ASHLAND HISTORIC COMMISSION
Minutes
Community Development/Engineering Services Building – 51 Winburn Way –
Siskiyou Room
Historic Commissioners Present: Dale Shostrom, Keith Swink, Tom Giordano, Alex Krach, Rob Saladoff,
Terry Skibby, Jay Leighton and Henry Baker
Absent Members: Sam Whitford
Council Liaison: John Morrison (absent)
High School Liaison: None
Appointed
SOU Liaison: None Appointed
Staff Present: Maria Harris,
Senior Planner; Billie Boswell, Administration
CALL
TO ORDER
At 7:05 p.m., Chairman Dale Shostrom called the meeting to
order.
Leighton
moved to approve the October 6, 2004 minutes as revised. With a second by
Swink, the motion was approved with all voting aye.
PUBLIC
HEARINGS
Chairman Shostrom suggested that the agenda be amended to
allow the scheduled Planning Action #2004-138 for 234 Vista Street be heard
prior to the Preview of the Mixed-Use Development proposed for 165 Lithia
Way. The commissioners agreed.
Planning
Action 2004-138
Conditional
Use Permit and Physical & Environmental Constraints Permit
Applicant:
Joanne Krippaehne, Madrona Achitecture
Owner: Sid
& Karen DeBoer
234 Vista
Street
Most members had site visits but no ex-parte contact. There were no conflict of interest issues.
The request is for a Conditional Use Permit to construct an
addition to the existing single family residence with a proposed total floor
area in excess of the Maximum Permitted Floor Area allowed by ordinance. The Maximum Permitted Floor Area for the
parcel is 3,249 square feet, while the proposed residence is 4061 square feet
or 25% greater than allowed by ordinance.
In addition, a Physical Constraints Review Permit is requested to
construct a swimming pool and other recreational structures on slopes in excess
of 25 percent.
Maria Harris stated the application for a Type 1,
Conditional Use was approved with conditions by staff with all conditions of
the previous hillside development permit and Historic Commission
recommendations with final approval by staff advisor. She deferred a detailed description of the project to the
DeBoer’s agent, Joanne Krippaehne.
Krippaehne described the existing Frank Clark designed house
and the proposed addition to include a kitchen and great room on the main
floor, a bedroom above and a basement.
The owners plan to replicate the existing details of the old house in
the new addition including the siding, trim, windows and carved rafter tails. The owners plan to remove the “tree-house”
structure on the hillside and add terraces to reduce the bulk of the existing
retaining wall. Landscape items on the
previously approved “Big House” project would be applied to this project. Krippaehne pointed out that the addition was
designed to sit behind the existing garage making it nearly invisible from
Vista Street.
The owner, Sid DeBoer, explained to the Commissioners that
the current design is intended to give them the amenities of the previously
approved building permit for the “Big House”, but in a smaller package that is
more compatible with the neighborhood.
If they can get approval for this project, they will not go forward with
building the “Big House”.
Chairman Shostrom questioned the 18-foot retaining
wall. Krippaehne explained the
retaining wall currently exists as the hillside basement wall of the
“tree-house” structure. When that
structure is removed, the wall would be retained and several planting terraces
would be added to soften the look down to the outdoor recreation area.
There being no one in the audience wishing to speak, the
public meeting was closed.
The Commissioners liked the design, complimenting the
DeBoers on their efforts to retain the details of the existing historical home,
placement of the addition behind the garage to minimize it’s visibility from
the street and scaling the addition to fit appropriately with the existing
house. They felt the additional 25% of
floor space would be appropriate for the size of the lot.
Skibby moved to recommend approval of the
application as presented. Swink
seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
PREVIEW of Mixed-Use Development Proposal for 165 Lithia
Way, the Copeland Lumber site.
Applicant: Redco and
Archerd & Dresner
Owner: Redco, LLC
165 Lithia Way
The applicants presented the preliminary design for the old
Copeland Lumber site (1.4 acres) at the corner of Lithia Way and First Street
to include two buildings with commercial retail spaces on the first floor and
loft-style residential housing in the two additional stories above.
Office/studio units or townhouses would be attached in the back and a parking
garage installed underground. Six three-story single-family row houses would
also be built on the southwest side of the property to transition the development
into the residential neighborhood. Approximately 39 housing units are planned
with a minimum of 4 affordable housing units.
A proposed mid-block pedestrian crossing on Lithia Way would
continue between the two commercial buildings to create a pedestrian breezeway
and access to a public plaza/parking area in the center of the site dividing
the commercial buildings and the row houses.
Green space would be developed on the southeast portion of the site
between the row houses and the existing City parking lot and the existing
single-family residential area.
Following the presentation, the Commissioners discussed the
scale of the project, the largest project in Ashland’s downtown, and the effect
it would have on the existing image of Ashland. They came up with the following list of concerns to be
communicated back to the applicants:
1.
The façades of the buildings are too ornate for
Ashland. Specifically, the number and
mix of materials was identified.
Simplify the palette of materials and the exterior details. Buildings in Ashland’s downtown are not this
complex.
2.
The building feels like Portland, somewhat trendy and
generic –and does not feel like Ashland.
Does this building contribute to what Ashland is, how the community
defines itself?
3.
The size of the windows in Ashland’s downtown buildings get
smaller going up the building, more residential in scale.
4.
This is a huge project, biggest proposal to date. There are concerns with the scale of the
buildings. The scale feels like a jump
from a town of 20,000 to a city of 200,000.
5.
There is a concern about how the project will be
received. The suggestion was to hold
another public meeting prior to further design work and submission of the
application.
None
OLD
BUSINESS
November 4th
|
Skibby, Leighton,
Shostrom |
Nov. 12th
(Friday) |
Skibby, Shostrom,
Krach |
November 18th |
Skibby, Giordano,
Swink |
November 25th |
THANKSGIVING |
December 2nd |
Skibby, Leighton,
Saladoff |
December 9th |
Skibby, Swink,
Baker |
B. Project Assignments for Planning Actions
PA #2000-120 |
485 “A” Street (Steve Hoxmeier) |
Shostrom |
PA #2002-100 |
142 East Main Street (Earthly Goods) |
Leighton |
PA #2003-005 |
35 S. Second Street (Winchester Inn) |
|
PA #2003-092 |
124 Alida Street (Kirt Meyer and
Vadim Agakhanov) |
|
PA #2004-017 |
364 Hargadine Street (Ken Kolar) |
Krach |
PA #2004-026 |
81 Central Avenue (Wes & Lucinda
Vail) |
Giordano |
PA #2004-018 |
322 Pioneer Street (Al & Sandra
Carlson) |
Swink |
PA #2004-043 |
246 Catalina Drive (Dr. William
Rodden) |
Krach |
PA #2004-100 |
80 Wimer (Tom & Kathy Petersen) |
Whitford |
PA #2004-102 |
832 “A” Street (Ilene Rubenstein) |
Saladoff |
PA #2004-110 |
150 Church St (Robert M. Saladoff) |
Whitford |
PA #2004-115 |
724 Iowa St (Dave and Jamie Kaufman) |
Swink |
PA #2004-138 |
234 Vista St (Sid & Karen DeBoer) |
Saladof |
C. Co-Sponsorship
with Conservation Commission for Fall Workshop – Meeting delayed until
December.
D. Lithia Springs
National Register Nomination – Maria Harris contacted SHPO and is waiting
to hear back from Roger Roper about the historical significance of the Gun Club
retaining their use.
E. Memo to
Council Regarding Authorization for Multiple Listing Survey for National
Register of Historic Places
Maria Harris spoke to George Kramer who will come to the
December meeting to discuss Multiple Properties Submissions and doing a
reconnaissance survey. Maria said SHPO
could provide monies for the study through the CLG grant.
F. Brown Bag
Lunch Ideas – Old House Fair – Remove from agenda.
G. Single Family Residential Design Standards –
Formation of a sub-committee postponed until the December meeting.
COMMISSION ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA
None
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The next Historic Commission meeting will be on December 8,
2004 at 7:00 pm in the Siskiyou Room.
With a motion by Shostrom and second by Leighton, it was the
unanimous decision of the Commission to adjourn the meeting at 10:50 p.m.