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Minutes Historic Pres C 4 15 04 MINUTES 111~rORIC PR~"'(iílON COÞ\Þ\I~ION REGULAR SESSION Thu~day,ApriI15,2004,2004 5:00 p.m. Auditorium, Carnegie Stout Library 360 W. 11th Street, Dubuque, Iowa FT PRESENT: Chairperson Chris Wand; Commission Membe~ Terry Mozena, Chris Olson, Dave Stuart, Michael Coty, Mary Loney Bichell and John Whalen; Staff Membe~ Melinda Rettenberger, Rich Russell and Wally Wernimont. ABSENT: None. AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying the meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Wand at 5:00 p.m. REIVEW OF MINUTES: Chairpe~on Wand made one correction to the minutes. On page 5, under discussion for 368 S. Grandview, should read, "Jean Heide~cheit asked if they would be notified if a demolition permit was applied for." Motion by Olson, seconded by Loney Bichell, to approve the minutes of the March 18, 2004 meeting as amended. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye -Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None: BUILDING SERVICES REPORT: Building Services Manager Rich Russell reported on current enforcement issues. 1163 Hiahland: Mr. Russell reported a citation was issued in January. A hearing was held with the property owner, who was given until May 2nd to finish the work on the front of house. As of April 5th, columns have been repaired/replaced, however, no work has been done on the railing. Another meeting with City Solicitor Bill Blum and the owner is scheduled for April 22nd for an update on the progress made. 342 Main: Mr. Russell reported he met with the owner, architect and project manager on April 8th to get an update on the plans. They are in the process of applying for historic tax credits. A citation was issued to the property owner and Mr. Russell met with the owner and his attorney on April 1st. They agreed to meet again in mid-May to find out what progress has been made on the tax application before any deadlines are issued. 10th & Bluff: Rièh reported the originaJ owner has sold the property to his son. No work has been done yet, but they are looking at getting rid of the partially built garage. The new owner was advised to talk to Wally regarding a demolition permit. Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15, 2004 Page 2 570 Wilbur: Rich reported he talked to the property owner regarding the window openings on the west side of the house. He noted that the owner misunderstood the notice. He was going to have the entire wall tuckpointed instead of just addressing the opening in the wall. Rich stated he last checked the house on April 5th and the openings had not been filled in yet. Commissioner Olson requested that John Gronen, who is in attendance tonight, address some of the questions that have come up regarding 342 Main Street. John Gronen reported that they are working with the property owner on applications for state and federal tax credits. He noted the property owner is also working with Ande~on Design on plans that will help button up the shell of the building. He indicated that the property owner is working on obtaining bids on repairing cracks in the building. One engineering company has estimated the cost of the stabilization work at $260,000. A second engineering company has been asked to also provide a bid for this work. Mr. Gronen noted that if this work cannot be completed at a lower cost, the owner can't go forward with the project. He indicated that the property owner would like to wait for the blueprints to be completed to look at the entire project, and hopes to begin work by mid summer. Chairpe~on Wand asked that Mr. Gronen make sure that Building Services Manager Rich Russell and Assistant Planner Wally Wernimont be kept up-to-date on the progress being made. Commissioner Mozena asked that the owner unde~tands that the project needs to be on track by winter. PUBLIC HEARING: Application of David Moessner & Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner for a petition for landmark status for property located at 1339 Alta Vista Street. Chairperson Wand asked Mr. Moessner if he had anything new to add since last meeting. Mr. Moessner noted that his property meets the criteria to be listed as a city landmark. Mr. Moessner reported that he feels his property meets at least three of the criteria listed in the first set of criteria and also meets criteria #2 and #3. Staff Member Wernimont reviewed the memorandum from Planning Services Manager Laura Ca~tens, which included the criteria used to identify and designate landmarks, landmark sites and historic districts. He also briefly reviewed the history of the property and its ties to Loras College and Dubuque's history. He reported that the property was listed in both the 1973 historical survey by Larry Somme~ and the Bruce Kriviskey 1979 survey. He explained that the Commission needs to make a determination if this property meets the criteria for landmark status, and if so, make a recommendation to forward an ordinance to the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission. Staff Member Wernimont reviewed the process involved in nominating a property for landmark status, and reviewed the eight Dubuque properties that currently have this landmark status. Commissioner Olson commended the Moessners for coming forward and applying for landmark status of their property, and hoped this would start a trend in this area and throughout the city of private homeowners voluntarily requesting landmark status of their historic properties. Commissioner Mozena agreed and hoped that more property ^'-~ -.---- Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 3 owne~ might come forward from this same area, in the hope it could eventually become a historic preservation district. Commissioner Stuart reported there is another option for homeowne~ to protect their properties by granting an historic preservation easement to the City on their property. This easement would give the local governing body the authority to review and approve changes made to properties that have these easements. Commissioner Olson reported that she is familiar with these easements, and that they are most profitable when they in a large metropolitan area, where there is a big difference in current market value as opposed to developable worth of that property. She felt that there are other issues involved and this is not something we should jump into. Chairperson Wand suggested that the Commission direct staff to gather more information on this topic for further study and discussion. The Commission noted that the property meets the requirements for being designated as a City Landmark. Motion by Wand, seconded by Coty, to recommend the property be listed as a City Landmark, and to forward an ordinance on to the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission for their review. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye -Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. DESIGN REVIEW: Application of Jeff Morton/Lower Main Development LLC for a Certificate of Appropriateness to restore rear and front façades and install accessibility ramps at 137 Main Street located in the Old Main Historic Preservation District. Jeff Morton, representing Lower Main Development, LLC, reviewed the application with the Cornmission. He reported the upper four floors will be occupied by two different office tenants, and the first floor will be occupied by retail. He noted this application is for exterior renovation work on both east and west facades. He indicated that this is an historic preservation tax credit project, and the plans have been reviewed and approved by the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service. Mr. Morton referred the Commission to photographs included in the agenda packet, and also shared several photos he brought with him. He reported that the storefront was clad with aluminum, most of which has been rernoved and that most of the framing and decorative moldings underneath the aluminum are still intact and in good shape. He noted that there are two aluminum entrances, one in the center and one to the north - both facing Main Street. He explained that the aluminum will be replaced with wood entrance doo~ and transoms. He indicated that the storefront sash will be replaced with wood sash and insulation, and the existing solid wood panels will be replaced with vertical panels. He noted the storefront panels will be made of mahogany and painted, except for the center entrance doors and transom, which will have a natural finish. He noted that there are a couple of cast iron columns outbound from the center, which will be refinished and repainted. He noted that the remainder of the front of the building is being cleaned and some tuck pointing work is being done as needed. Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 4 Mr. Morton reported that the City requires handicapped accessibility to the first floor retail space, and small handicap ramps will be installed at the north entrance on the front façade and on the rear façade. He noted the handicap ramp on the front façade with have a decorative iron railing. Commissioner Whalen arrived at 5:33 p.m. Mr. Morton reported renovation to the west side of building involves primarily window replacement as shown on the elevation. He indicated that the current windows appear to be stamped metal frame with a metal sash and wire glass, and are in poor condition. He noted that they will be replaced with pre-finished metal windows, which will fit into the existing window openings. He indicated that more restoration work will be done to the back side, which involves mainly cleaning and tuck pointing. He noted that all changes have been reviewed and approved by the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office. Staff Member Wernimont reviewed the staff report, and confirmed the City's requirement for handicapped accessibility. Motion by Wand, seconded by Olson, to approve the plan as submitted. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. DESIGN REVIEW: Application of Jeff Morton/Lower Main Development LLC for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install decorative screening for parking lot at 120 Main Street (Former Kennedy Aquarium building site) located in the Old Main Historic Preservation District. Mr. Morton reported that there are currently two parking lots where the proposed screening would be installed. He noted that one parking lot is located in the Old Main Historic District and the other is located outside the district. He noted the proposed screening wall would be along both Main Street and the 1st Street Extension. Mr. Morton referred to the proposed screening wall that was included in the agenda packet, which basically consists of a brick wall with a limestone base with a cap and decorative metal railing. The screening wall will also contain a sandblasted emblem listing the building owne~ and/or possibly the primary tenants, and will be the same on both the east and west sides. Staff Member Wernimont reviewed the staff report, and noted the screening wall is similar to the screening wall at the City's parking lot located at 3rd and Main Street. Questions arose regarding the handicap accessible ramp for the Zwack building. Chairperson Wand stated that this is the same issue the Commission dealt with on the Weber building and the best way to go is to build the ramp on the north side. He felt this is something that should be kept in mind in the design. Mr. Morton reported he did not know if this issue had been resolved as yet. .w_--- ,~.._" - ~ - - -- Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 5 Commission Mozena questioned if there would be any trees planted. Mr. Morton said that he was not aware of any plans to add trees at this point and did not know if there would be any landscaping area left to include trees. Commissioner Mozena questioned the wall thickness. Mr. Morton reported the wall would be one-foot thick. Chairperson Wand asked if there would be grass planted around the walls or would it be paved. Mr. Morton answered that they could probably include some landscaping or groundcover. Staff Member Wernimont reported that there are parking lot requirements and they are going through process now with Engineering, and this process will also address landscaping. Questions arose regarding parking requirements and design consistency between the various parking lots. Staff Member Wernimont reported that the parking lot would be very similar in design to the City's 3rd Street parking lot and Bricktown's parking lot. Commissioner Loney-Bichell also asked about the standards and requirements for sidewalks in this area. She noted that both the sidewalks in front of Bricktown and American Trust had a sidewalk overlay, and it is now chipping off. It was noted that this is a problem where the old buildings that have basements that extend underneath the sidewalk. Discussion followed regarding an opportunity for the Commission to provide their input into the design of sidewalks in historic areas. This input would need to be during the design phase through the City Engineering Department. Commissioner Mozena suggested that the Commission should visit with the City Engineering Division and make a recommendation regarding standards for sidewalks in historic districts. Motion by Wand, seconded by Coty, to approve the design as submitted. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. DESIGN REVIEW: Application of David Cox for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace concrete stoop with wood porch, railings and steps at 620-628 Loras Boulevard located in the W. 11th Street Historic Preservation District Because the applicant was not in attendance, the application was moved to the end of the agenda. DESIGN REVIEW: Application of Gronen Adaptive Reuse LLP for a Demolition Permit to demolish rear addition at 1042 Main Street located in the Downtown Demolition District. Chairpe~on Wand suggested that the applications for 1042, 1066 and 1086 Main be heard together. Commissioner Olson excused he~elf from the table because of her involvement in these projects. John Gronen reported that Jeff Morton is the architect for this project. Mr. Gronen reviewed the history of the structures, noting that the structures are not original and are Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 6 in really bad shape. He reported that there are three wood framed shanties attached to the back of the buildings. The intent is to remove these structures and put on a one- story addition that will be structurally sound. The first floor will have a community room and laundry room. Commissioner Mozena requested that any salvageable items/materials be saved and recycled. Mr. Gronen reported they are working with Solid Waste Coordinator Paul Schultz with respect to this. Chairperson Wand asked what was proposed for the north property. Mr. Gronen reported the back of the building is very interesting. On the second floor there are three summer kitchens with coal rooms that are wood framed with cedar-singled roofs. The roof was put over all three. As far as they can tell it is not the original. Chairperson Wand questioned if the wood stai~ on the outside going to the third floor would be removed. Mr. Gronen reported the wood stai~ on the side will be removed and rebuilt. The stairs in the back of the building will be removed and will be replaced with metal stai~. Staff Member Wernimont reported that are applying for historic preservation tax credits and the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office have reviewed the plans. Commissioner Whalen asked if the two south buildings and one north building will be uniform and will look like they are one. John explained that there is an offset between the two south buildings and the north building. The building on the north side will be extended out further than the two on the south, which is the current offset of the buildings. The main floo~ are consistent across, however, there is some offset in the second and third floo~. Further discussion was held and it was noted that the application will be approved with the understanding that the third building at 1086 Main Street is approved only for the removal of the lean-to roof structure that had been added. It was approved because it did not meet historic criteria and use of materials and the lean-to structure is not of historic or architectural significance. Motion by Whalen, seconded by Wand, to approve the demolition permit as submitted. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. DESIGN REVIEW: Application of Gronen Adaptive Reuse LLP for a Demolition Permit for property located at 1066 Main Street in the Downtown Demolition District to dernolish rear addition. Motion by Whalen, seconded by Wand, to approve the demolition permit as submitted. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. ------- _. -F Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 7 DESIGN REVIEW: Application of<3ronen Adaptive Reuse LLP for a Demolition Permit for property located at 1086 Main Street and located in the Downtown Demolition District to demolish rear addition and stairs. Motion by Whalen, seconded by Wand, to approve the demolition permit as submitted with the condition that only the removal of the wood framed lean-to roof structure and stairs be demolished. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. John Gronen invited the Commission to tour the buildings. DESIGN REVIEW: Application of Donald March Jr. for a Certificate of Appropriateness to side front façade with Cemplankand remaining three sides with vinyl siding at 609- 617 Arlington Street located in the W. 11th Street Historic Preservation District. Nolan Martin, 1159 Hansel Circle, Peosta, IA 52068, represented Donald March Jr. and presented the application. Mr. Martin asked ifthe Commission would allow the use of Cemplank siding on the front of the house. Commissioner Olson reported she and Cornmissioners Loney-Bichell and Stuart met the contractor Eric Redding at the site to see if the siding underneath was reusable or repairable. She stated that they had looked at couple of different areas and found that there is excessive moisture damage to the wood siding underneath as well as a number of splits, and deemed that the wood siding is not repairable. Commissioner Olson reported that during their meeting, they talked about similar material on the entire building and also talked about an example on Dell Street, where there is a wood front with vinyl on the sides and rear of the building. Comrnissioner Stuart noted that cost is a big concern for the property owner. There will not be a lot of income from this property, and the sides and rear of the structure are very difficult to see from the public right-of-way. Staff Member Wernimont reported that a concern of Eric Redding was the overall height of the upper floo~ from the back and the ability to maintain them. Commissioner Bichell asked if some decorative features could be added to the front porch. Mr. Nolan reported that one of the columns is starting to warp, and they would like to replace them with 5 by 5 posts. Commissioner Whalen asked if porch also extended to the other side. Mr. Nolan reported that this area is more like a patio. Commissioner Whalen stated that he thought they could use 4 by 4's or 5 by 5's and clad them with a decorative covering to rnake the porch look nice for very little cost. Commissioner Bichell added that spindles could also be added to make the porch more attractive. Staff Member Wernimont reported that Eric Redding indicated that the entire porch overhang would be jacked' up, as there are some drainage issues. Currently the house next door has no eaves or gutte~ and water from that house runs onto this property, causing water seepage problems. Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15, 2004 Page 8 Commissioner Olson asked if the window replacement required HPC review. Mr. Nolan reported the windows are being replaced with the exact same size and style windows. Commissioner Olson also questioned the trim around the windows, and noted that Eric Redding talked about encapsulating the trim in vinyl. Mr. Nolan reported that the decision regarding window trim has not been made as yet. Commissioner Stuart noted that they did discuss tearing off the old layers of siding and starting from scratch. Staff Member Wernimont reported there was discussion concerning stripping all the way back to the studs to keep the integrity and profile of the window and door trim. It was also noted that Cemplank offers trim to match the siding and comes primed. Commissioner Bichell questioned the style and size of the replacement doors. She noted that one door has a transom and it appears that the other door's transom may have been covered over. The Commission agreed it would be nice to restore this feature if possible. Staff Member Wernimont noted that there are no historic photos of this property available for comparison. Further discussion ensued regarding the water seepage and porch issue, and it was noted that if the porch were extended to both sides and raised, it would $olve the water seepage problem. Commissioner Olson questioned if the roof was original. Mr. Nolan reported that it did not appear to be. He also reported the Yankee gutters will be lined with rubber. Motion by Whalen, seconded by Wand, to approve the application as submitted with the following conditions: 3) 4) 1) 2) The siding removal should be completed down to the studs. The soffit and eaves will be repaired and painted as necessary. Cemplank siding will be installed on the front, with vinyl siding on the sides and rear to match original lap width, and replacement windows will be trimmed with Cemplank or wood. Replacement doors will fit original door size openings and will have some glass, and include transoms over the three doors on the main front façade. Replace the porch posts for the existing porch, and add a porch over the 3rd door to mimic the existing porch. A gutter system will be installed. 5) Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. Commissioner Bichell made a friendly suggestion to add decorative features to the porch for appearance, and suggested the buyer/contractor drive around some of the historic neighborhoods such as lower Loras Blvd. to get ideas for porch decorations. CommissionMembe~ also discussed the use of alternative colors to white to create a more interesting porch, and noted that the siding color could be something other than white. '-'.--- , '.--"'- Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 9 DESIGN REVIEW: Application of David Cox for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace concrete stoop with wood porch, railings and steps at 620-628 Loras Boulevard located in the W. 11th Street Historic Preservation District. The applicant was not in attendance. Commissioner Wand stated that he felt the drawings were not adequate for review, and no material information is included. Commissioner Olson noted that there appears to be discrepancy in the height of the railings, which appear to be lower than side railings in the drawing submitted. It was the consensus of the Commission that a drawing to scale, which includes measurements, needs to be provided. Also, a list of materials to be used for the stai~, landing, siding under the stairs, lattice work, etc. needs to be included. Commissioner Olson also wanted to know how much concrete is being removed and what is being replaced. It was the consensus of the Commission that no further discussion could take place until the additional information was provided to the Commission. Motion by Mozena, seconded by Whalen, to table the application until the applicant can attend the meeting with more defined drawings and detailed information. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Stuart, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. Commissioner Stuart left the meting at 7:00 p.m. ITEMS FROM PUBLIC: Staff Member Wernimont reported he had been contacted by a sign company representative about the possibility of running neon lighting around the top of 100 Main Street. The sign vendor wanted to know if this 'would require Commission approval and a building perrnit before they bid the project. He noted that in the guidelines, neon lighting not appropriate on the exterior of the building. Discussion followed and the Commission agreed that certain lighting is allowed on the exterior of the building, but neon is not one of them. It was suggested that lighting on top of the building could be used - perhaps rope lighting or added Christmas lights along the border could be used. It was noted that if it is a temporary installation, the Commission does not need to review it. The Commission also discussed opportunities to enhance lighting temporarily during holiday season. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION: Amendments to HPC Bvlaws: Chairpe~on Wand reported that the Commission is being asked to approve the change in Commission membe~hip to nine membe~, to include four at-large members. This change has already been made in the Historic Preservation Ordinance but not the HPC By-Laws. Motion by Wand, seconded by Olson, to approve the amendment to the by-laws to increase in the Historic Preservation Commission mernbership to four at-large membe~ for a total membe~hip of nine. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 10 Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. Grandview Avenue Demolition District Discussion was held regarding the proposed Grandview Avenue Demolition District, with a question as to the date the City Council would hear this reguest Staff Member Wernimont reported this item should go to City Council on May 17 h. Staff Member Wernimont also reported that Grandview Avenue residents are in the process of submitting a petition, which contains the signatures of persons who originally supported the demolition district, but have now changed their rninds. Chairperson Wand requested a copy of the petition be sent to him. Motion by Wand, seconded by Whalen, to send the proposed Grandview Avenue Demolition District to the second City Council meeting in May. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay- None. Proposed Revisions to Demolition District ReQulations: Chairperson Wand referred to a memo from Planning Services Manager Laura Ca~tens, and reported that following the public meeting on Grandview Avenue Demolition District, he met with Laura to review the information requested in the application packet. He noted that there is information asked for in the historic districts that does not necessarily need to be included in the packet for demolitions permits, such as the request for income tax returns. There was brief discussion by the Commissioners, who asked where the criteria were developed or came from. Chairperson Wand requested the Commission review the criteria listed and come prepared to discuss this topic at the May Historic Preservation Commission meeting. Commission Olson also suggested that changing the name from demolition district to conservation district might be a good idea. 1349 Prairie Street Commissioner Bichell reported that the dense growth of trees and shrubs has been removed from the front of the house at 1349 Prairie Street which is immediately located up from the dental office on Loras Boulevard, and the house is now fully viewable. She asked if there isn't something that should be done about the building's deteriorated condition. Following brief discussion, it was the consensus ofthe Commission that Building Services Manager Rich Russell be requested to conduct a building safety inspection of this property. Motion by Bichell, seconded by Whalen, to direct staff to have Building Services Manager Rich Russell conduct a building inspection on the house at 1349 Prairie Street. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Whalen, Coty, Loney Bichell, Olson, Wand and Mozena; Nay - None. ITEMS FROM STAFF: 1130 Grave Terrace: Staff Member Wernimont distributed photos to the Commission showing a retaining wall, which was eight feet in height, and had collapsed on the property. He said the property owner contacted him replacing the retaining wall. He noted there is a road along this portion of Grove Terrace that leads to this property, and the property owner ~ -~-~--,--~--_._-~- Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission April 15,2004 Page 11 would like to cut into the hillside and put in a garage that fronts on this road. He noted the property owner is proposing to dig out the hillside, pour concrete walls, and install two 16- foot wide overhead garage doo~. The front façade would remain limestone. He indicated the property owner is also considering putting a one-story structure (carriage house-type) on top of the built-in garage. He noted the property owner would like to build on the lot and run separate utilities, so in the future he may sell it as a separatE1 property. He said the property owner indicated that he wants to work with all the neighbors to make sure they do not have an issue with this, and would like feedback from the Commission on this idea. Brief discussion followed, and the Commission noted that they basically did not have a problem with the concept, but would like to gather feedback from the neighbo~ from the surrounding properties. The Commission also requested a more complete plan be presented for their review before they provide any type of feedback. Staff Member Wernimont said it would also have to be cleared with the City Engineering Division and Zoning Board of Adjustment as there might be an issue of visibility and clearance backing in and out ofthis garage. Historic Preservation Week: Staff Member Wernimont reported that May 3-9 is Historic Preservation Week and there will be a proclamation presented to the City Council on May 3. The date for the May meeting rnay be moved because Laura cannot make the May 20th date and would like to be present. Also, neither the Grand Opera House nor the Depot were available for this meeting. One possible date being considered is Wednesday May 19th. Brief discussion followed and the Commission requested that City staff find out what dates the Grand Opera House and Masonic Temple are available, and the date be chosen based on their availability. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Wally Wernimont, Assistant Planner Adopted --~- -