Thursday, June 21, 2007
Rockville City Hall PRESENT | Con Hitchcock, Chairman | Max van Balgooy
Craig Moloney | Anita Neal Powell
Janet Hunt-McCool |
Staff present: Cindy Kebba, Jeff Winstel and Robin Ziek, Preservation Planners I. WORKSESSION (7 – 7:30 p.m.): This included an agenda review and update. The business meeting was convened at 7:35 p.m. Chairman Hitchcock opened the meeting and introduced the Commissioners and staff. He noted that the work session was limited to agenda review and discussion of administrative issues with staff. II. COMMITTEE / ORGANIZATION REPORTS A. Peerless Rockville – Executive Director, Eileen McGuckian, presented the report for Peerless Rockville. Ms. McGuckian and Anne Brockett, Architectural Historian for the City of Washington, D.C. and former Rockville preservation planner, presented a session on Montgomery County’s cemetery inventory program at the Maryland State preservation conference in May. Peerless’ annual meeting was held at the new Rockville library on June 7 and included a program on Doc Vinson’s Soda Fountain which is now located as a display on the library’s first floor. On June 23, Peerless Rockville will participate in Montgomery County Heritage Days events in Rockville (“Rockville Rocks”) along with the City and the Montgomery County Historical Society. Peerless will be set up at the Baptist Cemetery and will oversee cemetery stone rubbings and provide tours throughout the day on Rockville’s geology and its building materials. On June 30, Peerless will help celebrate the City’s 50-year anniversary of ownership of Glenview with tours, exhibits and a panel discussion. Peerless will take title to Frieda’s Cottage at Chestnut Lodge at the end of this month and will hold a press conference to outline restoration plans. For more information on projects and activities call Peerless Rockville @ 301-762-0096 or see: www.peerlessrockville.org. B. Lincoln Park Historical Foundation – Anita Powell provided the report. The deadline for award nominees for the African-American conference to be held September 27-29 at Frederick Community College is August 27. The Lincoln Park Day celebration at the Lincoln Park Community Center will be held June 30th from 9 – 2. For more information see: www.aapc-md.org, call 301-251-2747, or send email to Lincolnparkhist@aol.com.
C. Comments – Historic District Commissioners/ Staff: Commissioner Powell stated that she had attended the state conference in May and had brought back materials of interest that she will compile for the commission. She said that nominees for Maryland’s endangered properties list to be published by Preservation Maryland are due in August.
Staff Robin Ziek commented that the state conference presentation on the cemetery inventory by Eileen McGuckian and Anne Brockett was a great model for other jurisdictions. Jeff Winstel noted that the City is hosting a conference on Mansionization presented by the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions (MAHDC) on July 14th in City Hall from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. This conference is open to the public at a cost of $30. It will examine the use of Stock Plan Houses within a historic environmental setting and also look at traditional zoning tools that may help control against oversized houses as well as Form-Based zoning codes. III. CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL A. HDC2006-00369A
Applicant: Morton Levine, Chase Communities
Address: 500 W. Montgomery Avenue
Request: Door replacement and opening alteration on east façade of Little Lodge at Chestnut Lodge Staff Kebba summarized the staff report, and recommended that the existing single leaf door with glazing on the second story of the east elevation of Little Lodge be replaced in-kind and that the opening not be enlarged. She based the staff recommendation on the HDC’s Technical Guides for Windows and Doors which recommends against altering original door and window openings, and the Chestnut Lodge Design Guidelines which encourages minimal exterior alterations to the historic buildings on the site. She noted the visibility of the east façade, particularly the second floor, even though this façade is not the primary façade architecturally. She said that a site visit was held on May 24 with three commissioners, staff and owner representatives present. There was discussion at the site visit that moving the location of the proposed double doors away from the north roofline would provide better balance and symmetry on the second floor of the east façade than the originally proposed location. Soo Lee-Cho, attorney with Miller, Miller & Canby, spoke for the owner/applicant. She noted that the width of the proposed doors had been reduced to minimize the door opening, but enlargement was necessary. She said that Little Lodge is identified as a secondary contributing resource in the Chestnut Lodge Design Guidelines and that one of the goals of the Guidelines is to encourage adaptive re-use of the historic buildings. She indicated that there may be a code compliance issue with the door opening as well. She introduced project architect, Mary Oehrlein of Oehrlein & Associates. Ms. Oehrlein stated that she had consulted the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines in developing plans for the historic buildings. She said Little Lodge is not identified as a primary resource like The Lodge (now The Woodlawn) and Frieda’s Cottage are in the Chestnut Lodge Design Guidelines. She said that she also sits on a review board and that there is a distinction between Landmark and contributing resources when considering alterations and a distinction between restoration and rehabilitation. She said that the work proposed for Little Lodge is a rehabilitation, though in many ways they are taking it toward restoration by removing incompatible alterations like the fire escape, handicap ramp, utility conduit, etc. She said that they are limiting alterations to non-character-defining elevations. She said that the 2006 international Building Code, which the City will adopt in July 2007, will require that this room have a glazing area of not less than 8% of the room square footage. Replacing the single door with a double door with glazing will provide that minimum (20.3 square feet). Commissioner Moloney said that this building would be evaluated under the Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code because it is historic; under this code the glazing minimum would not be required. Ms. Oehrlein continued by stating that the fact that the east façade is publicly visible should not affect its rehab treatment. She then showed slides of examples of other 1920s houses that have double multi-pane French doors on first and seconds stories to indicate that these doors are compatible with the historic character of the Little Lodge. Property owner and applicant, Morton Levine, said he thought the May 24 site visit and discussion at the site went a long way toward making this alteration more acceptable to the Commission by reducing the door width and moving its location more toward the center of the elevation. He said visibility of this façade will be blocked to some extent by the ice house and trees. Adding more glazing and light into the master bedroom would help to put the house into habitable use because the room is very dark now. He reiterated that they were not changing anything on the primary, front elevation of the house. Commissioner McCool said this decision was a balance between liveablity and preservation but that she was in favor of enlarging the door opening. Commissioner Hitchcock thought the site visit was productive and addressed some of the issues the HDC had at the courtesy review. Commissioner Moloney agreed that moving the doors away from the north roof line was an improvement. He reminded the applicant that it is not appropriate to use landscaping to hide mistakes. He also said that the new doors, if approved by the Commission should be wood, not aluminum-clad, as this is the original portion of the house and aluminum cladding would only be appropriate for the addition. Commissioner van Balgooy said he was still somewhat torn on this issue but that the applicant’s representatives had made some good arguments. MOTION: Commissioner Moloney made a motion to approve replacement of the existing single leaf door on the second floor of the east elevation of Little Lodge with a 5-foot opening for double wood doors with simulated divided light glazing panels. Commissioner McCool seconded the motion.
VOTE: 5-0
The other three Certificates of Approval were approved on the Consent Agenda, as per the recommendations in the staff reports. Commissioner Moloney recused himself from consideration of HDC2007-00388 as he is the project architect. MOTION: Commissioner van Balgooy made a motion to approve (B) HDC2007-00392 at
117 W. Montgomery Avenue for a wood picket fence; and to approve (C) HDC2007-00394 at 111 W. Montgomery Avenue (MC Historical Society) for replacing non-historic vinyl windows with wood. Commissioner Moloney seconded the motion.
VOTE: 5-0 MOTION: Commissioner Powell made a motion to approve (D) HDC2007-00388 to replace two storm sash windows at 409 West Montgomery Avenue. Commissioner McCool seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0-1 (Commissioner Moloney abstained)
IV. EVALUATION FOR HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
A. Applicant: Peerless Rockville (Nominator); State of Maryland, GSA (Property owner)
Address: 99 Maryland Avenue (former Rockville Library)
Request: Evaluate for significance
Staff Winstel summarized the staff report which he had presented in full at the May 17, 2007 HDC meeting, in favor of the proposed nomination of the former Rockville Library as a single-site historic district in the City. He noted that, while the building is less than 50 years old, National Register Bulletin IX notes that International Style architecture is a category under which the National Register has been able to evaluate and list properties during the past 20 years, indicating that sufficient time has passed for the objective scholarly evaluation of the importance of the architectural style. The Rockville Public Library was completed in 1971 and was designed by noted Bethesda Architect, Stanley Arthur. Common features of the International Style that are evidenced by the library include the continuous bands of windows and brick that wrap around the corners, the emphatic horizontality of the building, and the use of cantilevered spaces supported by seemingly disproportionate pilotis. In addition, the manipulation of these architectural features on the irregular shaped, sloping lot emphasize the building’s volume over its weight and mass, a defining element of the International Style. In addition, the building is culturally significant as the first permanent library building in the City of Rockville. The library is a reflection of Rockville’s transition from a pre-WWII small town to a desirable suburban satellite community for Washington DC’s well-educated and professional work force. Mr. Winstel concluded that the former library building is also a familiar feature in an area of the City that contains other important civic buildings. Mr. Winstel entered into the record a letter received that afternoon. The letter was signed by Isaiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive, and County Council President, Marilyn Praisner, and stated opposition for historic designation. Terry Lachin, Historian with Peerless Rockville, made a brief presentation in response to the above-referenced letter, noting that this building is very significant to Rockville’s history as the first permanent library in Rockville and it is a distinctive example of the International style that successfully fits in with nearby buildings and its own difficult site. She added that Stanley Arthur was an accomplished architect and this is one of the best examples of his work and one that he was especially proud of. She said there is documentation indicating that the library was very welcomed by the community when it opened in 1971 and that it generated much excitement. Ms. Lachin said that examples of Modernism, like anything else, must be evaluated on the local level. It is unfair to compare to examples from much larger metropolitan areas that have greater access to architectural talent and resources. It is rare to find a Master Architect on a local level equivalent to Rockville. Eileen McGuckian, Executive Director of Peerless Rockville, described the evolution of the library system in Montgomery County from the 1950s up to 1971 when this library opened. Commissioner Powell asked the nominator when City Hall, adjacent to the former library, was built and whether or not it would be considered for designation as well. Ms. McGuckian responded that City Hall was built in the early 1960s and that Peerless was submitting the former library as a stand-alone nomination in that it very clearly meets the criteria on its own. Ms. Powell asked if the City had received a demolition application. Ms. McGuckian responded that the State owns the property now and it is the State’s intention to demolish the library and use the site for a new District Court. Although no demolition application has been submitted yet, one could be filed at any time. She added that the State’s Section 106 review, which is required, had not yet been completed. This review will include the impact of demolition of the library and construction of the new courthouse on the immediately adjacent South Washington Street Historic District, which is both a local and National Register District. Ms. McGuckian said that the Town Center Action Team, a community group that has been around for many years now, was instrumental in getting the new library built and that the District Court site has been a topic of their discussion for a long time. Commissioner van Balgooy said that the old library reminds him of the IBM building (50 Monroe Street) that the HDC reviewed in 2005 in that it was also an example of the International style, built by the same architect, and in a prominent downtown location. He said that staff and Peerless Rockville did not support that designation application. Staff Winstel responded that 50 Monroe Street’s demolition actually strengthens the nomination for the library as it removed another notable example of the style in Rockville. Ms. McGuckian added that Ms. Lachin’s research on the Recent Past over the past few years has increased public awareness of this issue and Peerless was divided on the nomination 50 Monroe Street but is not in its support for the nomination of the Rockville Library. Commissioner van Balgooy said that the library looks deceptively simple but is really quite sophisticated in what it achieves. He said the fact that it was the first purposely built library in Rockville and that it came so late relative to libraries in other communities is very meaningful. Its prominent location also says much about its community importance. Laura Burthum spoke from the audience in support of the nomination. She has been reading the plaques that are located around the downtown area and said that they represent “Lost Rockville”, important sites that are now gone and she does not want to see that happen to the library. The old library has community significance. For her and her peers, it is more important than other historic buildings like the Red Brick Courthouse or the Beall-Dawson House because she can directly relate to it as an integral part of her experience growing up and living in Rockville. She said that it is an appealing example of modern architecture. She said that the letter from the County should be taken with a grain of salt and that there is an agenda behind it, which has nothing to do with the building’s qualifications as a historic building. Commissioner Hitchcock asked the nominator if they would be willing to supplement the written research with some of the points made orally at this meeting, including how the City’s provision of library services intersected with the County’s path of building its library system since the 1950s, and if they could specifically address in writing the points made in opposition to designation in the letter from the County. Commissioner Powell agreed that this would be useful. Commissioners Moloney and McCool disagreed and felt that they had sufficient documentation to make a recommendation. MOTION: Commissioner van Balgooy made a motion to recommend that the former Rockville Library, located at 99 Maryland Avenue, be designated as a single site historic district in that it meets the City’s criteria for historic designation. Commissioner McCool seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-1 (Commissioner Powell voted against)
Commissioner Hitchcock again asked the nominator to respond to the points in the County’s letter to complete the record and Ms. McGuckian agreed to do that.
V. DISCUSSION/ UPDATES A. Governor’s Consulting Committee (GCC), a committee appointed by the Governor to advise the MHT on National Register nominations, met at Glenview Mansion on May 22, 2007 and nominated Glenview to the National Register of Historic Places. Staff Winstel, Kebba and Ziek attended. B. Maryland’s Annual Preservation & Revitalization Conference was held May 31 & June 1, at Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland. Commissioners Moloney, Powell, and McColl-Hunt and Staff Winstel and Ziek attended. Ms. Powell made comments on the conference at the beginning of the HDC meeting. C. Montgomery County Heritage Festival (“Rockville Rocks”), will be held on June 23, 2007
at Town Center Plaza, the Baptist Cemetery and at the Beall-Dawson House. Dino-Rock musical puppet act will perform at 4:00p.m. in front of the new library and there will be a scavenger hunt for children and a raffle. D. Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions (MAHDC) will hold a conference
on mansionization at Rockville City Hall on July 14, 2007. There is an admission charge. Portions of it will be televised. It has been advertised in Rockville Reports. E. The annual August HDC retreat and work session is tentatively scheduled for the August HDC meeting date, August 16, 2007, at the “Doll House” at Glenview. VI. MINUTES Commissioner McCool corrected the minutes on page 4, saying she did not abstain on the vote regarding the motion to not recommend 406 Great Falls Road for historic designation. She voted against the motion. Commissioner Moloney corrected the minutes also on page 4, saying that he had abstained from this recommendation for 406 Great Falls Road. MOTION: Commissioner Moloney made a motion to approve the minutes of May 17, 2007, as corrected. Commissioner McCool seconded the motion.
VOTE: 5-0
MOTION: Commissioner Moloney made a motion to approve the minutes of May 24, 2007 as written. Commissioner McCool seconded the motion.
VOTE: 3-0-2 (Commissioners Powell and van Balgooy abstained as they were not present at the site visit)
VII. ADJOURN The HDC adjourned its regular meeting at 9:35 pm. | 
