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Submitted:
August 21, 2003
Approved: August 21, 2003
CITY
OF ROCKVILLE
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
MINUTES
Thursday,
July 17, 2003
Meeting No. 07-2003
The City
of Rockville Historic District Commission convened in regular session in Boards
and Commissions room at 6:00 PM.
It moved to the Mayor and Council Chambers, Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland
Avenue, at 7:13 PM.
PRESENT
Anita Neal Powell, Chairperson
Jeff Broadhurst, Chair pro tem
Andrea Hartranft
Craig Moloney
Absent: Commissioner
Beth Rodgers
HDC Staff present:
Bob Spalding, Chief of Planning; Judy Christensen, Cindy Kebba, Anne Brockett,
Preservation Planners.
I. APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE
OF APPROVAL
A. HDC03-0252
Applicant: James Vitol
Address: 11 Wall Street
Request: Screen existing rear deck
Planner Cindy Kebba presented
the application for a shed roof, screen enclosure, and stairway for an existing
rear deck at 11 Wall Street. The deck measures approximately 14 feet by 20 feet.
The porch will have a shed roof with the same height and pitch as the adjoining
family room addition. Planner Kebba noted that staff recommended replacing lattice
between the deck and railing with pickets or some other more traditional design
and installing lattice only as a screening material beneath the porch floor.
She also said that building code requires that the railing height must be 36
inches from the floor rather than the 30 inches shown on the plan.
The applicants, Mr. and Mrs. Vitol were present and had some questions for the
commission regarding color and design issues.
Commissioners Broadhurst and Moloney expressed concern on the structural plans
and some design elements. After discussion with the applicants, they made several
suggestions to the plan to provide more light through skylights rather than
utilizing Plexiglas panels; to eliminate proposed scalloped and lattice trims;
and to emphasize the header that will visually continue from the house and paint
it to match the trim. They had questions on the structural joint of the header
and the rafters. The submitted plans showed the rafters extending through the
header, which would mean that both rafters and rafter ends, would be attached
to the header using hangers. The Commissioners feared that this would not meet
the stated needs of the applicants.
After some discussion on timing, the Commission asked Mr. Vitol to obtain plans
showing dimensions and details of the structure and any details such as skylights
that were to be included. Because of the applicant’s time constraints,
the Commission said they would schedule a short special meeting on July 24,
2003 so the project would not be unduly delayed.
The Commission unanimously concurred to continue the application until July
24, 2003.
B. HDC03-0253
Applicant: Albert Brault & James Wilson
Address: 110 South Washington Street
Request: Replace slate roof with asphalt
Planner Anne Brockett presented
a visual overview of the existing house and roof. She noted that the roof is
highly visible from three sides and that this building is one of only three
buildings on this block to retain its original roof. She stated that roof replacement
decisions are made on a case by case basis since each individual case has unique
conditions. She detailed the condition and unique character of this slate roof,
which has the only example of round ridge caps in the South Washington Street
Historic District. Staff’s recommendation was to repair the roof first,
and if repair was not possible, to replace with slate or with a synthetic slate
as close as possible to the appearance, texture, reflective qualities, and design
as the original slate materials. Planner Brockett noted that the material submitted
was a rough grainy fiberglass asphalt composition shingle that is very uniform,
unlike slate, and does not possess the hard surface and reflective qualities
of the present slate roof.
Mr. Albert Brault, owner of this building and several others on South Washington
Street, said he supported historic preservation in Rockville and had done his
best to preserve his buildings and others along the street. He stated that in
this case, staff’s request to repair, replace, or find a better substitute
were not reasonable. He recounted numerous difficulties and costs in rehabilitating
110 South Washington Street that he felt resulted from a lack of appreciation
of his efforts from the City and also unsympathetic codes for historic buildings.
He stated that the roof leaks were substantial and a number of attempts had
been made to repair them without success. He stated that his staff had obtained
a number of estimates on replacement materials and the materials requested by
staff were too costly. In addition, he said that his property does not qualify
for the state and federal tax credits, so only the County property tax refund
of 10% of qualified costs would apply.
Commissioner Broadhurst concurred with staff that the ridge caps are a very
important architectural feature. He also stated that asphalt may be half the
cost of slate, but it will only last half as long.
The Commission thanked Mr. Brault for his efforts and said that they appreciated
the work and effort he had contributed to the historic district. They expressed
regret that the Maryland Smart Codes were not available at the time to make
his previous rehabilitation work easier and less costly. Staff said that the
property should be eligible for at least some tax credits and offered to go
over the figures and help with forms. Mr. Brault responded that their accountant
had researched the tax credits and found the property not to be eligible for
state or federal credits, but they would be happy to explore it further and
would meet with staff on July 18, 2003.
The Commission concurred that the decision should wait until the results of
that meeting were available and also continued this application until the meeting
scheduled for July 24, 2003.
II. COURTESY REVIEW
A. 22 West Jefferson Street – The Magruder Companies. Review of revised plans.
NOTE: At this time, the
Chairperson pro tem, Commissioner Broadhurst, passed the Chairperson duties
to Anita Neal Powell.
Daniel Ball, architect for the Magruder Companies, presented updated plans for 22 West Jefferson that responded to the concerns of the HDC expressed at the meeting of June 19, 2003. All four Commissioners were satisfied with the applicant’s design changes to accommodate the previous concerns of the HDC and unanimously favored approval. Suggestions included adding a brick beltcourse similar to that on the existing building to be used on the south (rear) elevation and on the west façade of the hyphens of the large rear addition. The beltcourse was not proposed for the central portion of the rear addition and was not a condition of approval. Several design details were accepted by the applicant as conditions of approval and will be incorporated into the final design.
The final decision will be rendered on July 24, 2003.
III. WORKSESSION
Chestnut Lodge Site
Design
Morton Levine, President
of The Associated Companies, the contract purchaser, introduced Attorney Jody
Kline of Miller, Miller and Canby, Kate Kuranda of R. Christopher Goodwin &
Associates, and the project site planners from Lessard Architectural Group.
Mr. Levine presented several options that had been considered and gave a brief
explanation of the number of lots on each plan and desirable and undesirable
features. He said none of the plans showed the stable being retained and most
did not show the building known as the Laundry/Upper Cottage being retained.
He noted that both of these buildings were greatly altered and not suitable
for residential re-use. He proposed that Frieda’s Cottage become a museum
to interpret and memorialize the site and its contributions to Rockville. He
said that the ice house would be reconstructed on the Rose Hill Barn site and
both the barn and ice house were proposed to be purchased by the owners of the
adjacent Bullard Mansion in the Rose Hill Historic District.
Urban Designer Stephen Gang, of Lessard Architectural Group, presented 10 plans
showing various lot placement, lot size, and access road locations. He asked
the HDC and others to contribute suggestions. Planner Judy Christensen said
that preservation of the historic buildings was the priority of the Mayor and
Council and staff, and also of the HDC. She asked if varying the lot size and
pricing some houses higher would increase the profit enough to renovate the
Hotel/Lodge and other structures as residences. Mr. Levine explained the financing
and marketing considerations that were steering the design and said that Associated
Companies must demonstrate marketability to obtain financing for the project.
Planner Christensen said that new houses in older neighborhoods surrounded by
tract houses of the 1950s were selling in the price range specified by Mr. Levine.
She suggested that his marketing firm might be underestimating the appeal of
West Rockville and that it had a specialized buyer.
Ms. Christensen questioned Mr. Levine on the use of the main building. He indicated
that several interested parties had contacted his company, but that all of them
wanted the building rehabilitated. He is considering the possibility of converting
the building into high-end condominiums. With two condos per floor (eight total)
a large addition would be necessary to make the units large enough to cover
the costs of the rehab.
Commissioner Hartranft thanked Mr. Levine for presenting a wide range of options
to consider. She said that there were many interpretations of “historic”
other than reaching 50 years of age. She mentioned the siting, materials, and
design of the Activity Building and Cafeteria, designed by Chloethiel Woodward
Smith, and said that many believe it to merit consideration as well. Commissioner
Moloney suggested that if it could not be included in the preservation plan,
that it should be thoroughly documented.
Commissioner Moloney said he had attended the building walk-though on July 10
and said the Activities Building was a fine example of a 1950-1970 structure,
but it also has some flaws. He questioned Mr. Levine on the size of the proposed
condominiums in the Hotel/Lodge and asked how large an addition and how much
parking would be necessary for them. He said that this kind of detail should
be part of the overall plan from the beginning. Commissioner Broadhurst concurred
and said he favored schematic plan #5, which had fewer (32) lots and brought
the driveway around the east side of the Hotel/Lodge. He mentioned that it is
likely that more lots could be gained on that plan.
Chief of Planning Spalding said that the proposed road on the east side of the
Hotel/Lodge could be moved closer to the east side of the building and an eyebrow
cul-de-sac might provide more lots east of the driveway.
Commissioner Moloney said that the Stable is not recognizable on the inside,
only the exterior form belies its history. He stressed that any demolition should
be preceded by thorough building documentation and materials preservation. He
felt that the houses currently on the property should be kept as houses, including
Frieda’s Cottage. He also recommended that some of the houses could be
sited to front upon Thomas Street to contribute to that streetscape and another
row could back up to those houses. He noted that the subdivision, as shown in
the plans, does not acknowledge existing development around it, which might
be a deterrent to becoming part of the community.
Planner Christensen suggested selling the historic buildings to a company or
consortium that rehabilitates historic properties professionally. Ms. Kuranda
said that the property must be held for five years to qualify for federal tax
credits, which would limit its use. Chair Neal Powell stated that it was difficult
to visualize the property with a possible addition to the main building. There
were no comments offered from the citizens attending the worksession.
Chair Neal Powell thanked The Associated Companies for sharing their development
strategies with the HDC.
IV. MINUTES
Meeting No. 06-2003,
June 19, 2003
Commissioner Broadhurst noted that it was Planner Ziek who suggested that smooth
siding would be more appropriate than wood grain siding for the house at 701
Grandin Avenue (see page 3, fourth paragraph) rather than himself.
MOTION:
Commissioner Hartranft moved to approve the minutes as corrected. Commissioner
Broadhurst seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0
V. HDC VACANCY RECOMMENDATION
Chairperson Powell introduced
Max A. Van Balgooy who submitted an expression of interest in serving on the
Commission. Mr. Van Balgooy has been employed by the National Trust for Historic
Preservation as Director of Interpretation and Education for two years, has
been a resident of Rockville (Twinbrook) for two years, and has served on a
planning commission in his previous city. In response to staff’s inquiry
if his schedule could accommodate monthly meetings, he replied that he could
plan his travel around the HDC schedule. The Commission thanked him for his
interest and willingness to contribute his time and expertise.
After some discussion, Chairman Powell stated that the HDC would select a person
to recommend to the Mayor and Council from the five persons who have expressed
interest at the August 21, 2003 meeting.
VI. HDC RULES OF PROCEDURE
Staff stated that the revised
rules of procedure had been distributed for HDC comment and would be discussed
at the August 21 meeting. They are also being reviewed by the City Attorney’s
office.
Commissioner Hartranft expressed concern over the lengthiness of recent HDC
meetings. The possibility of limiting the length of comments at HDC meetings
was discussed for addition into the Rules of Procedure. Planner Christensen
also suggested that staff could handle courtesy reviews.
VII. STAFF APPROVALS
A. 315 Great Falls Road. Hazardous tree removal recommended by City Forester
B. 11 Laird Street. Cherry tree removal recommended by City Forester
Planner Kebba said that
staff approved both of these items and Certificate of Approval letters were
distributed for the Commission’s information.
VIII. HISTORIC SITE
PLAQUE DESIGN
The Commission selected
a design with modifications to recommend to the Mayor and Council. Staff mentioned
that the design specifics requested by the Mayor and Council had been revised
to include the date of construction. This would necessitate a larger plaque
and higher cost. Commissioner Moloney felt the current design was too big and
Commissioner Broadhurst thought that having the date large enough to be readable
from the street was a bad idea. The number of property owners who would want
a plaque is unknown.
IX. RECOMMENDATION FOR
FY04 HDC CHAIR TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL
According to the HDC’s
Rules of Procedure, the Chairperson shall be appointed at the beginning of each
fiscal year by the Mayor and Council. At the June HDC meeting, Commissioner
Rodgers had said that Chairperson Neal Powell had served only nine months rather
than one year as cited in the ordinance and therefore the recommendation was
premature. Planner Christensen stated that the starting date of the term was
defined in the HDC Rules of Procedure that are undergoing revision and will
be presented for discussion in August. Commissioner Hartranft and others said
that a two-year period would be more appropriate as each Chairperson is replaced
just as they reach a comfort level with the position.
Commissioner Hartranft volunteered to address the matter before the Mayor and
Council at Citizens’ Forum on July 21, 2003.
X. DISCUSSION / UPDATES
In the interest of time,
Planner Brockett summarized that all projects as listed on the agenda are progressing.
XI. COMMITTEE / ORGANIZATION
REPORTS
A. Comments – Historic District Commissioners
- Chairperson Neal Powell said a discussion on the African American Tour booklet is needed to clarify issues but would be deferred to August 21, due to the late hour.
- Commissioner Moloney said he was participating on behalf of the HDC in a task force to prioritize improvements and necessary repairs at Glenview Mansion. The suggestions for priority items vary from storm water management issues to parking improvements. He will continue to report to the HDC.
B. Lincoln Park Historical Society - Anita Neal Powell – deferred to next meeting.
C. Peerless Rockville - Peerless Rockville submitted a written report on its activities to the Commission, primarily outlining their summer student program, “Investigating Where We Live.” The program focuses on Rockville’s history and architecture. Participating middle/high school students keep daily journals and work with professionals in photography, city planning, historic preservation, journal writing, and exhibit development. Shannon Telenko is heading the program this year, assisted by five high school summer interns. The students will develop a traveling exhibit which will open on September 8 at Rockville Arts Place.
Peerless Rockville has
seven interns helping out this summer and a new office manager, Maude McGovern.
XII. ADJOURN
The HDC meeting of July 17, 2003 was adjourned at 10:25 p.m.