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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_HARC_12.10.2009 Historic and Architectural Review Commission Page 1 of 4 October 22, 2009 City of Georgetown, Texas Historic and Architectural Review Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, December 10, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. City Council and Courts Building 101 E. 7th Street, Georgetown, Texas 78626 Members Present: West Short, Chair; Susan Firth; J.C. Johnson; Will Moore; Larry Moseley; Ron Pergl and Dee Rapp Members Absent: none Staff Present: Robbie Wyler, Historic District Planner; Elizabeth Cook, Community Development Director; Valerie Kreger, Principal Planner and Karen Frost, Recording Secretary Regular Session - To begin no earlier than 6:00 p.m. Chair Short called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. This is a regular scheduled meeting of the Historic and Architectural Review Commission for consideration and possible action on the following: Consent Agenda: The Consent Agenda includes non-controversial and routine items that the Commission may act on with one single vote. A Commissioner or any member of the public may request that any item from the Consent Agenda be pulled in order that the Commission discuss and act upon it individually as part of the Regular Agenda. The Historic and Architectural Review Commission's approval of an item on the Consent Agenda will be consistent with the staff recommendation described in the report, unless otherwise noted. 1. Review and possible approval of the minutes from the October 22, 2009 regular meeting. Moore stated the Sign Subcommittee approved the sign for the Landmark Tavern (item 2) at it’s meeting at 5:30 p.m. Motion by Moore to approve the minutes as presented. Second by Johnson. Approved 7 – 0. 2. Consideration and possible action on a request for a Certificate of Design Compliance for signage at City of Georgetown, Block 40, Lot 2 (n/pt), also known as Landmark Tavern, located at 701 Main Street, Suites 200 and 210. (CDC-2009-042) Regular Agenda: 3. Certificate of Design Compliance for the removal of a house at Glasscock Addition, Block 4, Lot 3, located at 910 Rock Street. (CDC-2009-037) Wyler presented the staff report. The applicant is proposing to remove and relocate the house to Thorndale, Texas where he has purchased a lot. He intends to renovate the house for rental use. The house is currently deteriorating rapidly and surrounded on both sides by parking lots. The owner would like to relocate the house before any further deterioration can occur. Guideline 7.13 is used to support the staff recommendation of approval for this CDC. Mr. Hill, the owner of the house and applicant, was available for comment. Johnson commented that this was not an old, old house and that the area was fast becoming commercial so this was a good opportunity for the house to be saved. Historic and Architectural Review Commission Page 2 of 4 October 22, 2009 Motion by Johnson to approve the CDC for removal of this house. Second by Moseley. Approved 7 – 0. Firth recused herself from the room for the following item filing an Affidavit of Conflict of Interest for the property. 4. Certificate of Design Compliance for the demolition of a detached garage at Eubank Addition, Block 4, Lot 3, located at 1806 Eubank Street. (CDC-2009-038) Wyler presented the staff report. The applicant is requesting demolition of the garage to allow for an expansion to the main house. The applicant has stated the detached garage is not original to the 1946 main house. The UDC allows for administrative approval of demolition of any non-historic structures in the Old Town Overlay. However, staff brought this to the Commission due to the uncertainty of the structure’s age. The Commission had the opportunity to see the garage on Tuesday to determine any possible value. Staff recommends approval of the demolition permit. Moore commented on the walk-through, stating the age of the garage could not be determined, it was not in good shape and appeared to not have been built structurally sound to begin with. He didn’t think the garage was worth saving. Motion by Johnson to approve the CDC for demolition of the garage. Second by Moore. Approved 6 – 0. Rapp recuses herself for the next item due to a possible conflict of interest from being an existing bed and breakfast owner, and filing an Affidavit of Conflict of Interest. Firth came back into the room and took her seat on the dais. 5. Certificate of Design Compliance for signage and site/exterior review related to a residential structure changing to a non-residential structure in the Old Town Historic Overlay, at Hughes Addition, Block 3 (pt), to be called the McIntosh Snyder House Bed & Breakfast, located at 514 and 516 East University Avenue. (CDC-2009-041) Wyler presented the staff report. The applicant/owner, Lee McIntosh, is requesting approval for the site layout. As detailed in the provided conceptual site and landscape plan, the property has pre-existing rear parking spaces that are screened from both University and College Streets as well as existing landscaping. The applicant has stated the residential feel of the property will be maintained and that no changes, outside of some minor landscaping, should occur. Currently, the two structures are separated by a bricked central driveway that provides access off University Avenue to a rear parking area. Some of the parking spaces will be located inside a garage and doors on the garages will maintain screening from University Avenue as required by the UDC. The remainder spaces are hidden from either a stucco wall or the structures themselves. The applicant will be required to stripe all spaces prior to opening the B&B establishment. Upon approval of the conceptual site layout from HARC, the applicant will be submitting an official site and landscape plan to Staff for approval. Historic and Architectural Review Commission Page 3 of 4 October 22, 2009 Secondly, the applicant proposes placing a freestanding sign along University Avenue that will advertise the B&B. The sign, to measure 3.5 feet tall by 5 feet wide, will be located just west of the central driveway and will read “McIntosh Snyder House, All Suite Bed and Breakfast” with “Est. 1880” below in addition to a hanging plate with a contact number below that measures 6 inches tall by 3.5 feet wide. The sign will stand at a height of 4.5 feet and will be constructed with two exterior grade six-inch by six-inch treated posts and marine grade fir plywood for the sign face. The poles and verbiage will be forest green, to match the gates and other details on the building. The sign face will be pale yellow, matching the color of the two structures. It will have off-white accents and tone on the background and will be lit by two in-ground lighting fixtures positioned at the base of the sign. Staff recommends approval of the new freestanding sign, as well as the existing site layout based on Guidelines 7.11, 8.19, 8.21, 8.22, 8.24, 8.25, 9.2, 9.3, 9.15, and 9.17. Mr. McIntosh said he no additional comments at this time. Commissioners asked clarifying questions. There will be one sign for the two buildings. Johnson spoke regarding the naming of the house. He stated there is not a law on a double name house, but tradition has the name of the builder as the first name given, and the second name is that of an owner that makes a significant architectural change to the structure(s). Snyder was the original owner of the house and the house was split after his ownership. Johnson questions whether the historical naming tradition should be followed. He also questioned the “Established in 1880” wording since this was actually constructed in 1880 and not a bed and breakfast establishment at that point. Mr. McIntosh spoke to those points. He stated he had always referred to the houses as the Dudley-Snyder House and it is not his intent to mislead anyone by inferring that McIntosh built the home. His marketing team wanted McIntosh, objecting to Snyder for the way it sounds. And the previous owners were the Steenkens, and they did not like that either. McIntosh agreed to change the signage to state the building was constructed in 1880, not established. He also agreed to work on the naming. Johnson stated that Georgetown as a whole values these houses and appreciates the work being done by McIntosh to revive them. Moore questioned the comment by staff that additional landscaping might be added. Wyler responded that they were leaving options open for the commission. The addressing of the properties was questioned. This will remain two different addresses unless replatted as one lot. The number of parking spaces was discussed and it was determined that 10 spaces was enough. Moseley stated he appreciated Johnson’s comments and research and is concerned about the wording of “established” also. He appreciates the work that is being done to make this a quality bed and breakfast. Pergl questioned the request for not requiring a sidewalk on College Street. McIntosh stated he made the request to save the large pecan trees along the side of the property. Cook stood up and stated that the commission has the ability to modify the site plan requirements of a sidewalk, in order to protect the heritage trees. The trees in question are 14” heritage trees. And the change of use of these properties actually triggered the requirement of a site plan with sidewalks. The Commission can give direction to staff to work with Mr. McIntosh, referring to Guideline 8.19, to maintain the street trees. Motion by Moore to approve the CDC for the requested sign and site layout, strongly Historic and Architectural Review Commission Page 4 of 4 October 22, 2009 recommending the exemption of the sidewalk requirement on College Street with regards to saving the trees. Second by Short. Approved 6 – 0. Firth requests that color renderings be submitted with all future sign requests. McIntosh voiced his thanks to the commission for their comments and stated he would be attempting to open the business in February or March. 6. Reminder that the next regular HARC meeting will take place on January 28, 2010. 7. Adjournment Chair Short adjourned the meeting at 6:48 p.m. __________________________________ _________________________________ Approved, West Short, Chair Attest, Susan Firth, Secretary