pl_l-15-00501_nomination_staff

LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 4: L-15-00501

STAFF REPORT

A. SUMMARY

L-15-00501 Public hearing for consideration of placing the structure located at 1624 Indiana Street, the George Malcomb Beal House, on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. Adopt Resolution 2015-14, if appropriate. Submitted by John Charlton, the property owner of record.

The public hearing for the nomination of the structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places will be held at 6:30 p.m., or thereafter, in the City Commission Room at Lawrence City Hall located at 6 E 6^th Street.

B. HISTORIC REGISTER STATUS

1624 Indiana Street was listed in the Register of Historic Kansas Places on November 7, 2015 and is pending National Register of Historic Places listing.

C. REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

1) History Summary

See State Register Nomination Section 8.

2) Architectural Integrity Summary

See National Register Nomination Section 7. The structure maintains integrity of location and design that make it worthy of preservation.

3) Context Description

The structure located at 1624 Indiana Street, the Beal House, is an outstanding local example of Usonian organic architecture. The house was constructed in 1950-1951, during the period Lawrence Modern as defined by the amendment to Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF).

According to the National Register Nomination, the Beal House is located in a neighborhood that is “characterized by early 20^th century single-family houses including Craftsman bungalows, American Foursquares, National Folk houses and later Colonial Revivals.” The house is sited on an unplatted lot of approximately 100’ X 140’. There are three other unplatted lots in the block. The remainder of the block and to the southwest of the property is platted as University Place. The property is considered part of the University Place neighborhood.

The development pattern of the area consists of a range of lot sizes, structure types, and structure sizes. Most of the area, excluding the University property, is currently detached dwellings on individual lots. The varying lot sizes from block to block typically maintain a residential pattern of development with a front yard, structure, and rear yard, although the setbacks for front yards and side yards varies.

The 1600 block of Indiana Street appears to have developed over time. The oldest house on the block was constructed c.1900, and the most recently constructed structure was in 1977. The construction of the Beal House in 1950-1951 was one of the last four structures built in the block.

4) Planning and Zoning Considerations

1624 Indiana is zoned RS5, Single Dwelling Residential District. The primary purpose of the district is to accommodate predominantly single detached dwelling units on individual lots. The district is also intended to create, maintain and promote housing opportunities for individual households, although it does permit some non-residential uses that are compatible with residential neighborhoods. The current use of the property is a detached dwelling (single dwelling unit). This use is allowed in the RS5 district. To the north, south, and east of the property is RS5 zoning and the uses are residential. To the west of the property is land owned by the Board of Regents of the State of Kansas and is used by the University of Kansas. This area is zoned U-KU.

5) Fiscal Comments

There are no monetary benefits directly associated with nomination of a structure to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places at this time. However, Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence does identify mechanisms for financial incentives. If these programs become available in the future, structures listed on the Lawrence Register will be eligible for participation.

Listing on the local register does help preserve built resources important to Lawrence's history and helps to maintain streetscapes in older neighborhoods through environs reviews.

The original information submitted with nominations for properties to the Lawrence Register is kept on file in the City Planning office for public review and consultation with regard to development projects within the notification area.

6) Positive/Negative Effects of the Designation

The positive effect of designation is the creation of a permanent record of the historical significance of an individual property, for its architectural quality or its association with a significant local individual or event. This provides the local Historic Resources Commission with pertinent historical data which can help to provide an ‘historic' perspective to property owners when they desire to improve, add on, or redevelop a property within an older section of the City.

The public accessibility of this information is also a resource as it can be used by realtors, builders/developers, and others in the community prior to a property's resale, redevelopment or rehabilitation. In a more general sense, this information can be used by the Chamber of Commerce and existing businesses and industries to ‘identify' one of the facets that makes up Lawrence's Quality of Living.

Additional effects of designation are the creation of an arbitrary, 250' environs notification and review area. Within this 250' circle, projects which require city permits, e.g., demolition, redevelopment, renovation or modification, require review by Historic Resources staff or the Commission. These environs reviews permit scrutiny of proposed development/redevelopment by individuals sensitive to historic preservation.

A Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship is required to be issued by the Historic Resources Commission before a City permit can be issued for the proposed project. If the Historic Resources Commission denies a Certificate of Appropriateness or a Certificate of Economic Hardship, the property owner can appeal to the City Commission for a new hearing. The City Commission can uphold the decision of the HRC or it can grant the proposed development over the Historic Resources Commission's action. Certificates of Appropriateness or Economic Hardship are required for a project within the 250' radius of a Local Register property.

Examples of projects which would require review and approval are: projects involving the exterior building which are considered ‘structural' changes, demolitions or partial demolitions. Minor changes which require a city permit can be administratively approved by the Historic Resources Administrator.

7) Summary of Applicable Designation Criteria

Chapter 22, of the City Code is the Conservation of Historic Resources Code for the City of Lawrence. Section 22-403 of this code establishes criteria for the evaluation of an application for nomination to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

D. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION AND DESIGNATION - Section 22-403

Nine criteria are provided within this section for review and determination of qualification as a Landmark or Historic District. These criteria are set forth below with staff's recommendations as to which this application qualifies for:

(1) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, county, state, or nation;

The Beal House is an excellent example of the architectural development of the community.

(2) Its location as a site of a significant local, county, state, or national event;

(3) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state, or nation;

The structure is associated with George Malcomb Beal, who designed and lived in the house while, according to the National Register nomination, “shaping the transition of the University of Kansas’s architecture program from classical to modern.”

(4) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;

The structure is engineered to take advantage of solar gain in winter and shade in summer with site-specific calculations for the roof overhang in relation to the nearly all-glass southern elevation.

(5) Its identification as a work of a master builder, designer, architect, or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, county, state or nation;

(6) Its embodiment of elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that render it architecturally significant;

The structure is based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian design principles and is organized on a 5’ X 5’ geometric grid system. Beal expanded on Wright’s Usonian principles and engineered the roof using measurements from his heliodon (a device for adjusting the angle between a flat surface and a beam of light to match the angle between a horizontal plane at a specific latitude and the solar beam) to create a site-specific house.

(7) Its embodiment of design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative;

The structure is engineered to take advantage of solar gain in winter and shade in summer with site-specific calculations for the roof overhang in relation to the nearly all-glass southern elevation.

(8) Its unique location or singular physical characteristics that make it an established or familiar visual feature;

(9) Its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure; including, but not limited to farmhouses, gas stations, or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity or architectural significance.

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The HISTORIC RESOURCES CODE establishes a procedure to follow in the forwarding of a recommendation to the City Commission on applications for listing on the local register.

"Following the hearing the commission shall adopt by resolution a recommendation to be submitted to the city commission for either (a) designation as a landmark or historic district; (b) not to designate as a landmark or historic district; or, (c) not to make a recommendation. The resolution shall be accompanied by a report to the city commission containing the following information:

The Historic Resources Commission needs to formulate its recommendation in response to the following subsections section 22-404.2 (b):

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit, that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

(4) In the case of a nominated historic district found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The types of significant exterior architectural features of the structures within the nominated historic district that should be protected;

(C) A list of all key contributing, contributing and noncontributing sites, structures and objects within the historic district.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

(6) The relationship of the nominated landmark or historic district to the on-going effort of the commission to identify and nominate all potential areas and structures that meet the criteria for designation.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark or the boundaries of the nominated historic district.

E. RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends the George Malcomb Beal House, located at 1624 Indiana Street for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criteria #1, #3, #4, #6 and #7 as described in Section 22-403.

If the Historic Resources Commission recommends this property for local nomination, the Commission should adopt a resolution for recommendation to be submitted to the City Commission for designation as a landmark. In addition to the resolution, the Commission should direct staff to prepare a report to accompany the resolution including the information set forth in Section 22-404.2(1)-(7) and the environs definition.

Staff recommends the following for the report to the City Commission:

(1) Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or historic district as it relates to the criteria for designation as set forth in section 22-403;

The Beal House is significant for its architecture and engineering, its association with George Malcomb Beal, and its value as part of the development of Lawrence.

(2) Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or historic district;

The structure maintains significant integrity of location and design that make it worthy of preservation.

(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:

(A) The significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected; and,

Overall design and engineering of the structure including but not limited to the roof form, glass wall, siding, and windows.

(B) The types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit that cannot be undertaken without obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.

Alterations to the roof form, glass wall, siding, and windows should require a Certificate of Appropriateness.

(5) Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of certificates of appropriateness to the nominated landmark or historic district.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, published in 1990, and any future amendments, in addition to any criteria specified by Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence, Kansas.

The HRC may also adopt An Analysis of the Environs for 1624 Indiana Street and delineate how environs review will be conducted in relation to the listed property.

A primary goal of the HRC is to build a Register of properties which show the diversity and growth of Lawrence since its inception. The nomination of this property is another step toward registering a wide variety of historic properties which together present a visual history of Lawrence’s past. The goal of the Lawrence Register of Historic Places is to represent all socioeconomic strata; businesses and industries which illustrate the diversity that has been prevalent in Lawrence since its inception.

(7) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark.

See attached