Agendas and Minutes

Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (View All)

Regular Monthly Meeting

Agenda
Wednesday, January 02, 2002

ASHLAND HISTORIC COMMISSION
Minutes
January 2, 2002

CALL TO ORDER

At 7:10 p.m., Chairperson Shostrom called the meeting to order at the Community Center. Members present were Terry Skibby, Dale Shostrom, Joan Steele, Kay Maser, Keith Chambers, Gary Foll, Jay Leighton and Rob Saladoff. Also present were Associate Planner Mark Knox, Secretary Sonja Akerman and Council Liaison Cameron Hanson. The Commission is currently one member short.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The December 5, 2001 meeting was cancelled so there were no minutes to approve. Steele moved and Foll seconded to approve the minutes of the November 7, 2001 meeting as submitted. The motion was unanimously passed.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Planning Action 2002-002
Final Plan Approval
472 Scenic Drive Street
Kirt Meyer and Vadim Agakhanov

Knox explained Outline Plan Approval for this property was granted in June of 2001. Staff has administratively approved the Final Plan with 18 conditions. Condition 17 incorporates Historic Commission recommendations with the building permit submittals. Knox stated the applicants' agent, architect Tom Giordano, would explain the changes that have been made since the initial approval. Skibby asked that Giordano address the sidewalk style also.

Giordano stated there have been no changes with the trees, only with the plant material. Other than this, there have been four changes. The first was to move units 1 and 2 closer to 3, 4 and 5. He shorted the gap to allow more room for the existing trees. All these units still meet the setback requirements. Secondly, the driveway for unit #7 has been moved south to allow more room. Because of initial solar concerns, this unit was moved at the time Outline Plan Approval was granted. Thirdly, the 20-foot driveway has been proposed with a five-foot scored sidewalk on both sides and ten feet of exposed aggregate in the middle. The entire 20 feet will actually be paved, but it will look more like a plaza and give more of a human scale to the area. This will be a private drive with a public easement for a sidewalk on one side. Giordano related that Staff has based one of the conditions of approval on the elimination of one of the sidewalks, thus making the exposed aggregate 15 feet and a sidewalk on one side only. He asked for Historic Commission support of the driveway/sidewalks as proposed. He is under the impression that the condition is based on a misunderstanding on the part of the Fire Department. The entire 20 feet will be able to withstand the weight of a fire truck and will be a flat grade with no curbs. Steele stated that barring objections from the Fire Department because of safety issues, she would like to move that the treatment of the driveway be approved as submitted, with sidewalks on both sides of the exposed aggregate. Leighton seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Fourthly, Giordano stated he changed the alignment of the windows on the units that concerned the Historic Commission last May. The windows are now more symmetrical in their lines. Giordano also clarified the siding will by 1" x 6" cement HardiPlank, the roofing material will be architectural composition shingles, and the window trim will be 1" x 6" for the single family residences and 1" x 4" on the attached units. Shostrom asked that when the building plans are turned in, they be consistent and contain details on materials, bellyband, and size of trim and cornerboards.

Skibby moved and Leighton seconded to recommend approval of this planning action to the Planning Commission Hearings Board with the stipulation details be provided in the building plans and that it include the previous motion on the treatment of the sidewalks. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.

NEW BUSINESS:

Relocation/Demolition of 99 Granite Street - Knox noted the citizens in the audience included architect Jerome White (who is designing a house that will replace the existing house at 99 Granite Street), Laura Shrewsbury (who purchased a lot on the corner of High and Laurel Streets and the existing house at 99 Granite Street), and Ron Bailey (a concerned resident in the historic neighborhood). He explained there have been two pre-applications reviewed by staff since November. The first was a proposal to move the house to the back of the same lot. The second was a proposal to move the existing house from 99 Granite Street to the lot on High Street that Shrewsbury has purchased. Because of timing issues and proposals that did not work out, the owner of the property at 99 Granite Street and White decided to start the demolition application process. In the meantime, Shrewsbury started the process of purchasing a piece of property near her residence and paid the dollar to the owner of 99 Granite Street to purchase the existing house. A sign is required to be posted for ten days when a demolition is being requested and this is what concerned many neighbors and the Historic Commission.

Shrewsbury explained to the Commission she has known and loved the house at 99 Granite Street since she moved here in 1977. She currently owns and resides just down the street from the property she purchased with the house move in mind. She already has a contract with Doc's House Moving. Doc has looked at the house and declared it is structurally sound.

Bailey said he and his wife often walk on Granite Street and were surprised when they saw the sign (laying on the ground) that stated the house has been proposed for demolition approval. As neighbors, they were shocked. White said he had personally pounded the sign in the ground but was out of town when evidently it blew off the post. Apparently, it was not on the ground for more than half a day; it just happened to be during the time the Baileys were walking by. Because the ten-day appeal period was almost up when the Historic Commission found out about the demolition request, members of the Review Board (Leighton, Skibby and Steele) filled out the paperwork and filed the appeal.

When asked by Bailey, Shrewsbury stated approximately 750 square feet of the existing house would be moved. There is a shed addition on the rear that is not structurally sound and not part of the original house. What can be seen from the front will be moved. Knox mentioned that while he doesn't see a problem with approval for the house move, Shrewsbury will need to get her application for Site Review and Conditional Use Permit submitted by January 11. Because the property where it will be moved already has an existing house, Shrewsbury will need to receive approval for an accessory residential unit (99 Granite Street).

White explained they had been trying to find someone for six months to buy the existing house, as the owner's intent has been to preserve the house if possible. They decided to apply for the demolition permit as an option while still looking for someone to relocate the house. After advertising during this time, they received several applications from people who were interested in moving the house. They (the contractor, owner and himself) decided to sell the house to Shrewsbury based on her past experience with historic preservation. White said he regretted the fact that he was out of town and unable to let people know Shrewsbury had purchased the house. As a result, the Ashland Daily Tidings printed an article about the possible razing of this historic home. Steele stated that she was not sorry the article was printed because it made residents aware there is a definite threat to many historic houses in Ashland.

Bailey said the large new houses that are being built on property within the Historic District are downgrading the historic houses that are already existing. Steele agreed and added that too many people with money are moving to Ashland because they want to live in the quaint Historic District. Then they get rid of the historic home and build beautiful big houses.

The Commission agreed it would support the house move as proposed by Shrewsbury in order to save it. The members would rather see it relocated than see it demolished or added on so that the original house could not be seen. They, however, are all concerned about the many modest homes in the Historic District. How often will people argue they need bigger houses, then get rid of these smaller homes in order to live in their dream homes?

Chambers commented a big issue here is regarding internal procedure. He said since there is an ordinance in place, we need to work within it. The Historic Commission was not notified the demolition application had been received, even though the house is historic and within a National Register district. Steele stated she would like all the Historic Commission members to be notified of the date, time and place of the demolition request hearing.

OLD BUSINESS

Review Board - Following is the January schedule for the Review Board, which meets every Thursday from 3:00 to at least 3:30 p.m. in the Planning Department:

January 3

Skibby and Leighton

January 10

Skibby, Foll and Chambers

January 17

Skibby, Saladoff and Shostrom

January 24

Skibby, Foll and Maser

January 31

Skibby, Steele and Maser

 

Project Assignments for Planning Actions

PA #99-108

340 Oak Street (A Street Marketplace)

Shostrom

PA #2000-039

410 Siskiyou Boulevard (library)

Skibby

PA #2000-074

15 South Pioneer Street (OSF)

Skibby

PA #2000-124

51 Winburn Way (Hillah Temple)

Foll

PA #2000-120

485 "A" Street (Steve Hoxmeier)

Shostrom

PA #2001-029

455 Siskiyou Boulevard (Fire Station)

Skibby

PA #2001-047

269 Maple Street (Ashland Orthopedic Association)

Saladoff

PA #2001-052

39 Fourth Street (Jean Moseley)

Saladoff

PA #2001-064

237 North First Street (Ashland Comm. Food Store)

Shostrom

PA #2001-059

50 Sixth Street (Qwest)

Leighton

PA #2001-079

685 East Main Street (Talent Properties)

Shostrom

PA #2001-075

348 Iowa Street (Eva Cooley)

Maser

PA #2001-088

61 Nutley Street (William Machado & Denise Byron)

Steele

PA #2002-002

472 Scenic Drive (Kirt Meyer & Vadim Agakhanov)

Saladoff

 

Goals for 2001 - To be discussed at the February 6 meeting.

ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA

Planning Action 2001-088
Conditional Use Permit
61 Nutley Street
William Machado & Denise Byron

Knox stated that since the Planning Commission approved the application last October, the neighbors appealed it to the City Council. In a letter dated December 12, 2001, the owners stated they would modify their original application and remove the second story above the existing garage. An amended site plan and elevations showing a new gable roof over the garage were also submitted. Subsequently, the neighbors rescinded their appeal. Planning Staff is requesting Historic Commission review of this modification prior to administratively approving the modification. The rear patio enclosure is still part of the application. The Commission agreed the modification was a better design.

Steele moved to recommend approval of this modification and Foll seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

MORE NEW BUSINESS

National Historic Preservation Week § May 12-18, 2002 - The Commission will begin thinking about ways to make the process of selection and voting run smoother and in a more timely manner.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Knox declared there will be a joint study session of the Historic and Planning Commissions on February 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Design standards for single family residences in historic areas will be discussed.

Leighton announced there will be a brown bag lunch workshop sponsored by the Historic Commission on Friday, March 15. Jane Powell will speak on Craftsman kitchens. The night before, Powell will be giving the same talk at the Southern Oregon Historical Society History Center at 7:00 p.m.

The next Historic Commission meeting will be on February 6.

ADJOURNMENT

It was the unanimous decision of the Commission to adjourn the meeting at 9:23 p.m.

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