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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20251112 REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 12TH, 2025 ROLL CALL Chair Thompson called the meeting to order. Also present were Commissioners Roger Moyer, Jodi Surfas, Barb Pitchford, and Kim Raymond. Commissioners Duncan Clauss and Dakota Severe were absent. Staff present: • Gillian White – Principal Preservation Planner • Luisa Berne – Assistant City Attorney • Tracy Terry – Deputy City Clerk MINUTES Draft Minutes - 10/8/25 Ms. Pitchford made a motion to approve the draft minutes from the October 8th, 2025 meeting. Ms. Thompson seconded. Roll call vote: Mr. Moyer, yes; Ms. Surfas, yes; Ms. Pitchford, yes; Ms. Raymond, yes; Ms. Thompson, yes. 5-0, motion passes. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Thompson opened the public comment period for items not on the agenda. There were no comments, and the public comment period was closed. COMMISSIONER MEMBER COMMENTS Ms. Pitchford thanked Ms. White for sending the local government ordinances on commissions to the board. She suggested that it would be beneficial for potential applicants to the Historic Preservation Commission to review these documents during the application process to better understand the purpose and requirements of serving on the commission. Ms. White agreed to pass along this suggestion to the clerk's office. DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST No conflicts of interest were disclosed for items on the agenda. PROJECT MONITORING Ms. White presented updates on several insubstantial amendments that had been approved. ● 110 West Main Street (former White Elephant property): Approval of matte black metal material for pergola, minor changes to pool fence and gate, and new trellis at valet entry ● 333 West Bleeker Street: Installation of keypad intercom and hose bib ● 420 West Francis Street: Installation of wood jam extension in existing door jambs ● 202 East Main Street: Addition of vents and foundation modifications, including cladding the new foundation with a thin brick veneer made from salvaged historic brick Ms. Thompson inquired about a fence approval for 333 West Bleeker that she recalled but was not included in the report. Ms. White agreed to investigate this approval to ensure it was properly documented. REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 12TH, 2025 STAFF COMMENTS Ms. White indicated that she and legal staff were continuing to work on general language for resolutions regarding chance discoveries after approval, which would be presented at a future meeting. Ms. Thompson requested that future administrative approval updates include photos of the properties for context, as addresses alone were not always sufficient for commissioners to recognize the properties. Ms. White agreed this would be appropriate and would implement this change. CERTIFICATE OF NO NEGATIVE EFFECT ISSUED Ms. White presented updates on several Certificates of No Negative Effect that had been administratively approved: ● 635 West Bleeker Street garage: Installation of a structural ridge beam sistered on historic framing ● 1096 Waters Avenue (non-historic residence): Removal of two non-historic windows on non- street facing facade, replacement of front door and sliding doors, and addition of faux square columns on balcony ● 535 East Cooper Avenue: Violation-related certificate allowing repair of damaged brick, repair and reset of historic pavers, and replacement of a concrete pad with historic brick pavers ● 205 South Mill Street (Louis Vuitton store): In-kind replacement of two storefront windows, removal of alley-mounted ductwork, relocation of mechanical units from second floor to rooftop, in-kind awning replacement, and replacement of terrace decking with teak ● 105 South Mill Street: Replacement of rooftop mechanical equipment ● 332 West Main Street: Installation of radon mitigation equipment ● 234 West Francis Street: Installation of a winter moon tree sculpture CALL UP REPORTS Ms. White also reported that the items for potential call-up by City Council (504 West Hallam and 406 Smuggler) were not called up and would be moving forward as approved. SUBMIT PUBLIC NOTICE FOR AGENDA ITEMS Public notice was confirmed as properly submitted. NEW BUSINESS 500 W. Francis St. Lot 1 – Recommendation to City Council Regarding the Establishment of Six (6) Transferable Development Right Certificates Ms. Raymond recused herself from this item due to her work on the neighboring property, as required by ethics guidelines. Applicant Presentation: - Mr. Alan Richmond - Alan Richmond Planning Services, LLC Mr. Alan Richmond presented on behalf of the property owner, Jerry Murdock. He explained the history of the property, which was originally a 9,000 square foot lot designated as a historic landmark in 1982. In 2007, the property was split into a 6,000 square foot lot (Lot 2) containing the REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 12TH, 2025 historic structure and a 3,000 square foot vacant lot (Lot 1). During that process, the HPC assigned all remaining developable floor area to Lot 1 and granted an additional 500 square foot floor area bonus, resulting in 1,593 square feet of allowable development on Lot 1. Mr. Richmond explained that the current application seeks to reinforce the historic preservation decision made in 2007 by removing all remaining floor area from the subdivision by creating six Transferable Development Right (TDR) certificates totaling 1,500 square feet. This would effectively sterilize the vacant lot, preserving open space adjacent to the historic structure and eliminating potential development. Mr. Richmond argued that this approach would respect the historic development pattern of the West End, which historically included generous side yards on larger properties. He noted that the property is currently for sale, and without the TDRs being severed, a new owner would likely develop the allowable 1,593 square feet. Staff Presentation: Gillian White - Senior Preservation Planner Ms. White presented the staff analysis, detailing the complexities surrounding the request to sever TDRs from the site. While acknowledging that the main effect of this action would not directly preserve any designated historic resource, she pointed out that it could nonetheless serve to protect Aspen's heritage and maintain the neighborhood's historic character. As part of this preservation perspective, she emphasized the importance of considering the overall pattern and context of the area. Additionally, Ms. White highlighted a key point of concern for staff, which was the inclusion of the previously granted 500 square foot floor bonus in the current TDR request. She noted that the bonus was originally awarded with the specific purpose of promoting development exclusively on Lot 1, as opposed to facilitating additional construction associated with the historic resource on Lot 2. She suggested that the change in context might require reevaluating the purpose of granting such bonuses concerning the present preservation objectives for the site. Public Comments: None Board Discussion: There was a detailed discussion on the different perspectives regarding the inclusion of the 500 square foot bonus in the TDR request. Some commissioners, like Ms. Pitchford, expressed concern about whether the bonus, originally intended to incentivize development on Lot 1, should now contribute to the Transferable Development Rights request since its preservation purpose had shifted. She questioned the appropriateness of including this bonus in the request given the changed circumstances and the fact that the original intent was to encourage development rather than sterilize the lot. Other commissioners took the stance that the preservation of an open, undeveloped lot would be more consistent with the historic development patterns typical of the West End. Mr. Richmond highlighted that in the past, larger lots in the West End often featured generous side yards, and preserving this lot as open space would align with that historical pattern. Some Commissioners felt that maintaining the lot as open space could be beneficial in preventing potential short-term rental developments which might not fit well with the neighborhood's character. After deliberation, the Commission reached consensus that recommending approval of all six TDRs would be appropriate. Motion: Ms. Thompson moved to approve Resolution #13, recommending City Council establish the 6 TDRs for a total of 1,500 square feet. Mr. Moyer seconded the motion. Roll call vote: Mr. Moyer, yes; Ms. Surfas, yes; Ms. Pitchford, yes; Ms. Thompson, yes. 4-0, motion passes. REGULAR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 12TH, 2025 ADJOURN Ms. Pitchford moved to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Thompson seconded. All in favor, motion passes. _____________________ Mike Sear, Deputy City Clerk ** These draft minutes were created with the assistance of AI.