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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20180926 1 REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 Commissioners in attendance: Gretchen Greenwood, Jeffrey Halferty, Nora Berko, Roger Moyer, Willis Pember, Bob Blaich, Richard Lai, Scott Kendrick. Absent was Sheri Sanzone. Staff present: Nicole Henning, Deputy City Clerk Jim True, City Attorney Amy Simon, Historic Preservation Officer Sarah Yoon, Historic Preservation Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mr. Moyer moved to approve the draft minutes of August 22nd, Mr. Kendrick seconded. All in favor, motion carried. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS: Ms. Greenwood thanked Ms. Simon for the HPC outing earlier in the day. She said it was great and Ms. Berko said it was fun. Mr. Moyer agreed that it was fun, and he said it made him think about the applications coming in this evening and said it would be helpful to have a meeting with the director of housing to know what they are thinking regarding housing and housing credits. He doesn’t understand why they take away and give housing, etc. Mr. Pember entered the meeting. Mr. Moyer said it is unconscionable to take away housing. If he were an employer, he would want to have housing downtown, so we need a full understanding from housing and how we can be helpful. Ms. Simon said APCHA sets the housing policy and she hears what he’s saying so she will talk about getting more information to the board. Mr. Moyer said he would also like education on parking and said that cars aren’t going away anytime soon. Mr. Halferty entered the meeting. DISCLOSURES OF CONFLICT: None. PROJECT MONITORING: There is one item for 627 W. Main St. She introduced Doug Kelso and said this item had just been added to the agenda. She said Mr. Kelso had received approval 10 years ago to make an addition and came for an amendment three years ago and the project is getting near completion, but there are elements of the work that he would like to revisit. She said there is no project monitor currently. There are two items, which are the front door and the dormer window. This should only be a ten-minute conversation. She is requesting HPC to consider the brick Victorian house. There is a leaded glass full light door, which has been there for a while and was flagged as not the right style. He would like to install a half light door. There is a dormer on the historic house, which he would like to change from glass block to double hung. He’d like you to reconsider these actions. We do feel strongly about the front door, but not so much about the dormer window. APPLICANT PRESENTATION: Doug Kelso Mr. Kelso said he wants to find out how to do these things better, not that he doesn’t want to do them. He said there is currently a solid oak door and he wants to use the existing door and only modify it by putting in half-light glass. 2 REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 Ms. Simon said the only issue is whether there is any challenge in retro fitting this door. He will put in a wood panel with half-light glass and it will be what they are asking for with a stained finish. It will be beautiful and refurbished. The next issue is the glass block. It is a waterproofing wall within a shower, so he can’t take out the glass block. He is asking if he can put a solid pane of glass across it and a rail to simulate a double hung window. Ms. Simon said it’s on the west wall. Mr. Greenwood said this is an area of discomfort for her. Mr. Pember noted that the approved window is much smaller than the one Mr. Kelso is now proposing. Amy passed around the amendment. Mr. Kelso stated that the shower needs to be waterproof so his solution was to put a solid pane of glass on top of the cubes so it appears like a double hung window. Mr. Halferty said doesn’t think that will work. Ms. Greenwood suggested putting glass in front of the window on the inside. Mr. Halferty said he would prefer what was approved. Mr. Kelso said he doesn’t want an eyesore in his house. Mr. Moyer asked if the glass block is flush with the interior of the wall and Mr. Kelso said yes. Ms. Greenwood told him he has to solve this and go along with what was approved and hold to the guidelines. She doesn’t want to solve people’s detail problems. Mr. Kelso said he will paint it up and make it look operable on the outside. The board is good with that. STAFF COMMENTS: Ms. Yoon said the pedestrian mall has received an award from the American Planning Association and a celebration is planned for a mall festival. Banners have been placed over 4th street and the event will be held on October 6th. We will have a rep from the APA coming to Aspen for the event along with some of our elected officials. She said it will be starting at noon. Ms. Simon said she has sent some emails to the board about the HPC benefits that council is interested in seeing some changes to the floor area bonus. She said staff is moving quickly to draft language and that council would like to meet with HPC first in a work session before making any permanent changes. Ms. Simon is looking at the November 13th work session for HPC to meet with them. CERTIFICATE OF NO NEGATIVE EFFECT: None. CALL UPS: None. OLD BUSINESS: 304 E. Hopkins Amy Simon Ms. Simon said this is the third time this project has come in front of HPC. Previously, the second floor was provided to include affordable housing, but that came with too many negative outcomes. The project you see before you tonight is a one story. The applicant has responded to the concerns, but it’s hard for an applicant to meet every single guideline and they are outlined in the resolution for a variation or not. The pedestrian amenity is not open to sky, so the board will have to make an exception to approve the canopy. The applicant is asking you to balance the concern and it does seem that there has been more effort to create transparency and character. Staff is comfortable with this and is recommending approval. The applicant will replace the existing units with housing credits. The applicants included a letter which was submitted yesterday. We think it’s a good fit. 3 REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 APPLICANT PRESENTATION: Chris Bendon of Bendon Adams; Bryce Johnson, family member and advisor at Hillstone Restaurant Group; Matthias Lenz, Senior Project Architect at Hillstone Restaurant Group Mr. Bendon said it feels like we’re close to the finish line. He showed the past two designs they presented to HPC and the present design they have come back with. Everyone seems in agreement on one thing; the complications of doing affordable housing on site. As for the design for tonight, we feel very good about it and we feel we have been responsive to HPC’s input. The awning is smaller in footprint and lets more light in. We have worked hard to make the design more “Aspen” and have shortened the depth of the awning. It’s a more simplified and light plan and it doesn’t cover the entire pedestrian amenity space. It balances the desire to have some solar protection and makes the outdoor space very usable. They are right at 50% so they will not have to go to council for approval and it still reveals the corner of the White House building. We think I fits in well with the neighbors. We have added louvers on far east side, lowered the wall and put in light railing. We don’t need a wall there above the entrance to the second-tier space, so it is now a window into the restaurant. There will still be basement space, but it has an inviting entrance. In conclusion, we think it responds to comments and better relates to Aspen in general and is an enhancement to the historic district. There is concern for a mitigation to be provided now and we have had a conversation with the applicant about the impact to them, but we do accept the city’s need to see it now instead of down the road. We are accepting of doing that and want to make sure the deed restriction is lifted. Mr. Moyer asked about the parapet wall up above and if it is to hide the equipment and Mr. Bendon said yes. Mr. Moyer asked if there will be a sign up there and Mr. Lenz said we are still developing this and may utilize the canopy for signage. Mr. Moyer asked about the east end with the louvres and what is behind them. Mr. Bendon said it is a window there looking into commercial space. He said the louvres allow for adjustability. Ms. Berko asked how high the ceiling inside is and Mr. Lenz said 12 feet and it’s 8 ft 6 from the bottom of the canopy. Mr. Halferty said the canopy looks to be cantilevered and asked if it is supported from the main front façade and Mr. Lenz said yes and it won’t be an issue from a structural standpoint. Mr. Pember asked if they will have snowmelt included and Mr. Lenz said we do want to have this, but those types of details have not been finalized yet. Ms. Berko asked if the patio is being used as restaurant or hang out space and Mr. Bendon said it will be used for all of those things. We see this as an opportunity to activate the street. As you expect, there is a lot of queuing up with not a lot of space to hang out, like next door at White House, so this space will be great for that, with great views and solar access. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. Mr. Kendrick said this project is like night and day from the first presentation and is much more vibrant and welcoming. He is in favor of it. Ms. Berko said it’s a changed building and thanked the applicants. She said she is still uncomfortable with the public amenity because she said it feels like it’s privatizing public space and that’s her issue. She also thinks the overhang is still too big. 4 REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 Ms. Simon said we have changed the name of this feature. It used to be called open space, then it was public amenity and now it is pedestrian amenity. She said in this case, it is the applicant’s private property, so they aren’t doing anything wrong here. Ms. Berko apologized and said she didn’t interpret it correctly. Mr. Lai said he is startled at the change from the last time to now and thinks it’s an improvement. He said the front space is much more open. He wasn’t sure if they used a rendering trick to get the lighter feeling from front to back on the drawings but does feel that it is more welcoming and flexible. He’s surprised about the previous concept with the columns and sloped canopy and said it invoked the old western idea more than the present one as this seems more modern and light. Either option is viable in his opinion. He appreciates the parapet. He said there are two ways to relate a building to the past and that is to mimic it or make it something quite different. He is surprised by the shift, but he supports the project. Mr. Bendon said they took the comments seriously for a change. Mr. Blaich said they’ve seen three presentations and they were, in order: bad, better and best. He said he did not appreciate the western saloon approach at the beginning, but feels this scale is appropriate for the site. He would be comfortable with a project manager dealing with the signage and said he would add signage as a condition. Ms. Greenwood agreed. Mr. Halferty said he commends the applicants on the housing credits and feels this is much more in keeping with the guidelines and is more compatible with the site. The canopy is necessary, and he would like to see how the water will be removed from it in the winter. The planters are better than the “hot tub” planters previously proposed. He likes the parapet and feels that it is reminiscent of some of the historical architecture in town. He supports the project for approval. Mr. Pember asked the other board members about the condition they mentioned for signage. Mr. Blaich said he’s fine with a project manager dealing with it. Mr. Pember agreed and said we probably don’t need to write it into the conditions. Either way, he said water collection on the flat roof, in the winter, is a concern and thinks snowmelt would cause pools of water, so it is something to think about for final. He doesn’t disagree with anyone’s comments so far and thinks it’s more consistent with corporate goals. Taking the residential component out of this is probably a good idea. He said the structure seems like a Mr. Potato Head thing where you can put a lot of different entrances onto this building. He likes the building being brought forward and thinks that it addresses the main criticisms from last time. Mr. Moyer thinks it’s much better, but maybe they should soften the parapet. He announced that he had to leave the meeting but is in support of the project. Ms. Greenwood likes the project better and said it’s a huge improvement. She said the board seems to be in favor of what is written in the resolution. MOTION: Mr. Blaich moved to approve resolution #15, Mr. Lai seconded. Roll call vote: Mr. Blaich, yes; Mr. Pember, yes; Mr. Kendrick, yes; Mr. Halferty, yes; Ms. Greenwood, yes; Ms. Berko, yes; Mr. Lai, yes. All in favor, motion carried. 5 REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 MOTION: Mr. Kendrick motioned to continue 211 W. Main to November 14th, Mr. Lai seconded. All in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 5:31 p.m. _________________________________ Nicole Henning, Deputy City Clerk