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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20251210 REGUALR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 ROLL CALL Chair Thompson called the meeting to order. Also present were Commissioners Roger Moyer, Jodi Surfas, Barb Pitchford, Duncan Clauss and Kim Raymond. Commissioner Dakota Severe was absent. Staff Present: • Gillian White – Principal Preservation Planner • Luisa Berne – Assistant City Attorney • Mike Sear – Deputy City Clerk MINUTES Draft Minutes - 10/22/25 Mr. Moyer made a motion to approve the draft minutes from the October 22nd, 2025 meeting. Ms. Pitchford seconded. Roll call vote: Mr. Moyer, yes; Ms. Surfas, yes; Ms. Pitchford, yes; Mr. Clauss, yes; Ms. Raymond, yes; Ms. Thompson, yes. 6-0 vote, 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 Mr. Moyer inquired about the old historic museum (original power plant) and whether it had gone through the Historic Preservation Commission, noting exterior tuck-pointing work. Ms. White confirmed the Powerhouse had submitted permits for repointing and would be replacing the roof with a similar but matte-coated metal roof instead of the reflective one. Mr. Moyer also asked about the status of the old Crystal Palace building. Ms. White responded that the project was still in building permit review, with some structural work and wall dismemberment permitted, but much of the permit remained under review. Ms. Pitchford thanked Ms. White for the educational opportunities provided to the commission. She expressed interest in pursuing a homeowner handbook and realtor training, acknowledging these would add to staff workload. Ms. Pitchford also mentioned seeing plaques on historic buildings during a recent trip to Northern California and suggested implementing something similar in Aspen. Ms. White explained that Aspen previously had a plaque program for commercial buildings in the core but noted private homeowners often don't want plaques because they attract people approaching their homes. She agreed to research how the program was handled previously and explore restarting it, potentially for properties within the district. Mr. Moyer suggested alternatives such as steel posts with signs near mailboxes. Ms. White mentioned another option could be a virtual tour with QR codes or numbers on buildings that link to online information, historic pictures, and other details. Ms. Raymond discussed her recent meeting with Ms. White regarding building relocation and suggested having a house mover give a presentation to the commission about the relocation process. This would provide commissioners with a better understanding when considering relocation applications. Ms. White agreed to reach out to Bailey House Movers to arrange a presentation. Ms. Thompson noted that for final review of relocation requests, stabilization drawings should be included in addition to relocation plans, as they impact construction. Ms. White mentioned they now REGUALR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 require more detailed reports for relocations, including methods, stabilization plans, and load calculations. Ms. Thompson requested that the commission reinstate the end-of-year review of completed historic preservation projects for potential awards, which had been discontinued. Ms. White agreed to look into it. Mr. Sear reminded commissioners about the upcoming holiday party on Thursday, December 18th, from 6-8pm at the Wheeler Vault Bar. DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST No conflicts of interest were disclosed for items on the agenda. PROJECT MONITORING Ms. White indicated this would be discussed at the next meeting. STAFF COMMENTS Ms. White reported that two properties had recent call-ups: 406 Smuggler and 504 West Hallam. She also noted that the 500 West Francis Lot 1 TDR request had its first reading at Council, with the second reading scheduled for the following week. Council had requested information about the TDR program in general, including the number of TDRs established, how many had been landed and extinguished, and typical sale prices. CERTIFICATE OF NO NEGATIVE EFFECT ISSUED Ms. White indicated this would be discussed at the next meeting. CALL UP REPORTS These were discussed during staff comments. SUBMIT PUBLIC NOTICE FOR AGENDA ITEMS Ms. Berne confirmed that noticing was in compliance for the agenda. OLD BUSINESS Request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for Major Development Final Review, Relocation, and Variations at 325 W. Hopkins Ave. Applicant Presentation: Sara Adams – Bendon Adams and Wheeler Clancy Sara Adams of Bendon Adams presented the final review application for 325 West Hopkins, with Wheeler Clancy representing the owner. The project had received conceptual approval approximately one year earlier. Ms. Adams reviewed the previous approval, which included relocating the landmark to fix the foundation and install a basement before returning it to its original location, setback variations to legalize the original location of the landmark and new basement, and full restoration of the landmark. Ms. Adams presented historic photos and Sanborn maps showing the historic house and its evolution, including additions made in 1974 and 1984, as well as porch modifications and window replacements in 1987. She displayed the site plan, which maintained the same layout approved at REGUALR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 conceptual review, detailing the landmark with basement, new detached construction, landscape elements, and outdoor fireplaces. Ms. Adams noted a change from the conceptual approval, which was the removal of a vertical screen that zoning had determined qualified as a fence over 6 feet tall, which would have required a height variance from City Council. Materials for the new building would include horizontal wood siding in two different stains, black metal windows, and black standing seam metal roof with solar panels on the flat portions. For the historic landmark, Ms. Adams described the proposed reconstructed porch, painted wood siding, and a synthetic shingle shake roof, though she acknowledged staff's concerns about the proposed roof material and agreed with the condition to work with staff and monitor to determine appropriate materials. She also noted a fire-rated wall assembly would be needed due to proximity to the property line. Ms. Adams explained a setback variation issue that arose after conceptual approval when zoning determined that the 10-foot separation between buildings needed to be consistent from front to rear rather than staggered as originally proposed. The solution involved requesting variations for the side yard setbacks, with 10 feet on the west and 5 feet on the east. During questioning, Ms. Adams and Mr. Clancy provided additional details about materials, including stone for retaining walls and black brick for walkways. They clarified that mechanical equipment, portions of light wells, and one of the fire features would be within the setback area requiring variations. Regarding construction methods, Mr. Clancy explained they would use vertical micropiles around the property perimeter, with special considerations for the west property line where the foundation wall would require a one-sided concrete pour. Staff Presentation: Gillian White - Senior Preservation Planner Ms. White presented the staff report, noting changes since conceptual approval and finding that the details and materials generally aligned with historic preservation design guidelines. She supported the requested setback variations and outlined several conditions of approval, including requirements for the preservation plan, solar panel placement, roof materials, and financial assurance for safe relocation of the historic structure. Public Comments: None Board Discussion: During deliberation, commissioners discussed several aspects of the project: Ms. Thompson recommended differentiating the standing seam metal roofs between the historic resource and new structure by varying the panel width, seam height, and potentially the color. Commissioners agreed with staff regarding the synthetic shingle roof and supported the condition to work with staff and monitor on appropriate materials. Ms. Thompson noted the proposed craftsman-style front door wasn't appropriate for the time period of the resource and should be restudied. Commissioners suggested including details in the preservation plan about minimizing the impact of increased wall thickness from fire ratings. Ms. Thompson recommended reducing the number of sconces on the front porch of the resource from two to one. Commissioners requested simplification of landscaping in front of the resource, particularly removing the bushes, and restudying the proposed wood chips under trees in the right-of-way. REGUALR MEETING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DECEMBER 10TH, 2025 Ms. Thompson also requested that the fence not be attached directly to the resource. Motion: Ms. Thompson moved to approve the next resolution in the series as discussed and presented on the screen. Ms. Raymond seconded. Roll call vote: Mr. Moyer, yes; Ms. Surfas, yes; Ms. Pitchford, yes; Mr. Clauss, yes; Ms. Raymond, yes; Ms. Thompson, yes. 6-0, motion passes. ADJOURN Ms. Thompson moved to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Pitchford seconded. All in favor, motion passes.