LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 5: DR-12-151-07

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

DR-12-151-07 1232 Louisiana Street; Demolition; Certified Local Government Review. The property is within the environs of the Hancock Historic District and the Oread Historic District, National Register of Historic Places. Submitted by Price T Banks and 1240 Louisiana St Associates LLC, the property owners of record.

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The applicant is requesting to demolish the structure located at 1232 Louisiana Street.

1232 Louisiana Street

C. STANDARD OF REVIEW

For projects that require a Certified Local Government Review the Historic Resources Commission has typically used the Standards and Guidelines for Evaluating the Effect of Projects on Environs to evaluate the proposed project.

Guidelines for Evaluating the Effect of Projects on Environs

The Standards and Guidelines for Evaluating the Effect of Projects on Environs that are applicable to the applicant’s request are as follows:

1. The character of a historic property's environs should be retained and preserved. The removal or alteration of distinctive buildings, structures, landscape features, spatial relationships, etc. that characterize the environs should be avoided.

2. The environs of a property should be used as it has been historically or allow the inclusion of new uses that require minimal change to the environs' distinctive materials, features, and spatial relationships.

3. The environs of each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes to the environs that have acquired historic significance in their own right should be retained and preserved.

4. Demolition of character-defining buildings, structures, landscape features, etc. in a historic property's environs should be avoided. When the severity of deterioration requires removal within the environs, compatible reconstruction shall occur.

6. New additions, exterior alterations, infill construction, or related new construction should not destroy character-defining features or spatial relationships that characterize the environs of a property. The new work shall be compatible with the historic materials, character-defining features, size, scale and proportion, and massing of the environs.

Identify, Retain, and Preserve

Like the treatments for historic properties, guidance for environs review begins with the identification of the character-defining features of the environs, its historic and current character, and what must be retained in order to preserve that character. The character of a listed property's environs may be defined by form, exterior materials, such as masonry, wood, or metal; exterior features and elements, such as roofs, porches, windows, or construction details; as well as size, scale and proportion, massing, spatial relationships, etc.

Protect, Maintain, Repair, and/or Replacement

After identifying those materials and features that are important, the effect of the proposed work on the environs of a listed property must be determined. Work that generally involves the least degree of intervention is recommended. Protecting historic features and materials through cyclical maintenance and repair lessens the need for replacement which is always the less preferable alternative and usually more costly. Substitute materials can be installed, when the degree of deterioration requires replacement, provided the substitution is compatible with the environs.

Alterations / Additions for the New Use

Interior alterations of properties within the environs of a listed property have little, if any, impact on the listed property. Exterior alterations of properties in the environs of a listed property are generally needed to assure continued use, but it is important that such alterations do not radically change, obscure, or destroy character-defining spaces, materials, features, and/or relationships. Alterations may include demolition of structure(s) and/or features, providing additional parking, modification of entries, installation of signs, or cyclical maintenance involving repairs with noncompatible materials.

The construction of additions is sometimes essential for the continued use of a property, but the addition should only be reviewed for its impact on the listed property and the environs. The line of sight between a listed property and a proposed project is often directly related to the impact of a project on the listed property.

DEMOLITION

Recommended

Retain the features that define the character of a listed property's environs when possible.

When removal of a character-defining feature or structure is necessary, a new feature or structure that is compatible with the environs should be installed.

Not Recommended

Demolition of character-defining features or structures with no plans for compatible replacement features or structures.

Demolition of character-defining structure(s) with the intention of creating open space, such as a parking lot or park.

Demolition of character-defining structure(s) and replacement of it with a historic building moved to the site.

C. STAFF ANALYSIS

The applicant is requesting approval to demolish the structure located at 1232 Louisiana Street. No replacement structure is proposed. The property is located in the environs of the Hancock Historic District and the Oread Historic District, National Register of Historic Places.

The structure located at 1232 Louisiana is a two and one-half story wood dwelling which has a rough cut stone foundation and a cross gabled roof of moderate pitch. Rectangular window openings contain double hung units and have plain wood sills. The entry porch has a gabled roof with broken pediment decoration and vertically board siding. Square stone columns support the porch and there is a central chimney. The structure is sheathed in weatherboard on the first level with wood shingles on the upper stories. When the structure was surveyed in 1987, it was listed in “fair” condition.

According to the Kansas Historic Resources inventory form, the property sold for $500 in 1904 to Harriet Tanner and an estimated construction date for the structure is 1905. The structure shows on the 1918 and 1927 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. Owners of the property were University teachers until the structure was taken by Standard Life Association and sold to Clara Wright in 1944.

The applicant provided a brief structural analysis of the existing conditions of the structure. The conclusion of the analysis states, “The opinion of this firm is that the house is not structurally sound nor is it safely habitable at this point. Due to the extent of the structural damage observed it appears that demolition and replacement are likely the most economically feasible and viable solution for this project.” The applicant has not provided any cost information for repair.

Demolition of historic structures is rarely positive for a neighborhood because it destroys the relationships between the structures, landscape features and open space and, as a result, the overall character of the area is diminished. When possible, staff prefers rehabilitation to retain structures and their relationship to the environs of the listed properties. Rehabilitation would allow for the retention of the relationship of structures and open space within the environs of the listed properties. If demolition is approved, it removes the opportunity for a future owner to rehabilitate the existing structure.

The deterioration of this building has been ongoing for some time. Staff is of the opinion that the existing condition of the structure is due to owner neglect. The deterioration of this structure due to owner neglect was preventable. Staff reviewed the property – interior and exterior – while the property was under the previous ownership. At that time, there were some structural failures in the structure, specifically the northeast corner of the structure, but staff was of the opinion that the structure could be rehabilitated. Staff has not made an additional interior inspection. Views from the public right of way indicated that the structure has continued to deteriorate because of no maintenance and no attention to the existing failures of the structure. Staff is of the opinion the applicant has not provided sufficient evidence to warrant demolition at this time.

1232 Louisiana is not listed on the Kansas or National Registers and is not eligible for the financial incentives for rehabilitation associated with listing.

Because the applicant is not proposing a replacement structure, staff cannot recommend approval of the proposed project. Rehabilitation of the current structure or new construction of a replacement structure would allow for the retention of the relationship of structures and open space within the environs of the listed properties.

D. STAFF RECOMMENDATION

In accordance with the Standards and Guidelines for Evaluating the Effect of Projects on Environs (1998), staff recommends the Commission deny the proposed project and make the determination that the proposed project does encroach upon, damage or destroy the listed historic properties and their environs. Specifically, as proposed, the project does not meet the following guidelines:

Standards and Guidelines for Evaluating the Effect of Projects on Environs

4. Demolition of character-defining buildings, structures, landscape features, etc. in a historic