LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 4: DR-03-31-08

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

DR-03-31-08 1140 South Park Massachusetts Street; Donated Art – Hedgehog House; Certified Local Government Review and Certificate of Appropriateness Review. The property is listed individually in the Lawrence Register of Historic Places and as a contributing property to Lawrence’s Downtown Historic District, National Register of Historic Places. The property is also located in the environs of the John N. Roberts House (1307 Massachusetts), the South Rhode Island Historic District, the North Rhode Island Historic District, the English Lutheran Church (1040 New Hampshire), Watkins Bank (1047 Massachusetts), and the Douglas County Courthouse (1100 Massachusetts), National Register of Historic Places. Submitted by the Lawrence Arts Commission for the City of Lawrence, the property owner of record.

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The applicant is requesting to retain the exiting public art at the northwest corner of 1140 Massachusetts Street - South Park.

1140 Massachusetts Street,

South Park, looking south

C. STANDARD FOR REVIEW

Certificate of Appropriateness

In evaluating a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness, Section 22-505 indicates that the most stringent evaluation is to be applied to designated landmarks.

Most careful scrutiny and consideration shall be given to application for designated landmarks;

General Standards

For projects that require a Certificate of Appropriateness the Historic Resources Commission is required to use the general standards and the design criteria listed in the Conservation of Historic Resources Code, Chapter 22 of the City of Lawrence Code.

Typically, the design criteria in section 22-506 are used in the review of projects. The following is the design criteria that apply to the project.

NEW CONSTRUCTION AND ADDITIONS TO EXISTING BUILDINGS

(a) The design for new construction shall be sensitive to and take into account the special characteristics that the district is established to protect. Such consideration may include, but should not be limited to, building scale, height, orientation, site coverage, spatial separation from other buildings, facade and window patterns, entrance and porch size and general design, materials, textures, color, architectural details, roof forms, emphasis on horizontal or vertical elements, walls, fences, landscaping, and other features deemed appropriate by the Commission.

(b) New buildings need not duplicate older styles of architecture but must be compatible with the architecture within the district. Styles of architecture will be controlled only to insure that their exterior design, materials, and color are in harmony with neighboring structures.

(c) The following specific design criteria shall be used to review all applications for certificates of appropriateness for new construction or additions to existing buildings:

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic material or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historical significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historical property and its environment would be unimpaired.

In conducting Certificates of Appropriateness, the Commission has used a standard of review based on the designation of the property or its proximity to the designated property.

Certified Local Government Review

For Certified Local Government Review of projects that involve listed properties, the Historic Resources Commission has typically used the Secretary of Interior’s Standards to evaluate the proposed project.

Secretary of Interior’s Standards

The following standards apply to the proposed alterations:

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires

minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic material or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historical significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic

materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent related new construction shall be undertaken in such a

manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historical property and its environment would be unimpaired.

Alterations/Additions to Historic Buildings
Some exterior and interior alterations to historic building are generally needed to assure its continued use, but it is most important that such alterations do not radically change, obscure, or destroy character-defining spaces, materials, features, or finishes.

Alterations may include providing additional parking space on an existing historic building site; cutting new entrances or windows on secondary elevations; inserting an additional floor; installing an entirely new mechanical system; or creating an atrium or light well. Alteration may also include the selective removal of buildings or other features of the environment or building site that are intrusive and therefore detract from the overall historic character.

The construction of an exterior addition to a historic building may seem to be essential for the new use, but it is emphasized in the guidelines that such new additions should be avoided, if possible, and considered only after it is determined that those needs cannot be met by altering secondary, i.e., non character-defining interior spaces. If, after a thorough evaluation of interior solutions, an exterior addition is still judged to be the only viable alterative, it should be designed and constructed to be clearly differentiated from the historic building and so that the character-defining features are not radically changed, obscured, damaged, or destroyed.

Additions to historic buildings are referenced within specific sections of the guidelines such as Site, Roof, Structural Systems, etc., but are also considered in more detail in a separate section, New Additions to Historic Buildings.

NEW ADDITIONS

Recommended

Placing functions and services required for the new use in non-character-defining interior spaces rather than installing a new addition.

Constructing a new addition so that there is the least possible loss of historic materials and so that character-defining features are not obscured, damaged, or destroyed.

Locating the attached exterior addition at the rear or on an inconspicuous side of a historic building; and limiting its size and scale in relationship to the historic building.

Designing new additions in a manner that makes clear what is historic and what is new.

Placing new additions such as balconies and greenhouses on non-character-defining elevations and limiting and size and scale in relationship to the historic building.

Not Recommended

Attaching a new addition so that the character-defining features of the historic building are obscured, damaged, or destroyed.

Designing a new addition so that its size and scale in relation to the historic building are out of proportion, thus diminishing the historic character.

Duplicating the exact form, material, style, and detailing of the historic building in the new addition so that the new work appears to be part of the historic building.

Imitating a historic style or period of architecture in new additions, especially for contemporary uses such as drive-in banks or garages.

Designing and constructing new additions that result in the diminution or loss of the historic character of the resource, including its design, materials, workmanship, location, or setting.

Using the same wall plane, roof line, cornice height, materials, siding lap or window type to make additions appear to be a part of the historic building.

Designing new additions such as multi-story greenhouse additions that obscure, damage, or destroy character-defining features of the historic building.

D. STAFF ANALYSIS

The applicant is requesting to retain the existing public art known as Hedgehog House as it has been donated to the City of Lawrence. The structure is composed of wood and is of irregular shape.

The Secretary of the Interior Guidelines and Chapter 22 do not specifically address the installation of public art on the grounds of a listed property or its environs. Generally the guidelines would encourage projects that would not destroy character-defining features or spatial relationships that characterize the property or its environs. While the Arts Council is requesting to retain the structure, the request is based on the knowledge that the art will decompose over time and is not a permanent addition to South Park.

Although the sculpture more than 12 feet in total height, its location and design are compatible with the size, scale, and proportion of the environs of the listed properties, and it can be easily removed. The sculpture will be a significant feature in the landscape but will not overpower the massing of the listed properties.

Staff’s main concern about the proposed project is the natural decomposition of the art. While it is positive that this will not be a permanent addition to the park – for it does alter the entrance vistas from Massachusetts Street looking southeast toward the Bandstand – the decomposition of the art should be monitored closely so that it does not detract from the park.

Because the application as presented appears to meet the intent of the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Chapter 22, the Historic Resources Code of the City of Lawrence, staff is of the opinion that the proposed project will not damage or destroy the listed properties or its environs.

E. STAFF RECOMMENDATION

In accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, Chapter 22, the Historic Resources Code of the City of Lawrence, the standard of evaluation, staff recommends the Commission approve the proposed project and make the determination that the proposed project does not encroach upon, damage or destroy listed historic properties and their environs with the following conditions:

1. Any changes to the approved project will be submitted to the Historic Resources Commission prior to the commencement of any related work.

2. The art will be monitored by the Parks and Recreation Department and will be removed when blighted.