Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20120111 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 Vice - chair, Ann Mullins called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Nora Berko, Willis Pember, Brian McNellis and Jay Maytin. Jamie McLeod was excused. Staff present: Jim True, Special Counsel Amy Guthrie, Historic Preservation Officer Kathy Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk Elections: Nora nominated Ann as chair; second byWiIlis. Jay nominated himself as chair; second by Brian. Brian nominated himself as chair; second by Jay. Brian said he has the longest tenure on the board and is well rounded and understands our guidelines. He has a comfort level and is passionate about HPC and has the knowledge of our land use. Jay said he enjoys HPC and will continue to stay on but would like to have the chance to sit as chair. Ann said she is also passionate and has been on the board for 4 years. As chair I would focus on in the next two to three years the Aspen Modern, zoning and have the board work more efficiently and have periodic retreats. We also need to work on work session so they are structured properly. Secret ballot vote: Ann Mullins is the chair. Ann nominated Jay for vice -chair second by Willis. Secret ballot vote: Jay is vice - chair. Jim suggested the board have a second vice chair. Ann moved to confirm Brian as second vice chair second by Jay. All in favor, motion carried 5 -0. MOTION: Jay moved to approve Dec.14 minutes second by Ann. All in favor, motion carried 5 -0. 1 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 MOTION: Nora moved to approve the minutes of Dec. 7` second by Jay. All in favor, motion carried 5 -0. Jay and Brian are the monitors for 205 S. Spring. Nora announced that Jamie was appointed chair of the Colorado West chapter of the AIA. Congratulations Jamie! MOTION: Jay moved to continue 217 E. Bleeker to February 8 second by Ann. All in favor, motion carried. 119 Neale Avenue — Landmark Designation, Historic Landmark Lot Split and Variances Jim said the public notice has not been notarized and needs to be done tomorrow by noon. Exhibit I. It is very important that the notice be returned properly notarized. Jay pointed out that if it is not notarized properly within 24 hours the meeting would theoretically become null. Jeff Shoaf said he will come by tomorrow to the clerk's office and get it notarized. Amy said HPC did a site visit in October and the property is al5,000 square foot lot that is not designated historic and it has a single family house on it and the log cabin. The log cabin was moved from Snowmass to the Benedict's property out at Stillwater in the 60's and it was renovated but had some occupancy issues and eventually was put up for auction by a later owner. Jeff Shoaf, the applicant won the auction and moved the cabin to his property in the 90's and went ahead with a renovation and it voluntarily turned into an accessory dwelling. HPC gave an award of recognition even though the building was not historic. This past fall Jeff asked for information on designation. We have talked about a lot split and Jeff has an interest in seeing this cabin preserved for the future whether he is the property owner or not and without a big addition being added that would potentially ruin the building. The proposal is to carve off a 3,000 square foot lot for the cabin which is the smallest the lot can be for that building. Jeff does not want to give it anymore FAR than is required to cover the size of the building which is about 500 square feet of FAR and he is asking you 2 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 to cover that with a bonus. Setback variances are needed for the existing location of the cabin. This zone district has a front yard setback of 25 feet and the cabin is 15 feet from the road. The new lot line means the historic building is five feet from the lot line instead of ten so he needs two setback variances, front and side. The new lot should have two parking spaces on it and Jeff would like to provide none so he is asking for a two space waiver. His intention is to actually allocate some parking on lot one that contains the non - historic building which is fine but it doesn't meet the code requirement. He is supposed to have two spaces on the historic lot and if he doesn't provide them HPC needs to do a variance or ask him to find a spot on the site. The Engineering Dept. said they don't actually have the right to deny a curb cut to allow parking but they aren't happy about it due to the safety issues coming to the crust of the Neale Ave. hill. You are being asked to accept historic designation of the whole property and make a recommendation to City Council on the lot split and consider the variances and parking. We are still working on how the FAR would be allocated on the property. He is allowed 4,800 square feet for the whole site and normally when a lot split is done the FAR is evenly divided and he doesn't want to do that which is great as he doesn't want any FAR added to the cabin. If he takes all the FAR and puts it on the new house it is actually too much for that lot. He might have to take some of the square footage and turn it into TDR's. Staff recommends approval. Jay clarified that we are giving the 500 square foot bonus so the cabin conforms. Amy said because it is an accessory dwelling unit most of it doesn't count in floor area and when he does the lot split it becomes a free market unit and would count. The bonus would not allow any addition just cover what he has today. Jeff said the upstairs is 100% FAR and that is give or take 375 square feet and the lower level is mostly below grade. Amy clarified the bonus. Right now Jeff is allowed 4,800 square feet for a free market duplex on the site and he has an ADU that doesn't count in FAR. By doing the designation and making that unit free market he has to take out of the FAR he has for new development on the site and he would 3 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 prefer not to and he is asking for an incentive. Cover the historic building so that it costs him nothing in terms of square footage. Jeff said he got a 350 square foot bonus for the ADU and I lose that and if I get 500 from the HPC I only gain 150 square feet. Nora asked in 1998 what was the advantage to you to deed restrict the cabin? Jeff said it was the only way the cabin could be put on the lot. Nora asked if there will be another ADU or are we losing one. Jeff said this ADU had the minimum amount of restrictions which was it couldn't be rented out short term. When the new lot is redeveloped I've asked for an exemption from that. If my house was torn down and the cabin stays the person redeveloping my property would not have to do an ADU. Amy said the growth management exemptions for a landmark will not require them to do an ADU but they could volunteer. Amy pointed out on the new lot we are looking at no more than 4,200 square feet. It will be a single family home. Amy clarified that only HPC can give variances on the historic lot not the new lot. Jeff said the distance between the cabin and the existing house is 18 feet. Nora asked if potentially the line could be redrawn again to accommodate a parking space and no variance. Amy said you can't give a variance for the side yard setback on the non - historic house so the lot line really can't move. Ann also asked if the lot -line could be moved further away from the historic resource. Jeff said they moved the line as close to the non - historic structure as they could and still maintain the ten foot setback. Jeff said there is a parking spot provided for the ADU, it is off my driveway. My plan is to have a designated parking spot on my lot instead of having one 4 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 on the cabin lot. It would have a permanent easement. That way it puts all the parking together. Jay asked if we can deed a parking space that belongs to lot 2 to lot 1. Jim said HPC can recommend that as a condition of approval and it could be placed on the plat and have a permanent easement. Jay said if Jeff agrees and he sells the big piece of property then the cabin is owned by one person and they still get a parking spot. That would protect our neighborhood from over parking. Jeff said he has no problem with that. Chairperson, Ann Mullins opened the public hearing. There were no public comments. The public hearing portion of the agenda item was closed. Discussion: Ann said the first issue is does the cabin qualify for designation. All board members supported designation of the cabin. Lot Split: Jay suggested the lot -line be drawn 8 feet from the cabin rather than ten feet. Jeff said that is the same spot. All board members support the lot split. FAR bonus 500 square feet; the variances of ten feet and five feet and the parking spaces. Amy explained that the who property is allowed no more than 4,833 square feet. Jeff has to take out 500 square feet to cover the historic cabin and is left with 4,333 square feet. He can't use all that in the new house. He can only use 4,200 square feet. He then has 133 square feet that is in limbo that he either has to put on the historic cabin which you probably don't want him to do or you can award the FAR bonus and use that as TDR's. A TDR is 250 square feet. Jay commented that he supports the entire project and that HPC should add the perpetual easement in the motion. I would rather see the car parked near the newer house. This site and cabin has a great history in this town and it is a beautiful spot and it is voluntary designation and I would like to award 5 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 those that genuinely seem to want to protect our town. For those reasons I will support the FAR, variances and the easement. Ann said she agrees with Jay and appreciates the effort to save it from having any more development. I would recommend that one parking space be waived but figure out the other whether it should be a permanent easement on the other lot. Nora said if she looks at the benefits of the historic lot split, parking waivers and variances she would be more comfortable with a smaller FAR. Jeff reminded the board that he is giving up a 350 square foot bonus that he already has. I'm really only getting 150. Brian said he is struggling with the 500 square foot bonus but on the flip that is an incentive for the owner to do the designation. In looking at the criteria I cannot find anything that says don't give the bonus. In light of what Jeff said I am OK with the bonus. The perpetual easement needs to be part of the document. Willis agreed with the designation and application. MOTION: Jay moved to approve Resolution #1 as written with the amendment of requiring a perpetual easement for one parking spot for lot 2 on lot 1; motion second by Nora. Ann said she would rather not dictate how he provides the parking space goes. Amy said even if he put the parking space on lot 1 he still required to have two on lot two and you have to waive both parking spaces. Ann said we have to waive both parking spaces because he not providing any on that lot. Amy said what Jay said is fine that there will be a dedicated space on lot 1. VOTE: Willis; yes; Nora, yes; Brian, yes; Jay, yes; Ann, yes. Motion carried 5 -0. 6 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF JANUARY 11, 2012 208 E. Main — Work Session Jim True, Special Counsel said this is a work session and there can be no approvals and the applicant cannot rely on anything that is said by the commission as a whole or by any individual commissioner. There is nothing that can be stated up front that you can rely formally on. Certainly you are trying to get impressions and input and you need to understand that work sessions are not for making final determinations. MOTION: Ann moved to adjourn; second by Nora. All in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Kathleen J. Stick and, Chief Deputy Clerk 7 — n