ACTION SUMMARY JANUARY 15, 2003
CITY COMMISSION ROOM, CITY HALL, 6 E. 6TH STREET
7:00 P.M.
PRESENT: Commissioners McKenzie, Marvin, Dean, Lodwick and Hickam.
Staff members Lynne Zollner, Katie Ambler and Amy Saker
No changes were requested to the December 2003 action summary.
Motioned by Comm. Dean, seconded by Comm. Marvin to approve the minutes of the December 18, 2003 meeting as presented.
Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
Ms. Zollner listed the following communications from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO):
· Letter notifying the public that the National Register nominations currently under consideration will be reviewed by the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review at their meeting on February 21, 2004.
· Letter detailing the February 12, 2004 grant review process. Grants selected will be notified on February 21, 2004.
· Letter stating the acceptance of the Kanwaka Township Survey proposal.
· Letter stating receipt of the Hancock District nomination submitted by the Lawrence Preservation Alliance.
It was clarified that, if the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review approved the proposed nominations they would then be forwarded to the National Parks Service for a final decision and possible listing on the National Register. It was noted that each district would be considered separately and this final review by the Park Service typically took 3-6 months.
ITEM NO. 3: DR-12-90-03: 616 Vermont; Bridgewater Office Building Renovation; Certificate of Appropriateness and Certified Local Government Review. Submitted by Robert C. Schulte for the property owner of record. The property is located within the environs of the J. B. Shane/Juno Bell Shane Thompson Studio (615 Massachusetts), Lawrence Register of Historic Places, the Eldridge Hotel (701-703 Massachusetts), United States Post Office (645 New Hampshire), National Register of Historic Places, and the Consolidated Barb Wire Building (546 New Hampshire), Kansas Register of Historic Places. The property is also located in the Downtown Urban Conservation Overlay District.
APPLICANT PRESENTATION
Bob Schulte spoke on behalf of the property owner(s), explaining the applicants’ intent to renovate the building, which has been vacant for over two years. The building’s previous use was as a restaurant. The proposed new use will be as office spaces. The applicants would like to remove and replace the existing upper false windows with real windows on the lower south and east elevations.
The applicants agreed with Staff’s recommendation for approval.
It was clarified that the false upper windows were a visual effect created with stucco and that there was no second story to the structure.
The new windows were proposed at the same height, size and placement as those existing on the north elevation.
It was established that the original building on the site, the Old Lawrence Ice Company, had been demolished and replaced with the existing structure. The ice company’s logo had been painted on the new building “in memory”.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Betty Alderson, 1920 Maine, said only that she had been unaware that the original building had been removed. She had been under the impression that the existing building was a renovation of the original ice company structure. The applicant said this was a common misconception.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
The Commission looked favorably on seeing this building being used again.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Comm. Hickam, seconded by Comm. Marvin to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness and the Certified Local Government Review for the project at 616 Vermont, based on the determination that the project will not encroach upon, damage or destroy any historic property or its environs.
Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
ITEM NO. 4: MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
A. Review of any demolition permit applications received since the December 18, 2003 regular meeting.
Ms. Zollner explained that two demolition permits had been received and related to projects the Commission had already approved for new construction. The projects were the storefront restoration at 910 New Jersey and the boarding house project at 1334 Ohio.
B. Architectural Review Committee and Administrative Reviews since the December 18, 2003 regular meeting.
The ARC had received drawings from the architects for the project at the Ecke/Connex building. However, during the meeting it became apparent that further revisions were planned and the architects were directed to submit final drawings for further review by the ARC.
DR-12-88-03: 943 Massachusetts; Sign; Certificate of Appropriateness Review. Submitted by Luminous Neon for the property owner of record. The property is in the environs of the Hanna Building (933 Massachusetts), Lawrence Register of Historic Places. The property is also located in the Downtown Urban Conservation Overlay District.
DR-12-89-03: 734 Vermont; Sign; Certificate of Appropriateness and Certified Local Government Review. Submitted by Star Signs & Graphics for the property owner of record. The property is in the environs of the Eldridge Hotel (701-703 Massachusetts), Lucy Hobbs Taylor House (809 Vermont), National Register of Historic Places, the House Building (729-731 Massachusetts), Kansas and Lawrence Register of Historic Places, and Miller’s Hall (725 Massachusetts), Lawrence Register of Historic Places. The property is also located in the Downtown Urban Conservation Overlay District.
DR-12-91-03: 1042 Tennessee; Porch Repair; Certificate of Appropriateness and Certified Local Government Review. Submitted by Clay Breicha, property owner of record. The property is in the environs of the Oread Historic District, Lawrence Register of Historic Places and the Dr. Frederick D. Morse House (1041 Tennessee), the Col. James and Eliza Blood House (1015 Tennessee), and the George and Annie Bell House (1008 Ohio) National Register of Historic Places.
Ms. Zollner informed the Commission that the applicant, having discussed renovation of the front porch at 1042 Tennessee with Staff, had entirely removed the porch. A stop-work order had been issued and the contractor had been notified that he would be responsible for rebuilding the porch exactly as shown in photographs provided to Building Inspections by Planning Staff.
DR-12-92-03: Riverfront Plaza; Railing; Certified Local Government Review. Submitted by J. Steven Lane for the property owner of record. The property is in the environs of the Consolidated Barb Wire Building (546 New Hampshire), Kansas Register of Historic Places.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Comm. Dean, seconded by Comm. Lodwick to approve all Design Review cases as presented by Staff.
Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
C. Provide comment on variance (BZA) requests received since December 18, 2003.
There were no BZA items for consideration.
D. HRC and Public Comment on proposed National Register of Historic Places District Nominations.
· Betty Alderson, 1920 Maine requested and received clarification on the boundaries of the proposed Downtown District.
· Comm. Hickam said he supported the proposed districts and wished there were more. He also supported the Hancock Neighborhood proposal submitted by the Lawrence Preservation Alliance.
· Ms. Zollner said a meeting had been held with property owners in the proposed East Lawrence Districts and had resulted in many supportive comments. Support for the Downtown District had also been expressed in many phone calls relating to the proposal.
E. Miscellaneous matters from City staff and Commission members.
· Comm. Dean provided an update on legislation being considered that would reduce the environs review area in rural areas to 500’ and would remove and/or modify the review restrictions for agricultural uses.
· Ms. Zollner said the Commission would receive new drafts of the Historic Preservation Plan for review. She asked the Commission to consider during their review where graphics and photographs could be inserted for clarity and “user-friendliness”, as the lack of these elements had been a primary concern.
Staff hoped the Commission would be able to approve and forward the Executive Summary to the other Commissions at their February meeting, but delay until March was possible to provide adequate review time.
· The Commission was asked to comment on the location map provided with tonight’s regular agenda Item. The Commission appreciated the map but asked that the legend be enlarged.
ADJOURN – 7:30 p.m.
Official minutes are on file in the Planning Department Office.