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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-ILPC-2014-12-09Approved by ILPC: 01/13/2015 1 of 7 Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) Minutes – December 9, 2014 Present: Ed Finegan, Chair David Kramer, Vice-Chair Susan Stein Michael McGandy Katelin Olson Stephen Gibian Ellen McCollister, Common Council Liaison Bryan McCracken, Staff Megan Wilson, Staff Chair Finegan called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. I. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. 201 W. Clinton Street, Henry St. John Historic District – Proposal to Install Solar Panels Mike Reed, Astrum Solar, and property owner Zac Boggs summarized the proposal, which involves the installation of 25 solar panels on the south-facing roof. Chair Finegan noted that a primary concern of the ILPC will be the visibility of the installation from both S. Geneva and W. Clinton Streets. M. Reed responded that the installation will not be visible from W. Clinton Street. From S. Geneva Street, the installation is primarily blocked by the dormers. D. Kramer noted that when he visited the site, it appeared that someone would have to be located well into the backyard of a neighbor’s property to see the solar panels. D. Kramer asked where the inverter will be installed, if interior installation is not feasible. M. Reed stated that it would be installed in alignment with the existing utility boxes on the S. Geneva St elevation. M. McGandy asked about alternate locations for the installation. M. Reed noted that they investigated the roof of a barn on the property but there is considerable vegetation and that roof does not get enough sunlight. Public Hearing On a motion by S. Stein, seconded by K. Olson, Chair Finegan opened the Public Hearing. There being no public comments, the Public Hearing was closed on a motion by D. Kramer, seconded by S. Stein. RESOLUTION: Moved by K. Olson, seconded by D. Kramer WHEREAS, 201 W. Clinton Street is located within the Henry St. John Historic District, as designated under Section 228-3 of the City of Ithaca Municipal Code in 2013, and WHEREAS, as set forth in Section 228-4 of the Municipal Code, an Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, dated October 29, 2014, was submitted for review to the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) by Michael Reed of Astrum Solar on behalf of the property owners Zac Boggs and Isabel Fernández, including the following: (1) two narratives respectively titled Description of Proposed Change(s) and Reasons for Changes(s); (2) six sheets of detailed drawings and specifications for the proposed array; (3) product ILPC Minutes December 9, 2014 2 of 7 information for the proposed solar panels; and (4) one color aerial photograph and one color street view photograph of the residence from S. Geneva Street, and WHEREAS, the ILPC has reviewed the entry in the annotated list of properties included within the Henry St. John Historic District for 201 W. Clinton Street, and the City of Ithaca’s Henry St. John Historic District Summary Statement, and WHEREAS, as stated in the narrative Description of Proposed Change(s) and on the cover sheet of the detailed drawings and specifications, the project involves installation of 25 solar panels on the south roof slope of the building’s principle block, facing 318 S. Geneva Street, and WHEREAS, the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness is a Type II Action under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act and the City Environmental Quality Review Ordinance for which no further environmental review is required, and WHEREAS, the applicant has provided sufficient documentation and information to evaluate impacts of the proposal on the subject property and surrounding properties, and WHEREAS, a Public Hearing for the purpose of considering approval of the Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness was conducted at the regularly scheduled ILPC meeting on December 9, 2014, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the ILPC has made the following findings of fact concerning the property and the proposal: As identified in the City of Ithaca’s Henry St. John Historic District Summary Statement, the period of significance for the area now known as the Henry St. John Historic District is 1830-1932. As indicated in the individual property entry in the annotated list of properties included within the Henry St. John Historic District, 201 W. Clinton St. was constructed around 1835 and is a good example of a transitional Federal-Greek Revival style. Constructed within the period of significance of the Henry St. John Historic District and possessing a high level of integrity, the property is a contributing element of the Henry St. John Historic District. In consideration of this and all approvals of proposals for alterations, new construction, or demolition in historic districts, the ILPC must determine that the proposed exterior work will not have a substantial adverse effect on the aesthetic, historical, or architectural significance and value of either the landmark or, if the improvement is within a district, of the neighboring improvements in such district. In considering architectural and cultural value, the Commission shall consider whether the proposed change is consistent with the historic value and the spirit of the architectural style of the landmark or district in accordance with Section 228-6 of the Municipal Code. In making this determination, the Commission is guided by the principles set forth in Section 228-6B of the Municipal Code, as further ILPC Minutes December 9, 2014 3 of 7 elaborated in Section 228-6C, and by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and in this case specifically the following principles and Standards: Principle #2 The historic features of a property located within, and contributing to the significance of, an historic district shall be altered as little as possible and any alterations made shall be compatible with both the historic character of the individual property and the character of the district as a whole. Standard #2 The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property will be avoided. Standard #9 New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. Standard #10 New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired. With respect to Principle #2, Standard #2, and Standard #9, the installation of solar panels on the south roof slope will not remove distinctive materials and will not alter features and spaces that characterize the property. Also with respect to Principle #2, Standard #2, and Standard #9, the proposed solar array is compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features of the property and its environment. The ILPC has made the following findings in this determination: • The solar panels will not be installed on the principal elevation. • The solar panels will be set back from the edge of the roof, making them less visible from the public way. • There is a gable dormer on the south roof slope of the one-and-on half story east projection that will partially screen the array from the public way. • The roof has low pitch, making the solar panels less visible from the public way. • The applicant has examined less visible alternate locations but these locations do not meet the minimum requirements for the solar installation. With respect to Standard #10, the solar array can be removed in the future without impairment of the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment RESOLVED, that, based on the findings set forth above, the proposal will not have a substantial adverse effect on the aesthetic, historical, or architectural significance of the Henry St. John Historic District, as set forth in Section 228-6, and be it further, RESOLVED, that the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission determines that the proposal meets criteria for approval under Section 228-6 of the Municipal Code, and be it further ILPC Minutes December 9, 2014 4 of 7 RESOLVED, that the ILPC approves the Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness with the following condition: • The flexible conduit shall be painted to match the exterior of the property. RECORD OF VOTE: Yes E. Finegan S. Gibian D. Kramer M. McGandy K. Olson S. Stein No 0 Abstain 0 II. PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS OF INTEREST • Tom Shelley, 118 E. Court Street addressed the Commission regarding the condition of 102 E. Court Street. The current owner has allowed the house to deteriorate to a deplorable condition. He wondered if there is a way for the neighborhood to do anything to draw attention to the situation. D. Kramer responded that a recent change to the City’s Landmarks Ordinance allows the Building Division to enforce required maintenance. He also took the Mayor to see the property to show him the ILPC’s concerns. He further added that it would be helpful for a neighborhood association to bring this to the Mayor’s attention. B. McCracken reported that he has spoken with the current property owner, who submitted an incomplete application for a Certificate of Appropriateness. He is going to make temporary repairs to stabilize the building for the winter and has funding to make in-kind repairs in the spring. M. McGandy added that D. Kramer’s suggestions for the neighborhood association are still valid and recommends that they still plan to contact the Mayor. III. OLD BUSINESS • 707 E. Seneca Street ― Early Design Guidance Tom Schickel and Sophia Goehner of Schickel Architecture presented changes to the proposal, noting the ILPC had requested that they reduce the massing of the building. The building has been lowered by about four feet due to accessibility requirements. They have also redesigned the front porch and primary gable on the front façade. They have introduced a two-color scheme to reduce the visual impact of the massing. The number of apartments has been reduced from seven to six by eliminating the one-bedroom apartment in the basement. He presented samples of the proposed siding in Country Lane Red and Cobble Stone and proposed asphalt roofing in Hickory. ILPC Minutes December 9, 2014 5 of 7 E. Finegan asked if the upper red portion would be Hardie cement siding. T. Schickel said both the siding and shingles would be Hardie materials. S. Gibian remarked that by reducing the width of the primary gable, the roof now begins at the 3rd story windows, giving the appearance of a three-story building instead of a two-story building. T. Schickel responded that the building as a whole has been lowered by about four feet. S. Gibian asked why the bathroom on the first floor extended out a foot further than the remainder of the first story. T. Schickel noted that it is because the apartment must be a Type A unit for accessibility and additional room is required. K. Olson asked for an update on the size of the house, both footprint and overall square footage. T. Schickel noted that they cut back the north east and northwest corners of the house, reducing the square footage of the footprint and the overall square footage. Otherwise, it remains approximately the same (about 2,300 square feet for the 1st & 2nd floors; about 2,000 square feet for the 3rd floor). D. Kramer noted that it now looks to him like the building will fit in. T. Schickel asked if there would be additional comments next month, and Chair Finegan stated that he thinks they have made good changes to the previous proposals. S. Gibian noted a discrepancy in the submitted materials about the type of window; the printed materials say both Marvin and Anderson. T. Schickel clarified that the property owner prefers the Anderson fiberglass windows. S. Stein stated that she liked that they have added more design details, but she still feels that the building is too big for this particular property. T. Schickel stated that this is probably due to the image as it is presented. S. Stein reiterated that she still considers the massing to be too large. K. Olson noted that the proposed building would be the fourth largest in the area. T. Schickel disagreed and will contact the County Assessment Office for clarification on how it is calculated. M. McGandy stated that he appreciates the efforts to redesign the building. Any additional steps to reduce the size of the building should be considered. K. Olson stated that she appreciates the changes to the west façade. She also noted that the ILPC has been hesitant to approve parking above and beyond what is required in the East Hill Historic District. T. Schickel responded that the two additional spaces are on the interior of the building and do not count toward the parking requirement under code. S. Gibian asked if there would be a retaining wall at the rear of the property and how high would it be. T. Schickel answered that it would be approximately 6’-8’ tall. Beyond the retaining wall is a fence and an old playground. That property is owned by the old East Hill Co-Op. IV. NEW BUSINESS • Presentation: Possible Proposed Individual Landmark Designation for 421 N. Albany Street Christine O’Malley of Historic Ithaca presented information on the Dennis-Newton House at 421 N. Albany Street. First appearing on the 1872 Sanborn map, the house was constructed in 1868-1869 and was owned by three generations of the Dennis-Newton family, a prominent African-American ILPC Minutes December 9, 2014 6 of 7 family within the Ithaca community. Under the ownership of Edward Newton, the building became home to a social group of African-American students from Cornell University. This group later became Alpha Phi Alpha, the first Greek-lettered African-American fraternity in the United States. The building remains an important site for the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. It is architecturally significant as an excellent example of the vernacular dwellings that dominate the neighborhood and has both local and national historic significance through its association with Dennis and Newton families and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity respectively. The property is currently owned by a local landlord and has been vacant for several years. It has been cited by the City for code violations on several occasions. C. O’Malley noted that the condition of the interior is unknown, but from the exterior, it appears that the building can be saved. There are on-going discussion between the property owner and the fraternity, and it seems that both would be supportive of the designation. K. Olson noted that exterior retains a high level of integrity. D. Kramer noted that it would be good to designate the property locally to protect the building from further decline or possible demolition. A nearby property owner (name?) stated that there is support from the neighbors for the designation of this property. They are disappointed in the owner’s lack of response to Alpha Phi Alpha’s efforts to purchase the property. S. Stein added that it is interesting that there are so many condemned houses when the Mayor has such strong support for new housing opportunities. It is would be ideal to rehabilitate these houses for people to own and live in. Commission members were supportive of the nomination of 421 N. Albany Street for local designation. Historic Ithaca will present a formal nomination in early 2015. • Discussion: 234 S. Albany St, Henry St. John Historic District – Stair Replacement B. McCracken reported on plans to repair the stairs at 234 S. Albany Street. The property owner’s representative stated that they hope to replace deteriorated stair treads but it is possible that the stairs will need to be completely replaced. This will trigger current building code requirements for both the stairs and railing. If the stairs require complete replacement, the ILPC requested that the full proposal for the new stairs and railing be presented for review. • 102 East Court Street, DeWitt Park Historic District B. McCracken reported that he has spoken to the property owner, who plans to make temporary repairs, including the addition of plywood over a severely deteriorated basement-level window s and porch floor. He has then pledged to make permanent repairs to the chimney, windows, shutters and porch roof, columns and cornice in the spring. B. McCracken noted the Zip-System plywood has already been applied over the slate roof on the porch, and this work was completed without staff or Commission approval. Commission members requested that the property owner submit a Certificate of Appropriateness application for both the temporary and permanent repairs for review at the next ILPC meeting. ILPC Minutes December 9, 2014 7 of 7 V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES As moved by M. McGandy, and seconded by S. Stein, Commission members approved the following meeting minutes, with one correction and the addition of the ILPC’s discussion of the demolition of the rear porch at 410 University Avenue. • November 18, 2014 (Regular Meeting) VI. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS • None VII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by consensus at 7:26 p.m. by Chair Finegan. Respectfully Submitted, Bryan McCracken, Historic Preservation Planner Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission