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Home My WebLink About2007-04-12 Minutes (2)MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION A regular meeting of the Fayetteville Historic District Commission was held on April 12, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 111 of the City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain, Fayetteville, Arkansas. ACTION TAKEN Local Ordinance District Design Standards None Discussion National Historic Preservation Month Activities None Historic District Commission April 12, 2007 Page 2 MEMBERS PRESENT Leslie Belden Vince Chadick Ethel Goodstein-Murphee Cindy Kalke STAFF PRESENT Karen Minkel, Long Range Planning Tim Conklin, Planning and Development Manager MEMBERS ABSENT Tim Cooper Rob Merry -Ship Rob Sharp STAFF ABSENT 2 Historic District Commission April 12, 2007 Page 3 CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chair Goodstein-Murphree at 5:35 p.m. L Announcements A. None II. Approval of the Minutes MOTION to approve the minutes of March 28, 2007: Vince Chadick SECOND: Leslie Belden VOTE: The vote was unanimous to approve the minutes from the March 28, 2007 meeting, 4-0-0. IIL Local Ordinance District Design Standards Discussion A. Staff Report Karen Minkel presented draft design standards based on standards developed by the Secretary of Interior. The standards address technical assistance, standards for preservation, standards for rehabilitation, standards for restoration and standards for reconstruction. Minkel stated that the Commission would need to complete the section that discusses the philosophy behind the design standards. She then summarized the four sections of standards. Standards for Preservation: These items state that a property should be used either as it was historically or given a new use that maximizes the retention of distinctive materials, features, spaces and spacial relationships; the historic character of the property should be retained and preserved; where severity of deterioration requires repair or limited replacement of a distinctive feature, the new material will match the old in composition, design, color and texture; chemical or physical treatments will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible; and archeological resources should be protected and preserved in place. Standards for Rehabilitation: The standards for rehabilitation mirror the standards for preservation, with the addition of two items that discuss new additions and adjacent or related construction. Additions should not destroy historic materials, features and spatial relationships that characterize the property. Further, additions and new construction should be undertaken in a manner that maintains the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment. Standards for Restoration: These standards outline the process for removal of features from other periods and reconstructing missing features from previous research and Historic District Commission April 12, 2007 Page 4 documentation. The regulations state that a false sense of history should not be created by adding conjectural features, features from other properties or by combining features that never existed together historically. Standards for Reconstruction: These standards outline the process of depicting, by means of new construction, the form, features and detailing of a non -surviving site. Total reconstruction is rare, but when it occurs, the use of traditional materials and finishes is always preferred. In some instances, substitute materials may be used if they are able to convey the same visual apperance. Contemporary materials and technology should be employed for non-visible features such as interior structural or mechanical systems. Minkel closed, saying that staff had some concerns about the documentation requirements, which seem challenging to regulate and strongly recommended holding an informational session to gauge property owner interest. Tim Conklin then provided a brief summary of previous attempts to establish a local ordinance district in Fayetteville and why the attempts failed. In the early 1990s, an area of Washington -Willow within the National Register District discussed forming a local historic district and the biggest challenge was the level of detail in the guidelines. Conklin said that the lesson learned was that a disconnect existed between the City and the neighborhood's perception of a need for protection. In the late 1990s, the City received Certified Local Government grant money to form a local historic district in Wilson Park. That attempt failed and the HDC disbanded. Conklin's recommendation to the Commission would be to focus on a relatively small district Chair Goodstein-Murphree asked Conklin what he thought it would take to establish a district now, assuming that feelings about property rights have not changed dramatically. Conklin thought that efforts would need to be tied to places like Old Main and the Square, which might convince owners of historic properties that another layer of government review is necessary. Chair Goodstein-Murphree responded that this might be the equivalent of a teachable moment following the height limit discussion. She observed that there seemed to be a clear concern about the Square and Dickson Street, but no one seemed to be able to articulate what creates the sense of place. She also was not sure how much clarity there was about the protection that would be afforded by a local historic district. Commissioner Chadick asked Conklin if there was anything that existed now that had a district existed would have been prevented and if this development was inconsistent with how Washington -Willow developed. Chadick stated that this type of example would provide empirical evidence of providing value and preventing rogue development, which would create an incentive -based approach. Commissioner Kalke stated that over the past seven years, contributing homes have been changed, so that they would no longer be considered contributing. She thought this was function of education. For example, a home on Lafayette has a Craftsman -style porch that was changed to a Prairie -style porch. 11 Historic District Commission April 12, 2007 Page S Conklin stated that the Planning Division does not receive elevations for single-family homes, so he is not sure about an answer. However, he wonders about the reuse of St. Joseph's church and school, accessory dwelling units, the cell tower, power lines and parking lots for churches. As a whole, he thinks that Washington -Willow and the Wilson Park neighborhoods are stronger and have well-maintained structures. B. Commission Discussion Commissioner Chadick stated that he thought the Commission would have difficulty reaching a consensus on the appropriate level of detail and that they should gauge the support of the area. Commissioner Belden began by clarifying that the local historic district would not make buildings eligible for federal tax credits, which staff verified. She also though that there would be an argument as to whether preventing a project like the Walton Arts Center to protect the existing historic fabric was worth the trade-off of economic revitalization. Several commissioners chimed in with other examples. Commissioner Kalke stated that it would be difficult to write standards because of the eclectic mix of buildings in the City's historic areas. Chair Goodstein-Murphree responded that the reason she liked the standards provided by staff and the Secretary of Interior is that each individual building set its own standard, avoiding conversations about continuity such as you would find in a place like Georgetown. Commissioner Kalke added that there should be a section provided on demolition. C. National Historic Preservation Month Commissioners agreed to hold an informational session for property owners on local historic districts sometime in May to coincide with National Historic Preservation month. The meeting will be held in one of the buildings on the National Register and will feature a mayoral proclamation. Ms. Minkel was tasked with emailing the Commission proposed dates and securing a site. MEETING ADJOURNED: 6:50 P.M. E