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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20100915 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 Vice - chair, Sarah Broughton called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Jay Maytin, Brian McNellis, Nora Berko, Jason Lasser and Jamie McLeod. Ann was excused. Staff present: Jim True, Special Counsel Amy Guthrie, Historic Preservation Officer Sara Adams, Historic Preservation Planner Kathy Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk Disclosure: Nora recused herself on 212 N. Monarch - Nora is a neighbor and received the public notice. 212 N. Monarch — Minor Development Alan Richman, Planning Services Phil Hodgson, owner Sara explained that the public hearing was noticed for August 25 and there was no quorum so it was continued to Sept. 8 which had no quorum so it was continued to tonight. A site visit was conducted at noon today; Jason, Jamie and Nora were present. The owner marked off where the proposed driveway is to be located on the site. The property is located on Monarch Street, right next to Tim Semrau's project, the Blue Vic. It is a 5,800 square foot lot, residential. The applicant is requesting approval for a driveway to accommodate some on -site stacked parking spaces. There is neither carport nor garage proposed. There is also no alley access to this property. Traditionally parking was at the rear of the site but there are driveways through historic properties at the front of properties. There is some landscaping in the location where the driveway is going to be. Phil and the City Forester met and there are some trees to be retained. Some bushes will be removed as part of the driveway proposal. Essentially there are two scenarios: (1) Proposal to jog around the Austrian pine tree and go straight back along the side of the house. (2) The pine tree can be removed if the HPC wanted that to happen and then the driveway would be a straight shot and be pulled a little bit further away from the front facade of the house. The material proposed is grass - crete. The applicant is open to feedback from HPC on the material selection. Staff is recommending approval with five conditions. We find that this brings the non - conforming parking 1 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 situation into compliance with the code. The five conditions are: To reduce the width of the driveway to ten feet which is the requirement of the engineering standards. Staff and monitor to review and approve the grass - crete style prior to purchase and installation. If the pine tree dies during construction, then the driveway shall be oriented parallel to the lot line. Condition four and five are our standard conditions, no deviations without first being reviewed and approved by HPC etc. Conditions of approval to be printed on the building permit plan. Staff is recommending approval. Alan Richman, Planning Services representing the owner. Alan said Phil has owned the property since the early 70's. The property consists of portions of three lots. The lot is basically 62 by 90 and it is not very wide, 30 feet. The guidelines tell us not to put the driveway directly in front of the house and there is very limited area on the property where the driveway can go. We want to install a driveway so that cars can be parked off the street. There is an increased use of on- street parking. More people are coming into the neighborhood and it is becoming difficult to park on the street. Service companies won't come to the house unless there is off - street parking spaces for them to come into. Council requested that the alley be landscaped and closed. We are trying to comply with the guidelines. We designed the driveway at 12 feet but it could be ten feet and we would rather it be smaller. The driveway is purposely located at the side of the house. The curve in the driveway is to preserve the Austrian pine. There is also some brush that will be removed. The forester, Chris Forman indicated he is confident that the Austrian pine can be saved. There are letters in support from the immediate neighbors who are in favor of the concept. We have also discussed the idea of plain gravel. Jay asked if the parking will be sufficient to remove all the vehicles from the street. Phil said not all the vehicles will fit but the majority can. Jason said he doesn't understand the tree condition and if the tree dies the tree should be replaced or we should eliminate the condition. Alan said we have a condition here that we aren't digging deep so we feel the tree will be saved. Jason said he is OK with the curved driveway. 2 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 Brian said he is in favor of the grass -crete but pointed out if it is not done correctly it can turn out to be a mess. You need to have some kind of rock base underneath. There are engineering specifications that the applicant should be aware of for the success of the project. The monitor should review the specifications with the applicant. Sara suggested the motion include style and specifications of the grass -crete in order to be clear. Alan said since we missed a few hearings we are getting late in the season and we probably can't do this. As a temporary measure to get the cars off the street this season the thought was to do gravel and see how it works. If Phil likes the gravel we could just leave it which would clearly have the least impact on the landscaping. You would not have to dig down deep at all. Brian said he wouldn't mind the use of gravel to see how it looks like. Jason said the gravel would be the material used in the first step of the grass - crete. It is the foundation. Phil said he is leaning toward gravel as opposed to grass - crete. Sarah said she is fine with gravel as it is an informal material and it has been used with other homes in this neighborhood successfully. Brian said if we were to approve the gravel staff and monitor should choose the gravel. We don't want road base. Jason and Jay prefer the grass -crete material. Jay said since it is so close to the historic resource I was excited about the grass -crete material. Jay suggested driving on the grass this winter. I'm worried that the gravel goes in and it ends up staying there. Brian said the other concern he has with grass -crete is the curve and there is tension there and the grass won't survive as well in that area. Sarah said you could do an edge around the gravel. 3 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 Brian said you can do gravel in an elegant way and I wouldn't mind the gravel as a temporary solution. Jamie said she is fine with the gravel and seeing what it looks like this winter. Gravel could also be the final product. If the gravel works and visually it is fine we can leave it. If the gravel doesn't look good I would be ecstatic with grass - crete. Alan suggested working with staff and the monitor on the selection of the appropriate gravel material in the interim. We apply it this winter and next spring staff and monitor meets again with the owner and an evaluation occurs to see if it works. I don't see any chance that Phil will get to grass- crete this fall. It would be up to the applicant to propose a change. Jim True said the resolution needs to be clear. Sara said the driveway is supposed to be straight and if the tree happens to die during construction or a root gets cut etc. do you want it to be a straight driveway or a curved one. The curve is accommodating the tree. We can take the entire recommendation out. Jamie said take out the recommendation. Sarah suggested taking the condition out. MOTION: Sarah moved to approve Resolution #9 for 212 N. Monarch Street with the following conditions: 1. Width of the driveway will be reduced to ten feet. 2. Driveway to be aligned as represented on the plan with the jog around the existing tree. 3. For this fall 2010 gravel can be installed in lieu of grass- crete. In May, 2011 staff and monitor will meet with the applicant to determine if gravel is acceptable to remain or if grass -crete is to replace the gravel. If grass -crete is accepted it must be installed by July 1, 2011. 4. There shall be no deviations from the exterior elevations as approved without first being reviewed and approved by HPC staff and monitor or the full board. 5. The conditions of approval will be required to be printed on the cover sheet of the building permit plan set and all other prints made for the purpose of construction 4 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 Motion second by Jamie. Alan said we will all work together to see what works and what doesn't work. Jim clarified that staff and monitor will make the decision in the spring. Alan said we heard the motion and are clear that staff and monitor will make the final decision in the spring. Sarah said it is up to the applicant to meet with staff and monitor by May 1 2011. Vote: Jamie, yes; Jay, yes; Sarah, yes; Brian, yes; Jason, no. Motion carried 4 -1. Brian and Jay are the project monitors. Chris Bendon — Crandall building update. Chris signed off on an insubstantial amendment for a roof deck and access stairway to the deck for the Crandall building. Both Amy and Sara were not available. The monitors, Jason and Jamie strongly opposed the approval. Jamie said in the future, conditions should be clearer in the resolution regarding HPC's concerns and recommendations. Election of Chair and Vice -chair until the end of the year 2010. Jim relayed that Ann Mullins called and was interested in being chair. Someone on the board would need to nominate her. Jim asked for nominations for chair from the board. Nora nominated Ann for chair. Brian nominated Sarah for chair. Sarah said she is happy to stay as vice -chair for three months or move up to chair. She has been on HPC for 7 years and reviews the land use code daily in what she does. Sarah said she tries to be an impartial view to the board. 5 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 Jamie, Sarah; Nora, Sarah; Jay, Sarah; Sarah, Sarah; Brian, Sarah; Jason abstained. Vice -chair Jamie nominated Ann. Sarah nominated Jay. Brian, Jay; Sarah, Jay; Jay, Jay; Nora, Ann; Jamie, Ann; Jason abstained Congratulations to Sarah and Jay. Kathy stated that the ad for an alternate has been in the paper. Nora will move up to regular status. Brian said when his term is up in October he probably will not run again. MOTION: Sarah moved to adjourn; second by Jamie. All in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Kathleen J. Strickland, Chief Deputy Clerk 6