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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-11-16 DRSC approved 11-08-16Design Review Subcommittee of the Elgin Heritage Commission October 11, 2016 Minutes The meeting of the Design Review Subcommittee was called to order at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers (Located on the 2nd floor of City Hall) by Chairman Wiedmeyer. MEMBERS PRESENT: Lynne Diamond, Rebecca Hunter, Bill Ristow, Dennis Roxworthy, Scott Savel, and John Wiedmeyer MEMBERS ABSENT: John Roberson CITY STAFF PRESENT: Christen Sundquist, Historic Preservation; and Cindy Walden, DRSC Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion made by Committee Member Hunter to approve the minutes of September 27, 2016, as submitted. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Savel. The motion passed unanimously. RECOGNIZE OTHER PERSONS PRESENT: Damir Latinovic, Senior Planner; Kim Bauer and John Marston, Elgin Heritage Commission PROPERTIES ON AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION: Old Business None New Business 59 N Channing St — Construction of handrails and newel posts at front and side porches 126 Hill Ave — Demolition of garage, reconstruction and relocation of new garage 459 N Spring St — Redesign of front porch stairs 3 N Liberty St — Reconstruction of front stoop 18 N. Porter St — Demolition of rear garage ITEMS TABLED: 459 N Spring St — Redesign of front porch stairs, due to non - representation Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 2 of 10 NEW BUSINESS: 59 N Channing St — Construction of handrails and newel posts at front and side porches The property owner has submitted an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to rehabilitate the front and side porch elements including the balustrade, stairs and stair handrails. The existing railing system is not appropriate for the style of the home. Elements on the existing side and front porch that are original to the home include the newel posts and porch columns. The applicant has indicated that they would like to install newel posts that have a pummeled top edge with a ball cap in the same similar design as the existing ball cap. However, they would not be able to replicate the notched edge design of the existing, original newel posts. The applicant has also proposed three turned spindle design for review. Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications: Porches A. Should be maintained in their original design with original materials and detailing B. Should be repaired or replaced to match the original in design, materials, scale and placement C. Should be screened only if the structural framework for the screen panels is minimal and the open appearance of the porch is maintained. Screen panels should be placed behind the original features such as columns or railings and should not hide decorative details or result in the removal of original porch materials. D. Should have steps of the same material as the porch floor (e.g. porches with wood floors should also have steps made of wood, not concrete or brick) E. Should have poured concrete steps if the porch, patio or terrace floor is made of concrete (see section on Porch Steps). F. Should have wood tongue and groove flooring running perpendicular to the fagade, if the porch floor is made of wood. G. Should have trellises made of wood, if trellises are appropriate. H. Should be filled in as traditional for the type and style of the house or with decorative wood framed skirting, vertical slats, or lattice panels, if open areas in the foundation exist. I. Should not be removed if original to the dwelling J. Should not be enclosed with wood, glass, or other materials which would alter the porch's open appearance. Porch Columns and Railing A. Should be preserved and maintained. Where repair is required, use materials to match the original in dimensions and detailing. B. Should be rebuilt in historic designs if the original columns and railings have been removed or replaced Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 3 of 10 C. Should have new balusters for the railing, if required. Porch balusters (also called spindles) should be appropriate for the building's style and period. The height of the railing should be in line with the window sill level, if present, and no greater than 30 inches in height. Porch Staircases and Steps A. Should be retained in their original location and configuration, if original to the property. Wood and concrete steps should be repaired with materials to match the original. B. Should be replaced with wood rather than brick or concrete, if the porch floor is made of wood. C. Should have their tread constructed in either 5/4x12 or 2x12 lumber. The ends of the treads should be bull -nosed and overhang the riser by no less than 1 inch. D. Should have newel posts and balusters, treads and risers, to match original porch construction. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness as submitted and with the following conditions: 1. That the decorative porch elements including the newel posts and porch columns shall be restored. 2. The handrail shall have a 2x4 top rail with chamfered edges, W cove, 2x2 square, turned balusters, with a maximum of 2 1/2" spacing. That the bottom rail is a 2x4 with chamfered edges, installed 2" above finished floor. 3. That the stair treads shall 5/4" x 12 (recommended) or 2x12 and bull -nosed on 3 sides and overhang the risers a minimum of V. Pressure treated wood or composite material is acceptable. When using pressure treated wood for the stair treads, paint every side to deter any future cupping of the board. Use 3 -4 deck screws (ceramic coated preferable) to adhere board to framing. 4. That the newel posts are added to the bottom of the stairs 5. That the newel posts shall be 6x6 with a pummeled top edge and to match existing in style (Spherical cap) and proportion. 6. The flooring shall be replaced with 1x4 tongue and groove and installed perpendicular to the house. Pressure treated wood or composite material (recommended) is acceptable. All front and side porch details /elements shall be primed and painted. Bianca Acevedo (owner) and Dennis Acevedo (son) were present for tonight's COA discussion: Son indicated the carpenter is going to replicate details. Entire balustrade to be replaced. Preference is spindle option #2. Decking to be tongue and groove pressure treated lumber. Round ball cap (6 ") with grooves for newel post. Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 4 of 10 Posts should be 5 % - 6" for use of true 2 %" (3x3) spindles. Top rail and bottom rail minimum of 4 % ". Standard skirting details: 1x4 bottom trim board, 1x6 or 1x8 top trim board (to cover rim joist) with 1x8 on corner. Motion made by Committee Member Savel to approve with staff recommendations and the following requirements: 1- spindles true 2 %" (3x3) with option #2 design; 2- match newel post to existing newel post; 3- minimum 4 %" minimum top /bottom rail. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Roxworthy. The motion passed unanimously. 126 Hill Ave — Demolition of garage, reconstruction and relocation of new garage The applicant has submitted an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the existing garage and to construct a new garage on the property. The existing asphalt driveway will remain and be extended to the rear to provide access to the new proposed garage. Although the architectural and historical survey conducted in 2008 states the secondary as contributing, the existing 22' x 22' garage in not original to the home and was built after 1950. Staff conducted a site inspection on September 9, 2016 and found the structure to be in poor condition and lacks historic integrity. The proposed 22' x 22' garage will be located towards the rear of the property in the location of the historic carriage house that was demolished prior to 1950 and include the following: wood frame construction, smooth fiber cement board or cedar cladding, gabled roof with a 6:12 pitch, two paneled overhead doors, and paneled service door. Additionally, staff has obtained information on the details of the trim corner boards, casings and the garage door. Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications: Secondary Buildings: Garages, Sheds, Other Outbuildings A. Should be smaller in scale than the dwelling; clearly secondary in nature. B. Should be simple in design but reflecting the general character of the associated dwelling. For example, use gable roof forms if the dwelling has a gable roof, hipped roof forms if the dwelling has a hipped roof etc. C. Should be built at traditional locations for outbuildings in the locally designated districts. These include at rear lot lines, adjacent to alleys, and at the back side of a dwelling; D. Should be compatible in design, shape, materials, and roof shape to the associated dwelling; E. Should be of an exterior material to match the associated dwelling such as clapboard, stucco, or brick. However, if not readily visible from the street, secondary buildings may have exterior substitute siding materials such as cement fiber board with appropriate trim and exposure and cementitious materials. Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 5of10 F. Should be of traditional materials if readily visible. For garages, wood paneled doors are more appropriate than paneled doors of vinyl, aluminum, or steel. Wood paneled overhead roll -up doors are widely available and are appropriate for new garages. For two car garages the use of two single doors instead of one larger double door is more appropriate for use in a historic district. However, one double is unacceptable for garages of less than twenty -two feet. G. Should have windows in the garage doors are recommended, but windows may not be appropriate in every case for garage doors. H. Should have raised panel steel doors are acceptable and should be painted to match the house and set off the relief of the panels. I. Should be in designs that are more appropriate for use with traditionally designed structures, if prefabricated sheds are proposed to be used. J. Should not be constructed of rough sawn cedar with knots. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the request to construct the new garage if the following conditions are met: 1. That the proposed garage siding material will be clear cedar (no knots) and installed smooth side out in a profile and exposure to match the house's existing wood siding. Fiber cement board siding is also acceptable as the garage will be placed further back on the site and not readily visible from the right -of -way. 2. That the siding and trim is to be painted a color to match or complement the existing house colors. 3. That the garage roof matches the house in slope and form, but be no less than a 6:12 slope. 4. That the eaves shall be enclosed but not be boxed to match eaves of existing house and shall extend a minimum of 12 inches away from the garage wall. 5. That the frieze board dimensions match existing house. The frieze board shall be a minimum of 8" (not to exceed 10 ") to match house. The frieze board shall be painted. 6. That all other details meet the Design Review Subcommittee's recommendations. Nicole Stefanik (owner) and Nelson Bump were present for tonight's COA discussion: Demolition approval is based on emergency /hazardous conditions. Service door proposed is a steel smooth 6 panel. No windows proposed for sides or back of garage structure. Various details of the garage was discussed and noted below within the committee's motion. Motion made by Committee Member Savel to approve with staff recommendations and the following requirements: 1) 9' walls, 2) 12/12 pitch roof, 3) either a 3'x4' (appx) rectangular window to be installed above overhead doors (operable or non - operable) or a "hayloft" opening (final size to be determined by staff) trimmed with 1x6, plus drip cap and 2x sill for Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 6 of 10 appearance, 4) 1x8 above overhead door with drip cap, 5) crown under the gables (optional) on fascia to roof (minimum 1x2), 6) bed molding up to frieze board, 7) no glass in overhead door, 8) 4 -4 %" reveal for clear smooth cedar siding, 9) vertical trim to be 1x4 (sitting proud of the siding). The motion was seconded by Committee Member Ristow. The motion passed unanimously. 459 N Spring St — Redesign of front porch stairs No representation for meeting. Motion made by Committee Member Roxworthy to table COA request. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Savel. The motion passed unanimously. 3 N Liberty St — Reconstruction of front stoop The applicant has submitted an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install a temporary handrail system at the front stoop. The applicant stated that they would like to install a temporary handrail system at the porch location due to requirements noted by their insurance company. The entire porch will be reconstructed in 2017 due to uneven landing and porch elements such as the stairs that are deteriorated. Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications: Porches A. Should be maintained in their original design with original materials and detailing B. Should be repaired or replaced to match the original in design, materials, scale and placement C. Should be screened only if the structural framework for the screen panels is minimal and the open appearance of the porch is maintained. Screen panels should be placed behind the original features such as columns or railings and should not hide decorative details or result in the removal of original porch materials. D. Should have steps of the same material as the porch floor (e.g. porches with wood floors should also have steps made of wood, not concrete or brick) E. Should have poured concrete steps if the porch, patio or terrace floor is made of concrete (see section on Porch Steps). F. Should have wood tongue and groove flooring running perpendicular to the fagade, if the porch floor is made of wood. G. Should have trellises made of wood, if trellises are appropriate. Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 7of10 H. Should be filled in as traditional for the type and style of the house or with decorative wood framed skirting, vertical slats, or lattice panels, if open areas in the foundation exist. I. Should not be removed if original to the dwelling J. Should not be enclosed with wood, glass, or other materials which would alter the porch's open appearance. Porch Columns and Railing A. Should be preserved and maintained. Where repair is required, use materials to match the original in dimensions and detailing. B. Should be rebuilt in historic designs if the original columns and railings have been removed or replaced C. Should have new balusters for the railing, if required. Porch balusters (also called spindles) should be appropriate for the building's style and period. The height of the railing should be in line with the window sill level, if present, and no greater than 30 inches in height. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness as submitted and with the following conditions: 1: The porch handrail system shall be primed and painted. 2. The temporary handrail shall be removed within 6 months —1 year, after which the owner shall have approved plans by the Design Review Subcommittee for the new porch including a handrail system and newel posts that are appropriate for the style of the porch. Aubrey Abernathy (representative for WMFL, LLQ was present for tonight's COA discussion: The property consists of two apartments and one commercial space. Column is not in good shape. Railing and column will be replaced in 2017. Motion made by Committee Member Ristow to approve with staff recommendations. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Roxworthy. The motion passed 5 -0 -1. Abstain: Savel 18 N. Porter St — Demolition of rear garage This request came before the Design Review Subcommittee for review at their regular scheduled meeting held on September 27, 2016. At that time, the request to demolish the structure failed (2 -2 -1). New information has been acquired and submitted to be reviewed by the committee. The property owner has submitted an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the c. 1910 repair shop /garage on the property. The repair shop /garage was built between 1903 and 1913 and is a contributing secondary structure according to the 2008/2009 Elgin Historic District Architectural and Historical Survey. Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 8of10 A contributing resource is any building, structure or object that adds to the historic and /or architectural integrity that makes a historic district significant. Staff inspected the repair shop /garage on September 23, 2016 and found that there were some areas of deterioration, however, the building did not appear to be beyond repair. The assessment was from the exterior only as staff did not have access into the interior at that time. The most exposed side was the south elevation where the clapboards were in worst condition. The west elevation was also in poor condition as the clapboards are pushing outward /detached from the structure at the base. The east elevation was in the best condition as it was covered by the roof overhang. The roof structure at the open air "carport" is rotted and causing areas of the roof to sag. Staff, Chairman Wiedmeyer and Commissioner Ristow completed a site assessment of the garage on October 5, 2016. Staff and Commissioner Roberson also completed a site assessment of the garage on October 5, 2016 but at a different time. With access into the interior of the building, it was found that more than 50% of the materials were beyond repair. The base plate at the west elevation did not connect to any structure and the wall was completely detached at this location. There was also deterioration at the top plate at the west elevation leaving the structure compromised at this location. The floor boards throughout were rotted and connected to floor joists that were in direct contact with the ground. There was no concrete installed for a foundation except at the corners of the structure. In addition, the north elevation wall at the location of the door exhibits new structure with newer wall material possibly suggesting that that wall was not original to the building. The application has indicated that at this time, they are only requesting demolition of the structure to remove the hazard from the property. There are currently two garages on site. Elgin Design Guideline Manual Specifications: Guidelines for Demolition A. Should be avoided of any original feature or part of a pre -1945 building. B. should not occur, unless: 1. An emergency condition exists and the public safety and welfare requires the removal of the building or structure; 2. A building does not contribute to the historical or architectural character of the districts and its removal will improve the appearance of the districts; or 3. The denial of the demolition will result in an Economic Hardship on the applicant as determined by Chapter 20.10 of Title 20 of the Elgin Municipal Code — "Elgin Historic Preservation Ordinance." 4. The denial of the demolition will impede rehabilitation, or redevelopment of the site, and /or adjacent properties from substantially improving the aesthetic, architectural or economic value of the affected properties and surrounding area. Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 9of10 Staff Recommendation: Due to the inspection of the interior of the structure and finding that more than 50% of the structure is beyond repair, staff does recommend approval of the demolition of this structure with the following recommendations: 1. Allow the structure to be available for documentation such as measured drawings and photographs. 2. Salvage any historic elements such as windows and doors, for reuse. Paul Bedner (owner) was present for tonight's COA discussion: Based on the interior, a lot of patching has occurred to this structure. Center wall was added, which caused both portions of the roof sway. Committee approval of demolition is based on existing emergency /hazardous conditions. Motion made by Committee Member Savel to approve with staff recommendations. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Hunter. The motion passed unanimously. OTHER: Casco Industries to discuss their aluminum windows and other products. Representative Kevin Brown was not in attendance of tonight's meeting. No communication was received indicating a rescheduling would be required. ADDITIONAL STAFF COMMENTS: December plaque awards to be held on 12/06/16 at the Elgin Historic Museum. CORRESPONDENCE: None ADJOURNMENT: Motion to adjourn was made by Committee Member Roxworthy. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Diamond. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting of the Design Review Subcommittee was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. Design Review Subcommittee — October 11, 2016 Page 10 of 10 Respectf ly submitted, Cindy g A. VU�Ien Approved: Design Re i§6v Subcommittee Secretar y November 8, 2016