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Landmark Commission Minutes - 05/25/2010MINUTES LANDMARK COMMISSION May 25, 2010 MEMBERS PRESENT: Marilyn Carper ■ Cindy Cotton ■ Stacie Flood ■ Christy Graham ■ Jim Newsom ■ Scott Stillson ■ Steve Wood ■ Leo Bethge, Planner II ■ Staff Karen Montgomery- Gagne, Interim Planning Supervisor ■ Staff GUESTS: Marvin Groves ■ business owner Simon James ■ HPK Associate Ralph Perkins ■ HPK President Glenda Ramsey ■ HPK Associate ABSENT: ^ Dianne Thueson, Chairperson ■ Members John Kidwell ■ Michael Koen ■ I. CALL TO ORDER & INTRODUCTIONS, ELECTION OF VICE - CHAIRPERSON Ms. Gagne called the meeting to order at 3:05 pm. She initiated an introduction, as furthered by each commission member around the table. Ms. Gagne provided discussion for the need for a Vice Chairperson, and opened the floor for Vice - Chairperson nomination. Mr. Newsom nominated Ms. Christy Graham, there were no other nominations. Ms. Carper seconded the motion to approve Ms. Graham as the Vice - Chairperson, and to serve as Chair in Chairperson Thueson's absence. Motion unanimously approved. II. REVIEW & APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 22 "d, OCTOBER 27th, NOVEMBER 17th 2009 & APRIL 27th, 2010 Vice Chairperson Graham asked members to review the Commission meeting minutes. Prior to a motion for approval, Ms. Gagne explained the fall 2009 minutes date back to when she was on maternity leave and all minutes were now current. On one motion, Mr. Newsom recommended to approve all four months of Landmark Commission minutes, motion seconded by Ms. Carper. Motion unanimously approved. III. APPLICATION FOR DESIGN REVIEW — 504 7th STREET — ELEVATOR/STAIR ADDITION FOR BUILDING ACCESS Ms. Gagne provided a brief description and passed photos of the property located at 504 7th Street. Mr. Ralph Perkins, of Harper Perkins Architects, and accompanied by his associates, Mr. Simon James and Ms. Glenda Ramsey and applicant Mr. Marvin Groves, discussed their request for a new passenger elevator and side emergency access stairwell. Mr. Perkins stated the need is Landmark Commission May 25, 2010 page 1 triggered by City Building Code, by adding an elevator for second floor access the Code requires a secondary means of access via an exterior side stairwell. Ms. Ramsey stated the intent is not for freight purposes, but to serve as a passenger elevator. Maximum elevator weight is 2,500 pounds. Mr. Perkins further stated the building was constructed in 1919 and originally housed the Denver and Ft. Worth Railroad freight office. The brick planned for the elevator area will be a close match to the original brick, and insulated panels will be used for the enclosed stair. Mr. Wood questioned if the insulated metal panel color on the staircase would also match the brick. Mr. Perkins stated the color selection for the metal panels is very limited and would try their best to match. Vice Chairperson Graham commented, the request was justified since the stairs will be located at the rear of the historic building, which will be out of public view and the secondary access is a Building Code requirement. Furthermore, discussion continued regarding elevator access. Mr. Perkins stated there are two points of access, with doors to open from either side. Mr. Groves, the owner, stated the elevator will provide access for each floor. Mr. Newsom questioned accessibility to the rear stair. Mr. Perkins stated you can only exit from within, and not enter from the outside, for security reasons. Mr. Wood motioned and Mr. Newsom seconded approval for the proposed plans for the addition of an elevator and enclosed rear staircase at 504 7th Street as these access features are a building code requirement and masonry similar to the existing, historic materials will be utilized for the new construction. Motion passed unanimously. IV. REVIEW & DISCUSSION: PROPOSED CELL TOWER CO- LOCATION OF AN ANTENNA AT 900 8t' STREET (HAMILTON BUILDING) Ms. Gagne provided information regarding a co- location of an antenna on an existing cell tower on top of the Hamilton Building landmark at 900 8th Street. A request for comment via the Section #106 review process was received on May 6, 2010 because the structure is a designated City Landmark. Staff checked with Mr. Mark Chase, building manager, for information on existing antennas, not the towers. He stated that their records go back to 1991 for the installation of antennas. These antennas were installed prior to the building being designated in 1999 as a landmark. Also, Ms. Gagne checked with the Texas Historical Commission (TXHC); however, no information was provided and the City's existing design review guidelines do not adequately provide direction to address the issue. Staff retrieved information from the City of Grapevine's Design Guidelines as an example. The commission felt unanimously that these issues, such as antennas and fencing, need to be further addressed in the revised Design Review Guidelines. Discussion continued and Mr. Wood questioned the location of the antennas. Ms. Flood questioned if you could see the telecommunication equipment from other vista points. Mr. Stillson and Mr. Wood questioned the setbacks from the building's edge. Mr. Bethge replied, stating that setbacks are required for new towers or alternative energy sources, not for antenna co- locations. Ms. Gagne replied, stating that the consultant company (GSS) from Iowa provided insufficient information to answer many of the commission's questions. She further stated this matter needed to be reviewed simply as a utility co- location vs. as a new cell tower. Mr. Wood stated he is okay with the size and placement on the existing cell tower. Ms. Cotton stated this issue needs to be further reviewed as a height restriction item when the Design Review Guidelines are revised. Vice - Chairperson Graham and the Commission agreed to comment favorably but with reservations; however, no motion from the commission was required. The following statement will be issued to GSS, Inc. and the TXHC: "The Commission went on record as having concerns with additional antenna towers being located on historically designated buildings along with concerns about setting a precedent. However, since this was a collocation and the antennas existed on the building prior to its historic designation, the Commission accepted the current proposal for the proposed U. S. Cellular antenna. " Landmark Commission May 25, 2010 page 2 V. UPDATE FOR QUARTERLY GRANT PRODUCT REPORT - 2009 THC CLG PROJECT Ms. Gagne provided a brief overview. The State requires a quarterly updated report to show -) progress on the grant project. The draft deadline is coming up - a tentative brochure should be submitted to TXHC by end of July for their review. A print -ready copy needs to be at the printers and submitted by the end of August, for reimbursement in September. VI. DISCUSSION - PRIDDY HOUSE PENDING AUCTION /DEMOLITION Staff referred members to their meeting packet and the Times Record News article. Ms. Gagne indicated the items within the Priddy House would be auctioned Memorial Day weekend prior to the building's demolition. Ms. Flood explained the Wichita County Heritage Society's (WCHS) involvement related to the building's owner (Lamar Baptist Church) approaching the Heritage Society for potential relocation of their offices to the Priddy House along with paying for the building's maintenance in lieu of rent. The WCHS seriously considered relocating the building; however, the home would need to be split into three pieces in order to move it. This moving initiative would have been cost prohibitive as it would have required a detour around the US287 overpass. No one locally was willing to move the house. Mr. Newsom added that the house needed a lot of repairs. Ms. Gagne further stated that the house was not designated as a City landmark so there would be no 30 -60 day demolition delay and no government funds could be granted to salvage the house. VII. OTHER BUSINESS a.) West Floral Height Historic District - Monthly Report Ms. Carper stated sixty families attended the May 23rd Open House. She noted the open house was arranged to help educate realtors on the value of historic district properties. Ms. Carper further stated they will consider doing this again in the fall of 2010 if there are several additional properties for sale. Ms. Gagne followed up with Mr. Newsom, inquiring if Morningside would consider an Open House equivalent to the West Floral Heights District. He replied that this is a possibility since several homes are for sale. b.) TX Preservation Plan Meetings - THC seeking input Ms. Gagne recommended the commission go on -line to review this material. c.) National Preservation Conference - TX Scholarships (apply by June 1S) Ms. Gagne stated the upcoming deadline is on June 1St to file for a scholarship to defray costs to attend this year's conference in Austin, TX. She provided the website and encouraged the commission to review the tentative overview. d.) Periodical & Preservation resource materials Ms. Gagne stated that "marker' applications are currently being accepted to log untold stories. Mr. Stillson recommended the story of the littlest skyscraper. Vice Chairperson Graham clarified the "littlest skyscraper' story. Ms. Carper recommended the downtown historic bank robbery story. e.) Next Regular Meeting - Set for June 22 "d at 3:00 pm. VIII. HISTORIC SITE BROCHURE PROJECT WORK- CLG 2009 GRANT WORK SESSION Ms. Gagne discussed the need for both reductions and additional brochure materials. The recommendation is to maintain a maximum of fifty words or less for each write -up. Ms. Gagne further stated the recommended routing of the visitors, based on a site tour with the Chair, Ms. Flood and Mr. Bethge, per each neighborhood, should be reflected in the arrangement of the sites in the brochure. The majority of commission members provided comment, based on the following: Ms. Flood will reformat the Fillmore Neighborhood description since information is lacking for the three Kell daughters' houses. Landmark Commission May 25, 2010 page 3 Discussion commenced regarding the correct name for each neighborhood house, whether the brochure lists the original owner name or the current owner name. Ms. Gagne recommended stripping the owner's name for the houses in the West Floral Heights Neighborhood section. Members discussed and were in agreement. Mr. Newsom was okay using the historic names for the Morningside houses. Discussion continued about architectural styles - Mr. Newsom recommended including numerous architectural styles to portray diversity in design. Ms. Carper questioned the architectural styles as indicated in the West Floral Heights handbook. Ms. Gagne recommended, after discussion, to add 1300 and 1400 Tilden to the list of West Floral Heights homes, based on their architectural and historical /social significance. Mr. Stillson re- iterated he could not locate or find any information for the particular Eastside church. He further questioned the reasoning for keeping the second paragraph for Episcopal Church of the Good Sheppard since it exceeded the fifty word count. Mr. Bethge stated the second paragraph provides the necessary architectural detail. Ms. Gagne recommended combining both paragraphs and to review again as part of the final draft. Ms. Gagne added to the discussion, noting she received both binders from the Lester Jones Photo Collection from the Wichita Falls Museum of Art. Another item to be addressed from the November 2009 minutes were hours of operation, for all museums particularly, including the Railroad Museum. Ms. Flood receives complaints at the Kell House about inconsistent hours of operation of the Railroad Museum. Commission members commented the brochure is to be "timeless" with 70,000 copies and suggested printing museum websites for long term use. Ms. Carper recommended revising the West Floral Heights section to include at least one home per street location versus by architectural style. Mr. Newsom added that the amount of homes should be based on space availability for the brochure. Ms. Carper stated that 1413 Hayes should be added, removal of 1408 Buchanan, along with adding 1300 and 1400 Tilden. Further discussion included listing homes, considering those that are well maintained vs. just basing on architectural style. Assignments were given from Vice Chairperson Graham to complete the initial draft of the brochure. Chair Thueson will need to edit the Country Club Neighborhood, Lost Wichita Falls, and the Southland Neighborhood sections. The Iron Bridge and Wee- Chi -Ta Sculpture section and header will need to be combined since they are in the same location and description reduced. Ms. Flood will further edit the Fillmore Neighborhood, reduce the Floral Heights United Methodist Church write -up and edit the Kell House. She will also review the photos for the Kell House. The Commission agreed a historic photo would be more suitable and to select the photo that includes the Kell Family. Ms. Flood also recommended the further review of the school section, of which schools to add based on proximity to historic neighborhoods, and those schools with architectural value. The recommendation by the commission was to remove Sam Houston Elementary School and possibly add Zundy Junior High. Ms. Gagne also reminded the Commission a credit page is required based on TXHC Grant requirements. Members discussed and recommended the inside back cover for photo, research credits, etc. Vice Chairperson Graham questioned additional material for Lucy Park. The Commission felt Lucy Park should be included in the write -up for Riverside Cemetery. She also mentioned the next Landmarks Committee is scheduled for June 22 "d, and for all members to complete their sections to create a full draft. She recommended, along with Ms. Gagne, to arrange for another work session prior to June 22 "d, to pull together, review, and confirm all material. Landmark Commission May 25, 2010 page 4 t IX. ADJOURN Vice Chairperson Graham adjourned the Commission meeting at 5:08 pm. RJR /I RAI wl .. .1 ..-,/ Landmark Commission May 25, 2010 6-30-10 Date page 5