Thursday, May 25, 2006
Rockville City Hall
PRESENT |
Craig Moloney, Acting Chairman |
Andrea Hartranft | Anita Neal Powell |
Staff present: Cindy Kebba and Robin Ziek, Preservation Planners
I. WORKSESSION: The worksession included an agenda review and update.
The business meeting was convened at 7:35 P.M. Chairman pro temp Moloney opened the meeting and introduced the Commissioners and staff.
II. COMMITTEE / ORGANIZATION REPORTS
A. Peerless Rockville – Cindy Kebba presented the report for Peerless Rockville. Peerless Rockville presented its annual awards at City Hall on May 8. John Bell, Steve Beck, Michael Beckish and Bradd Mizell received an award for exterior restoration of 12 South Adams Street. Bill and Kristine Dudley, with the Bretcher family, received an award for work at 300 Reading Avenue. Richard Sprecher received a Heritage Education Award, and Dean Evangelista received the Wagman Award for Historic Preservation communication. The guest presenter was Robert J. Kapsch, engineering historian and past chief of HABS/HAER.
Peerless' Annual Homes and Hospitality Tour was held on May 13 and was a big success. The event included tours of eight historic and new homes, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and desserts catered by fine Rockville restaurants, lovely gardens, live music, enthusiastic volunteers and cooperative weather. Proceeds from the tour benefit Peerless' work in education and historic preservation.
Peerless Rockville will have a booth near the Regal Cinemas for Hometown Holidays, on Saturday and Sunday, May 27 & 28. Everyone is invited to watch the parade in front of the red Brick Courthouse on Monday, May 30. Peerless will have an entry in the parade, aptly called "Marching through Time." The ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. and the parade will start at 10:30 a.m.
June 14 is the annual meeting, election of officers and board members for the 2006-08 term and Recent Past Program, "Architects of Rockville’s Recent Past." The program will be a panel discussion and slide lecture highlighting the professionals who created the face of modern Rockville. There will be opportunities to share memories, photographs, and insights into the critical 1950s-1970s period in Rockville’s history. The meeting will take place in the Grand Courtroom of the Red Brick Courthouse at 7:30 p.m.
Peerless submitted a request for information to the City Attorney: "Is there anything in City law or State enabling legislation that prohibits Rockville from enacting legislation or changing its rules in order to protect buildings under 50 years of age that meet certain criteria for historic designation?"
For more information on projects and activities see: www.peerlessrockville.org.
B. Lincoln Park Historic Foundation – President Anita Powell reported. The LPHF, the Leroy E. Neal African American Research Center and several other organizations hosted one of the hundreds of parties held during the weekend of May 19-21 on the conversation of "Critical Issues Facing African Americans," using the "Covenant with Black America" as a vehicle to discuss the issues. LPHF was honored with the presence of Mr. Tavis Smiley, television host of "Tavis Talks" on PBS and author of the book The Covenant with Black America, along with Dr. Cornel West, Princeton professor, theologian, activist and prolific author who was one of the contributors to the covenant. The forum was held at the Montgomery College campus in Silver Spring and the college served as one of the hosts. LPHF was one of ten forums attended by these two individuals throughout the country.
LPHF was represented at the unveiling of the GeorgeWashington Carver High School and Junior College exhibit at the headquarters of the Montgomery County Board of Education. Ms. Powell recalled that the LPHF introduced the first six students who graduated from the Junior College to the Mayor and Council on June 17, 1998. At that time, former Mayor Rose Krasnow and Council presented those students with a certificate of appreciation for their steadfastness in graduating from the first and only junior college for Black students in Montgomery County in 1953. She said that the Rockville HDC unveiled the City’s first historic plaque at the Carver site on June 28 of the same year.
The LPHF participated in Preservation Maryland's annual Preservation and Revitalization conference in Annapolis on May 19 and helped with the planning of the conference. Ms. Powell served as moderator for the session "Challenges in Historic Schools."
For more information see: www.aapc-md.org or call 301-251-2747 or send email to Lincolnparkhist@aol.com.
C. Comments – Historic District Commissioners/ Staff Historic District Commission:
Commissioner Moloney noted that the 50th anniversary of the City ownership of Glenview Mansion will occur in 2007 and he asked the HDC for suggestions on how to commemorate this event. Commissioner Hartranft said that designation of the property would be an excellent way to commemorate it and Commissioner Moloney agreed. Commissioner Powell suggested putting together video/photos taken over the last 50 years at the site as a television production.
Robin Ziek noted that the National Alliance of Historic Preservation Commissions Forum 2006 will be held July 27-30 in Baltimore. She asked that commissioners contact staff if they are interested in attending. The annual MAHDC training with Gaithersburg and Montgomery County will take place in September or October.
Ms. Ziek said that, with the HDC’s focus on the recent past, commissioners and others may want to also participate in Montgomery Preservation, Inc.’s charrette to be held June 3 - 6 focusing on re-use possibilities for Cesar Pelli’s Comsat building in Clarksburg which is currently threatened with demolition. Cesar Pelli is an internationally recognized architect and one of America’s foremost architects. He will participate in the charrette, present the results, and discuss the significance of the Comsat building in his career at MPI’s reception and 20th annual awards ceremony on June 6. The event will take place at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus. Tickets for the reception, awards ceremony, and Pelli’s talk, to be held at the Robert E. Parilla Center for the Performing Arts at Montgomery College, are available from MPI, www.montgomerypreservation.org.
Commissioner Hartranft suggested that anyone concerned about the fate of the Comsat building should contact George Leventhal, Montgomery County Council President and he will share any correspondence he receives with the rest of the Council. The County’s Planning Board voted to not recommend the building for historic designation. A public hearing on it has not been scheduled yet for the Council.
III. MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT APPLICATIONS
A. HDC2006-00354 [Consent Agenda]
Applicant: Washington Joint Venture
Address: 110 S. Washington Street
Request: Tax credit eligibility determination
B. HDC2006-00355 [Consent Agenda]
Applicant: Washington Joint Venture
Address: 101 S. Washington Street
Request: Tax credit eligibility determination
C. HDC2006-00356 [Consent Agenda]
Applicant: Rockrail Partnership, John Gill, General Partner
Address: 98 Church Street (B&O Railroad Station)
Request: Tax credit eligibility determination
D. HDC2006-00358 [Consent Agenda]
Applicant: J. Thomas & Joan L. Kent
Address: 14 S. Adams Street
Request: Tax credit eligibility determination
Request: Rear addition proposed
APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA:
MOTION: Commissioner Powell moved to approve consent agenda items III A. HDC2006-00354, applicant Washington Joint Venture, for 110 South Washington Street; III B. HDC2006-00355, applicant Washington Joint Venture, for 101 South Washington Street; III C. HDC2006-00356, applicant Rockrail Partnership for 98 Church Street; and III D. HDC2006-00358, applicants J. Thomas and Joan Kent for 14 S. Adams Street and to adopt the staff recommendations of approval for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit on each. Commissioner Hartranft seconded the motion.
VOTE: 3-0
IV. DISCUSSION/UPDATES:
A. Maryland Historical Trust Conference, Annapolis, Maryland, May 18-19.
Staff presented two sessions on Friday May 18: "What Fits: Selecting a Method for Neighborhood Preservation" and "Organizing Effective Community Advisory Groups." In addition, Commissioner Powell presented “Challenges in Historic Schools”. The MHT Awards and Reception was held Thursday evening, and Rockville received awards for Educational Excellence in preparing guidelines for managing historic properties, including the Chestnut Lodge Design Guidelines and the Rockville Cemetery Design Guidelines. Commissioners Hitchcock, Powell and Moloney also attended the conference.
Commissioner Powell said that Tonya Hardy, Maryland Commission of African American History and Culture, Dean Herrin, Catoctin Center for Regional Studies, and Louis Diggs, Baltimore County historian, all participated in the session she moderated at the conference called "Challenges of Historic Schools."
Planner Ziek said that Ann Wallas and Jennifer Zirkle from Long-Range Planning within CPDS presented a session with Judy Christensen on how to work with citizen advisory groups as part of the neighborhood planning process. Preservation staff, Judy Christensen, Robin Ziek and Cindy Kebba, presented a session on tools for neighborhoods that are faced with different stabilization and preservation issues, including local designation, National Register listing, conservation districts, zoning changes and design guidelines.
Commissioner Moloney offered congratulations to staff for the awards. He said that he attended conference sessions on mansionization and sustainable design. He said that historic preservation is the ultimate tool for sustainable design because it uses what is already there.
B. HDC retreat date. Planner Ziek referred to pages from a document prepared by the National Trust for Historic Preservation titled "A Self-Assessment Guide for Local Preservation commissions" that HDC Chair Max van Balgooy had copied for the HDC to help prepare for the annual retreat for commissioners and staff. It provides sample pages from a worksheet that may be helpful in assessing the HDC’s strengths and weaknesses. Commissioner Powell said that the annual CLG report would be helpful to have at the retreat as well and that commissioners should review the DVD of a recent HDC meeting prior to the retreat.
Staff confirmed that this would be considered a public meeting and that it would likely be 3 to 4 hours in duration. A possible site is the cottage at Glenview Mansion. A facilitator, provided by the City, is also a possibility if the HDC would like one. Staff asked that the HDC send suggestions for topics to be discussed at the retreat to staff within the next two weeks.
Commissioner Hartranft asked about the schedule for the rehab and restoration work at Chestnut Lodge. Planner Kebba responded that the owner/applicant submitted the detailed application for the project and that a Certificate of Approval application for the new construction was anticipated for the June 15 HDC agenda as well as courtesy reviews for the rehab work on the historic buildings. A development phasing schedule is in the works.
VI. MINUTES: Meeting No. 4-06, April 20, 2006
MOTION: Commissioner Hartranft moved to approve the minutes of April 20, 2006 as submitted. Commissioner Powell seconded the motion.
VOTE: 3-0
VII. ADJOURN: The HDC adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
