HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-10-06 Historic MINASHLAND HISTORIC COMMISSION
Minutes
October 6, 1993
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, H.L. Wood, Steve Ennis and Le Hook. Also present were
Planning Director John McLaughlin and Secretary Sonja Akerman. Dana Johnson, Keith
Chambers and Chloe Winston were absent.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Ennis stated that on page 1 of the September 8, 1993 Minutes, Jerome White is a designer,
not an architect. He then moved to approve the Minutes as corrected. Hook seconded the
motion and it passed unanimously.
STAFF REPORTS
PA 93-123
Site Review
48 Fifth Street
Foursquare Church
McLaughlin explained this proposal is for the replacement of the existing fellowship hall.
The church is looking for a more efficient use of space, and it was ascertained the existing
building was not worth adding on or remodeling for this purpose. The proposed building
maintains a residential character and will be built in a Craftsman style. The church is non-
conforming, as there is no parking on the site. Since the impact remains the same and there
will be no additional use in the sanctuary, no more parking will be required.
Skibby questioned the demolition of the existing house. Terry Lippert, representing the
church, said they have advertised in hopes someone would move the house, but have had
no response. The house is in bad shape, as half of it is not on a foundation. He later said
they would keep trying to get it moved rather than demolish the house, as they will not start
the building until next March.
Wood asked if the alley will remain unpaved, and McLaughlin answered it will remain
unpaved at this time.
McLaughlin asked Lippert about the parking area. He answered he would like to alleviate
some of the parking in the street and landscape the area. He plans to put in 1" crushed
rock in the parking area.
Lewis stated there is a factor to be considered with angular parking -- it forces people to
go all the way down the alley to Sixth Street, and the second half of the alley deteriorates
greatly.
Skibby related the applicant and designer had been in to the Review Board twice and felt
the residential character of the new building is compatible with the neighborhood. Ennis
agreed it is a nice design and suggested the applicant check with Chapter 31 for ADA
parking requirements.
Skibby moved and Wood seconded to recommend approval of this application to the
Planning Commission. The motion passed unanimously.
PA 93-119
Site Review and Variance
233 Fourth Street
Tom Frantz
McLaughlin related this application is to replace the existing building with a two story
commercial building. Staff has design issue concerns, and although the applicant has stated
the intended use for the lower portion will be a restaurant, the seating capacity is unclear
as is the total use of the building. Staff realizes the owner is looking at all options available,
but since a parking variance is also being requested, would feel uncomfortable granting
approval when the use is unclear. The use of the alley will increase and the nearby houses
will be affected by the dust. Options for paving will need to be reviewed if this is the use
to trigger improvement of the alley. It is not the intent, however, to turn this alley over to
automobiles. Historic Commission recommendations will be taken into consideration.
Otherwise, Staff feels this is a good regeneration of the site and is a positive change.
After talking with neighbors, Tom Frantz said he made a few changes and submitted revised
plans. He feels it is important to leave the alley unpaved for pedestrian use, but he is aware
of the dust and is looking at alternate paving methods, such as grass pavers. In discussing
his parking with Crissy Barnett, owner of the Peerless Rooms across the alley, it was decided
the people using the parking lot should be encouraged to go back out to Fourth Street
rather than utilizing diagonal parking, which would encourage the traffic flow to Third
Street. By pulling straight in, people would have the'option as to which direction they could
proceed. Frantz said he also did not want to inundate the neighbor. By utilizing straight
in parking, it will leave more landscape area between the neighbor and his property. His
most recent idea includes handicapped parking. McLaughlin said the surface used for the
handicapped parking needs to accommodate wheelchair access to the building. Frantz said
he feels strongly the alley should be grass pavers.
Hook said the new use will probably increase the traffic by 50% if the alley is paved, then
questioned what would happen if Frantz just paved his portion. McLaughlin said it would
be detrimental to the alley and adjacent properties to leave an unpaved portion in the
Ashland Historic Commission
Minutes
October 6, 1993
Page 2
middle. He stated that given the two owners (Frantz and Barnett), the City should give
them the opportunity to do something other than paving the alley.
Ron Thurner, 1170 Bellview Street, said that when Peerless Rooms went through the
Planning process, neighbor concerns were the paved alley (they would like to maintain it as
granite), and the impact on the historic nature of the area. With the restoration of the
Peerless Rooms building, the owner has gone to great expense to maintain the historic
nature. The alley would do well if left in its existing form and maintained.
Steve Hoxmeier, 435 "B" Street, said he is a neighbor and he does not want the alley paved.
The existing pavement in the alley has created a dam and the rains flood his back yard.
Thurner added that because of the slopes in the area and over time, the grade at Fourth
Street has risen two feet, and now to go back and resurface it will be very difficult because
of drainage, etc. Lewis agreed, but said it also needs to be accessible for fire trucks. He
wondered if grass pavers would make the Fire Department happy. Thurner said all the
departments knew about the Peerless Rooms and had no objections to maintaining the alley
as it is.
McLaughlin related Peerless Rooms has a limited impact because cars usually park and stay.
The new building would have a higher turnover and would trigger a higher degree of traffic.
Maybe this wouldn't precipitate the dust right now, but it is important to know the future
use of the building; perhaps the City should wait and see. Possibly by improving the alley
with 3/4 minus crushed rock, it would create a nice surface. McLaughlin continued the
problem with grass pavers is that if anything heavy gets on them, they could break. Frantz
said he has the same pavers Britt uses and they are rated to hold a ten ton truck. Lewis
said it would be a big step for the City if it were to maintain a public right-of-way other than
asphalt.
Thurner added another major consideration is that handicapped accessibility is very limiting.
Barnett falls under Title 1 because her building is on the National Register, but the surfaces
need to comply with municipal standards. Alleys are not designated as historic resources,
so the alley will probably have to be paved unless it comes into another status. Frantz said
he feels there is a potential problem because it will change the historic nature of the area.
After further discussing alley improvements and handicapped spaces, design was addressed.
Frantz said he had recently made a few minor design changes for the Building Department
and Fire and Life Safety. Ennis stated that in looking at the elevations, he personally feels
there is too much going on, especially because it is next to Peerless and it will incorporate
different materials, windows, the bays on sides, etc. He would like to see a three-
dimensional scale model. He related the front of the proposed building looks sharp.
Hook agreed and said he is mainly concerned with the south elevation. He likes the east
elevation and what it adds to the streetscape. Skibby remarked it would be wise to keep in
mind the Bundini Building owner will be constructing a garage so the south elevation will
hardly show. Frantz said the bay windows will pick up the east sunrise; otherwise there
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Minutes
October 6, 1993
Page 3
would be no sun on that side, thus no natural light. Each window of the building has a
purpose, such as view, light, etc. Materials, he explained, are the real factor. He will be
using true ship lap siding, stucco, and wood casement windows. He also feels a metal roof
would be compatible, not only with the building itself, but the area.
The Historic Commission agreed it would like to see a model of the building, and
questioned the compatibility of the different materials, and also the different roof pitches.
Ennis stated that within a week, he would make a list of his concerns for Frantz.
Hook added that one change he did not think improved the design was the extension of the
second floor, as it is too busy. Frantz explained he put in the bay window to accommodate
the east light and therefore had to change the stairway.
After discussing more design details, Frantz said he would be willing to take a look at
simplifying the design, which will mean coming back next month. McLaughlin added that
for the City to grant approval, the applicant needs a final design. Staff will work with Frantz
so the delay will not cause a hardship.
STEVE HOXMEIER -"A" STREET RAILROAD SUBDIVISION
Skibby explained the Review Board had requested Steve Hoxmeier come before the full
Commission to explain his plans for the permanent structure. McLaughlin said Hoxmeier
had approval for a temporary structure, but under the Building Codes, it cannot be built.
There was a basic misunderstanding in the Building Department as a temporary building
because a permanent build#zg changes the view of being able to remove the building. This
is an important intersection., and how the building will tie in needs to be addressed. Does
it preclude something else from happening on the site? The existing character of Fourth
Street needs to be maintained.
When Skibby questioned Hoxmeier about the Golden Spike, he answered he will maintain
it while it is there. McLaughlin asked about the access. Hoxmeier answered he will use the
Grange access for now since currently there is no curb cut for the proposed Fourth Street
extension. He also explained the building will be used as a youth recreation center. He had
originally wanted to build a gym with a restaurant, but will have to do it in phases. Lewis
stated the ultimate use will fill up the property, and he would like to see the concept for the
entire project in order to see how the proposed building will fit in.
Hoxmeier remarked the foundation will be concrete block and that a ramp could be added
to either set of steps. He took out some windows because the Building Department said
there were too many.
Skibby expressed his concern about this building, which would be built behind the fence.
He also would like to know how it fits in with the overall plan. McLaughlin stated the
design guidelines recommend building close to the street, with parking in the rear. When
the alleys and sidewalks are improved through the LID, Fourth Street will be dead ended,
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Minutes
October 6, 1993
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and after Southern Pacific sells its property across the tracks, it will go through. If the
Fourth Street access is used before the improvements, it will have to be prepared for paving.
Here again, it would be helpful to know the future use and how it will tie in. The building,
as submitted, does not involve future use. Hoxmeier said the proposed building fits into a
larger complex, and that he began with the least intrusion on the property.
Hook stated he has a problem with the blank west elevation, not necessarily for the view,
but for natural light. Hoxmeier said it faces the Grange parking lot and gas station. It is
also where the future building would tie in.
The Commission concurred that while it is nice to keep and maintain the grassy area for
now, it is important to be able to visualize what the project will look like in the future.
Based on what has been turned in, the Commission felt it could not give a final answer.
McLaughlin stated it is suitable to make sure this project is still on track from what
Hoxmeier originally presented more than a year ago, as details in the entire subdivision
have changed.
Hoxmeier agreed to come back to the Review Board meeting on October 14th.
BUILDING PERMITS
Permits reviewed by members of the Historic Commission and issued during the month of
September follow:
277 Fifth Street
531 Scenic Drive
41 Fifth Street
234 Vista Street
91 Gresham Street
151 North Pioneer Street
455 Siskiyou Boulevard
348 East Main Street
561 "C" Street
124 Nob Hill Street
156 Sixth Street
38-40 Water Street
151 North Pioneer Street
38-40 Water Street
240 East Main Street
Dan Jackson
Casey Bright
Leslie Randall
Sid DeBoer
Kathy Buffington
Archie's Cleaners
City of Ashland
Suzanne McQueen
Tom Farrell
Christine Edner
Paddy/Marga Schweitzer
Garden Cottage Antiques
Archie's Cleaners
Garden Cottage Antiques
Cotton & Co.
Professional Building
Permit Extension
Addition
Garage*
Kitchen Remodel
Parapet Wall
Repair/Replace Slab
Interior Remodel
Deck
Replace Carport
Remodel/Addition
Temporary Sign
Sign
Sign
Sign
REVIEW BOARD
Following is the schedule (rtntil 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:
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Minutes
October 6, 1993
Page 5
October 7
October 14
October 21
October 28
Skibby
Hook, Skibby, Wood, and Lewis
Hook, Skibby, Ennis, and Lewis
Skibby, Wood, and Johnson
OLD BUSINESS
Applegate Trail Plaque
Skibby reported he has not heard again from the California-Oregon Trails Association. The
final wording on the plaque will determine the location. In 1996, the Chamber of
Commerce will be celebrating the Applegate Trail. The Chamber has been discussing its
own marker, which would be more specific to the Ashland area.
Alley Committee
McLaughlin said that with the Transportation Plan update, alleys are included. They will
be addressed within a year as part of the Goals and Policies which will be adopted.
Everyone involved in alley concerns will be able to contribute.
Relocation of Community Development
McLaughlin explained the Staff Report is not supportive of the Historic Commission view
on the relocation of Community Development in the proposed new building. The Planning
Commission decision will be based on criteria. The City Council has the discretion to make
a more philosophical decision.
Granite Street Fountain
Hook reported the Water Department would like to put a working fountain on the City
property across the street fi'om the fountain on Granite Street. Evidently the person who
owns the property on the corner does not want a working fountain in front of her house.
The existing fountain would be replaced with the one in better shape. The Commission
agreed with this.
Loss of Residential Use in R-2 Zones
Ennis stated he and Chambers had talked about presenting what they have done to date to
the City Council for guidance.
McLaughlin responded there will be a study session on October 26th to discuss
neighborhood plans. Typical questions will be - what areas are we looking at?- how do they
fit in? - what will they entail?- what are the design issues? Priority areas will be Strawberry
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Minutes
October 6, 1993
Page 6
Lane, Mountain Avenue and the Railroad District. Energies will be focused on
neighborhood plans.
The Commission agreed Ennis and Chambers should talk with the Planning Commission
members who were on the subcommittee and send the work to the City Council. Hopefully,
it will then get on the priority list. Ennis will write the memo.
NEW BUSINESS
It was noted the tax freeze for National Register property will end on January 1, 1994. The
Governor did not sign House Bill 2124, which authorized the special tax assessment
program, in order to maintain "the integrity of Oregon's land use planning system, and of
local governments' ability to protect cultural and historic resources through carefully crafted
ordinances and programs." McLaughlin said nothing can happen about the tax freeze now
for two more years.
ADJOURNMENT
With a motion by Hook and second by Skibby, it was the unanimous decision of the
Commission to adjourn the meeting at 10:55 p.m.
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Minutes
October 6, 1993
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