HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-ILPC-2018-10-09Approved by ILPC: 12, December 2018
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Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC)
Minutes — October 9, 2018
Present:
Ed Finegan, Chair
David Kramer, Vice Chair
Stephen Gibian, Member
Megan McDonald, Member
Absent:
Katelin Olson, Member
Avi Smith, Member
Susan Stein, Member
Donna Fleming, Common
Council Liaison
Nancy Brcak, Alternate Member
Bryan McCracken, Historic
Preservation Planner
Anya Harris, City of Ithaca staff
Chair E. Finegan called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m.
I. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. 119 West Green Street, Henry St. John Historic District ― Proposal to Replace
Standing-Seam Metal Roofing with Asphalt Shingle Roofing.
Applicant Duane Austin and owner Stan Buren appeared in front of the Commission to provide
information about the condition of the roof and their proposal to replace the standing seam metal
roof with asphalt shingles. Buren said that they have patched the second story roof several times
in recent years, but then in August, a large storm came through the area, producing heavy rains
and winds that lifted the metal roof in several areas, which is why he contacted Austin to take a
look at it.
Chair E. Finegan asked if they had a permit to do what they have done so far. (Removed half of
the metal roof.)
D. Austin said that the morning after Buren called, he got a crew to the site to remove that
section of roofing while he went to the Building Department to apply for the permit. He said his
crew put new sheathing and underlayment down to keep rain from getting in and left it
unfinished while he went to apply for the required approvals and permits. He said that he had
hoped that because other sections of the roof are already done in asphalt shingles, they would be
able to get a staff level approval, but that didn’t happen.
D. Kramer asked if the lower section to the west and the gable below the main roof are done in
asphalt shingles, done before the creation of the historic district. He said they did this in the
wrong order (work before permits).
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D. Austin said yes, and that he didn’t see the harm in removing the metal, as tarping was not an
option due to the recent winds, and it was going to need to be re-sheathed anyway to keep the
weather out.
D. Kramer asked if there was anything on the roof at present.
D. Austin said they have replaced the decking, which they would have had to do either way,
whether they replace the roofing with metal or use shingles.
D. Kramer said it sounds like the roof failed.
D. Austin said yes and explained that it looked like someone had cut out a strip of about 2 feet
closest to the eaves (where the roof is most prone to rot from ice dams) and shoved replacement
(wood) material under the existing metal. He said it was definitely a failure.
Chair E. Finegan asked why they wanted to replace with asphalt shingles instead of a metal roof.
D. Austin said that he’s seen a lot of problems (such as condensation) with what he calls “ag
panels.” He said it’s not so much a problem with standing seam roofs, but a lot of the new ones
(with exposed fasteners) that are going up all over are leaking, have condensation issues, and are
hard to ventilate. He also said he doesn’t think the applicant’s roof is highly visible.
Chair E. Finegan asked what the original roof material was.
D. Austin said that the metal roof could have been the original.
B. McCracken asked if there was any indication on the decking (nail patterns) that there was ever
a wood shingle roof on it.
D. Austin said no.
Chair E. Finegan asked about the date of construction on the house.
B McCracken said the house dates to 1848.
S. Gibian asked if the west side of the roofing had been removed but the east side is still in place.
D. Austin said yes.
Some additional discussion about similar roof cases they have considered recently followed.
Public Hearing
On a motion by S. Gibian, seconded by M.M. McDonald, Chair E. Finegan opened the Public
Hearing.
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There being no members of the public appearing to speak, Chair E. Finegan closed the Public
Hearing on a motion by D. Kramer, seconded by M.M. McDonald.
D. Kramer said he doesn’t feel too strongly about this case, given the relative lack of visibility of
the roof.
S. Gibian said it’s visible, but not highly visible.
M.M. McDonald said that the lower portion on the west side (part that was already replaced with
asphalt) is most visible.
B. McCracken said that they need to determine if the metal roof has acquired significance in its
own right and become a character-defining feature of the structure, and if so, they should require
it be replaced with metal. If not, they can approve its replacement with asphalt.
D. Kramer asked if that’s the one criterion to consider.
B. McCracken said yes.
D. Kramer said that if it’s been on there 110 years, he would say it has acquired significance.
Chair E. Finegan asked if all four Commission members present would need to vote in favor to
pass the resolution.
B. McCracken said yes, but if not all four present can agree, they could table it.
After additional discussion, the Commission decided to table the resolution and schedule a
special meeting and site visit with the full Commission.
II. PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS OF INTEREST
Chair E. Finegan opened the public comment period.
There being no members of the public appearing to speak, Chair E. Finegan closed the public
comment period.
III. OLD BUSINESS
310-314 North Cayuga Street, DeWitt Park Historic District – Proposal to Modify
Exterior Details of the Proposed Four-Story, Mixed-Use Building
D. Kramer recused himself because he owns property within 200 feet of the proposed project,
and Alternate Commission member Nancy Brcak joined the Commission to maintain the
quorum.
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Frost Travis, developer, and Graham Gillespie and Tom Covell of HOLT Architects appeared in
front of the Commission to present project updates.
F. Travis said they are waiting for the Building Department to issue a demolition permit. He said
they should be ready to put in site control measures such as fencing, but they need to complete
pre-demolition surveys of neighboring properties to determine how they will be affected by
potential vibrations from demolition and pile driving.
N. Brcak asked about mitigation measures taken to prevent environmental impacts.
F. Travis said yes, but that because the building has been condemned, the plan is to do a
controlled demolition, with demolition and abatement being performed on a parallel track. He
said they will spray water continuously for dust suppression, and materials removed will be
treated as contaminated.
N. Bcrak asked if they do anything beyond spraying water to control the most harmful elements
of the demolished building.
F. Travis said he thinks the most harmful element is asbestos and spraying water is intended to
control that. He said he’s not intimately familiar with the means and methods, that’s coming
from the demolition contractor Gorick Demolition from Binghamton. He said they will also be
monitoring air quality.
Tom Covell next reviewed the three proposed changes to the approved designs. He said the
private/semi-private entertainment space in the plaza has changed a bit to include planters and
wooden pergola structure. The stairway has also been reconfigured and a gate placed at the
bottom to control access from the public. The area will also be wheelchair accessible via a lift
accessed through the community room. T. Covell said that the addition of the wooden pergola
would be most prominent change in terms of visibility from the street.
T. Covell said that the second change would be to replace the aluminum bands along the façade
with cast stone. He showed the ILPC members a limestone-colored material sample.
F. Travis added that at the top of the windows, they are proposing a change from glass to a cast
stone panel as well.
T. Covell concurred, and explained that these changes were being made to accommodate
revisions to the interior of the building.
S. Gibian asked T. Covell to switch back and forth between the two slides a couple of times.
Then, he said that it looks like the area of the windows seems to have decreased with replacing
the spandrel panels with cast stone.
B. McCracken said that the applicants had indicated that the spandrel panels would be above the
ceiling level in the apartments, so cleaning or maintaining them would represent a problem. He
said he suggested the material change as a way of keeping the appearance of the size and scale of
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the windows the same while avoiding the problems associated with glass that could not be
accessed for periodic cleaning. He said that he had approved the change at the staff level because
it didn’t seem like it would substantially alter the visual appearance of the building.
T. Covell said they were open to changing the proposed color(s) of cast stone.
T. Covell said that the third and final proposed change was to the cladding on the interior of the
courtyard. Applicant is proposing to change from brick to fiber cement panels. T. Covell then
reviewed new elevations and passed around some HardieBoard material samples.
A question and answer period followed.
RESOLUTION: Moved by N. Brcak, seconded by M.M. McDonald.
WHEREAS, 310-312 N Cayuga St is located within the DeWitt Park Historic District, as
designated under Sections 228-3 of the City of Ithaca Municipal Code in 1971, and
as listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1971,
and
WHEREAS, as set forth in Section 228-6 of the Municipal Code, a Certificate of Appropriateness
was issued by the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) for the
demolition of a non-contributing resource and the construction of a four-story,
mixed-use building at the subject property at their regularly scheduled February 14,
2017, meeting, and
WHEREAS, a condition was placed on that Certificate of Appropriateness requiring all
substantive changes to the design of the exterior of the building to be submitted to
the ILPC for consideration, and
WHEREAS, the ILPC has received a letter from Graham Gillespie at HOLT Architects, P.C. to
Bryan McCracken, Historic Preservation Planner, dated October 1, 2018, describing
three proposed changes to the design of the exterior of the proposed building;
submitted with the letter were five sheets of architectural drawings illustrating the
proposed changes to the design, and
WHEREAS, as stated in the submitted letter, the proposed changes include: (1) constructing a
pergola on the elevated plaza and reconfiguring the stair from the street level to the
plaza; (2) substituting cast stone for the aluminum horizontal bands on the façade;
and (3) substituting fiber cement panels and trim for the brick veneer cladding on the
three walls surrounding the plaza, and
WHEREAS, the ILPC has reviewed this submission for the purpose of evaluating the impacts of
the proposed changes on the overall compatibleness of the building’s design with its
historic environment, now therefore be it
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RESOLVED, that the ILPC finds that the proposed exterior design changes do not substantially
impact the compatibleness of the overall building design with it historic
environment, and be it further
RESOLVED, the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission approves the proposed changes to
the design of the exterior of the proposed building as outlined in the submitted letter
and illustrated in the submitted drawings (attached).
RECORD OF VOTE:
Moved by: N. Brcak
Seconded by: M.M. McDonald
In Favor: N. Brcak, M.M. McDonald, E. Finegan, S. Gibian
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Recused: D. Kramer
Absent: A. Smith, S. Stein, K. Olson
Notice: Failure on the part of the owner or the owner’s representative to bring to the attention
of the ILPC staff any deviation from the approved plans, including but not limited to changes
required by other involved agencies or that result from unforeseen circumstances as
construction progresses, may result in the issuance by the Building Department of a stop
work order or revocation of the building permit.
After the vote, alternate member N. Brcak stepped down and D. Kramer rejoined the
Commission for the next item on the agenda.
150 Triphammer Road, Cornell Heights Historic District - Proposal to Construct an
Accessible Entrance on the East Façade
Project managers Gary Stewart and Karen Wilson, and Jason Cragle from the Office of Student
and Campus Life (all from Cornell) appeared to provide updates to the ramp proposal.
D. Kramer asked them to talk more about the composite material proposed for the decking on the
ramp.
Applicant provided materials samples, and said B. McCracken suggested that they look at this
material.
D. Kramer said they have denied composite decking in every application but one.
B. McCracken said, yes, but those applications were for composite that looked like regular
pressure treated decking. This material would be tongue and groove. He said it’s something he’s
considered using in his own house, and while the ILPC doesn’t have to approve, they might
consider it.
D. Kramer said he’s not opposed to the material, but he is concerned about setting a precedent.
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S. Gibian expressed concern for the porch and roof, saying the design is non-traditional. He said
that differentiating the new from the old is good, but maybe the design could match the existing
porch and columns a little more closely (just scaled down).
The Commission and applicants next reviewed a number of project changes and conditions to
add to the resolution.
RESOLUTION: Moved by S Gibian, seconded by M.M. McDonald.
WHEREAS, 150 Triphammer Road is located within the Cornell Heights Historic District, as
designated under Section 228-3 of the City of Ithaca Municipal Code in 1989, and as
listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1989, and
WHEREAS, as set forth in Section 228-4 of the Municipal Code, an Application for a Certificate
of Appropriateness, dated July 31, 2018, was submitted for review to the Ithaca
Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) by Karen Wilson on behalf of property
owner Cornell University, including the following: (1) two narratives respectively
titled Description of Proposed Change(s) and Reasons for Changes(s); (2) an
architectural drawing by Tetra Tech, Architects & Engineers, titled “First Floor Plan
and Partial Site Plan” (A100); (3) two renderings of the proposed alteration; (4) two
photographs showing existing conditions; and (5) seven sheets of product
specifications for Trex® materials, and
WHEREAS, the review of the Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness by the ILPC at
regular meeting on August 14, 2018 pending the submission of additional
information, and
WHEREAS, a revised Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, dated September 25, 2018,
was submitted for review by the applicant on behalf of property owner, including the
following: (1) two narratives respectively titled Description of Proposed Change(s)
and Reasons for Changes(s); (2) a photograph documenting existing conditions; (3)
nine sheets of architectural drawings showing the proposed alteration, and
WHEREAS, the ILPC has reviewed the New York State Building-Structure Inventory Form for
150 Triphammer Road, and the City of Ithaca’s Cornell Heights Historic District
Summary Statement, and
WHEREAS, as stated in the narrative Description of Proposed Change(s), the project involves
constructing an accessible ramp and porch structure on the east (primary) façade and
south elevation, replacing a window on the east elevation with a door, and installing a
concrete pad and low wood barrier on the south elevation, 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
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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 August 14, 2018, 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 Cornell Heights Historic District Summary
Statement, the period of significance for the area now known as the Cornell Heights
Historic District is 1898-1937.
As indicated in the New York State Building-Structure Inventory Form, the
Colonial-Revival Style residence at 150 Triphammer Road was constructed between
1912 and 1913 for a professor of astronomy and geology at Cornell University, Ora
M Leland.
Constructed within the period of significance of the Cornell Heights Historic District
and possessing a high level of integrity, the property is a contributing element of the
Cornell Heights Historic District.
Typical of buildings designed in the Colonial-Revival Style, the residence at 150
Triphammer Road has a balanced, nearly symmetrical façade. The proposed ramp
and roof structure on the south side of the east elevation would impact this historic
design element.
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 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.
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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 an
access ramp, porch, wood barrier, and concrete pad, and the replacement of a
window with a door will remove distinctive materials but will not alter features and
spaces that characterize the property.
Also with respect to Principle #2, and Standard #9, the proposed porch structure,
accessible ramp, door, wood barrier, and concrete pad are compatible with the
massing, size, scale, and architectural features of the property and its environment.
As noted in the City of Ithaca Historic District and Landmark Design Guidelines, materials
used to construct access features “should bear some relationship to those of the
main structure.” When evaluating the compatibleness of the proposed materials, the
ILPC compared the visual properties the existing east porch to those proposed for
the new porch. The proposed porch draws inspiration with respect to design and
materiality from the property’s east porch, with its columns, entablature, and railing
closing replicating the design of the historic porch but in a reduced scale. This
allows the new porch to complement the existing porch while differentiating it as a
new addition to the historic building.
With respect to Standard #10, the proposed porch structure, accessible ramp, wood
barrier, door and concrete pad can largely 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 Cornell
Heights 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
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RESOLVED, that the ILPC approves the Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness with the
following conditions:
The northeast column shall be engaged and match the proportions of the engaged
columns on the residence’s east porch; a matching engaged column shall be
installed on the southwest corner; stucco shall not be remove from behind the
engaged columns and the air gap between the stucco and engaged column shall be
caulked;
The apron (skirting) on the east and south sides of the porch shall be panelized to
match those on the residence’s east porch; an apron is not required under the
ramp;
Porch columns shall have capitals that proportionally match those found on the
columns on the residence’s east porch;
The porch railing shall proportionally match that of the east porch;
The ramp railing shall be a simple metal pipe railing to minimize its visual
appearance;
Porch gutters and downspouts shall be half-round.
The detailing of the porch’s entablature shall proportionally match that of the
residence’s east porch;
The door shall be solid wood;
The design of the proposed vehicular barrier shall be submitted to the Secretary
of the Commission for consideration and approval;
The applicant shall submit revised construction drawings addressing the above
noted conditions to the Secretary of the Commission for review and approval
prior to the commencement of work;
Decking shall be a tongue-and-grove composite material manufactured by Aeratis;
boards shall be 3 - 4” wide and ¾” to 5/4” thick, and have square edges; if
possible, the smooth side of the boards shall be exposed; the ILPC notes the
approval of this material for this project is a test case that will allow the
Commission to evaluate the compatibility of the product with the aesthetic quality
of the historic property and district.
RECORD OF VOTE:
Moved by: S. Gibian
Seconded by: M.M. McDonald
In Favor: S. Gibian, E. Finegan, D. Kramer, M.M. McDonald
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Absent: A. Smith, K. Olson, S. Stein
Vacancies: 0
Notice: Failure on the part of the owner or the owner’s representative to bring to the attention
of the ILPC staff any deviation from the approved plans, including but not limited to changes
required by other involved agencies or that result from unforeseen circumstances as
construction progresses, may result in the issuance by the Building Department of a stop
work order or revocation of the building permit.
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IV. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
B. McCracken handed out copies of the updated City Sexual Harassment policy and said that at
the next meeting they would need to sign an acknowledgement that they have received and
reviewed it.
M.M. McDonald then excused herself, saying she felt unwell.
V. ADJOURNMENT
Then lacking a quorum, Chair E. Finegan adjourned the meeting at 7:37 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bryan McCracken, Historic Preservation Planner
Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission