LAWRENCE HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION

ITEM NO. 3: L-16-00095

STAFF REPORT

 

A.       SUMMARY

 

L-16-00095 Public hearing for consideration of placing 1106 Rhode Island Street on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. Submitted by Lindsey Crick on behalf of 1106 Rhode Island LLC, the property owners of record. Adopt Resolution 2016-10, if appropriate.

 

Legal Description:

 

LOTS 118 AND 120 ON RHODE ISLAND STREET, IN THE ORIGINAL TOWNSITE OF THE CITY OF LAWRENCE, DOUGLAS COUNTY, KANSAS

 

Please note: this legal description is in the process of changing as a result of a replat for the property. The recommendation from the Historic Resources Commission will not be forwarded to the City Commission until this process has been completed.

 

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 6th Street.

 

B.       HISTORIC REGISTER STATUS

 

1106 Rhode Island Street is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure to the North Rhode Island Street Historic Residential District.  The district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

 

C.       REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

 

1)      History Summary

 

The residential structure located at 1106 Rhode Island Street was constructed c. 1871.  According to the nomination application, the structure was built for Rhody Delahunty.  Delahunty operated a transfer (hauling) and storage business until the 1930’s. The accessory structures on the property were constructed prior to 1927 according to the Sanborn Maps and the attached history of the property by Paul Caviness.

 

See additional historical information about the property in the attachment to the nomination form.

 

 

 

 

 

2)      Architectural Integrity Summary


 

See the attached National Register nomination form.  This form was never submitted for consideration by the State Historic Sites Board of Review due to the lack of support at the time of preparation.

 

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

   

3)      Context Description

 

The primary structure located at 1106 Rhode Island Street is an example of a vernacular structure with a Greek Revival influences.  The structure was constructed in the City Building Period of 1864-1873 as defined by the Historic Resources of Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF). 

 

See attachments to the application for nomination for the context description.

 

4)      Planning and Zoning Considerations

 

1106 Rhode Island Street was recently (2014) zoned from RM12 (Multi-Dwelling Residential) District to RMO (Multi-Dwelling Residential-Office) District. The RMO District is designed to accommodate mixed use development of low and moderate intensity administrative and professional offices that are compatible with the character of medium and high density residential neighborhoods.  The district is intended to be used as transitional zoning between higher-intensity commercial areas and residential neighborhoods.

 

The property also received a Special Use Permit in 2014 to allow for two detached dwelling structures on a single lot as required by the Land Development Code. 

 

The current mixed use of the property supports residential and office uses that are consistent with the uses in the area.

  

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.  In addition, the information for Lawrence Register properties will be included on the City’s website in 2016.

 

 

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 of the building, demolitions, or partial demolitions.  Minor changes which require a city permit can be administratively approved by the Historic Resources Administrator.

 

 

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

 

Nine criteria are provided within Section 22-403 for review and determination of qualification as a Landmark or Historic District.  These criteria are set forth below with staff's summary of applicable criteria and recommendations for which this application qualifies:

 

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

1106 Rhode Island Street, the Rhody Delahunty Complex, is significant as an example of the mixed use and style of vernacular structures located on the same lot and associated with a business. The Delahunty Transfer & Storage Company is significant for a business that existed from c. 1867 to the mid-1930s by evolving to stay current with the development of Lawrence.

         

(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;

 

(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;

         

(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;

 


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

         

(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.

                                                                   -------------------------

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;

(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.

(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 Rhody Delahunty complex, located at 1106 Rhode Island Street, for designation as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places pursuant to Criterion #1 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;

         

1106 Rhode Island Street, the Rhody Delahunty Complex, is significant as an example of the mixed use and style of vernacular structures located on the same lot and associated with a business. The Delahunty Transfer & Storage Company is significant for a business that existed from c. 1867 to the mid-1930s by evolving to stay current with 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,

 

House

Stone foundation; wood lap siding, wood windows and surrounds, all elements of the west/main elevation porch, fenestration patterns, roof shapes, and chimney.

 

Barn and Garage

Exterior wood siding and trim, historic window, existing sliding door on the west elevation, existing sliding doors on the east elevation and roof shapes.

 

(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 Stone foundation; wood siding, wood windows, doors, and surrounds, all elements of the west/main elevation porch, fenestration patterns, roof shapes, and chimney 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 1106 Rhode Island Street and delineate how environs review will be conducted in relation to the listed property. 

 

(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.

 

          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. (Attached)