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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-27-06 City of Farmington 325 Oak Street Fannington, MN 55024 Mission Statement Through teamwork and cooperation, the City of Farmington provides quality services that preserve our proud past and foster a promisingfuture. AGENDA HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING June 27, 2006 7:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM 1. Call to order 2. Approval of agenda 3. Approval of minutes of Apri125, 2006 special meeting 4. Public Hearings - none 5. Reports - none 6. Unfinished Business a. Heritage Landmark Designation Project 7. New Business a. Exchange Bank Building Renovations b. McVicker Building Proposal 8. Miscellaneous 9. Adjourn MINUTES HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING April 25, 2006 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Preece called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present: Beverly Preece, Tim Burke, Edgar Samuelson Absent: Danielle Stuckle Also Present: Robert Vogel, Consultant; Lisa Shadick, Administrative Services Director; Lee Smick, City Planner; Ken Stewart, Juan Mena and Martha Caceres; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Samuelson, second by Burke to approve the agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION by Samuelson, second by Burke to approve the Apri14, 2006 minutes. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None 5. REPORTS - None 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a) Middle Creek Historic Cemetery/Swanson Acres Development Update The preliminary plat has been approved by the Council. The final plat will go to the Planning Commission on May 9,2006. A large amount of trees will be removed upon grading approval which should commence in approximately two weeks. The developer should notify Consultant Vogel far enough in advance so he can do soil probing prior to the start of grading. 7. NEW BUSINESS a) State Bank Building Renovations JUarI Mena and Martha Caceres have purchased the State Bank building. The building needs to be brought up to code. They are proposing a money excharIge business and various other uses. The site is permitted for retail. They also have a business in Northfield that serves the 1atino community. Mr. Mena noted there is a lot of money involved to fix up the building and they will comply with the Fire Marshal's list of repairs. They are currently working on the inside of the building by changing floors, patching and painting walls. The major amount of work will be to the back of the building. One corner is badly damaged due to water. They will make upgrades to bring the building alive. They will have new awnings with a different color. Signage is allowed on the awnings. There is a space between the barber shop and their building where the wall has been damaged by people carving into it. They would like to block the space with fencing to reflect the HPC Minutes (Regular) April 25, 2006 Page 2 style of the building. They propose metal bars the same as on the alley side or permanent brick, or a lock. This would be for safety and to preserve the building. They would like to place wooden fencing all around the building in back. They will install a security system and mount one camera in the back. The HPC is mainly concerned with preserving the appearance ofthe building from the exterior especially along 3rd Street and the walkway. Things should not be removed from the building that cannot be replaced. Window openings should not be made larger, smaller is acceptable. They will not be able to obtain the same type of brick as it is not made anymore. It should be substituted with a close match. The fence in the space between the buildings should be set back from the front so it is not visible. Awnings made of fabric are best and the color does not matter. The most serious issue is water damage to the structure. The HPC has no interest in the inside of the building. This type of business is a good use for this building. Ifholes need to be drilled in the front for security equipment, they should drill as few as possible and make sure they can be covered when cameras are removed. Ms. Caceres noted there will be no signs on the fa9ade, only on the awnings. Mr. Mena stated they will make the current lettering on the building stand out more. The metal bars on the windows along the walkway are attached to the wood frame ofthe windows and the wood is rotten. The windows will be replaced with the same type of windows as in the front and the openings will remain the same size. Consultant Vogel noted the main issue is to make the building secure and energy efficient. They do not need to replace the metal bars on the windows. They could place the bars on the inside if they wanted to reuse them but they should check with the building inspector. They are not the most important part of the building. It was also suggested to place the bars in storage for future use. It is possible to purchase windows with black aluminum instead of silver for aesthetics. It is a very damp building and they will have to be careful how they deal with the water damage. Mr. Mena noted they have a person that works with concrete to do the repaIrs. Removing the garage in the back will be discussed in the future. There is no regulation to making the fencing in the back match, but it was recommended that the proposed fence be similar to the existing fence in the alley. They will get the inside of the building up to code for customers first, get the Fire Marshal's approval and then open. They would also like to get the front ofthe building done prior to opening sometime in May. They will work on the back of the building later. They will become a member of the Chamber. Ms. Caceres stated she would like to hang flower boxes from the bottom of the front windows. Consultant Vogel felt this would be acceptable, but they should not drill into the building. They should try not to do too much to the historic materials that cannot be replaced. The structure of the masonry goes to the safety ofthe building. HPC Minutes (Regular) April 25, 2006 Page 3 b. Preservation Month Award Nominations MOTION by Samuleson, second by Burke to nominate the house at 520 Oak Street, the "T.J. Davis Manor" owned by Steven and Lisa Bolduc for the Historic Preservation Award. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. c. Walking Tour It was determined to have a walk-thru ofthe Bolduc and Teporten homes. Chair Preece will contact the owners to determine if this would be acceptable. The members proposed May 17,2006 at 5:00 p.m. Consultant Vogel will invite Ms. Bonnie McDonald, Executive Director ofthe Preservation Alliance ofMN to the event. d. Rambling River Days The HPC will not be doing a trolley tour this year. The Rambling River Days Committee decided to have Dakota City do a tour for two years (this is the second year) and the HPC do a tour for two years. It was proposed to have a stop at the Bolduc house during the tour next year. 8. MISCELLANEOUS Consultant Vogel informed the Commission that the Tax Credit Act has made its way to the Tax Committee. If someone owns a landmark building they can get a certain percentage ofthe state income tax credit for the amount of money invested in rehabilitation for exterior work. 9. ADJOURN MOTION by Samuelson, second by Burke to adjourn at 8:20 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 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The standards state that materials dating to the period of significance should be repaired whenever possible, not replaced. I find it hard to believe that every plaster stnface in the room is damaged beyond repair. Therefore I question the removal of the plaster on all the surfaces and replacement with gypsum board. The historic plaster walls and ceiling should remain, being repaired if necessary. Materials that date to the period of significance are a direct contribution to the integrity of the property. The removal of these materials, even when replaced by exact replicas, still constitutes a lOO% loss of integrity for that material. (simply put, it is original ... or it is not) If the majority of the historic fabric in a building is removed it will jeopardize the listing of the property. Therefore it is a standard practice to identify all materials that date to the period of significance prior to construction and integrate their preservation into the plan whenever possible. A future concern I have regarding the same space is its proposed use. The grand hall is considered a character defming space of the property and its volumetric form should be preserved. If a future tenant wishes to partition the space into multiple offices with full height walls, it would be a violation of the . standard,>. Ifpartitionlllg is necessary the walls should not extend full-height so any visitor can determine the volumetric form of the space. The best solution would be the use of a modular finniture system. Sincerely, {1'ff/ -" ',..e;,;j,t'/ '. I. /l I Mark Buechel, AlA MIlS Historical Architect 345 Kellogg Blvd W. St Paul, MN. 55102 (651) 296-5475 cc: 345 Kellogg Boulevard West/Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102-1906/Telephone 651-296-6126 MEMORANDUM 12 June 2006 TO: Farmington Heritage Preservation Commission FR: Robert Vogel, Preservation Planning Consultant RE: Exchange Bank Certificate of Appropriateness I have reviewed the plans submitted by CNH Architects in relation to the proposed stair tower addition and interior improvements at the Exchange Bank Building, 344 Third St. Subject property is zoned as a Farmington Heritage Landmark and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1880, the building was acquired by the city in the early 1990's and restored with public funds. The proposed work involves the demolition of some interior features and the construction of a stair tower to provide safety code compliant access to the second-floor auditorium space; installation of a fire suppression system; and installation of new doors and stairs on the Oak St. side of the building to provide safety code compliant access to the upper floor. In my opinion, the proposed work represents a rehabilitation project, which the city defines as the process of returning a property to a state of utility through repair or alteration which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions or features of the property which are significant to its historical, architectural, and cultural values. By ordinance, the city has adopted the Secretary of the Interior's standards for the treatment of historic properties as the authoritative guide for design review decisions involving properties designated as Farmington Heritage Landmarks. As shown on the plans, the proposed new door at the western entrance on Oak St. will retain the existing door opening and transom as well as the original stoop. The work should not alter historic masonry or other exterior finishes and appears to comply with preservation guidelines. The proposed stair tower appears to have been placed in an inconspicuous location where it will not require removal of significant historic fabric or interfere with the essential historic character of the facades. Interior demolition and new construction will not, in my opinion, injure or alter the distinguishing architectural qualities or historic character of the building's exterior features, which are protected by its landmark designation. Because it involves both demolition and new construction, I believe this project is subject to design review and compliance and therefore requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the Heritage Preservation Commission. I would also point out that the city has adopted the policy of requiring historic preservation design review and compliance for all projects funded or assisted by the City of Farmington. Therefore, I recommend approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the Exchange Bank stair tower addition and interior improvements, subject to the following stipulations and conditions: 1) The proposed work will result in minimal alteration of the building's exterior and will not remove or alter any historic material or distinctive architectural feature. 2) Installation of the new door on Oak St. will retain the existing window and door openings, preserve in place the existing transom window and stoop, and install a new door that is compatible in materials, color, and texture with the historic character ofthe building. 3) Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve original historic interior features affected by or adjacent to the proposed demolition and stair construction work. 4) Prior to any demolition or new construction work, the owner or the contractor shall record existing conditions in the work areas with good quality color photographs and a sketch plan that will be turned over to the city for archival purposes. 5) A set of as-built plans should be produced on a durable medium (vellum or Mylar) and deposited with the Heritage Preservation Commission to provide a permanent record of the changes made to the historic building. The Commission may also wish to consider allowing local historical organizations an opportunity to identify and salvage any historic fixtures or fabric that would otherwise be lost as a result of demolition. From the plans, I am unable to determine if any objects of historical interest will be removed in the demolition of the stairs or installation of the fire suppression system. I am confident that these recommendations provide a sound pragmatic framework that will allow the owner to adapt the Exchange Bank for modem use in a manner consistent with historic preservation standards. cc: Lisa Shadick, Administrative Services Director