Submitted: 11/17/1998 Approved:

Tuesday, October 20, 1998

Meeting No. 11-98

The City of Rockville Historic District Commission convened in the Council Chambers,

Rockville City Hall, at 7:09 p.m.

Craig Moloney, Chair

Dean Brenneman
Donald Crawford
Bruce Noble
Anita Neal Powell

Staff: Bob Spalding, Chief of Planning

Judy Christensen, Contract Preservation Planner

1. October 21, 1997 ( Meeting No. 9-97)
2. September 29, 1998 (Meeting No. 10-98)

Staff discovered that the minutes of October 21, 1997 had not been approved and therefore had been added to the agenda. Commissioner Neal Powell suggested that the minutes of September 29, 1998 reflect that it was a special meeting. No other corrections were offered to either set of minutes.

Commissioner Brenneman moved, seconded by Commissioner Crawford, to approve the minutes of the Historic District Commission meeting of October 21, 1997 as submitted and the minutes of September 29, 1998, as corrected.

 

VOTE: 5-0

1. COURTESY REVIEW

Applicant: Rockville United Methodist Church

100 West Montgomery Avenue

Request: ADA modifications, façade changes.

Action: Suggestions and Recommendations to applicant

The HDC reviewed proposed modifications to the residential structure at 100 West Montgomery Avenue for use as a resource center and offices. Architect I-Kuang Liang presented plans and elevations and described the proposed changes. Contemplated alterations included a handicapped- accessible ramp from the sidewalk to the front entrance of the building, a paved parking lot with three regular and one handicapped space accessed from South Adams at the rear of the building, and removal of the existing exterior rear stair egress. The existing stairs will be replaced by an enclosed stairway from the grade level to the second story. A handicapped-accessible door and a sidelight, which will fill the present opening, will replace the double-width front door. Several trees will be removed. Ms. Fagan and Ms. Maggie Osgood also represented the applicants.

The HDC worked with the applicants to find an alternative to the proposed treated wood handicapped ramp with railings, which would extend from the concrete porch and steps to the public sidewalk on West Montgomery and pose the most adverse impact to the character of the district. Mr. Liang will investigate the possibility of adding an earth berm from the sidewalk to the porch, which will accommodate a brick walkway and landscape plantings. This would be a more attractive approach to the building and eliminate the treated wood decking and railing which would splinter over time and be difficult to maintain as safe in icy conditions. Regarding the addition of the rear enclosed stairway, the HDC recommended that the roof slope echo the existing slope on the east addition and that cladding duplicate the appearance of the original wood cladding underneath the concrete/asbestos composition siding. A reinforced concrete material replicating the original siding pattern was recommended for the exterior if wood siding is not used. The HDC recommended that the present concrete/ asbestos wood-grained composition siding be maintained until funding is found for restoration of the original building material

Staff produced a photocopy of the house as originally constructed, a picturesque Victorian villa with a front tower and decorative wood trim and shingles, which will be provided to the applicants for future use. Most of the original decorative features were removed after a fire in 1945. The HDC asked the applicants to keep them informed of their progress and said the Commission will work with them to restore and improve the building.

 

2. COMMISSION BUSINESS

1. Rockville/Gaithersburg Tax Credit Guidelines

Staff said Rockville and Gaithersburg, as the only two independent Historic District Commissions in the County, were jointly developing guidelines to apply Montgomery County Tax Credits to important elements of their historic districts. Staff presented the draft guidelines at the Gaithersburg meeting and has submitted them tonight for discussion. Staff noted that the Rockville HDC directed staff to prepare guidelines for staff approval for fences and other minor applications and this language is included in the draft.

 The HDC reviewed the draft tree, landscape, fence, storm windows and doors, concrete and masonry and hardware guidelines, and clarified some points. The inclusion of maintenance and replication of historic garden or landscape layouts was considered and questions were presented on the protection of historic landscape features other than trees. The advisability of encouraging storm windows and doors was debated. Both questions were tabled until the next meeting. Staff was asked to inform the Mayor and Council of the HDC's interest in adding eligible tax credit projects in Rockville in case this had an effect on City revenue, as well as for their information. Staff will continue to develop the guidelines, which will be in the form of an insert to the existing guidelines folder, and will present progress at the November meeting.

2. Staff approvals

The HDC questioned staff approval of storm windows and doors as encouraging an improvement that had more desirable options. This was carried over to the November meeting.

3. Revolving fund for low income residents - preliminary discussion

Staff said model guidelines and case studies have been ordered from the American Planning Association and staff is working with the National Trust to obtain information. The HDC deferred this topic to the November meeting.

4. Roof replacement, paint research - progress report

Staff reported that estimates, samples and photographs had been collected but regional examples of installation or application and the durability of some of the coating products and newer foil over asphalt systems has not been found as yet. Staff will continue to work on this project. Senior Planning Division staff did not believe that a roof replacement moratorium would be a positive idea. The November International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW) may provide some assistance on the technical aspects of repair and replacement of slate and tin roofs. In this regard, the HDC asked staff to send flyers on the residential IPTW workshop in Gaithersburg on November 14, 1998, which is presented free of cost to local property owners.

1. COMMITTEE/ ORGANIZATION REPORTS

1. Glenview Mansion Consultant Steering Committee -

Commissioner Brenneman reported that the meeting was productive, and was a good team exercise. The group examined the positive and negative aspects of the Civic Center property and defined issues for further discussion. The goal is to develop a list of tasks and a request for proposals to hire a consultant to develop a master plan for the property. The interior of Glenview Mansion was not included as it is under the jurisdiction of the Mansion committee, but Commissioner Brenneman said this would be an opportunity to examine and evaluate the utility systems. He asked staff to find a copy of the Beall Dawson master plan and provide it to the consultant steering committee.

2. Lincoln Park Historical Society - Anita Neal Powell

Commissioner Neal-Powell said the LPHS was planning a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the annexation of Lincoln Park to Rockville this year. It is tentatively planned as part of the Montgomery County History Day in July, since the annexation was completed in July of 1948.

3. Peerless Rockville- Peerless Rockville submitted an update of its activities, which included the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference and other projects. Staff noted that the HDC and Rockville citizens have access to Peerless Rockville photographs and research files through a contract agreement with the City of Rockville.
4. Montgomery Preservation, Inc. – Dean Brenneman

Commissioner Brenneman said Montgomery Preservation, Inc. (MPI) recently submitted a $200,00 ISTEA grant application for the Silver Spring B&O Station. He noted that MPI's Old House Parts has reopened in Gaithersburg and is available to Rockville homeowners on Saturdays, 9-1 p.m.

 COMMISSION/ STAFF UPDATES

1. Commissioner Neal Powell asked about the HDC attendance at the Maryland Downtown Development Conference that is replacing the Maryland Historic Trust Conference in November. Staff replied that the annual preservation conference was to be held in Easton, Maryland on April 30-May 1. The HDC requested the Chief of Planning ask for funding to support one HDC commissioner to attend the state conference and one commissioner to attend the National Conference to be included in the HDC budget next year.

 

2. Commissioner Neal Powell said she visited the HDC Internet site and the address of the web site should be more widely available. She suggested that it be advertised on Cable Channel 53. The Commission concurred and had several suggestions to add to the site: The Property Owner's Handbook; a list of printed resources available and their cost; a map of the historic districts; photographs of application buildings; and upcoming workshops and HDC projects.

 

3. Staff reported on fulfilling the State requirement for a definition of "demonstrated special interest" as a qualification to serve on the HDC. She said the City Attorney's office had sent several draft text amendments that were prepared in 1996 but not adopted. She noted that the drafts did not reinforce the requirement and some reduced them. Commissioner Crawford said the HDC had suggested this to allow Rockville historic property homeowners to serve on the Commission without meeting stringent requirements. He noted that although all present HDC members meet State professional requirements, in other years the HDC has not had applicants who qualify. He said that he would not qualify under the proposed staff requirements. Therefore, the City Attorney was asked to make the special interest requirement inclusive rather than exclusive. Staff will provide copies of all drafts in the November brief book for further discussion.

 

4. The HDC asked Chief of Planning Spalding if a permanent position had been established for HDC staff. The funding for HDC staff had been transferred to create another position when the previous HDC staff resigned, and a consultant was hired to complete work in progress and work with the HDC as a stopgap measure. Mr. Spalding said the department was working on adding a position in the next fiscal year budget. The HDC said that the City has ongoing obligations and requirements to meet on a yearly basis in its preservation program and should provide for long term service to the HDC and public. The Commission will contact the City Manager with the request.

 

5. Chairman Moloney inquired on the status of the Chestnut Lodge historic district, which the HDC voted to recommended to the Mayor and Council for public hearing over a year ago. Staff said this had been delayed at the new owner's request as they were still in the planning stages. The HDC responded that their recommendation is independent of site development and should not be delayed, as the Mayor and Council has the final vote on designation and the extent of the property to be included. They requested that the process continue. The HDC also requested that the adjacent Buckingham property, which is under contract to the owners of Chestnut Lodge, be surveyed since it lacks a historic sites survey report. A report is to be included on the agenda for November.

1. ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before this meeting of the City of Rockville Historic District Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 9:59 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Judy Christensen

HDC Staff Liaison