Lawrence historic resources Commission

Agenda Meeting june 15, 2017 6:30 pM

Action summary

Commissioners present: Bailey, Buchanan, Erby, Evans, Hernly, Veatch

Staff present:  Cargill, Weik, Zollner

 

 

ITEM NO. 1:         CoMMUNICATIONS

A.    No communications from other commissions, State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), and the general public.

B.    No ex-parte communications

C.    No abstentions

D.    No Committee Reports

 

ITEM NO. 2:         Consent agenda

A.    Action Summaries

B.    Administrative Approvals

1.          DR-17-00088  1340 Ohio Street; Exterior Door Addition; Oread Design Guidelines Review

2.          DR-17-00120  100 E. 9th Street; ATM Installation; Certificate of Appropriateness and Downtown Design Guidelines Review

3.          DR-17-00121  1645 Tennessee Street; New Gazebo; Certificate of Appropriateness

4.          DR-17-00200  331 Indiana Street; Selective Interior Demolition for Architectural Investigation; State Law Review

5.          DR-17-00226  331 Indiana Street; Rezoning; State Law Review

6.          DR-17-00225  115 W. 11th Street; Mechanical Permit; State Law Review and Certificate of Appropriateness

 

ACTION TAKEN

Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to approve the February, March, and May Action Summaries.

 

Motion carried 5-0-2.

 

Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to approve the April Action Summary

 

Motion carried 6-0-1.

 

Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to confirm the Administrative Approvals,

 

Unanimously approved 7-0.

 

ITEM NO. 3:       PUBLIC COMMENT

 

Ms. KT Walsh welcomed Commissioner Veatch and mentioned that the 1879 Vinland Presbyterian Church and attached home is for sale for $250,000.

 

ITEM NO. 4:      L-17-00036  Public Hearing for consideration of placing the property located at 200 Nebraska Street, the Lee Zimmerman House, on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.  Submitted by The Lawrence Preservation Alliance on behalf of Heidi Lynn Gluck and Robert Raymond Hurst, property owners of record.

 

STAFF PRESENTATION

Ms. Zollner presented the item.

 

APPLICANT PRESENTATION

Mr. Dennis Brown, Lawrence Preservation Alliance (LPA), explained their process and efforts in getting properties listed locally, including the subject property.

 

Commissioner Veatch asked if this property would be eligible for State or National listing.

 

Mr. Brown said this project is as much about establishing planning practices as it is about nominating properties. If a nomination is approved, it immediately goes to the SHPO and they will come back with a Preliminary Site Information Questionnaire (PSIQ).

 

No public comment

 

BOARD DISCUSSION

Commissioner Evans said he has reservations about the nomination and questions its value to the community. He doesn’t feel identification with a person should be considered criteria if the property itself is not an embodiment of a design. He suggested they explore a mechanism to identify those structures but not list them.

 

Commissioner Veatch said it’s being nominated under Criteria 6, so that should be their focus.

 

Commissioner Evans does not feel it embodies the design or quality.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked if he feels it doesn’t represent design & quality locally or nationally.

 

Commissioner Evans said he assumes Criteria 6 is relative to Lawrence.

 

Commissioner Bailey said he thought that was the purpose of adding additional criteria, and things over time become significant.

 

Commissioner Evans said it’s not an issue of age.

 

Commissioner Veatch asked him to be more specific.

 

Commissioner Evans said he doesn’t feel it’s a good architectural example- it doesn’t have the scale or finesse to be an embodiment of a particular period of time.

 

Commissioner Buchanan agreed but doesn’t feel it’s to an extent that it shouldn’t be listed. She said additional information could be added to the listing later.

 

Commissioner Bailey felt that some of it is subjective to personal opinion.

 

Commissioner Fry asked if this home is ranked in the top 15 homes considered to be of similar design.

 

Mr. Brown said it’s in the Lawrence Modern Baker’s Dozen- number eight, he believes.

 

Commissioner Hernly went back to Criteria 6. It’s not a high style example of midcentury modern design, but it has elements of design, detailing, materials, and craftsmanship that are architecturally significant for Lawrence. The Zimmerman Steel tie makes it significant even though it’s not nominated for that reason.

 

Commissioner Bailey asked for clarification of the process for adding information after a property is listed.

 

Ms. Zollner explained the process.

 

Commissioner Evans said he applauds what they’re doing, but is just slightly bothered by this nomination and thinks the register should have prime examples.

 

Mr. Brown said the Beal House is #1 on their list. The Zimmerman House is #4 and the Chewning House is #7. He said they’re mostly interested in the interior as opposed to the exterior and those rankings aren’t taken lightly.

 

Commissioner Hernly asked if anyone from SHPO has seen the house.

 

Ms. Zollner said no- they haven’t had a request from the owner or the applicant.

 

Ms. Zollner said they can apply for State and National listing if the local listing is denied.

 

Commissioner Bailey said he feels other commissioners make valid points, and every nomination should be considered individually, but perhaps there is a concern of watering down the register.

 

ACTION TAKEN

Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to adopt Resolution 2017-05 recommending the property for inclusion in the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

 

     Motion carried 5-2, with Commissioner Evans and Commissioner Fry dissenting.

 

Motioned by Commissioner Bailey, seconded by Commissioner Buchanan, to adopt the environs definition as outlined in the staff report.

 

     Motion carried 5-2, with Commissioner Evans and Commissioner Fry dissenting.

 

ITEM NO. 5:      DR-17-00227  331 Indiana Street; Remodel and New Addition; Demolition and New Construction of Accessory Structure; State Law Review and Certificate of Appropriateness.  The existing primary structure, the J. C. Bare Residence, is listed as a contributing structure to the Pinckney II Historic District, National Register of Historic Places. Submitted by Nathan and Summer Wedermyer, property owners of record.

 

STAFF PRESENTATION

Ms. Zollner presented the item.

 

Commissioner Bailey asked how many doors they plan to have.

 

Ms. Zollner explained that one will be sealed in place and the other will remain.

 

Commissioner Bailey asked about the easement.

 

Ms. Zollner said it’s a utility easement.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT

Mr. Dennis Brown, LPA, said they’ve had concerns about construction work taking place on the property. They hoped the administrative reviews would come before the HRC for discussion. They don’t quite understand the curved driveway, and wonder if they intend to save the historic curb cut. They feel a new curb cut and straight driveway is a better solution.

 

Commissioner Bailey agreed with Mr. Brown’s concerns and asked about the driveway plan.

 

Ms. Summer Wedermyer, applicant, said it was part of the original design but they don’t have a preference either way about the driveway.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked how many trees would need to be removed.

 

Ms. Wedermyer said probably just one.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked if the curb is limestone.

 

Ms. Wedermyer said no.

 

Commissioner Evans said they could make the driveway straight and keep the tree.

 

Ms. Wedermyer said they have no problem doing that.

 

Commissioner Buchanan said she’s more concerned about the work that was already completed versus the driveway.

 

Commissioner Bailey asked why the work wasn’t caught.

 

Ms. Zollner said it should have all been reviewed by the Commission.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked if a permit wasn’t pulled.

 

Ms. Zollner said yes.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked if there are any consequences.

 

Ms. Zollner said under State Law Review there is a penalty but she doesn’t believe it has ever been used.

 

Commissioner Bailey said it’s amazing that they’re able to save the home given its condition.

 

Ms. Wedermyer explained the work they did to make the property safe. She said the neighbors have been amazing about everything.

 

Commissioner Hernly said the historic photo shows a smaller porch and the new porch looks like the size of the replacement porch. He asked if there’s been discussion with SHPO on that.

 

Ms. Zollner said the porch was still there when they met with the SHPO and it had not been rehabilitated or removed so that discussion has not happened.

 

Commissioner Hernly asked if it will be discussed.

 

Ms. Zollner said it’s up to the applicant if they wish to pursue tax credits.

 

They talked about details and materials for the porch.

 

Ms. Wedermyer said they have limestone on site and were going to try to reuse it but brick is also fine.  

 

Commissioner Bailey asked if they know when the new porch was added.

 

Ms. Zollner said she does not.

 

Commissioner Hernly said the skinny porches aren’t useful.

 

Ms. Zollner pulled up the original listing and noted it had the larger porch. The photo was taken in 1991.

 

Commissioner Hernly said he’s not opposed to a larger porch but he suggested the property owner check with the SHPO.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked the applicant, Summer Wedermyer, if she will accept an amendment to the project at 331 Indiana Street to straighten the driveway.

 

Ms. Wedermyer agreed to the proposed amendment.

 

ACTION TAKEN

Motioned by Commissioner Buchanan, seconded by Commissioner Fry, to approve the amended project and make the determination that it does not encroach upon, damage, or destroy the environs of one or more listed historic properties.  

 

     Unanimously approved 7-0.

 

Motioned by Commissioner Buchanan, seconded by Commissioner Fry, to issue the Certificate of Appropriateness and find that the amended project will not significantly encroach on, damage, or destroy the landmark or its environs.

 

     Unanimously approved 7-0.

 

Motioned by Commissioner Buchanan, seconded by Commissioner Fry, to direct staff to administratively review any minor alterations to the amended project.

 

      Unanimously approved 7-0.

 

ITEM NO. 6:        MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS 

 

A.            No comment on Zoning Amendments, Special Use Permits, and Zoning Variances received since May 18, 2017.

 

B.            No demolition permits received since May 18, 2017.

 

C.            Miscellaneous matters from City staff and Commission members.

 

Ms. Zollner said the Chapter 22 draft will be available in July.

 

Commissioner Buchanan asked if this is the appropriate time to evaluate whether non-contributing structures can be added to the local register.

 

Ms. Zollner feels that would get incredibly confusing. She explained that one of the purposes of the local register is to include properties that don’t meet criteria for the State and National registers.

 

 

ADJOURN 7:48 pm