Submitted: February 20, 2002
Approved: _______________

CITY OF ROCKVILLE
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
MINUTES

Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Meeting No. 01-2002

The City of Rockville Historic District Commission convened in regular session
in the Mayor and Council Chambers,
Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, at 7:13 PM

PRESENT
Elizabeth Rodgers, Chair
Andrea Hartranft
Anita Neal-Powell         Jeff Broadhurst

Absent: Commissioner Craig Moloney

Staff: Judy Christensen, Preservation Planner, Cindy Kebba, Planner II

I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

December 18, 2001 (Meeting No. 12-2001)

MOTION: Commissioner Broadhurst moved to approve the minutes of December 18, 2001 as submitted. Commissioner Hartranft seconded the motion.
VOTE: 3-0 (Absent: Commissioners Neal-Powell and Moloney)

II. PRELIMINARY EVALUATION FOR HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: 706 Rockville Pike (Simmons Building)

Staff explained that Mr. Al Blumberg contacted the office by telephone on December 27, 2001. He left a voice mail message indicating that he has a client with a contract to purchase the property at 706 Rockville Pike. His client intends to demolish the existing building and build a new one. Mr. Blumberg wanted to know if the building has historic significance and if demolition would be allowed. He said that he needed to know its status quickly because the due diligence period in the contract was to expire on January 31, 2002. Staff returned the call and explained that the property is on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources and therefore would need to be evaluated by the HDC to determine if it was eligible for historic designation. Staff explained the process to Mr. Blumberg but said that, due to the late notification, a preliminary evaluation to determine whether the HDC intended to go forward with the full process would be scheduled for the January 15, 2002 HDC meeting. A copy of the 1986 MHT form for the Simmons Building and the HDC Historic District Designation Criteria were sent to Mr. Blumberg.

Staff provided an overview of the structure’s exterior with a PowerPoint presentation, which showed each façade. Planner Kebba said that the late Victorian residence was built in 1888-89, but is now obscured in front by a two-story office/retail building. The flat-roofed cinder block addition was attached to the front façade of the house in 1955 by owners Dennis and Anna Simmons. Part of the second story of the house can still be seen behind the addition. Staff explained that the original house was set 43 feet back from the road when it was built, but the building is now situated very close to Rockville Pike due to road widening and the front addition.

Staff said that despite the many alterations, the 2-_ -story frame residence retains much of the basic mass and detailing common to houses that lined what is now Rockville Pike in the late 19th century. The south façade retains a 3-sided bay with pyramid roof under the cross gable. The north façade features a one-story addition with a shed roof that likely had been a porch. Other Colonial revival Victorian elements of the house included the rectangular form with three bay front fenestration, the symmetrical placement of the front dormers and chimneys, the deeply turned eaves, and the rear porch. The rear façade has been substantially altered to create three entrances to three offices and an office addition.

Peter Hartogensis, the attorney representing contract purchaser Brian Kim, spoke to the HDC. He stated that many additions had been made to this building over the years and several other small buildings were added to the rear of the site in the 1960s. He said the building does not have any historic significance except that the basic, original structure is old. He said the building is completely surrounded by a car dealership and Rockville Pike. The contract purchaser would like to tear down the building and replace it with a new office/retail structure that would fully conform to the City’s zoning requirements. Designation would impede the purchaser’s plans and, if designated, he would likely not follow through with his plan to buy the property.

Paul Wang, one of eight partners who currently own the building, spoke next. He said that the interior is deteriorating. The top portion of the original building is not used because the City of Rockville would require the owners to install an additional fire escape if it were occupied. The owners found the cost of a fire escape prohibitive and thought it would be unsightly. Mr. Wang said that they have tried to sell the building for the past four years. Mr. Wang stated that he was not informed that it was designated historic when he purchased it. He said the new building would conform to others along Rockville Pike.

In response to Mr. Wang, Planner Christensen explained that the building has been in the City’s Inventory of Historic Structures since 1986, but has not been legally designated. She explained that this preliminary hearing is the first step in the process to decide if is eligible to be recommended for designation.

Al Blumberg, a land planner with Site Solutions in Gaithersburg, Maryland, stated that he was hired to prepare feasibility studies for the site by the contract purchaser. He said that he hopes this process can be expedited because his client only had a thirty-day period to decide if he is going to buy the property and that time is running out. Commissioner Hartranft asked if anyone had determined if the front addition could be easily detached from the original house. Mr. Blumberg replied that the possibility of removing the office addition had not been determined.

Staff stated that the MHT form had not been updated in many years and it would be necessary to do so if the evaluation were to proceed. HDC Chair Rodgers suggested that a tour of the building interior be scheduled for commissioners and staff. Mr. Wang offered to assist in making the arrangements.

Brian Kim, the contract purchaser, and Mr. Wang, one of the owners, agreed to extend the feasibility period to February 20, 2002 if the other seven owners also agree to the time extension.

MOTION: Commissioner Hartranft moved to continue the evaluation of 760 Rockville Pike for historical, architectural, or cultural significance until February 20, 2002 and to leave the record open on this evaluation until February 1, 2002 to allow staff to prepare a report and obtain further testimony. Commissioner Broadhurst seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0

III. APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

A. HDC02-0207

Applicant: Edward Halpern
Address: 103 S. Adams Street (Rockville Academy)
Request: Replace front wood steps with concrete

Staff stated that the applicant telephoned a request to defer consideration of this application to the February 20, 2002 meeting.

MOTION: Commissioner Broadhurst moved to defer application HDC02-0207 to the February 20, 2002 Historic District Commission meeting at the request of the applicant. Commissioner Powell seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0

B. HDC02-0208

Applicant: Tina McKendree for Stepping Stones Shelter
Address: 1070 Copperstone Court
Request: Replace windows, repair eaves, soffits and door frames

Staff stated that, at the Courtesy Review at the last meeting, representatives for Stepping Stones and staff were to research estimated costs for removing the 64 original windows, stripping them of lead-based paint, repairing and replacing them. Staff contacted Oak Grove Restoration, the company that completed similar work for the City at King Farm. The company owner, Hank Handler, provided an estimate of $2,500 per opening, or a total of $160,000 for lead abatement and refurbishing of all of the windows. He said that the work at King Farm took 14 months and involved approximately the same number of windows. Tina McKendree, Executive Director of Stepping Stones Shelter, received an estimate by another contractor (ACM Services, Inc.) for $150,000 for all of the lead abatement work on windows, soffits and fascia board as well as demolition and replacement of front porch casing, five radiators, and rear porch enclosure, but not including repairs or repainting. This estimate was included with the application.

Ms. McKendree said that the cost estimates for stripping and repairing the existing windows was beyond any funding available to Stepping Stones Shelter and would involve extensive on-going maintenance. Staff provided a visual summary of the windows, deteriorating soffits and eaves, and details of the house. The applicants provided further photographs of various features and problem areas.

Ms. McKendree re-introduced Alan Hepler, a senior planner with the Montgomery County Division of Housing and Community Affairs and director of the county’s group rehab program. Mr. Hepler was present at the Courtesy Review held on December 18, 2001. Mr. Hepler stated that Stepping Stones’ funding sources require that the building is lead-free, not just “lead-safe”. He said that the paint job on the King Farm windows is already failing and, even if all layers of paint are stripped from the windows at Stepping Stones, there is no guarantee that the lead has not leached into the wood. This could result in a positive reading when tested for lead after stripping and re-painting. Mr. Hepler said that he had been through this process before with the historic Blair Park Apartments and ended up having to replace the windows because of the continued presence of lead even after stripping and repainting.

Mr. Hepler asked the HDC to consider replacement options and presented proposals from Rockville Window and Door. These proposals include a Weathershield double-hung replacement window with an extruded aluminum clad exterior frame and natural pine interior with 3 over 1 grids, an extruded vinyl model by Cornell, and a Weathershield replacement window with exterior vinyl cladding. He brought an example of the aluminum-clad window and an example of the vinyl window to show the HDC. He said that replacement guarantees a lead-free solution. He said exterior casing would be wrapped in aluminum coil stock.

Commissioner Broadhurst asked if there was precedent in the City for replacing original windows on a designated structure with a different material than existing. Planner Christensen stated that she did not know of any cases where that had been approved. Commissioner Rodgers asked what had been budgeted for the windows. Mr. Hepler responded with an estimate of about $800 per opening. Ms. McKendree said that they had projected about $80,000 in total, to include all repairs and lead abatement.

Commissioner Broadhurst said that the applicant was heading in the right direction with a wood interior window but that he was concerned that there is not precedent for putting non-traditional materials in an historic structure. He was also concerned about how the trim details would be treated and how the new windows would fit into the openings. He asked if they had looked at all-wood windows. Mr. Hepler responded that they had not because of the maintenance that wood windows would require. Ms. McKendree said that the shelter tries to use volunteer labor as much as possible to keep costs low but that the second story of the house is so high that painting those windows would require the services of a professional.

Commissioner Broadhurst said that there are several good wood windows to choose from and they should not differ significantly in cost from the aluminum-clad window. He said Weathershield is a well-crafted, good value and has options that are historically accurate. He also said that it is possible to get a window with factory-applied paint that would be very durable. He said the manufacturers claim 10 to 20 years for the finish coating. He would prefer a wood window because it would be replacing wood with the same material, which follows HDC guidelines.

Mr. Hepler stated that the outside casings are still an issue because they contain lead. Commissioner Broadhurst said that a product called Trim Tech is a synthetic board that cuts like lumber but will not rot like wood. However, he said that he would want to know how the installation will occur and its effect on the building’s stucco. He said that Marvin makes an aluminum-clad window that has a casing that mimics the original, but he said that is once again moving away from keeping with original materials.

The HDC concurred that the lead abatement requirement for this non-profit institution is a unique problem. This building differs from a residential property in that it must meet specific lead standards and it houses several families and a large number of children at one time. Mr. Hepler said that he would try to get a quote for all wood windows with a durable painted finish and staff said that they would contact the Technical Service Coordinator at the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) to find out what they would recommend for the window casings.

Mr. Hepler said that he intends to keep the curves and detailing in the eaves and intends to install a soffit cover that looks like wood from the ground. He would remove the decorative rafter tails and reinstall them after the soffits are fixed. He also plans to rebuild the rear storage area that is not original to the house. However, he did not exclude replacement with wood if that was the best solution.

MOTION: Commissioner Hartranft moved to continue application HDC02-0208 to the HDC meeting on February 20, 2002 to allow staff to research lead removal options or replacement of the exterior trim with the MHT. Commissioner Powell seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0

IV. DISCUSSION /UPDATES

Glenview Master Plan Draft
Commissioner Broadhurst stated that he thought the final draft was very thorough and thoughtful. Commissioner Rodgers said she wanted to make sure the plan includes historic interpretation. The commissioners said they would forward any additional comments to staff as soon as possible.

Update on King Farm Task Force
A structural evaluation of the farm structures will be completed in mid-January. The next meeting of the task force is January 23, 2002.

2002 Maryland Preservation Awards
Staff was unable to meet the January 4 application deadline, but will pursue other awards.

Discussion of Grant projects for 2002
Planner Christensen said that Rockville would submit a 2002-03 Maryland Historical Trust Certified Local Government (CLG) grant request for funds to update the inventory of Rockville historic resources and provide further public educational projects. The survey work will be subcontracted to Peerless Rockville, as was the first survey work. After the survey is completed, a new inventory catalog will be produced and the Historic Resources Management Plan revised and expanded. The entire project will take about three years. The grant deadline is January 31, 2002.

Street Lighting (from Maryland Avenue to Great Falls Road)
Commissioner Hartranft noted that she is working with the Department of Public Works in the streetlight replacement along East Jefferson Street from Maryland Avenue to Great Falls Road. She said that this area contains an assortment of street lighting fixtures and the City needs a master plan for replacement to achieve better citywide consistency. She said that lighting fixtures in the historic districts need to be appropriate to the period of character and lighting should provide a clear understanding of pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns. She suggested that the HDC should be part of the team formulating the plan for the historic areas.

V. COMMITTEE/ ORGANIZATION REPORTS

Lincoln Park Historical Society – The Lincoln Park Historical Society hosted a Christmas-Kwanzaa celebration on December 22 at the Lincoln Park Community Center and approximately 200 children attended. Clips from the celebration are being shown on the City’s cable channel. The LPHS is celebrating its 25th anniversary and the African American Journal of DC wants to do a story on it. The anniversary will be celebrated on May 19. A Gospel ride to Freedom bus tour is scheduled for February 23. LPHS is submitting a grant proposal and would like a letter of support from the HDC. The HDC agreed to provide a letter of support.

Peerless Rockville -Executive Director, Eileen McGuckian, said that Peerless is in the process of creating a computer database for their collections which will be accessible to the public. The Collections Committee is also looking for other ways to extend access. The New Year’s Day Brunch was held as a joint event with the City to introduce the book, Rockville, Portrait of a City.

VI. ADJOURN

The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
HDC staff liaisons
Judy Christensen and Cindy Kebba