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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-06-08 Historic MINASHLAND HISTORIC COMMISSION Minutes June 8, 1994 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Jim Lewis at 7:35 p.m. Members present were Jim Lewis, Terry Skibby, Steve Ennis, Chloe Winston, H.L. Wood, Larry Cardinale, and Bill Harriff. Also present were Associate Planner Mark Knox and Secretary Sonja Akerman. Casey Mitchell and Keith Chambers were absent. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Winston moved and Wood seconded to approve the Minutes of the May 4, 1994 meeting as submitted. The motion ipassed unanimously. CEMETERY NOMINATION Kay Atwood presented the nomination of Ashland area cemeteries to the National Register of Historic Places. She explained the first third of the nomination consists of the historical context and includes five cemeteries in the Ashland area that would be eligible for National Register status. The context proves the viability for the Hill-Dunn Cemetery, Mount Vernon Cemetery, Hargadine Cemetery, Ashland Cemetery and Mountain View Cemetery. Because of the limited amount of funding available, she chose to submit nominations for the two largest ones -- Ashland Cemetery and Mountain View Cemetery. It will be possible to submit nominations for the other three at a later time. She has submitted the original nomination and photographs to the State Historic Preservation Office. It will be heard by the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation in September. Atwood said she was appointed to this Committee last fall, but there should be no problem. She will represent the City for this nomination and not vote. She related she worked with Elisabeth Potter, from SHPO, and anticipates favorable results. Atwood stated she has given copies of the nomination with thank-you letters to Mike Biondi, who supervises the cemeteries for the City, and Parks employee Donn Todt, who identified the trees in the two cemeteries. She said the Historic Commission now has an opportunity to educate other City officials on the cemeteries and gravestone repair. No gravestone markers are being made like the original ones. Modern markers are flat to allow for easy maintenance. Since half of' Mt. View Cemetery is more modern, she only included the six acres with the gravestones. The Historic Commission commended Atwood for her work on the nomination. STAFF REPORTS PA 94-067 Site Review Van Ness Avenue Dave Greene Knox explained this application was administratively approved last month, but was called up for a public hearing by a neighbor. The proposal is for a six unit apartment complex consisting of three buildings with two units per building. The sidewalk will meander through the property from Van Ness Avenue to the alley, where the parking area is located. Although the design which was submitted lacks one parking space, Staff sees no problem with rearranging the parking to add another space. The exterior of the three buildings will consist of eight inch lap siding, composition roofing material and single hung vinyl windows. Each unit will have an approximate 100 square foot open porch at the entry, extending outward five and a half feet from the building. Knox noted the plans which were turned in at the pre-app stage were quite a bit different because Staff had requested the applicant to come back with plans that were more compatible with the area, which he did. The Review Board commented it was pleased with the results. Knox also said unit E would most likely exceed the solar access requirements, but with a minimum change in the roof pitch, it could be approved. The Historic Commission would review any changes before the building permits are issued. All units are similar in design and orientation. Neighbors have expressed concern about the impact of the traffic off the alley. Ordinance requires the alley be paved prior to issuance of a certificate-of-occupancy. Overall, Staff believes this is a good project for the area. Skibby questioned the impact on the adjacent property. Knox answered the buildings are all one story and there will be a fence separating it from other properties. Lewis questioned the solar problem. Knox said the applicant has submitted a letter indicating he will change the roof pitch of unit E if necessary. Wood asked about the right-of-way width of the alley and if it would need to be improved to its full width. Knox said it is 16 feet and it will need to be paved the full width. Staff is recommending it be paved from Helman Street to the end of the property. Skibby asked if the applicant could sign in favor of improvements. Knox stated the City's ordinances require paved access to projects such as this. Also, because of the probability of Son of 5 passing, no LIDs will be allowed. Therefore, Staff is becoming more strict on paving conditions. He also noted that if the alley is not paved, it could cause more problems with the neighbors; if paved, there would be less dust. Staff will be recommending to the Planning Commission the alley be paved. The Planning Commission makes the final decision. Ashland Historic Commission Minutes June 8, 1994 Page 2 Barbara Ross, 148 Central Avenue, stated she was the one who called this action up for a public hearing. Her objection is to the parking slots on the alley. She lives at the corner of Bush Lane and Central Avenue. Bush is very narrow at her property, and she feels the additional 10-12 cars per day going by her house would cause too much dust. People cut through there all the time, and she would like to see the alley closed. It just isn't wide enough. Harriff asked if it could be changed to one way toward Central. Knox said it is currently one way toward Van Ness, and the conversion would need to be approved by the Traffic Safety Commission. Harriff encouraged Ross to attend the Planning Commission meeting to voice her concerns. Skibby stated this will have a minimal impact on the streetscape. It will look like a single family residence from Van Ness. Lois VanAken, 140 Central Avenue, stated her major concern is the parking on the alley. Currently, the major use of 'the alley is by pedestrians and children. She said it would seem more natural to have the parking off Van Ness, which is more car oriented. There are many garages and fences along the alley, and she doesn't know how it can be enlarged to 16 feet. Her second concern is the: aquifer that goes through her property and drains on the applicant's property. She wants to make sure the proper engineering is executed to divert the water so it will not be a problem. Dave Greene said he was aware of the wetland and it will be accommodated. Ron Davies, 171 Helman Street, said he is not opposed to the project, but he has alley paving and access concerns. In the 22 years he has lived on Helman Street, traffic has picked up. He said he feels the traffic has ruined front yards in the area so backyard use has been encouraged. Most people are home 16 hours a day and would like to keep the backyard areas as quiet as possible. If the alley is widened, it will wipe out the fence of his rental (adjacent to his property), and a neighbor's hedge will be gone, creating a gaping hole. Vegetation is a barrier, and when the alley is widened, it will all need to be cut for vision clearance. Davies asked what would become of the water runoff from the paved alley. He does not want pavement water in his garden, and the drainage has been screwed up in the past. He also asked how hot will the backyards become when it is 100° with the sun shining on the asphalt. He said he does not feel anything will be gained by paving 16 feet and that it would be better to have 12 feet. He believes 12 feet will accommodate a fire engine. Ennis stated that historically, the Commission has not been in favor of alley paving even though Staff recommends it:. He appreciates the neighbors' concerns and could not say he would be in favor of parking off the alley if he lived there. However, the applicant has been working with Staff and he has been following recommendations and the ordinances. Ashland Historic Commission Minutes June 8, 1994 Page 3 Lewis commented the Historic Commission would rather see a nice streetscape as opposed to a parking lot. Since the zoning is R-3, City ordinances dictate the alleys be used as access. Discussion followed on potential development and alley infill. Ennis and Harriff asked if it would be possible to get a parking variance to reduce the number of spaces required. Knox said it would be difficult to get approval, as it cannot be justified the alley is over used. Davies said he talked briefly with Bill Molnar about improving the alley with crushed rock. It would be less expensive and would not ruin the character of the alley. He reiterated he sees no advantage in widening the alley. Wood stated he talked to an adjacent owner who has standing water under his house in the winter. The water comes from North Main Street, and he wanted to make sure the applicant was aware of this. He also asked if the units would have heat pumps. Dave Greene said they would, and when asked if they would be shielded against the noise, Greene said they would. In addition, he wanted to know if the units could use the parking space on Van Ness. Knox said they could. Ennis moved to recommend approval of the application as submitted, but to take exception with the Staff recommendation to pave and improve the alley to 16 feet in light of neighbors' objections and the historic integrity of the alley. Harriff seconded the motion and it passed with all voting aye except Wood, who abstained because he is a resident of the area. PA 94-083 Conditional Use Permit 100 Alida Street Leslie Foster Knox explained the Conditional Use Permit is being requested for an addition to a non- conforming structure (which is one foot off the property line). The same material will be used and it will have the same roof design. Staff sees no problem with this application and is recommending approval. Wood stated that in the past, that structure has been used as a small rental unit. Knox pointed out the Findings state the building will be used for storage only. Winston moved to recommend approval of this action, with the stipulation it be used as an outdoor storage shed. Skibby seconded the motion and it was unanimously passed. Ashland Historic Commission Minutes June 8, 1994 Page 4 PA 94-086 Conditional Use Permit 91 Gresham Street Kathleen Buffington The applicant is proposing to convert her single family residence into a three-unit traveller's accommodation. The owner/applicant will be living on the site. With the on street credit, parking is adequate. This application complies with the criteria and Staff believes the house is perfectly designed for a B & B. It is in a good location, has historic value and is a wonderful resource. With a motion by Skibby and second by Winston, it was the unanimous decision to recommend approval of this application. BUILDING PERMITS Permits reviewed by members of the Historic Commission and issued during the month of May follow: 201 Glenview Drive 586 East Main Street 44 North Second Street 325 "A" Street 252 East Main Street 19 Gresham Street 124 Manzanita Street 338 "B" Street 31 South Second Street 228 "B" Street 35 Third Street 37 Third Street 270 East Main Street Mark Hill Kate Jackson Trinity Episcopal Church Golden-Fields Marilyn McCurry Dave Werschkul Casey Mitchell Mel Weishan Michael Gibbs Pelton House B & B Claudia Lively Real Estate Ashland Outdoor Store Graven Images Gallery SFR* Rebuild Porch Stained Glass Window Revision Interior Remodel Addendtm~ to Remodel Remodel/Addition Reroof Revision of Plans Sign Sign Sign Sign * Historic Commission recommended disapproval REVIEW BOARD Following is the schedule (until the next meeting) for the Review Board, which meets every Thursday at least from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the Planning Department: June 9 June 16 June 23 June 30 Lewis, Skibby and Wood Wood, Winston, Skibby and Lewis Winston, Skibby and Harriff Skibby, Cardinale and Harriff Ashland Historic Commission Minutes June 8, 1994 Page 5 OLD BUSINESS Railroad Park Bill Emerson presented his revised drawings of the east end of the new Railroad Park. He explained the history display has been moved to the end to allow for the bike lane, which is actually better because it will point to the actual Golden Spike area. Lewis agreed this is a better location because of the panoramic view which covers the Oregon Trail territory. Winston moved and Cardinale seconded to approve Emerson's new concept of the historical display area. The motion passed unanimously. Lewis, Skibby, Winston and Harriff comprise a committee which will meet to review more detailed plans. National Historic Preservation Week Winston reported the walking tours were very successful, as was the awards ceremony. Harriff suggested mentioning those that were nominated but received no awards in addition to the winners. Seismic Retrofitting Brochure Skibby stated at this point, he is waiting for Building Official Mike Broomfield to finish his draft in order to see if there will be any negative impacts on historic structures. Marker Repairs Skibby said he has talked with Mike Biondi who told him the repairs are on hold until September. Everyone agrees the markers are a liability when they are in need of restoration. There are 150 markers that currently are in need of repair, so it is important to keep communication open between the Commission and the City, especially with the probability of National Register status. The City will have to accept the recommended method of repair. Harriff wondered if the Smithsonian or similar association conducted workshops on repair of cemetery markers. Lewis said it was doubtful, however the Commission will watch for such workshops. Graffiti in Ashland Wood reported he had talked with City Attorney Paul Nolte, Police Chief Gary Brown and Mayor Cathy Golden. All. indicated it may be a misdirected effort in trying to get an ordinance such as this through the City Council. It is the feeling the Council perceives the nuisance ordinance takes care of the problem and it would rather see fewer ordinances. Wood stated he is willing to pursue this, but does not want to pursue a wasted effort. Harriff suggested strengthening the existing laws. Wood stated that currently, in order to Ashland Historic Commission Minutes June 8, 1994 Page 6 convict a person, he/she needs to be caught in the act. Harriff then suggested the Commission educate the school children, as he is much more in favor of prevention. Wood explained if graffiti is reported in the City now, the Police Department sends someone out to remove it. Skibby stated perhaps the offender should be required to remove the graffiti. Winston noted that certain stores do not sell spray paint to kids. Knox added he has received information from SHPO on how to educate children, who take the information home to their parents. He will make copies available for the Commission. Wood said he would call the City Council members to find out if there would be support for an ordinance before pursuing it further. George Kramer's Memo It was decided Kramer's memo should be tied in to SHPO's workshop, so it will be discussed at that time. NEW BUSINESS Goal Setting/Orientation Meeting It was decided to hold this meeting on June 29th. SHPO Workshop James Hamrick, Deputy Director of the State Historic Preservation Office, has volunteered to come to Ashland to conduct a one-day workshop for the Historic Commission. Goal 5, design review and development along "A" Street will be discussed. The Commission selected July 20th, 22nd and 27th as preferred dates. Members will be notified of the date. Update on Grant (Historic District lnfill) Lewis reported he had talked to Planning Director John McLaughlin about the status of the grant. It looks as though everything is on schedule and that public input will be sought in August. This is another important reason to have the SHPO workshop before August. (It was agreed to extend the meeting beyond 10:00 p.m.) Meeting Time Change It was decided to continue starting the meetings at 7:30. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Ashland Historic Commission Minutes June 8, 1994 Page 7