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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.20041117ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17~ 2004 Chairperson, Jeffrey Halferty called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Commissioners in attendance: Derek Skalko, Michael Hoffman, Sarah Broughton and Valerie Alexander. Jason Lasser was excused. Staff present: Amy Guthfie, Historic Preservation Planner Kathleen Strickland, Chief Deputy City Clerk MOTION: Derek moved to approve the minutes of Oct. 13th, second by Michael. All in favor, motion carried. Disclosures Michael and Derek will recuse themselves on 629 W. Smuggler 314 E. HYMAN - MOTHERLODE - CONCEPTUAL Sworn in: Kim Weil, architect for Poss & Associates Amy said since the last meeting the architects have brought a one-story element to the street front. At the last meeting the board was very divided about whether it should be open space or a one-stow element. The guidelines are emphatic about the importance of aligning construction with the sidewalk edge. Staff supports bringing the construction to the street edge and recommends a two-stow mass as opposed to the one-stow mass. This would alleviate our concerns about the transition between the new and old construction. It will allow an intermediate element between the one-stow Motherlode and the three-stow addition in the back. Kim Weil said what they have done was take some of their net leasable commercial that was going to be in the basement and brought it up to street level. We have no more residential that we can add to the project. The new code allows for a one to one free market residential and this lot has 6,000 square feet of residential in the building. If the residential came out to street level we would have to reconfigure the layout. The unit is straight with one wall of windows and when you put it in an L shape you run out of windows and it is a very difficult thing to do. We would be concerned as to how usable that unit is. We propose to keep the unit as a one-stow element. Kim said the existing building is built into the right-of-way by 8 inches to a foot. It appears that the western front was added alter. There will be a jog because we have to stay on our property line. In plan we have added commercial and added a walkway to get to the residential units. ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17, 2004 Doug Brown said we cannot lay out a nice unit in an L shape that would be marketable. By making this change we have less open space and we are willing to do that. Chairperson, Jeffrey Halferty opened the public hearing. Ruth Kruger said she realizes the board is voluntary but occasionally they may forget how your actions affect the members of the community that come before you as applicants. I would ask that you take a close look at this project and other projects and comment on its own merits and how the building fits into the community and the future of Aspen. Howard Ross thanked the board for their efforts and we all have one thing in mind and that is to blend this building in with our community. We want to keep an historic building looking great. We were hoping that the process would have moved along more quickly and that our prior work sessions would have been more productive. The costs of the new changes that the board has requested have been considerable to us based on the laws for the utilization of open space. We ask that you take this in consideration when you vote. Chairperson, Jeffrey Halferty closed the public hearing. Valerie relayed that on this project the board is split so the applicant might not be feeling that there are precise single answers for some of these problems because you are hearing different perspectives. Valerie said in hearing the concerns of the applicant regarding the residential unit she feels a happy medium has been attained. Perhaps a two-story element would transition better from the Wheeler to the Motherlode but she has always thought that the residential units behind the massing was at a good scale and had enough fenestration that broke it down and you felt this modulization of smaller pieces relative to the Motherlode. Valerie said she can support the application. Michael said his concern from the last meeting was the space that was underutilized, the entry to the residence. The applicant has utilized that space and he can support the application. Derek said he was onboard with the project at the last meeting and in his opinion the application met all of the criteria and only has gotten better. Derek said he would have concerns if there were a two-story element. 2 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17~ 2004 Jeffrey said the project is very challenging and in the commercial core. There are a lot of components in this project; free market, affordable housing, a commercial entity, zero lot lines and the future expansion that has been talked about at the Wheeler. Jeffrey said he was in favor of exposing the eastern wall of the historic resource. He also feels a two-story link would not be appropriate. The southem wall of the addition should be restudied to step back somewhat to create a little more of a comer, which is something we try to do when we add onto our residential buildings. The architecture has toned down and is more successful with the context around the buildings. The glazing in the wall opening is also successful. The building reads as a product of its own time and does support guideline 10.4. Jeffrey said he could support the application with modifications. MOTION: Derek moved to approve Resolution #31, as proposed from the drawing packet presented tonight; second by Valerie. All in favor, motion carried 4-0. Yes vote: Derek, Michael, Valerie, deffrey 435 W. MAIN - ASPEN JEWISIH COMMUNITY CENTER - CONCEPTUAL Sarah was seated at 4:45 Arthur Chabon, Rabi Mendel Mintz Amy stated that she does not have much of an introduction because the drawings came right before the packet was due. There has been much discussion as to what the issues are: How can we balance the problematic needs of the facility and preserve the cabins onsite. Retaining the cabins on Third Street and as many on the alley is important. Rabi Mintz said they have a drawing bringing the cabins up to Main Street. Arthur said they want to spread the scale across the block and give the block a single identify and bring two cabins up to the front defining the entrance to the campus and keeping the other cabins in the back as defining a wall. On one drawing we eliminated the block-off on Main Street and pushed the cabins up 12 feet into the campus and created a drop-off on the alley. The elevations will keep evolving as we go along. The garden and library are facing the street, which gives lively presence on the street. We are still loosing two cabins. ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17, 2004 Arthur presented another schematic with four cabins on the alley and no drop-off. Third Street would be utilized for a drop-off just as the school buses do. Arthur said he likes having more cabins on the alley. The drop- off on the alley resolves a lot 0fissues. The intent is to bring the public into this resource. Elimination of the loshia enables the cabins to be more visible. Keeping the quad campus as a defined area is important. Comments: Derek said he is in favor of dividing up the mass. The drop-off and access areas have hugely improved. Breaking down the mass on the major element responds quite appropriately to the streetscape. Michael said changing the classroom space off to the east is a good idea. He endorses the idea of using the cabins as a whole. His concern is how the project ties into historic preservation. Guideline 1.10 relates to the preservation of historic elements of the yard to provide an appropriate context for historic structures. In the area of the plan where the cabins exist that is true but the rest of the site needs restudied. Valerie said she also agreed with Derek that the separation of masses and breaking down of the scale is respectful to the cabins. Keeping the chbins together is good. Valerie said the architect is balancing the objectives very well. When she looks at chapter 9, which talks about relocation, she finds that generally it is compliant. New articulation is starting to show a variation in the larger structures as it relates to the cabins. Valerie said she prefers option 2A with the five cabins on the alley. She would prefer to continue the application in order to review staff's comments regarding the project. Jeffrey said he appreciates the applicant trying to make these buildings a quadrant and placing them in a context that they read with one another. Regarding the Third Street cabins, HPC has allowed buildings to be moved if they are brought to a better public presence: The cabins grouped together give a good sense from Main Street. The plans presented tonight address the mass and scale on the western part of the building. Straw poll on the two cabins on Third Street. Derek said this is a religious facility and he could give up the two cabins. Michael dittoed. Valerie said she would withhold her comments. Jeffrey said he could go either way. 4 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17~ 2004 Arthur said they are trying to turn this into a real asset, the resource itself and the building as a whole. If you divided the block in half it would be a detriment to historic preservation. The alley cabins are original and Arthur said the cabins on Third Street have been altered. We would refurbish the cabins to bring them closer to how they were originally. MOTION: Michael moved to continue 435 W. Main until January 12th, second by Derek. All in favor, motion carried 4-0. ll4NEALE AVENUE-CONCEPTUAL Sarah was seated. John Muir presented revised drawings. We have been as responsive to the committee's concerns as we could. The original house plans have been shifted back and the massing broken down. At the last meeting the concerns were focused on the great room. We have dropped the roof pitch to 10/12 from 13/12 thereby lowering both the ridge and the amount of roof that you would see. They also reduced the scale and mass of the dormer on the end and respectfully but firmly request conceptual approval. Chairperson, Jeffrey Halferty opened and closed the public hearing. Derek said he approves the project and the revisions meet our guidelines. Valerie said she was glad to see that the main gable at the front entry didn't come down. John said the dormer has been reduced in size. MOTION: Derek moved to approve Resolution #32; second by Sarah. All in favor, motion carried 5-0. MAROON CREEK BRIDGE - REFERRAL COMMENTS Ralph Trapani from Parsons presented. Lisa Short from CDOT was available by phone. Ralph said if they used prefabricated girders they would have significant disturbance down in the valley due to the wetlands and riparian land below. 5 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17~ 2004 They intend to do a segmental construction with scaffolding. They would use casting segments of the bring going in each direction so that they meet in the middle. SHPO - State Historic Preservation Officer has been involved. The bridge will be a concrete frame. The color would be earth tone or have a red pigment added. The old bridge would be readapted back into a rail bridge. The decks will help protect the lower level of the bridge. The old bridge would adapt to a pedestrian bridge. They intend to leave the existing barrier and use a chain link. All the utilities will be taken off the old bridge and incorporated into the new. WORKSESSION Conner Cabins - 533 W. Francis, vacant lot - 134 W. Hopkins - 629 W. Smuggler - Pedestrian Amenity code amendment referral - no minutes MOTION: Jeffrey moved to adjourn, second by Michael. All in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjoumed at 7:00 p.m. Kathleen Strickland, Chief Deputy Clerk 6 ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17~ 2004 314 E. HYMAN- MOTHERLODE - CONCEPTUAL ..................................................... 1 435 W. MAIN - ASPEN JEWISIH COMMUNITY CENTER - CONCEPTUAL ........... 3 114 NEALE AVENUE CONCEPTUAL ......................................................................... 5 MAROON CREEK BRIDGE - REFERRAL COMMENTS ............................................. 5