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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20130313 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 Chairperson, Ann Mullins called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Nora Berko, Willis Pember, Patrick Sagal and Jay Maytin. Excused were Jane Hills, Sallie Golden and Jamie McLeod Staff present: Deborah Quinn, Assistant City Attorney Amy Guthrie, Historic Preservation Officer Kathy Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk Justin Barker, Planner Willis will recuse himself on 110 W. Main and 612 W. Main 110 W. Main — Conceptual Major Development, Conceptual Commercial Design, Demolition, Public Amenity Amy said property is 27,000 square feet and expands from Main Street to Bleeker Street. It is zoned mixed use on the front half of the property and R6 on the rear half and lodge preservation overlay. As the development goes through the entire property will be mixed use. It is partially in the historic district. After HPC they go to P&Z and council for a PUD review. The front 1/3 of the property most of the existing development is remaining. The only real change is a canopy element over the front which is appropriate. In the middle third they are adding an additional story for lodge units but within the 28 foot height limit. Staff's comments have been focused on the residential development along Bleeker in the back. The rear has four new units. The 4 units are 32 feet high and they have been pushed apart a little to make them have a residential feel. Amy said perhaps the flat roof is not in keeping with the neighborhood. There are three Victorians next to this site. At the edge of the property we still would like to see some revision to the mass even if it made the buildings taller. At the last hearing we had a lot of discussion about the different departments and those issues have been addressed and at this time HPC doesn't have to be concerned with them. They are reducing their public amenity by 830 square feet and they are talking about improvements along the Garmisch parking area. They are also proposing an outside dining area. Staff recommends continuation. Stan Clauson Associates and Poss Architecture and Planning —Kim Weil Stan said council said protecting small lodges is important and a goal. You have a project before you to enhance its existing lodge development. This commission is charged with Historic Main Street that extends to Bleeker 1 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 Street. You have a project before you to enhance its existing lodge development and create 54 lodge units that are among the smallest in the city. Normally you wouldn't have any charge on Bleeker Street. This is a LP overlay with a PUD. This project needs some spirit of compromise to move it forward. The outstanding issues from the last meeting sewer line, size of units, accessibility, trash, affordable housing and size of units, all have been resolved. What we have done to emphasize the separation is increase the distance between the buildings. Engineering has asked that we go to parallel parking on a portion of the street. We have tried to create architectural quality and is a compliment to the neighborhood. The roof design changed and front massing has more identity between the units. We have moved the entrances slightly and provided open railings which reduce the visual mass and height of the walls. We reduced the amount of stone and provided more wood siding to give a residential feel. Kim Weil said they also reduced the amount of fenestration that faces the street. We also removed columns to open up the corner and kept the mass toward the center. There is nothing that precludes a flat roof in the West End anywhere. Materials, patterns and textures are consistent and a grade above the palates and textures that are found in that area. We feel this enhances the residential element. Kim Weil said the roof lines have been adjusted in an attempt to modulate the 4 units. The landscape plan offers dining off Main Street. Stan said in all we need to focus on compromise and jurisdiction. We are getting 54 units out of this project and with careful capitalization can move forward. Roof gabling would add overall height and massing. Nora said she feels we are getting close. The eastern building shifted 3 1/2 feet east. On Bleeker you did not move toward the north or the alley. Only the eastern building was moved. Kim said there is ten feet apart on the buildings and then it is cantilevered over. 2 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 Nora said our charge is still to preserve scale and mass in the neighborhood and is there room for compromise to have the buildings can come down four feet. It is big on that block. Stan said it is two stories on all sides and the third floor provides the square footage that makes for the development to work. You can't have a six foot high third story. We are considerable less than the amount of free market development associated with a lodge preservation project of this type. Patrick asked about a garden level for the four units. Kim said the ramping doesn't allow us to go lower etc. Stan said if you were walking along the sidewalk you would only see a two story. Chairperson, Ann Mullins opened the public comment portion of the agenda item. Ed Walkabee, owner of 121 W. Bleeker. Our house is next to the proposed structure. The West End is to be preserved and we need to do the best we can to do that. All of the three houses are 1888 vintage and our setbacks are the same with large yards. We paid 4.2 million and put in 675 thousand. Our house stands out and it is a showcase. The mass we are dealing with is a tremendous width and square and 32 feet high. The square shape does not fit the West End. Next door the historic houses have a height of 24 or 25 feet. I object to what the new structures will look like. The commission's charge is to preserve the historic feeling of Aspen. Julie Ann Steele — Exhibit II — e-mail. The height should fall under the R-6 guidelines as two story residences. The proposal is not in keeping with the historic buildings. Our living area height is 24 to 25 feet and the height to the ridge is 31 feet. Aaron Brown said he and his brother Michael own the Hotel Aspen and Molly Gibson. We always knew this was going to be a compromise. There is the issue of preserving the lodge and the architecture of the free market units. We have 45 rooms with affordable housing. We wanted more affordable rooms. This lodge will last another 30 years and this is what we thought the city wanted, smaller and more affordable rooms. We have underground parking and 9 more rooms and rebuilding 30 rooms and has a 3 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 new public amenity, has affordable house and it is paying all its fees. We feel this is a great balance and compromise between the city's policy and our desire to build these lodge rooms. We are delivering the 54 rooms and consistent with the city and we are being pushed back on the free market. Without the third story there is no development. It doesn't work economically as we don't have the funds for these rooms. We need the free market in order to make the project work. Ann closed the public comment portion of the agenda item. Height mass scale Trash, sewer has been approved by city staff Public amenity Cash-in-lieu demolition Jay said they are close to the same square footage if there were two single family houses. Nora said she is stuck and understands the small lodge issue and the economics of it. My charge is preservation of the West End and this feels incompatible. We have to respect the integrity of the West end and at the same time applaud small lodges. Jay said we are in this because of the Main Street District and small lodges. If the two lots were sold there could be something else built that could be worse. This corner can handle these buildings because Garmisch Street is very wide and can handle it. We will end up with a great little lodge in the Historic Main Street District. The building is being preserved and they are preserving what is there and bringing it up to current energy codes etc. I can support the project. I would ask you to consider ten feet off Bleeker Street just because of the front setbacks on the 1800 Victorians next door. Patrick said we are close. Mass and scale should be changed a little bit. If they took the square footage away of the restaurant and moved rooms into that and kept the residential and changed that around a little bit that might work. To me it is the revision of a roof forms so it appears residential than commercial. 4 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13 2013 Ann said she hasn't seen that much change in the massing and it is superficial. It is primarily a residential area except for Main Street. We need to be preserving residential. Stan said the buildings have changed. The Hotel Aspen owners have tried to make this into something that is acceptable. Aspen can be considered the West End but it is also home to lodges and tourism and we always have needed to maintain some kind of balance. Lodge preservation was enacted based on the concept of having small lodges that have adjacency to residential districts need to be allowed reasonable development. We are being quite consistent and the neighbor did move next to the lodge with expansion potential. We need to think of Aspen and protect lodging facilities. Your charge is to protect the Main Street Historic District and it just happens that it extends into Bleeker Street. If these owners were not able to do the kind of lodge expansion they could do a lodge contraction and build single family development or sell the property which would allow for flat roofs. The issue seems to be revolving around gable roofs. Aaron Brown said everyone makes good points. If you want us to go and make changes there is no road map from this meeting of what those changes should be for an approval because everyone has different concerns. There is nothing said from the HPC about going higher which staff mentioned. Stan said this needs more approvals down the road. Ann said what she is hearing from the board is that it is too big. MOTION: Ann moved to continue until April 24th Motion fails for lack of a second. MOTION: Jay made the motion to approve l 10 W. Main. Motion fails for lack of a second. Jay said all the discussion is on these two houses and nothing on the lodge. The lodge is going to be beautiful. Preserving this lodge is where we should be focusing. This commission should believe in the Main Street Historic District. The renditions of this project have changed for the better. There is a park across the street and a school nearby. There is also a doctor's office directly across the street and we have a chance to help this proj ect. 5 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 MOTION: Jay made the motion to approve the project as proposed, approving height, mass and scale, demolition, cash in lieu and the representation that the fire, utilities etc. is as represented. Motion fails for lack of a second. MOTION: Patrick move to continue the application and restudy the roof form only. Motion fails for lack of a second. MOTION: Ann moved to continue 110 W. Main to April 24th to restudy height, scale, mass and proportion; motion second by Patrick. Motion carried 3-1. Vote: Patrick, yes; Jay, no; Nora, yes; Ann, yes. 605 E. Bleeker— Conceptual Major Development and Setback Variances — Public Hearing Debbie said the public notice is in order and the applicant can proceed. Affidavit of posting Exhibit I Willis was seated. Justin said currently on the site there is an historic miners cottage along with a non-historic 1999 rear two story addition between the two. The applicant would like to remodel that rear addition and the connecting element as well as renovation the interior of the historic building and adding a front porch to the historic building. The non-historic addition had received variance approvals for the side and rear yard setbacks. The proposal is looking to reuse the same foundations from that rear addition so they need the variances re-approved for this project. Staff is recommending those be reapproved. On the rear addition the massing is similar to what exists and the dimensions will be the same. They are proposing a gabled roof. The height would increase by 2'3" inches for the new addition but within the height limitations for the district. On the connection element the dimensions are less than the ten feet minimum that is required by the guidelines. This is mainly due to a glass enclosed staircase that juts off the addition and down on top of the connector. Staff feels that this is still achieving the intent of the guideline. Also for the connector there is a private patio proposed on top of the connecting element and most of the mass will be on the west side and hidden from view from the street but there is a portion that will be visible. Staff is recommending that the size of the patio be reduced so that it is completely hidden. The connector should only be used as access to the 6 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13 2013 patio. There is no evidence that a porch ever existed. When the addition was done in 1999 there was a condition that no elements be added to the historic house that didn't previously exist. HPC needs to decide if they want to stick with the original condition or go with the guidelines which suggest adding a porch. If a porch is added staff recommends a variance from the residential design guideline to be less than six feet in depth. Overall staff is recommending approval with the following conditions: That the original setbacks are granted and approved. Remove the proposed porch from the front. If HPC approves the porch a variance is be granted from the required 6 feet. Removal of the non-historic shutters. The previous variances granted were a 2.3 foot west side yard. They are providing 2.7. A 3 foot variance for the light well that is on the west side of the property. On the east side yard there is a one foot reduction. Keith Howell, architect Kim Weil, Poss Architects The context is mostly single family houses and one large hotel on the corner of Main and 5th Street. The house is noted as a Harold Ross house. In 1888 it was a single gabled structure and in 1890 a cross gable was added which is a separate building. In 1952 a third building was purchased and then added to the property and in 1983 Guss Hallam did a remodel and added a back porch. He also added a 2 x 6 framing around the house. In 1999 the house was renovated and picked up and moved to a different part of the site when an historic lot split was done on the property. There are numerous large pine and aspen trees on the site. We feel the carriage house design is not historically accurate. It loses the clarity of what is historic over time. To the house we would like to use a similar form to the addition but contrast the materials between old and new to clearly show what is original and what has been added to the property. In the basement there are bedrooms and a media room and we are keeping the same layout. In the main level the back wall was lost in the 1999 addition. We are basically opening up the main level with a big kitchen/dining area. We are enlarging the garage and adding a mud room and moving the office from the upper level to the main level. On the upper level we are moving t he office and replacing it with a master bedroom. On the upper level there is a connection to the deck. On the roof level we are taking away the shed roof that was the connector between the original house and the new addition. We are replacing that with a flat roof to better define the separation between the two elements. We are creating a glass gasket to separate the old from new. The existing house has been 7 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 added onto three times. We are proposing to add a porch to bring the house back to look more historic of its time period. The guidelines encourage porches. The current massing to the ridge is 26.3 and we are 3'3 1/2" under the current height limit for this zone district. Ann said it is 2.3 feet higher than existing. Chairperson, Ann Mullins opened the public comment section of the agenda item. Georgia Hanson, Aspen Historical Society said we have had a lot of construction on Bleeker for months at a time. We have not been able to get people into the museum without climbing around trucks etc. This summer we are celebrating out 50th and we have a big event going on in July. We need to maintain the neighborhood serenity while the event is going on. Exhibit II — 605 W. Bleeker—neighbor—They are concerned that the height of 2'3" is going to block their views to Aspen Mountain from their property so they had their architect draw up a few images of what it might look like which was attached. Chairperson, Ann Mullins closed the public comment section of the agenda item. Issues: Porch Mass scale height proportion Any previous variance approvals Ann said there wasn't a porch there and I wouldn't put one on so you don't have to deal with the residential design guidelines. This is a great project changing it from a carriage house to what it actually is. The only thing that bothers me is the staircase. If the connector is 8 feet that is fine but once you put that on top of it the way it is designed now it looks a little bit disjointed and it defeats the purpose of having a connector. Jay said the staircase and gasket concern me. I am concerned about the light pollution. I get the entire reason for the light in the stairwell but you are drawing attention to that. I am opposed to the porch because it didn't exist. 8 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 Nora said the connector overpowers the historic resource. Patrick also agreed that the porch is not appropriate. The staircase and gasket are a concern. I also feel the patio size should be reduced and completely hidden. Willis said the scope of the project is well done and well presented. I don't disagree with the porch and can approve the variances. I have no issue with the height. 7'6" is about as low as you can go. I do not feel it our purview to analyze the light spread and it is only going back into the body of the site plan. It doesn't really go to the street. The connector is fine and there might be some opportunity to adjust the setback of the stairwell. It is great that the shutters are coming off. All in all it looks like a cool project. Amy pointed out that this is mass and scale and you are not approving materials. Ann said the mass of the stairwell enclosure detracts. Jay said the side porch and the walkway to the side door to the street is confusing. You have two sidewalks that go to the street. In the spirit of preservation I would ask you to remove the sidewalk on the side yard so we have a more distinct look of the house from the front. My concern is the size of the stairwell and how it takes away from the connector. The gasket is confusing because you have two different materials. Ann asked if they were proposing a hot tub on top of the connector. Keith said the current iteration has a hot tub but we believe it will be going away for structural issues. We can move the furniture back behind the ridge. We are at the deck limit and we still have to have a railing for code. We tried to make it as transparent as possible. Kim said he heard that the piece that is the stairway is maybe a little too big but I didn't hear the location was a problem. What if the roof followed the stair. Ann said according to the guidelines you need to define the connector and anything that overhangs is taking away from that. 9 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF MARCH 13, 2013 Kim said the front door is on the north side with no cover. It is a difficult situation to get into this house. The snow falls off the roof and piles up in front of the door. Possibly the board can consider that. There is also heat tape on the roof. Because of the trees it doesn't get the early morning sun as it comes around. Keith said in terms of the stair if we can reduce the front face of the stair and make it go back farther from the connector which would make it less present. Nora said she wants to see a connector a connector and not question what it is. MOTION: Patrick moved to continue to April 24th for review of the connector; second by Jay. Vote: Patrick, yes; Jay,yes; Ann, no; Nora, no; Willis, no. Motion failed 3-2. Willis said if you had a minimal connection and the porch could be handled in a contemporary way. MOTION: Nora moved to approve resolution #6 and that the connector be a connector. Stair piece to be restudied. Motion second by Willis. Amy said they could bring in another design for the porch at final. VOTE: Willis, yes; Ann, yes; Nora, yes; Patrick, no; Jay, no. Motion carried 3-2. 612 W. Main Street Worksession — no minute Debbie stated that this is a no binding worksession. The applicant acknowledged that this worksession is non-binding and you can't rely on anything. This meeting is for direction only. MOTION: Ann moved to adjourn; second by Patrick. All in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Kathleen J. Strickland, Chief Deputy Clerk 10