HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.19950927ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
820 E.
423 N. 2ND - MINOR DEVELOPMENT ...... 3
COOPER - CONCEPTUAL, LANDMARK DESIGNATION 4
ISIS - WORKSESSION ......... 12
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
Meeting was called to order by chairman Donnelley Erdman with Les
Holst, Jake Vickery, Roger Moyer, Linda Smisek, Susan Dodington,
Melanie Roschko and Sven Alstrom present. Excused was Martha
Madsen.
COMMISSIONER kN-D STAFF COMMENTS
Amy: Jeff has resigned because he does not feel he can make the
time commitment and has been out of the country for three months
and has been doing overtime at the office etc. He never had the
feeling he had been assimilated into the committee to be a part of
the group to work together. Being an alternate attributed to this
effect. He feels that some of the committee has tunnel vision
regarding development issues and he felt his values and goals were
in conflict with that. He was asked what he thought about site
related issues but he felt his opinions regarding architectural
issues were not sought.
Linda: When I first came onto the committee I had a hard time
knowing what the program was until I sat through so many meetings
that I finally started to understand it. I feel when we have new
people we should have a short training session. I kept quiet for
a long time as I did not want to say something that was
inappropriate.
Susan: I feel the same as Linda.
Sven: He is leaving because of business reasons but I do feel we
need training sessions. It is not clear that the alternate is the
training position.
Les: I have always said that every quarter we should get into a
van and look at every project and see where we were right and where
we were wrong.
Amy: The rock was historically landmarked and there were fifteen
people at the council meeting in favor.
Amy: We have never set a value for the Langley barn. It will be
moved wall by wall. It is a small structure.
Donnelley: I feel around $10,000. is an appropriate amount.
Amy: I feel we need to discuss bonds etc. at a worksession as they
are burdensome for applicants.
Roger: I feel we should contact Stapleton to see if they could
work with the city on bonds.
Amy: A site visit scheduled for Wednesday at NOON.
Amy: The Iglehart issue is next and we need to do a site visit
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
regarding the house.
Jake: This is a letter to the Aspen City Council from me but I
would prefer that it come from the HPC. Please consider this
letter as a formal request that the City of Aspen rescind the
landmark designation of 610 W. Hallam pursuant to Section 7-707 of
the Aspen Landuse Code. As obvious and is apparent on site this
historic structure, one has totally been demolished and no longer
exists and two has suffered a reversible loss of integrity and
three has been replaced by all new construction. This property no
longer qualifies under section 7-702 failing to meet any of the
standards required for landmark designation items a through f in
the section of the code. As a matter of observable fact the
development of this property is now all new construction and most
historical material has been moved from the structure and what
little remains has been removed from its original context. There
appears to be no choice than to declassify this property. One
would hope that in connection with this decision would be a
simultaneous withdrawal and the reversal of any benefits that this
applicant may have received as a result of landmark designation.
In all fairness to other applicants and participants in the
historical preservation program especially those who have worked
in sincere cooperation with the HPC is hereby requesting that every
effort be made possible to hold this property owner accountable to
what appears to be demolition and loss of public trust. The HPC
has created and maintains a roll supportive of owners of historical
properties and recognition of their enduring and irreplaceable
contribution to the character, charm and authentic heritage of
this community. The City provides incentives to offset development
encumbrances inherent with these properties. These incentives
should not be available to anyone who knowingly and intentionally
abuses this process.
Sven: I agree basically but feel the board needs a site visit.
He literally kept the front gable end.
Amy: It was red tagged and removed by the City Attorney. There
was no reason to leave it in place and there was nothing to be
gained by leaving the red tag in place. We have taken photographs
and have established what he has done.
Donnelley: The only thing to be gained is to say that the extra
burden of having to move back'cases where we granted sideyard or
rear yard variances.
Amy: We will inform the owner that anymore work that he is going
to do in the setback encroachments is at his own jeopardy.
Sven: When we look at projects for compatibility like Jake's
addition and preserving the original roof ridge lines and valleys
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
where you add onto the existing building is important. In this
case it has been reduced to a gable end on a new building.
Linda: Do we have a method of adopting Jake's letter.
Amy: I feel that letter is the ultimate end and we need more
discussion.
Donnelley: That should be part of the site visit Wednesday.
Les: Could he get a registered letter immediately that he is under
his own liability on and any fhrther construction in any areas of
this building.
Amy: It is in draft form.
Les: I feel we should get a news column to address particular
issues and we all would have to participate. We should talk about
that in a worksession.
423 N. 2ND - MINOR DEVELOPMENT
Donnelley: We did a site visit today.
.Amy: What was discussed was the desire to instead of having the
mudroom addition completely fill in the existing corner by the
garage that it should be pulled in on each wall surface by 18 to
24 inches.
Contractor: So that you get some definition.
Amy: It was also intended to preserve the pair of aspens. The
materials should match the existing building and the windows should
be reused.
Donnelley: It was a clear cut issue and Amy stated our response
to define this new enclosed area by stepping back both corners.
This also means that the hip roof would be changed and it would be
a slightly awkward situation and should be studied because the
eaves around the entire house are horizontal and if you step back
from the corner you would have a slightly higher eave elevation
where you step back and it would slant back down over those 24
inches so it might be a little more complex roof than the simple
hip that has been shown in terms of reframing that area. I would
think it better to keep all of it horizontal.
MOTION: Roger moved that HPC approve the approximate square foot
addition of the existing mudroom as requested at 423 N. 2nd Streets
lots G, H and I Block 41 with the following conditions:
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
1. That the new addition be set back on the north and east
side 18 to 24 inches.
2. That the one tree be removed and possibly be replanted.
3. That a planter be retained and reviewed by Staff and
monitor.
4. That the roof be studied for final approval by staff and
monitor.
Susan second the motion.
Discussion
Contractor: We can have smaller planters and one would be on one
side of the tree and one on the other. Something like that.
Donnelley: The placement of the planters could be at the
discretion of the owner.
VOTE: All in favor of motion. Motion carries.
Amy: When Glenn comes back in town we can redraw the plan.
820 E. COOPER - CONCEPTUAL, LANDMARK DESIGNATION
Amy: We did do a site visit'today. For standards of historic
desiqnation it meets standard B, a gable end miners cottage and it
appears to be in its original configuration with one early addition
and one later additions. There is not much detailing on the house;
however it seems to have original materials and windows. Standard
D, there are relatively few remaining 19 century structures in this
neighborhood and only two historic landmarks. It is important to
preserve structures like this one. On standard E community
character it is representative of the modest scale style and
character of homes constructed in the late 19th century and it is
also on highway 82 which is important to the perception of the
character of the community as people enter the town. Under
conceptual development the applicant is proposing to demolish two
additions which are noncontributing and the existing shed which is
noncontributing, to shift the kitchen addition to the east and to
construct a new addition to the rear. In general the proposed
development is an excellent solution to adding the required space
to the historic building. A lot of the space has been allocated
to the basement and the massing above ground is quite appropriate.
Two elements of the proposal need further discussion. The shifting
of the kitchen towards the east and I do have some concern with
this but do understand the advantage to the applicant as it
improves the livability and the site is right. They want to take
advantage of the views toward Aspen Mountain and the fact that the
adjacent building has little open space on that side. I believe
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
the building should be preserved as it is and this is something
that we need to discuss. In the new addition there is glazing that
carries through the gable end and this is not permitted now under
Ordinance #30. A number of setback variances are being requested
mostly on the east lot line and I have met with the property owner
of that building which is also an historic resource and she seems
in favor of the project and did not seem concerned with any of the
variances. There is also an air lock vestibule to be added to the
doorway and it looks like a porch but it is glazed. There was
never a porch on the house and I feel this is adding detail that
is confusing to the character of the building. There are also two
lightwells shown there that may need discussion. Standard 2, 3,
4 are met. Partial demolition: The areas involved I do not see
contributing. Onsite relocation: I feel there is an advantage
of leaving the kitchen where it is. Lightwells are shown on both
sides of the front door and this is not permitted under ordinance
030. You cannot have a lightwell in front of the facade.
Therefore, I recommend they moee the lightwells to the side of the
building or reconfigure the bedrooms so that lightwells can be in
the courtyard area. Under volume we have a calculation that says
you cannot have windows between nine and twelve feel above the
finished floor; therefore, the glazing that carries through the
gable end violates that and the applicant has several options.
They can either remove the glazing and put clapboards there; go to
the Board of Adjustment who are the only ones that can waive this
standard as it {s an FAR calculation or they pay the FAR 2 to 1 for
that space or they ask HPC for an increase in PAR. In general I
am concerned of us waiving this standard because we are holding
every residential project in town historic and not historic to this
standard now. On the other hand in this particular design given
the tightness of the lot it does something to make the new addition
transparent and make them seem not over bearing to the historic
house. The principle window standard is not met. This requires
that the significant window or group of windows of a livingroom,
diningroom or family room face the street and I do not think we
would want the applicant to do this as it would be a change to the
original house. I have recommended approval with a number of
conditions.
Greq Pickrell representing Jake Vickery, the owner of the house:
I f6el a lot of architects will disagree that this provision of the
glazing in ordinance 830 and it will destroy a lot of houses. Many
houses have oriole windows in their gable ends and this doesn't
allow that and it doesn't allow a lot of things that we are
encouraging.
Amy: We need to discuss this issue in a worksession.
waive Ord. 30 but not one that deals with FAR.
HPC can
Greg Pickrell: I would like to address the recommendation. On
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
the legal unit we are either going to apply for an ADU or address
the housing impact fees and that is in progress. The goal of
looking at the kitchen area of the house as a whole is to create
a usable exterior space, an outdoor space. The client wanted the
space to be interior to the property not in the rear yard but a
private space. That is a goal to get an exterior space that is
interior on the property. We wanted to break up the continuous
wall surface and create a variety of massing and provide windows
and doors to the exterior spac~ or private courtyard. It is a very
small area. Bringing up the kitchen offset we are retaining the
kitchen volume as a one story space to maintain the historical
value of what is existing there. We feel that the two foot offset
on the side enhances the value of the historical property by making
visible a change or a building vernacular. It also helps to create
a shift so that we do not have the continuous wall surface that we
see on both the east side and the west side. We have two building
situations there that have straight linear walls from the front of
the lot almost to the back of the lot. On the west the adjacent
building has a long wall that is set 10 feet off their property and
even though it is not our space it affords us more visual space and
openness for the courtyard. It also provides views of Aspen
Mountain. Material lists will be forthcoming at final. The
lightwells are hidden and not obscuring the facade of the house.
We will have a rail that will run the front of the house for safety
purposes. We will also vegetate that area. We would like the
lightwells where they are as they will receive whatever little
solar gain there is and they are on the south. We also want to
keep our side yard access open. The light wells are 3x5. We also
looked at moving the stair circulation going downstairs to the
basement but by removing those stairs would drastically alter our
circulation pattern and violate some interior spaces that we have.
We have also avoided building a second story massing over the
historical portion and put that mass in the basement.
Donnelley: The drawings are very clear.
Greg Pickrell: The small triangular space provides light and we
are talking about 547 sqft. space. We have kept the gable end
light source light and airy. The design concept here is to combine
original historical materials and forms with new materials and
forms so this would be an array of small muttons and forms. We
would like to request the 500 sqft. bonus. Including basement and
garage we have 2315 sqft. and our allowable is 2400 sqft. If we
want these windows and we are going to have to count our upstairs
twice we will be over if we don't have the bonus. With the bonus
we have 2862 and the allowable is 2400 plus the 500 sqft. bonus
which would bring us to 2900 sqft.
Greg Pickrell: The first variance would be the rear yard variance
of five feet and if we don't have that it would require us to move
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COM}4ISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
the newer form closer to the historic building in which case we
would loose our hyphenation separation and that is why we are
requesting that for the rear yard. On the east and west side sides
we are out of compliance the way the building sets. On the west
we are six inches over the setback line and on the east yard we are
two inches over. We would like to keep the building where it is
and bring it up to conformity. We are requesting a three foot
variance for the diningroom. There is only one original window
existing there. We are asking for a four foot variance on the east
side of the lightwell. We are asking for a two foot variance on
this side. On the airlock we are asking for a variance in the
front yard from ten feet to six so we are asking for a four foot
variance so that we can establish the glass airlock. Thanks for
listening.
CLARIFICATIONS
Melanie: Where is the existing kitchen right now.
Grog Pickrell: Right now it is where the bath and wash room are.
Melanie: You are taking the kitchen and making it into a
diningroom and shifting the kitchen to the other side.
Amy: Regarding parking they are required to have two spaces and
they are providing two.
Susan: The portion of the roof is higher over the diningroom than
the bedroom portion. It looks like it blocks the bedroom portion.
Greg Pickrell: We have a master bedroom suite which is the highest
one and the back ridge is the bath. The highest is the gable over
the master bedroom.
Roger: In regarding the fenestration on the master window facing
south what can we do?
Amy: The applicant can change their design to meet the standard
or they go to the Board of Adjustment or we give them a 500 sqft.
bonus and there is one other option.
Amy: We can waive design standards but we cannot waive something
that deals with FAR.
Roger:
FAR.
Because of the way Ord. 30 is written it charges them on
Amy: As a further layer to this and I might not have been clear
to Jake you double the FAR for the space every time you do one of
those windows. Since you have them on the north and south it is
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
four times the FAR. In this case I would suggest that you go to
the Board of Adjustment because we cannot come up with that much
FAR.
Melanie: How much would be needed to cut on this in order to
comply with Ordinance ~307
Amy: They would have to pretty much fill in the gable.
Donnelley: There is an extraordinary amount of glass in the back
and even more in the bathroom than bedroom. And there is a lot on
the north and south.
Chairman Donnelley Erdman opened the public hearing.
Kent Moore: I'm the neighbor to this house. I went before HPC on
a cottage on E. Cooper also. I looked at the plans the other day
and I had the same concerns with the glass. The glass takes away
that historical look.
Linda: Where are you in location to this house?
Kent Moore: We are next door the green/gray house.
Donnelley: Thank you for your comment as we all have a lot of
different issues regarding glazing because of Ordinance #30.
Chairman Donnelley Erdman closed the public hearing.
Roger: Regarding the glazing I would like to know if the board
feels the glazinq is historically appropriate on the south side and
two do you feel ~he glazing is not as significant on the north side
of the alley?
Donnelley; We should clarify that for additions, for new work it
doesn't have to be historically appropriate it just has to be
compatible.
Roger: Compatible with the historic resource.
Sven: I am in favor of conceptual approval basically for this but
my point on the glass to compatibility the glazing as proposed is
as compatible with the existing resource as is this degree of
addition to the parcel. I don't feel that it is impacting anything
anymore than the scale of the addition.
Donnelley: I am not worried about the master bedroom but the bath
is an extremely small space and long and narrow and has a
tremendous amount of glazing on the north side. So the bath not
only will be inhospitable as a place to be in the winter its got
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
more than enough light and it is a very tall space. It isn't
architecturally appropriate to have the glass there especially on
the north side. It will be difficult to work with. Ordinance #30
aside it will be a difficult solution. The bedroom glazing is not
as much an issue as the bath both psychologically and physically.
This approach can work well stylistically, with an historic
resource like this its approach to dealing with gable ends and
glazing them however I feel inappropriate for the solution of the
bath. Most of the glazing in the bedroom is facing south so you
get a lot of solar gain. We cannot address the issue of glazing
and we cannot address it due to ordinance ~30.
Susan: I am concerned about lightwells in the front and to me they
are not historic at all and they ruin the character of the front
of the building. To me having them on the front of the building
takes away the character of that kind of house. You can stand on
the sidewalk and look down in and it seems very modern to me. Also
a glassed in porch seems out of characte~ to me.
Grog Pickrell: Trying to generate an airlock in this historic
structure is really difficult.
Amy: I'd like to remind the committee that the client says they
prefer to enter from the courtyard anyway.
Donnelley: Architects like to dress up a dumb building and you are
presented with that historically, a flat facade, door and two
windows. We really have to address that as being the historic
resource.
Susan: That is what is nice about retaining a house that looks
like that on that street where there are no others.
Greg Pickrell:
curtains.
The other choice would be to go with plastic
Les: You are going to lift the house up, leave it onsite put a
basement in and set it back down again. This is the main thorofare
and we have lost most of the block already. Visually from the
front this should maintain it originality and I am against enclosed
porches or any porch on the front. I am against the lightwells on
the front. I can see moving them onto the side and covering them
with grates. I am willing to give variances on the side and
willing to move the kitchen as the solution is so good.
Grog Pickrell: We have a snow problem if the lightwells are moved
to the side.
Les: I feel some modifications have to be made regarding the
glazing. The rear setbacks are OK and the others are OK.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION CO~MISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
Roger: I think the basic plan and footprint is excellent. I would
disallow the lightwells and the entry on the south elevation. I
would concur with all the requests for variances. I would like to
see a good landscape plan for the front. I feel we should address
the problem with ordinance #30 and the Board of Adjustment. I feel
that the fenestration particular on the master allows a certain
transparency and I agree with Donnelley on the master bath that
maybe it needs restudied. In a proactive stance I would like to
work with the applicants.
Linda: How many feet back on the rear is the indent?
Greg Pickrell: 20 feet.
Linda: There were comments made by people living in the house
presently and they love it. I am in concurrence with the comments
made about the porch and lightwells.
Melanie: Because there are no windows on the bedroom side of the
house possibly there would be another solution in getting light in.
Sven: If the two parking spaces are part of the requirement on the
drawing it measures 16 feet and they need to be 18 feet.
Greg Pickrell: We will have to move the wall back and we will make
the stair narrower.
Susan: I am curious why the one roof ridge is higher than the.
others.
Greg Prickrell: We like the value of the massing on the right side
and it helps offset the facade of the historical. We also felt the
vaulted ceilings in the bedroom would be more appropriate.
Susan: It would be nice to see a model.
Donnelley: I can sum this up and generally the commission
appreciates the way the massing has been developed and the way the
site has been worked with. The historic resource is prominent and
it is the principle attraction when viewed from the street. The
major problem other than the windows are the light wells. The
light well on the east side back by the garage is going to fill
with snow and is right next to the property line and it will be a
problem. Putting the other lightwells on the south is going to be
a problem because of the adjacency to the sidewalk. There has to
be a creative solution into getting light into the basement but I
do not feel this will work well. On the east they would receive
all the snow from the roof and aesthetically when placed on the
south of the resource it becomes to much of a conditioning factor
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COM~ISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
especially when you have such a plain facade. The massing and
general plan should not be compromised by the problems. The
addition of an airlock entry is not appropriate especially when the
owners want to use the side entry as much as possible. The setback
issues we can all deal with. The shifting of the kitchen to what
is now the diningroom is an intelligent way in dealing with an
historic resource. I agree that shifting the kitchen is the right
thing to do and in order to save this resource and make it as
effective as possible I agree with that shift even though it is an
unconventional or perhaps somewhat questionable approach to
historic preservation.
Amy: That is exactly why I do not like it.
Donnelley: It is unusual and perhaps not acceptable but in this
case I would support it. The windows are a total separate issue.
MOTION: Roger moved that HPC grant conceptual approval to 820 E.
Cooper with the following conditions:
1. Provide information for preservation of existing materials
for final review.
2. Provide a landscaping plan for final review.
3. Remove the lightwells and entry airlock from the south
side in front of the building.
4. Restudy rear lightwell.
second by
HPC shall grant the following variances. 1. 5' rear yard setback
2. .5 on the west sideyard and .1 on the east for the
existing structure
3. 3' on the east si~eyard for the kitchen addition
4. 3' on the east sideyard for the garage addition
5. 4' on the east sideyard for the lightwell even though
I asked for it to be restudied as it may not be
workable.
6. 2' on the west sideyard for the garage addition.
7. HPC shall waive ordinance #30 standard dealing with
windows.
8. HPC would be willing to grant a 500 sqft. bonus in
order to deal with the fenestration and ordinance #30.
9. .6 for the sideyard combined variances.
Les.
DISCUSSION
Jake: The second unit that is in the basement we will probably
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
have to make it an ADU and as a conditional use P&Z will probably
require one parking space for that which means we will be required
to have three parking spaces and we can only get two in the garage
so we would also request a parking space for the ADU.
Amy: If they choose to resolve their volume issue with an FAR
bonus then you should probably say now if HPC is willing to grant
the 500 sqft. bonus.
AMENDED MOTION: Roger amended his motion to add a parking space
variance for the possible placement of an ADU unit in the basement;
second by Les.
Les: I don't consider these little mining shacks boring or ugly
and I personally love them. They are the essence of what the east
end of Aspen used to be. They are re-landscaping next door and
what has happened with this extensive landscaping we have lost a
building. By requiring a landscape plan I am afraid the building
will disappear.
Roger: If you require it then you can control it. You can see
what the plantings are.
VOTE: All in favor of motion and amended motion, motion carries.
ISIS - WORKSESSION
Donnelley: We did a site visit and observed all the story polls.
Sunny Vann: We would like to make sure we are on the same track
before going to P&Z and that is why we are back so soon.
John Wheeler: We have extended the existing wall back. We have
stayed away from the back units. The four points left from
conceptual one was the restudy of the free market unit and we feel
we have done that and hope we have met your concerns. Another was
the aspects of the tower and we changed the soldier bands and
another aspect was the demolition plan. The fourth mater was the
material on the alley side and the material on the upper level,
brick or stone and the existinq metal that is on the back.
Regarding demolition the existing-wall will stay in place and the
walkway in front of the street along the sidewalk will be at six
to eight feet high. As the facade is renovated and restored we
will put panels in there such as was done with the city hall
building.
John Wheeler: We also supplied a streetscape elevation from the
Caribou alley side which demonstrates how low it is and it will be
difficult to see the eave line. from across the street.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
Roger:
roof.
Where will all the mechanical equipment be placed on the
John Wheeler: We have discussed this briefly and it will be to the
back and vented to the back alley.
Roger: It will be through the roof
side. Is there additional space
restaurant which needs venting?
and out the wall on the alley
for future use such as a
John Wheeler: We have not anticipated that degree of change.
Linda: What is the vent that is there now going to be used for?
John Wheeler: It is for the projection rooms which are currently
located up front.
Donnelley: I feel we are dealing with details rather than the
overall conceptual and I am afraid I am going to drop a bomb. The
applicant has attempted in every way possible to accommodate our
desires and if I were a lay person coming upon this building for
the first time my first impression would be that all that has been
saved of the block are the perimeter walls. By dropping the roof
top construction and the roof top construction built form is a new
event that has been proposed for an historic building in Aspen
which we should all be cognizant of. By dropping that the first
impression is that you have a shell, The Weber Block and inside
that eggshell you have new construction which is poking up above
and behind the parapet walls. When you drop and drop you only see
part of a facade, part of the volume poking up and by inference we
assume that volume could drop all the way down to ground level and
that is what I see when,I look at this building. There is an
inferred continuation of these volumes that go right down through
and we just have a thin paper wall. That is a horrible precedence.
Jake: That is what is happening.
Les: If you had to solve that what would you do?
Donnelley: You would do something that we don't want and bring all
of the development to the outside and have a break in materials.
Once you pull it all back in which is what we asked for you have
a definite change in expression. We do not want it part of the
historic resource. You have the cubic volume rising out of the
center of the shell.
Jake: You will only read that from up above.
Donnelley: You see it from several places.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
Sven: I approved conceptual because of the importance of the Isis
and the revitalization. This does not look like a renovation
project to me. I approved conceptual largely because of the
housing program and the theatre expansion. I feel the applicant
is responding to HPC's fires and trying to put out single issues
but a couple of meeting ago Donnelley pointed out that we were
grasping for a coherent overall solution now just a problematic
solution. We still do not have a successful character to the
entire project. We have the Isis, the tower, and the housing and
not a common thread that ties them all together into a successful
solution. It is very important that we resolve the architectural
solution before we go to final.
Donnelley: The new construction could be more integrated to the
wall. New fabric can be integrated.
John Wheeler: That is fair input and we struggled with that.
Donnelley: We are talking about the expression of new and old.
Possibly the top of the tower could tie into the housing etc. by
materials.
Sven: If you did a clay model of the masses of
additions you would see the three different animals
you should only have two. I want to see one visual
Isis with these additions.
all of the
and possibly
image of the
Sunny Vann: At the last meeting we were to make the roof top
addition different and to explore contemporary and use color. We
need consensus to the character of the addition. We can refine
elements and play with materials. We may never get all of your
unanimous approval on this.
Donnelley: John has already recognized the certain schizophrenia
that exists as to the way the new is differentiated from the old.
John was opening up the issue so that it could be dealt with.
John Wheeler: Exactly.
Sven: I do not see the tower and the overall housing on the roof
top in a combined theme.
Donnelley: Lets go back to the basics you have face brick on the
south wrapping around the corner then it is a softer nonfaced brick
that is on the east side and some on the west and now another brick
needs introduced that works on the new.
Roger: Why couldn't the new be cortin or something else.
Donnelley: That is the architects decision and we are talking
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMI~ISSION
SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
about brick A,B and material or brick C. Also the articulation.
Can the commission agree that. a material should be chosen that
unifies all of the new work between old and new and not several
materials.
John Wheeler: We would not have a problem with that and we are
leaning toward masonry for function and longevity and keeping with
the street facade.
Melanie: No matter what you say it still looks like a shell.
Susan: Regarding building structures on historic roofs I assume
that hasn't been done except for Harley's place.
Amy: There are a few like the Cantina that have a roof top
addition but it is not this much construction and is dealt with in
a different manner.
Roger: In any other parts of the country are there projects
similar to this that you know of that could be used as an example.
John Wheeler: We feel that we have come up with an adaptive reuse
of the Isis.
Les: Conceptual we have agre6d that they can build something on
the roof.
Linda: When I look at this from my own gut feeling somehow the
curve on the roof of the three elements and trying to be compatible
with the tower are not compatible due to the shape of the roof.
Charles Cunniffe: The idea is to have a contrast. It might be too
modern. It could be dealt with by a radical change of material.
Linda: No, I feel it needs to be the change of the roof line.
Charles Cunniffe: One you will never see it.
Susan: What if they were more curved.
Charles: At one time we did think of connecting the curve between
the elements and that would be be a successful solution.
Sven: The tower has always been a problem as it stands alone.
Donnelley: You could have surface filigree linking the front to
the back to pull it all together for privacy.
Les: Are you suggesting that the middle units have one roof line
that goes from the front to the back or just on the side.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
Donnelley: You need to pull all of the new built forms together.
Sven: I do not see these elements integrated yet and at a clay
model scale level you could work with the issue, a thing growing
over the Isis and blending in and integrating.
Charles Cunniffe: We are beyond the gestation period. We need to
tie the treatments together programmatically.
Jake: I am more concerned with the street view.
pulled the tower forward. I am concerned about the
of the new piece and old piece and how they join.
clear dramatic articulation.
What if you
intersection
They need a
Roger: On the tower what if t~e entire plane were glass.
Charles Cunniffee: We could draw that up if the Board desires us
to go with something that modern.
Donnelley: In your housing you have shown that you are pulling the
glazing back from the surface of the masonry. There is another
area that you want to tie together.
Charles Cunniffe: We have a building that we have grown something
softly over and in a way the new building is poking out of the
softness and I think it would be nice if we can tie that together.
Melanie: What kind of material would be softer?
Donnelley: Have you looked at a panelized expression.
Charles Cunniffe: You get a grid work of panelized manmade stone
mix and it is a stone panel and that could contrast with the
original brick.
Donnelley: We need a consensus of what
precise direction.
Charles Cunniffe: We do need something
architecturally. I do agree that
work.
the issues are and give
left that we can design
what we have talked about will
Donnelley: The east and west elevation have the same expression
but two different situations. The west is an historic elevation
and you are bringing new construction up to it and the east
elevation is new. There is no reason for them to be the same.
Charles Cunniffe:
feel to it.
We thought the manufactured stone had a nice
16
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 27, 1995
Roger: I feel it is too massive. You are applying a heavy
material on top of an historic building.
Linda: I agree it is too massive and you need something lighter.
Roger: And with a different expression.
Donnelley: Roger has something there that a masonry expression
gives us the feeling that this form has to carry all the way down
through because it has so much weight. A lighter expression
material is needed.
Sunny Vann: The character of the addition can be resolved.
you comfortable with the setback on the free market.
Are
Donnelley: I am sure all of the commission would like to see a
greater setback for the free market.
Sunny Vann: The free market unit is carrying this project.
Jake: The old building is pounding the south axis and the top
stuff is just pounding it. There is no three dimensional character
to it on the top.
Charles Cunniffe: Are we OK with what we have for the free market
units and the modification of materials for the stair tower.
Donnelley: We are talking about dealing with the expression of the
building.
MOTION: Donnelley moved to adjourn; second by Jake. Ail in favor,
motion carries. Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Kathleen J. Strickland Chief Deputy Clerk
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