HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.hpc.19951108ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
712 W. FRANCIS
918 E. COOPER - WORKSESSION
ISIS THEATRE - WORKSESSION
801 E.
- PARTIAL DEMOLITION ..... 1
....... 12
HYMAN ........... 17
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Meeting was called to order by chairman Donnelley Erdman with Les
Holst, Jake Vickery, Roger Moyer, Linda Smisek, Martha Madsen,
Susan Dodington, Melanie Roschko and Sven Alstrom present.
Sven and Susan were not seated.
Amy: The State Historic Preservation Officer needed to sign off
on the Independence Pass project and that was not done. The City
Attorney is looking into the matter.
Amy: Our next meeting is Nov. 29th.
Don: We can have the XMAS party Dec. 15th at my house.
be a pot luck.
It will
Amy: We need to add an agenda item 801 E. Hopkins. Some members
did a site visit today.
712 W. FRANCIS - PARTIAL DEMOLITION
Amy: This house is listed on the historic inventory and it was
built around 1887 and there are very few alternations. The
proposal before us to demolish the existing shed on the rear of the
property which is from the 19th century appears to have been moved
on the site or has a different orientation than originally. They
also want to demolish a small wood shed that is close to the front
of the house. There is a lean-to porch on the back of the house
which is historic but not original to the house. They will work
with that and open it up. You have been given a perspective
drawing of the addition and we are required to make a few findings
for instance impacts on the architectural character and integrity
of the structure or structures located on the parcel are
minimumized by designing new additions so that they are compatible
in mass and scale with the historic structure. This drawing does
not represent exactly what they are doing for us to be able to make
that finding. I hope that the applicant will be willing to just
work with us. At this point they are just looking for an
indication of what sort of demolition we think will be acceptable
in general. They also need ordinance #30 review, the city's new
design guidelines. I am recommending tabling the application until
they have further detailed plans. The shed is a fantastic building
although it is deteriorating. It would be a loss to see it go.
Possibly it could be relocated to another site although it is nice
to keep a building in its original location.
Denis Cyrus represented the applicant: We wish to demolish the
shed because of its deteriorating condition to the extent that Mr.
Orbe's insurance carrier has asked that it be demolished for health
and safety reasons. The sketches are totally preliminary and were
presented to me by Mr. 0rbe. I do have a site plan of what is
existing. The tool shed at the back property line is in the
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
setbacks and it is in extremely deteriorating condition. We feel
it is not part of the significant historical part of this parcel.
It is the old out house and falling into its own pit. I am not
sure what is salvageable and it has no foundation and no
salvageable floor. The roof is structurally unsound and unsafe.
We would just like to remove it. As far as addressing the future
intent we aren't there yet. We have proposed initially is renovate
the existing house internally and that would include the renovation
I guess or rather a rebuild of the porch on the back of the house
which is also in deteriorating condition. I am not sure what other
than possibly the roof that we can even save from it. The
foundation is deteriorating and our inspection indicates that it
is not part of the original foundation and it is in bad shape. The
footings are sitting right on the surface and it doesn't have
adequate bearings.
Donnelley: Tonight we need to focus on what can be done with the
shed and the lean-to, being the porch.
Jake: You need permission to demo the shed.
Amy: Any demolition on site need approval but it is not an
historic structure.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Donnelley:
issue.
I would focus on the wood shed and the lean-to porch
Les: I have no problem with the shed on the side being taken away
and have no problem with the shed on the back of the house. The
shed is demolition by neglect and I could save it within four days.
I looked at it and it is not rotten on the bottom. I would hate
to see it go until we know what is coming here. It is too nice of
a shed and is salvageable. We have saved a lot worse. If we do
let it go I would like to see all the lumber saved.
Jake: On this plan that we have here it looks like the garage is
encroaching in the rear yard setback. That would require some kind
of variance.
Denis Cyrus: Those are indicated parking spaces. A garage would
have to come five feet closer to the house.
Melanie: The sketch is showing detached.
Denis Cyrus: I am jumping a little head of myself but I do have
another plan showing the garage attached to the back of the house
which is somewhat represented by the prospective sketch. That is
in the future. This sketch is giving us a 20 by 20 two car garage.
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 199K
Jake: I will follow through on my comments about the shed. In my
opinion the shed is probably retrievable with a lot of work;
however, if it were going to be used for anything else than a shed
by the time you upgrade it you would end up with very little shed
with all the codes. If there would be an attempt to recycle the
shed onsite. The primary facade of the main house is the true
historical character defining the resource from the streetscape and
the primary importance would be preserving the historical house and
in particular the character of the elevation. The alley buildings
contribute to the alley but that particular alley is a lost cause
anyway. Everything else is new. One could say this is the last
hold of an historical building.
Les: This is a catch twenty-two and what looks viable to the
owners is grandfathered in all the way back to the lot line and
there is a wonderful apple tree in front of it that is going to be
lost. If they save the shed save the apple tree and move the
garage to the other side of the lot then everything starts to make
sense to me.
Denis Cyrus: If we did that we
the way across the back of the
and a 20 foot wide garage. It
five foot setback on each side.
would end up with a solid wall all
property with a 15 foot wide shed
is only a 45 foot wide lot with a
Les: Maybe the garage could be set in a staggered line to save the
tree it might be worth looking at.
Susan: You said you weren't planning on doing the garage right
away. It seems the shed should remain until this plan is ready to
build. If you demolish it and don't put anything in its place two
or three years could go by and it could be sold and the next person
might like the shed.
Denis Cyrus: We cannot leave the shed in its existing condition.
We either restore, renovate or remove it entirely.
Donnelley: Something has to be done with the shed as it has been
neglected so long. On the sh~d what you want to do is stabilize
it because restoration of the shed would be a very expensive
operation if it was truly restored. It has no architectural
character or styling for the time.
Amy: I am not sure I agree with that. It has a great door and has
a transom window over the door.
Donnelley: I am talking about the form.
Susan: I like the color of the wood etc.
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Les: If you jack it up and get it squared then scab on the inside
of the joists and insulate it. We all have done them and it is
something that could be saved as a shed.
Donnelley: We need to determine if the applicant must stabilize
the shed to the point that it is no longer an attractive nuisance
and a liability problem as far as insurance goes or the applicant
may be able to move the shed. to another location. They could
demolish the shed and save the historic materials.
Linda: Is it possible to shore it up and move it to the side of
the property in order to work?
Denis Cyrus: I suppose that is feasible but it might not be an
economic reality.
Roger: Is the shed large enough to house a car?
Amy: It is 12 by 15 and not long enough.
Martha: I sympathize with the ideal but I am more practical and
my suggestion would be to save as much of the wood as possible and
incorporate it into something on the property.
Denis Cyrus: Because of the insurance problems we are anxious to
deal with the shed. Our request would be to demolish the shed.
Martha: In your overall plans is it realistic to shore it up and
use it or is it not an economic reality.
Denis Cyrus: Functionally it 'cannot be used for anything except
a shed. We could move it to the other side of the property and
destroy what open space is on the back of the property or we could
move it to the front and obviously none of us want to do that. We
need 20 feet of width on the back property line for a two car
garage and that limits us to the open space on the back or the
location of the shed. Right now this property doesn't have legal
offstreet parking whether we provide a garage we have to provide
two offstreet parking and the logical spot is in the alley.
Susan: In the picture the car is parked in the lawn and it should
stay there as you won't loose your view from the porch.
Denis Cyrus: The concept is to go through the kitchen to the back
yard.
Susan: If you aren't going to have the garage built for a few
years you will have open parking spaces any and I just do not see
why it has to be demolished now. It should be shored up for the
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
insurance.
Denis Cyrus: You are suggestion we shore it up for a year so that
we can tear it down in a year.
Donnelley: We need to come to one conclusion that the shed doesn't
have to be torn down. If it were shored up it could be moved to
another site. With this particular site I agree with Jake and a
few other people on the board that since this back alley is
completely devoid of historic resources this shed if it were
retained as a resource for someone to look at it might be shored
up so that people could grasp some of its historic significance
then it might be sensible to move it to another site.
Les: Just because it is the last on the block doesn't mean you get
rid of it. That is more reason to keep it.
Susan: I agree also.
Donnelley: The interesting part of the shed faces where it cannot
be seen. If it were rotated as the map seems to indicate then
actually the one interesting element could be seen from the alley.
That and the rotation of the shed would be a good thing to do while
stabilizing it.
Roger: Heather Tharp used to live here.
Amy: We could make a strong recommendation to the Board of
Adjustment about moving things to one side.
Donnelley: The sentiment right now is that it should not be
destroyed.
Linda: The shed is in worse condition than the Langley's but
historically very interesting. If you turn the shed around back
to its original position it would be very interesting.
Roger: Architecturally can the shed be incorporated into the plan.
Donnelley: I would say no because once it is incorporated into a
design it would have to be brought up to code and once you do that
you would have a difficult situation.
Amy: Possibly it could be used for storage.
Jake: One corner is collapsin~ into the old outhouse hole.
Roger: Could it be rebuilt into a smaller configuration and serve
a practical application and an historical one.
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Donnelley: Then you get into the problem of what we are doing.
I feel the wrong use would be to reconstruct it as we are confusing
people about what is old and what is new. I feel we should either
say save it and make it acceptable for an insurance insurer or let
it be demolished.
Susan:
saved.
Didn't one of the board member say the wood could not be
Jake: I was talking about the lap siding as it is very dry. The
one by sheathing is probably OK.
Donnelley: Are we going to put an immense hardship on the owner
by trying to make him save the material of an insignificant shed
other than for a couple of its. elements.
Amy: You need to look at the standards before making a decision.
Sven: It is the case are they intending redevelopment or not.
Amy: We could ask the applicant to go back and get legitimate
estimates and maybe there is a hardship there as to what would be
involved in terms of restoration and what is salvageable.
Donnelley: With one site visit we could see that 50% of the
exterior material is salvageable.
Amy: Perhaps you use the siding on the sides that are visible to
the public.
Les: For $2,000 I could have this thing last another 100 years as
a shed.
Amy: I feel it is significant to the neighborhood.
Linda: In the west end we had wonderful little chicken sheds and
sheds where animals were kept and I feel we should retain that and
not make it all look like ~rand new. This community was a
wonderful community with people getting along etc.
Denis Cyrus:
yard...
I certainly agree but having chickens in your back
Linda: We want
preservationists we
years ago.
to represent the past. As
want to preserve the feeling we had
historic
in Aspen
Donnelley: The obvious question is should the structure be
retained in some form until such time until final plans are
presented to us for the development of the rear of the property.
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Donnelley: Straw poll on retaining the structure in an acceptable
manor so that it does not further deteriorate and be acceptable to
an insurer raise your hand. There is consensus to retain it.
Donnelley: The other issue is the historic lean-to or porch. That
might not be original. There are two types of siding.
Amy: I do not feel it is original but it is old. I feel in
general their proposal to retain it as part of the redevelopment
is good.
MOTION: Martha moved to table the application until such time that
the applicant has furthered detailed plans of the proposed addition
at 712 W. Francis; second by Jake.
DISCUSSION
Les: I would like them to be able to move the thing on the side
and I would like to make a decision on the back as to whether it
will stay.
Amy: The reason I made that recommendation to table as you can't
make some decisions until the plans are ready. They will have to
come back to us when they know what they are going to build there.
Donnelley: We are supposed to prevent demolition by neglect so we
should have as part of this motion that the structure be stabilized
in such a way to prevent further deterioration.
AMENDED MOTION: Martha amended her motion to recommend that the
shed on the north west corner of the property be stabilized in such
a condition that it is insurable and no longer presents an
attractive nuisance and that the other shed be approved for
demolition as it meets standard one; second by Jake.
I would like to indicate to the applicant how the commission feels
and give them some direction. My priority in this project would
be the preservation of the main house and I would prefer to see the
development in the alley. Preservation of open space around the
historical structure is important to the setting.
Donnelley: What you are saying is that when the final plans are
approved we may allow the shed to be removed.
Les: I would not allow the shed to be removed.
Donnelley: We cannot say whether the shed can go or not go until
we have plans.
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Amy: That is why I said to table to indicate that the shed is
important to you.
Donnelley: They need compelling reasons why the shed would either
have to move or go.
Denis Cyrus: I would appreciate some guidance on how you think
this shed could be incorporated.
Sven: We don't know the program so we cannot speculate on that.
Donnelley: The shed could be incorporated by rotating it in the
direction that looked like the original on the site. There can be
a zero lot line situation without any setbacks. You could have one
car covered garage and the second would be a parking space and that
would leave a lot of your back yard open. There are lots of
options. The shed could form one portion of what would actually
be completed by the portion of the car port enclosure and the other
requirement for onsite parking could be fulfilled by uncovered
parking or a car port that is a lean-to off the shed.
Amy: The Board of Adjustment has been sympathetic when asking for
variances of this kind of thing as it is not a big structure.
VOTE: Ail in favor, motion carries.
Roger: I feel the applicant should work with Staff on the
direction that HPC feels appropriate.
Donnelley: One is that we do not want the mass to overwhelm the
existing resource and we encourage a strong delineation between
what is new and what is old in terms of detailing etc.
918 E. COOPER - WORKSESSION
Mark Ward, architect: This property is on the north side of Cooper
Street. We propose to use the building on the alley for the
redevelopment. We are basically moving the old house onto the
front corner of the property.
Amy: Just so everyone understands there is a lot split already
approved and the parcel on the left will be a clean slate not under
our purview. On the right of the lot split they are proposing to
landmark. They can do two detached units there which they are
showing you.
Mark Ward: P is the united on the eastern portion. We propose to
use the front portion of this building and put it on the eastern
portion and towards the front of lot P.
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Jake: We need to see the proposed new site plan.
Mark Ward: We are calling the two lots 0 & P. The historic will
be P. We would like to incorporate the two units on the historic
lot, rather relocate onsite. We would like to relocate the one
building and put a garage door into it. We tried to do something
compatible in the middle of the two units that works.
Roger: Where you briefed on what the HPC looks at when
incorporating an historic building and adding onto a new one.
Mark Ward: Amy pointed out some structures in town that were
thought to be successful and' we toured them. Not mirror the
historic building but pull apart from it in some fashion. I feel
I have done that with the breaks in wall planes.
Amy: What is the square footage of the units.
John Davis, Aspen Custom Builders: The way it is set up now it is
a single family of 3,240 sqfto and I feel we can get that changed
and apply for the 500 sqft. credit. We could do 1800 sqft. each
side with the garage bonus.
Roger: Because of what you are doing you are allowed to divide
this up into four units.
Jake: Are you allowed 3600 sqft. by right.
Mark Ward: I have not addressed the zoning. In the subdivision
agreement it calls for 3600 sqft. duplex on M & N and a 3240 sqft.
single family on O&P. By designation it gives us the ability to
do the two units. Whether we have to do the two units at 3240
sqft. I do not know.
Amy: I would say that you have to use that figure but you can ask
for the 500 sqft. bonus.
Amy: One of the reasons you are given the bonus is because you are
keeping the barn. You are going to get a bonus for the barn
because it is a garage. You need to make a justification why we
should give you a double bonus for that.
Mark Ward: We counted the garage so I would not really need the
500 sqft.
Roger: Both historical units will be incorporated on lot P.
Donnelley: I have a question which has to do with the integrity
of the barn turning into a garage. The south elevation of the barn
is buried into the house structure itself. The north elevation is
ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 199K
totally destroyed by putting a double garage door on it. So no
longer is their an historic resource in my opinion and I feel that
will have to be addressed. The historic resource is being used as
a wedge to give you some benefits that you wouldn't ordinarily
have. If it is going to be an'historic resource it has to remain
so. You have really destroyed more than 50% of the historic
resource because you have taken the two long elevations and removed
one completely and altered the other historically. You are taking
something historic and turning it into something different. It is
a design problem that has to be addressed.
Susan: Was something on the original house in the back taken off?
Mark Ward: Yes, it was the kitchen addition and it is not historic
and was put on in 1958. It is basically a shed roof that comes off
the back.
Roger: The addition to the historic house when looking from the
street feels like it overwhelms the historic house and the
fenestration above the historic house might be part of that. Is
there anyway to more creatively deal with that.
John Davis: One thing you have to keep in mind is that it is back
there 27 feet.
Roger: It is attached to the historic structure and could it be
linked to it instead.
Mark Ward: I tried to do that with the jog in.
Roger: I feel it would be very helpful to have a monitor.
Donnelley: This is a worksession and we are trying to give
direction. The direction is the sudden change in mass and height
between the historic resource and the new work in between. There
is a problematic situation by literally obliterating all but the
two gable ends of the historic barn and that may have to be
manipulated in another way.
Amy: You are having problems with ordinance #30 with the volume
rule. There is a no window zone.
Susan: Are you putting in below ground?
Mark Ward: A full basement.
Melanie: One of the things that hits me right off regarding mass
is the fireplace. That long vertical element draws your eye and
makes it taller.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Donnelley: Maybe go to metal instead of masonry on the stack,
something insignificant.
Sven: A few of us on the board do not see where the 500 sqft.
bonus is warranted on this project.
Amy: Would you explain why to the applicant.
Amy: The idea of the bonus is that it is a bonus and you need to
make findings that the project exceeds a base line of our
preservation goals in terms of somehow you have done something to
really mitigate mass and scale or you have saved an historic
outbuilding.
Mark Ward: In our case we have two historic boxes and they limit
to what we can do with the site. It is quite a challenge.
Donnelley: I feel the barn is.the main stumbling block. The barn
is 14.6 and could in itself make a garage.
Mark Ward: The problem with the gable end it only makes it a one
car garage.
Donnelley: You are not required to have a two car garage in Aspen.
You are required to have two cars onsite but not two cars in a
garage. You could butt another form up against it.
Roger: You could look at having the one car not enclosed and that
could be part of the landscaping.
Mark Ward: We have to have one ADU 300 sqft. and may require an
additional parking space.
Donnelley: We hope we have given you adequate information.
John Davis: In terms of material is stone preferable.
Donnelley: The historic resource cannot be dominated by the new
construction and that is important to remember. Stone sometimes
indicates quite a different scale.
John Davis: Painted lapsiding?
Donnelley: That can be appropriate but we don't want to dictate
that and you need to watch the fenestration so that it does not
imitate the fenestration of the historic resource detailing so you
know that it is new work and is subservient to the old.
John Davis: One concern is the other unit. Do we want it to look
similar or something totally different.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Donnelley: We don't want it to look historic.
Roger: What are your thoughts on the unit to the left which is the
new one regarding materials.
John Davis: We were trying to use similar materials brick and lap
siding.
Jake: Separate the second story mass from the historic resource.
You need to be careful that you do not have windows looking into
windows on these narrow sites. It will hurt you in terms of
selling also.
Mark Ward: We can look at turning the garage.
Susan: Someone already said this but I feel it is overwhelming to
the historic house.
ISIS THEATRE - WORKSESSION
Amy: We have a new rendering in the packet and they are scheduled
to go to P&Z.
Donnelley: The changes made will be presented.
Charles Cunniffe: The main items of consideration were to pull in
the free market unit in front which is in the middle to hold the
line with the entry tower and change the curve so that it implies
a tie together of the overall shape. Also to press it into the top
of the building.
John Wheeler: On the east side we had to step in the facade.
Charles Cunniffe: On materials we were going to keep the original
brick and do a more contemporary brick treatment whether it be a
glazed brick or something else. We are showing a jumbo brick but
having a different brick treatment that would wrap all of the
addition and on the upper level carry it up as a wall then
everything inside reads as an internal fabric to that exterior part
of the wall. You have basically three materials, original, new and
a lighter material that look like it belongs on top of a roof
structure.
Donnelley: We had talked about a fabricated stone material in a
larger scale and what happened to that idea.
Charles Cunniffe: That is still open. We haven't actually picked
the actual material. We wanted to get your idea.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Linda: Have you spoken to Darryl Grob our new fire chief and they
are definitely considering going into a development on the site of
the fire station with housing on top for employees. It might be
a good idea to review the project with him since you are next door.
They do not know what is being proposed.
Amy: I just have a question. Is there a great financial advantage
to you in building the affordable units on the site as opposed to
buying down other units in town.
Charles Cunniffe: I can't speak to that but there is no advantage
either way and I thought there wasn't an option. We went to a lot
of work with the housing office to let us build less.
Amy: Originally you proposed more and from the GMQS application
there is the feeling that this is more than enough. The reason for
bring this up is across the street the HPC said no third story and
they bought housing.
Charles Cunniffe: I doubt if you could build or buy offsite
cheaper than on top of this building.
Donnelley: One area that everyone is concerned about is the free
market unit and we are all trying to push it back. The restricted
employee units back there are not a real problem to me but the free
market unit seems to be a problem to everyone. That is the thing
that makes economic benefit.
Charles Cunniffe: The owners are squeaking about how little free
market they got. This will be occupied by the manager and
employees from the theatre and that is the reason for putting it
on the building. I came in here thinking we have done everything
we had to do. There is no way they can keep this project alive
without coming back with some resolution. I would have to
renegotiate the contract and ask them to find housing offsite.
Frankly I wouldn't want to be in anyone's shoes trying to find
housing offsite.
Amy: You buy down an existing unit and that is what I have been
suggesting.
Charles Cunniffe: It would be unfair to ask us now to reconsider
this entire project.
Roger: The issue is to preserve the integrity of the historic
building and with that thing on the middle of the historic building
is not preserving the integrify. This needs to be looked at and
we are asking that it be looked at.
Amy: It was a suggestion and it might be to your benefit.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Charles Cunniffe: They have tried to look at this with no rooftop
development from day one. They couldn't find anything that made
economic sense. If you can tell me where there is something that
can be built for less than $90. sqft. and bring a manager in.
Roger: I am not saying we would deny the entire thing I am asking
that it be looked at.
Charles Cunniffe: I am saying it was looked at getting the roof
top off.
Amy: We have all struggled with what is on the roof.
Linda: We need people living downtown.
Roger: We are not trying to put Charles back into the loop.
Charles Cunniffe: The drawing shows how much of the addition you
can see from an empty street corner, with the suggestion of
stepping the unit back some and going to a darker color and softer
material that addition looks subservient to the overall building.
Donnelley: We are familiar with how the massing is going now and
the last discussion we had was that the interior materials which
are all new work would reflect a likeness which would be a metal
panel aesthetic though the specific material has not been chosen.
Charles Cunniffe: We looked at vertical copper sheathing, non
reflective. I would like to come in with samples and meet with
individuals and go over to the building and look at how the new
brick could look next to the old.
Roger: Copper seems to be used frequently and
interesting to look at one of the Folensby products
patina similar to the mining buildings.
it might be
with a soft
Charles Cunniffe: In looking at the roof form in a way with this
being a darker material it is almost like an assemblage of
buildings and this building looks like a building beyond.
Les: I can live with this and my only concern is the materials and
we will have to look at those and it will take some time.
Donnelley: We don't want it to be a heavy material.
Amy: They are going to P&Z and asking for a FAR bonus for
affordable housing and it is really P&Z's final decision. We
possibly need something in writing that shows how you have
considered it.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Linda: How soon can you get materials together?
Charles Cunniffe: In a week or two.
Jake: I do feel this has progressed significantly from earlier but
I did vote against it in the beginning. I still feel the free
market is problematic.
Linda: If I were an employee I would enjoy a view just as the free
market unit has.
Roger: What if P&Z says take the housing off what will you do
then.
Jake: Can they go to P&Z saying that HPC feels this massing is
compatible.
Roger: I have never been comfortable with it but that is the best
they could do. The design is great. The concept of not having it
there is very interesting.
Charles Cunniffe: I understand it that we have an OK except we
were to push down and pull back the center unit where it was and
come back with the new scheme and that is what we have done and it
has made it a better building. In an ideal world no addition would
happen on the building but given the direction we got we followed
that and I feel it is a successful solution. We like the results
of this.
Donnelley: The question was asked have you thoroughly explored the
employee housing off site and have the free market occupy that
space.
Charles Cunniffe: I will be happy to explore it further and that
is a valid question.
Donnelley: We are not denying that the preliminary approval has
been granted for the massing so your next step is materials but
still if you could explore that option it would be great.
Charles Cunniffe:
over to Sunny Vann
feedback on that.
I can see the advantages also. I can turn it
and have them give HPC a letter giving their
Amy: Ail I am saying it isn't done until it is built and if any
ideas come in lets address them.
Charles Cunniffe: If it pencils out cheaper I am sure they would
go with it. They might not have thought that they could get that
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NOVEMBER 8, 1995
reading.
Amy: P&Z may say they want that unit off site.
Sven: You got conceptual because a lot of us like the program.
Melanie: We were talking about what could be done to cover up the
building while you were working and when I was in Charleston I took
some pictures that might be incorporated.
Charles Cunniffe: Another plan could be wrap something up that
relates to the movies.
Linda: That would make it inviting and interesting so that people
would have a positive feeling about the project.
Charles Cunniffe: Where do we stand?
Donnelley: You are going to find out why or is their any
compelling reason why your program is locked into providing all of
the housing onsite and then materials.
Donnelley: You might preface to P&Z that although we gave
preliminary approval we would be much happier if there were housing
on the roof that the one forward element were removed.
John Wheeler:
met.
Conceptual was given and the conditions have been
Donnelley: If the aspect of less housing i.e. only free market
were on the roof we would really be delighted to see the free
market replace the present location of the housing.
Charles Cunniffe: You all have sanctioned this with final choice
of materials; however, your druthers would be not to have the
housing on top.
Donnelley: We have always had reservations about that mass that
is forward and directly over.
Charles Cunniffe: Can I have a straw poll to refer to P&Z that
there was consensus. Aside from P&Z being able to remove housing
the only condition that I feel we are down is that the final choice
of materials will be done at a. worksession on site.
Amy: That is the only issue left but you have conditions like
keeping the Isis sign.
Les: The only other issue left is materials.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Donnelley: There are other issues but the main one is materials.
Linda: I agree.
Jake: I cannot agree.
801 E. HYMAN
Amy: Some of us did a site visit today. This project was approved
in 1989 and John Elmore owner and Stan Mathis, architect came to
HPC and there was a house on this property, a little green building
that was rated one'on the HPC inventory and there was also an
historic garage on the alley. At first HPC wanted to keep the
entire thing and then the house'could go away and keep the shed and
then the shed went away. Basically it was a completely empty
parcel but as a condition of the demolition they got to review the
new project. I reviewed all the minutes today and there was
definitely a discussion about wanting to retain the form of the
original one story house on the side and have that one story
element at the corner. There was also the discussion of wanting
this building to differentiate itself from the next door building
which I believe John Elmore also built. They would like to
eliminate the gabled roof on the one story element and switch to
a porch form. My only comment that I feel is that HPC felt it
important and you should keep that in mind before you change it.
Stan Mathis, architect: This house and the outbuilding was rated
a one and what became important to the committee at that time was
the mass and bulk and keeping that as low as we could. As the
house has been built I made a mistake by not arguing to lower the
gable end. There is a deck.
Donnelley: You are talking about altering the one gable end.
Stan Mathis: There
element. What was
mass and bulk.
is a deck and we would continue the porch roof
finally approved had no windows and it was all
Melanie: The fireplaces have been switched and this is massive and
everything is on the street side.
Stan: The drawing may or may not be what was finally approved.
What was finally approved had to do with the mass and shape of the
house only.
Les: I do not remember all this detail.
Stan: That is correct because we said we weren't going to show you
the materials because you didn't have to.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1995
Amy: There were also two extensions of vested rights.
Linda: Do you find this approved scale obtrusive to the historic
house offensive? It indicates that there was something historic
there.
John Elmore: When you look at the front across the roof it looks
like it doesn't go anywhere. The deck is behind it.
Linda: When I walk down the street and look over at the project
at least there is a little something left of the feeling that was
once there, the small scale feeling.
John Elmore: You have all this huge mass around us and we tried
to pull it back.
Susan: I feel the same as Linda.
Stan: If you follow the minutes at first the house that was there
was thought to be historic and then it was determined not to be
historic and then as part of ordinance #1 and employee housing
units and carriage houses off the alley then the attention switched
to the little shed. So all of a sudden it wasn't important for the
big house. Then it was important to try and relocate the carriage
house as employee housing so employee housing wouldn't be located
in below space and we could get a bonus FAR. John offered to move
the little carriage house to a site that would take it and it was
the Sanitation site and the house movers looked at it and Steven
Kanipe looked at it and they said we can't move it.
Les: I was there and Steven Kanipe and I said it could be moved.
Stan: We moved away from the house and what was historic was the
mass and scale at the corner low as a one story element. It seems
a smart move to irradicate that and continue the porch roof which
was also important at the time of approval. When you look at the
house I feel it looks better without that gable roof.
Melanie: After looking at it today this gable element does not
feel like it belongs to the house and I am in favor of what they
are proposing. It feels better on the house no matter what was
approved originally. I feel it brings the scale of the entire
thing down.
John Elmore, owner: We have already built the element and then
felt that it detracted from the house.
Melanie: It brings the height down on the corner but in general
I feel the house is too big and I would like to know how the
chimneys got switched.
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ASPEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 8, 1995
MOTION: Donnelley moved that the commission approves the removal
of the gable roof as show on the drawings 8-24-95 at 801 E. Hyman;
second by Melanie. Motion carries 4 to 3. Opposed Les, Susan and
Jake. Don, Roger, Linda and Melanie voted yes. Martha abstained.
MOTION: Donnelley moved to adjourn; second by Jake. Ail in favor,
motion carries.
Meeting adjourned at 7:30
Kathleen J. Strickland, Chief Deputy Clerk
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