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Lawrence historic resources Commission
Agenda Meeting april 20, 2017 6:30 pM
Action summary
Commissioners present: Bailey, Buchanan, Fry, Hernly
Staff present: Cargill, Weik, Zollner
ITEM NO. 1: CoMMUNICATIONS
A. No communications from other commissions, State Historic Preservation Officer, and the general public.
B. Disclosure of ex-parte communications.
C. Commissioner Hernly abstained from Administrative Approvals DR-17-00086 & DR-17-00105.
D. No Committee Reports
ITEM NO. 2: Consent agenda
A. January 19, 2017, February 16, 2017 & March 16, 2017 Action Summaries
B. Administrative Approvals
1. DR-17-00064 1616 New Hampshire Street; Solar Array; Certificate of Appropriateness
2. DR-17-00068 1212 Pennsylvania Street; Sewer Repair; Certificate of Appropriateness
3. DR-17-00086 815 Vermont Street; Sign Permit; Downtown Design Guidelines Review and Certificate of Appropriateness
4. DR-17-00105 623 Vermont Street; Patio Canopy; Downtown Design Guidelines Review and Certificate of Appropriateness
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to approve the January 19, 2017 Action Summary with amendment as requested by Commissioner Buchanan.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Hernly, to confirm the Administrative Approvals 1 & 2.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to confirm Administrative Approvals 3 & 4.
Motion carried 3-0-1 with Commissioner Hernly abstaining.
ITEM NO. 3: PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Dennis Brown, Lawrence Preservation Alliance (LPA), said their 6th Preservation Achievement Award events will be held on May 25th at the Cider Gallery.
Ms. KT Walsh mentioned that someone purchased the stone house by Midland Junction and will be restoring it.
ITEM NO. 4: L-17-00061 Public hearing for consideration of placing the property located at 1509 Massachusetts Street, the Henry Buel (Bert) Ober House, on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. Submitted by Lawrence Preservation Alliance on behalf of Victor Wallace, Trustee, the property owner of record. Adopt Resolution 2017-04, if appropriate.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Ms. Zollner presented the item.
Commissioner Hernly asked if this is right beside Central United Methodist Church.
Ms. Zollner said that’s correct. She said religious institutions of this size are allowed in residential zoning districts.
APPLICANT PRESENTATION
Mr. Dennis Brown, LPA, said they’re excited about this nomination within the Quiet University Town time period. He added that the owner isn’t getting any financial benefit for listing his property.
Mr. Victor Wallace, property owner, said he’s lived in the home for 40 years and worked very hard to preserve the property and its history.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. James Connolly, 1500 Vermont Street, said he supports the nomination. He talked briefly about the history of the property and its connection with the church.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Commissioner Buchanan, seconded by Commissioner Bailey, to direct staff to prepare Resolution 2017-04 recommending the property at 1509 Massachusetts Street be designated as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
Motioned by Commissioner Buchanan, seconded by Commissioner Bailey, to adopt the environs definition as provided in the staff report.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Commissioner Hernly asked how they could go about offering incentives for listing on the Lawrence Register.
Ms. Zollner said the Historic Resources Commission (HRC) could make a suggestion to the City Commission during the budget process requesting a new line item or to fund the preservation fund.
Commissioner Hernly asked when the budget process begins.
Ms. Zollner said the process is underway and the City Manager has published his recommended budget. The budget will be approved by July.
Commissioner Hernly asked if staff is aware of any other communities have implemented local incentives.
Ms. Zollner said yes, although most of them are for commercial projects.
Commissioner Hernly asked if it’s too late to put together something for this year’s budget.
Ms. Zollner suggested they investigate other local incentive programs and put something together for inclusion in the budget process next year.
Commissioner Buchanan asked if they can at least mention it this year.
Ms. Zollner said she did not recommend it and they should compile all information and have it ready for next year.
Commissioner Hernly asked if it would make sense to have public input sessions regarding possible incentives.
Ms. Zollner said absolutely.
Commissioner Hernly asked if that can be added to an HRC agenda.
Ms. Zollner said yes. She explained that another training will be included on the agenda next month and that could be a place to ask for public comment.
Commissioner Hernly said he would like to make sure that is on the agenda for discussion.
ITEM NO. 5: DR-17-00065 1028 Connecticut Street; Demolition; Certificate of Appropriateness. The parcel is located in the environs of the Parnham House (1028 Rhode Island Street). Submitted by Peter Shenouda on behalf of Victor Milad Shenouda Trust, property owner of record.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Ms. Zollner presented the item.
Commissioner Buchanan asked if staff has pictures of the secondary structure.
Staff confirmed there were none in the staff report.
Commissioner Hernly asked if it’s a two story structure.
Ms. Zollner said it’s a single story.
Commissioner Buchanan asked if anything can be done to entice people to maintain structures or create recourse for not maintaining them.
Ms. Zollner said a listed property contains a demolition by neglect clause, but properties within the environs are not included.
APPLICANT PRESENTATION
Mr. Peter Shenouda, property owner, said he purchased the property in January. He said if possible, materials will be salvaged and repurposed.
Ms. KT Walsh said she’s sad about the demolition- there’s a beautiful door that she assumes the property owner will save. She commended him for maintaining his properties so well. She asked about a new low interest loan program that might help property owners in similar situations.
Commissioner Fry said there is a 203-K loan (an FHA loan) and another Fannie Mae loan available for renovations, which allow homeowners to fund the cost of renovation at the time of purchase.
Ms. Walsh suggested they could link to that information on the City website.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Commissioner Buchanan said the pattern of demolition is sad, safety issue, she hopes they can provide property owners the resources to maintain properties so this doesn’t happen.
Commissioner Bailey said it’s hard to penalize new property owners.
Commissioner Hernly asked if the outbuilding could be considered unique because the interior was finished at one point. He asked if it could it be used as living space.
Ms. Zollner said staff believes it would be considered a completely new structure if rehabilitated and used in that way, and they would need to determine if it was created legally.
Commissioner Hernly asked if it is within a setback.
Ms. Katherine Weik said it is; however, there are some exceptions for accessory structures on an alley if there aren’t vehicles entering the structure.
Mr. Shenouda said there’s no way it could be a livable space, there are no utilities.
Commissioner Bailey said this one skirts the environs- the actual structure is outside of it and there is no line of sight.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness and make the determination that the proposed project does not encroach on, damage, or destroy landmarks or their environs.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
ITEM NO. 6: DR-17-00066 934 Connecticut Street; Demolition and New Construction; Certificate of Appropriateness. The parcel is located in the environs of the McFarland House (940 Rhode Island Street) and the William Watts House (946 Connecticut Street). Submitted by Linda Gwaltney, property owner of record.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Ms. Zollner presented the item.
Commissioner Fry asked if the applicant has expressed interest in rehabilitation.
Ms. Zollner said they’re not to that point in the process.
Commissioner Fry said it will be a significant cost to get engineering involved.
Commissioner Buchanan asked if they are willing to invest in the additional documentation of the existing structure.
Ms. Zollner said the applicant and architect have agreed to the documentation.
Commissioner Bailey asked about the status of the Architectural Review Committee (ARC).
Ms. Zollner said they will discuss that later, but will need to nominate an additional committee member.
They discussed the cost analysis that was provided by the general contractor.
APPLICANT PRESENTATION
Mr. Steve Lane, architect, said he’s been working on the new project design since the owners purchased in February. He’s all in favor of saving significant buildings but this structure has passed the point of no return. He mentioned the ARC could be helpful.
Commissioner Bailey asked if they are willing to work on any of the noted items.
Mr. Lane said his only concern is that the taller windows are not compatible with the design. He said Mike Brennan with Apex Engineers will be analyzing the structure first thing in May.
Commissioner Hernly asked if the design layout was in place before he came aboard with the project.
Mr. Lane said he worked with the owners on changes to their preliminary plan, and explained that it’s designed to be a universally functional home so the owners can age in place.
Commissioner Hernly said he is concerned that the internal configuration doesn’t fit well with the historic pattern of the neighborhood.
Mr. Lane said they did discuss a front porch concept but ultimately felt it didn’t work with the project.
Commissioner Hernly said it’s not an issue they can enforce, only encourage.
Commissioner Buchanan agreed, she said she wishes the east elevation was the front of the house.
Mr. Lane said they intend to have a three season room and prefer privacy.
Commissioner Hernly said older houses were able to incorporate semi-public spaces that modern homes no longer include. He suggested they go for the average front yard setback.
Commissioner Buchanan asked if the garage roof is designed for a solar panel.
Mr. Lane said that was the owners’ preference, although he noticed a similar design across the alley on a recent addition.
Mr. Lane asked if the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) will meet May 4th.
Ms. Zollner said yes, the first Thursday of the month.
Mr. Lane said they are happy to defer until next month and to meet with the ARC in the meantime.
Ms. Linda Gwaltney, property owner, said she feels at home in this neighborhood. She is willing to work with the ARC and is attached to the new design.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Dennis Brown, LPA, said they agree with staff. Their number one concern is the roof shape facing the street.
Ms. KT Walsh, said she’s very interested in the part of the house that might be pre-1873. She agreed with comments made by LPA, and encouraged the applicant to save any materials possible.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Commissioner Buchanan said the lean-to roof doesn’t exist in the environs and it’s backwards.
Ms. Zollner mentioned items she feels the ARC might be able to assist with in making the structure more compatible.
Commissioner Bailey asked if there will be enough time to get a report back from the structural engineer.
Ms. Zollner said she thinks so.
They talked about establishing a temporary ARC for this project.
Commissioner Hernly said he would prefer the ARC have three commission members. He appreciates Ms. Zollner’s comments and feels the ARC could have a positive impact on the project. He explained project details that he feels could be adjusted.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Fry, to defer the project and direct the applicant to work with a temporary Architectural Review Committee comprised of Commissioner Hernly, Commissioner Buchanan, and Commissioner Fry to work on setbacks, roof shape, fenestration, window sizes, and siding and to provide additional time to receive the engineering report from the applicant.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
Commissioner Buchanan asked what time the ARC will meet.
Ms. Zollner said 6:00 or 6:30 but she will send out notification.
ITEM NO. 7: DR-17-00069 639 Mississippi Street; New Addition; Certificate of Appropriateness. The parcel is located in the environs of the Wilder-Clark House (643 Indiana Street). Submitted by Adams Architects, LLC on behalf of Travis & Melissa Narum, property owners of record.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Ms. Zollner presented the item.
APPLICANT PRESENTATION
Mr. Lance Adams, architect, explained details of the project and the history of the home.
Commissioner Hernly suggested a connection from the mud room through the pantry and family room.
Mr. Adams said that’s a great idea.
Mr. Travis Narum, property owner, said he would like the addition to be undetectable.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Dennis Brown, LPA, said they appreciate the emphasis on details but they have a problem with the size of the addition, and feel this could set a precedent. He suggested sending the project to the ARC for adjustments to mass and scale.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Commissioner Buchanan agreed with Mr. Brown that it seems too large. She suggested a hyphen to differentiate the addition from the original home.
Commissioner Bailey asked if staff’s recommendation would change if the property to the south was a Landmark.
Ms. Zollner said she couldn’t make that determination.
Commissioner Bailey stressed that there isn’t much line of sight to the property.
Commissioner Buchanan feels the edges of the environs are just as, if not more, important as the core of the environs.
Commissioner Bailey said the environs aims to protect the environment of the listed property, so line of sight, or lack thereof, should matter.
Commissioner Fry said the surrounding area is ignored when a property is listed, so they need to think about that when considering the environs. He doesn’t feel this project detracts from the environs of the listed structure.
Commissioner Bailey noted that they sometimes examine properties even if just the corner of their property is within the environs, which seems illogical.
Commissioner Hernly guessed that there are houses just as large on a single lot, and this is a double lot. Historically, the overall density could be higher than what is existing or proposed.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Fry, to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness and make the determination that the proposed project does not encroach on, damage, or destroy landmarks or their environs.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
ITEM NO. 8: DR-17-00112 607 Louisiana Street; New Addition; State Law Review. The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure to the Old West Lawrence Historic District. Submitted by Adams Architects, LLC on behalf of Andrea Albright & Lance Adams, property owners of record.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Ms. Zollner presented the item.
APPLICANT PRESENTATION
Mr. Lance Adams, property owner, explained details of the project and the history of the property.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Ms. Lindsay Crick, LPA, said she appreciates all of the thought that went into this addition.
ACTION TAKEN
Motioned by Commissioner Buchanan, seconded by Commissioner Bailey, to approve the project and make the determination that it does not damage or destroy any historic property included in the National Register of Historic Places or the State Register of Historic Places, and to allow staff to administratively review any minor alterations to the project.
Unanimously approved 4-0.
ITEM NO. 9: DR-17-00118 Consider Z-17-00103, a request to rezone 6 properties located at 305 E 7TH STREET, 705 CONNECTICUT STREET, 747 NEW JERSEY STREET, 837 CONNECTICUT STREET, 839 CONNECTICUT STREET, and 845 NEW YORK STREET from CS (Commercial Strip District) to RS5 (Single Dwelling Residential District). 1 property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and requires State Law Review. (Deferred pending action by the Lawrence City Commission.)
Ms. Zollner explained the process for the deferred item.
ITEM NO. 10: MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
A. No comment on Zoning Amendments, Special Use Permits, and Zoning Variances received since March 16, 2017.
B. No demolition permits received since March 16, 2017.
C. Miscellaneous matters from City staff and Commission members.
Ms. Zollner said Kelly Erby and Matt Veatch have been appointed to the Commission. She also mentioned that the review of Chapter 22 is progressing nicely.
ADJOURN 9:42 PM