Thursday, August 16, 2007
Rockville City Hall PRESENT | Con Hitchcock, Chairman | Max van Balgooy
Craig Moloney | Janet Hunt-McCool | ABSENT | | Anita Neal Powell |
Staff present: Cindy Kebba, Jeff Winstel, Robin Ziek, Preservation Planners; Jim Wasilak, Chief of Planning; Katie McQueen and Rebecca Torma, Planners I. Certificate of Approval A. HDC2007-00399 [Consent Agenda]
Applicant: Helen Saunders
Address: 18 Forest Avenue
Request: Replace concrete walkway with brick MOTION: Commissioner Moloney made a motion to approve the application on the consent agenda per the staff report. Commissioner van Balgooy seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0
II. Work Session Update on inspections/follow-up for HDC approvals
Staff Kebba suggested adding language to the Certificate of Approval application as well as the Approval letter to require that historic property owners alert HDC staff when approved exterior work is about to commence (a week prior to expected start of work) and allow staff to enter the property to monitor the work as it progresses to completion to assure that it meets all of the conditions of the HDC approval. Discussion followed as to whose responsibility it should be to do the follow-up inspection, whether the City inspectors are trained to look for requirements that the HDC may impose that are not typically on their list, and how inspectors would be made aware of HDC approvals that do not need a building permit. HDC staff will meet with the Chief of Inspection Services to get a better idea of what we can and can not expect from their department. Components of Environmental Setting Staff Winstel summarized the references to environmental setting that are available in various HDC publications and on the website. Commissioners and staff noted that there are inconsistencies in the information that is available to the public. The HDC has authority over any changes to the exterior of a designated property. Regarding environmental setting, however, the HDC typically focuses on mature tree removal, fencing, grading, patios, walkways and driveways and changes to the amount of impervious area. The HDC typically does not review/regulate shrubs and gardens or aspects of environmental setting that are not considered significant. We have Technical Guides that provide guidance that covers much of environmental setting(i.e. landscaping, fencing, off-street parking).. There are a limited number of significant design landscapes in Rockville where the HDC would examine landscape changes more comprehensively (i.e. Rockville Cemetery, Glenview, etc.) Staff Ziek referred Commissioners to V-D in their Handbooks for a memo from the City’s Assistant Attorney about this matter. Housekeeping: Consent Agenda process review HDC Chair Con Hitchcock suggested that HDC commissioners contact HDC staff by 5:00 p.m. the day (Wednesday) before the monthly HDC meeting if they have issues or concerns about any consent agenda item and therefore want the item removed from the consent agenda to allow HDC discussion and questions at the meeting, or if they have questions about the application that staff may be able to research and answer prior to the meeting. If no response is received from a commissioner by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting, staff will assume that the commissioner has no issues with the item. However, staff will keep in mind that a commissioner always has the right to pull something off the consent agenda at any time and that a member of the public may attend the meeting and have comments that must be heard by the commission. It was also decided that a commissioner should ask to have the item pulled from the consent agenda if he or she intends to vote against approval. Motions must be provided in the staff report so that approval of the consent agenda can refer to the staff report for findings. Zoning update Planner Katie McQueen has been a staff liaison to the RORZOR committee. She provided an orientation to the RORZOR link on the city’s website. She explained that the zoning re-write process came about because the existing zoning ordinance is 40 years old and was written when the City had a strong pro-growth policy. The City is now approaching build-out and City policies toward growth and development are different. Another intent of the update is to make the new ordinance more user-friendly. Portions of the draft are designed to reinforce HDC policy and provide it with greater legal support. There are three areas of the draft ordinance that directly affect historic preservation. These include Article 3, Definitions, including demolition, interim review, demolition by neglect, conservations zones, etc.; Article 14, which covers overlay and special zones; and the section on boards and commissions. For up to date information, see City’s web site – right hand side bar “Z” for draft chapters. Period of Significance Planner Winstel presented definitions of Period of Significance and Significant Date and how to determine what they are. He noted that the 1986 Historic Resources Management Plan provides some date perameters, but the MHT inventory form only provides for 100-year increments of time. In addition, many of our inventory forms do not address period of significance. Definitions of Period Significance and Significant Dates presented come from the National Register Bulletin. Staff will define the period of significance for future applications to help the HDC in its decision-making. 50-year rule and the concept of “significance”
Planner Katie McQueen summarized her Master’s thesis via powerpoint and explained how she arrived at her conclusion that the “50-year rule” should be eliminated. She recommends creating a National Register for cultural places and promoting preservation via documentation. The presentation was followed by general discussion. Commissioner van Balgooy suggested that a list of all demolition permits should be provided to the HDC at regular intervals even though the HDC will not choose to review those that clearly do not meet the criteria. FY2008 Work Plan update
After the work plan was sent out, staff reviewed and commented on the draft. Changes to the work plan include a change in the scope of expanding the West Montgomery Avenue local Historic District. The scope for this project will be limited to increasing outreach. More focus will be on completing the East Rockville survey which is already well underway and completing the Rockville Park NR nomination. Selection of HDC Chair for September 2007 appointment
The HDC voted [4-0] to re-elect Con Hitchcock as HDC Chair to be re-appointed by the Mayor and Council in September 2007. The term of the Chair is one year. III. Minutes IV. Adjourn The HDC adjourned at 9:56 p.m. | 
