations:
Staff: Approval
Commission: N/A
Attachments:
Ordinance
Executive Summary:
Sidewalk cafes are currently only allowed in the Central Business zones and the Riverfront
Crossings District. Staff recommends establishments without liquor permits should be allowed to
have a sidewalk cafe in zones outside of the Central Business zones and Riverfront Crossings
District. The ordinance allows the City Manager to impose restrictions in addition to those in the
City Code and Council adopted policy, such as fewer hours of operation.
Background /Analysis:
A memo titled "Sidewalk Cafe Policy Updates" was discussed at City Council's September 6,
2022 Work Session. This memo provided an overview of the City's sidewalk cafe program and
included recommended changes to the program, including expanding the zones where sidewalk
cafes are permitted to encourage more throughout the community. This agenda item implements
that recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Ordinance
Prepared by: Susan Dulek, First Asst. City Attorney, 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 (319) 356-5030
Ordinance No.
Ordinance amending Title 10, entitled "Public Ways and Property," Chapter
3, entitled "Commercial Use of Sidewalks," to allow sidewalk cafes outside
of the downtown and Riverfront Crossings.
Whereas, sidewalk cafes are currently only allowed in the Central Business zones and in the
Riverfront Crossings District; and
Whereas, establishments without liquor permits should be allowed to have a sidewalk cafe
in zones outside of the Central Business zones and Riverfront Crossings District; and
Whereas, it is in the City's interest to adopt this amendment.
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa:
Section I. Amendments.
1. Title 10, entitled "Public Ways and Property," Chapter 3, entitled
"Commercial Use of Sidewalks," Section 3, entitled "Use for Sidewalk Cafes," Subsection A is
amended by deleting the strike -through text and adding the underscore text as follows:
Except as provided herein, Ssidewalk cafes are permitted in the public right of way only in
the central business zones (CB -2, CB -5, and CB -10 zones) and in the riverfront crossings
district. Sidewalk cafes are permitted in other zones if the restaurant does not hold an
alcohol license In said other zones the City Manager, or designee may limit the hours of
ooeration to fewer than those allowed herein and impose limitations on the operation of the
which are more restrictive than the policy adopted by Council resoiuuon.
Section Il. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provision of
this Ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section III. Severability. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to
be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a
whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.
Section IV. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval
and publication, as provided by law.
Passed and approved this day of , 2022.
ayor
Attest:
City Clerk
Approved by
11-7
City Attorney' ice — 1 /08/2022
Ordinance No.
Page
It was moved by
and seconded by that
the Ordinance as read be adopted, and upon roll call there were:
AYES: NAYS: ABSENT:
Alter
Bergus
Harmsen
Taylor
Teague
Thomas
Weiner
First Consideration 11/15/2022
Vote for passage: AYES: Alter, Bergus, Harmsen, Taylor, Teague, Weiner
NAYS: None ABSENT: Thomas
Second Consideration —
Vote for passage:
Date published