Thursday, February 21, 2008
Rockville City Hall
PRESENT |
Max van Balgooy, Chair pro tem |
Craig Moloney
Anita Neal Powell | Janet Hunt-McCool |
Staff present: Cindy Kebba, Jeff Winstel, Preservation Planners
I. WORKSESSION (7:00– 7:30 p.m.): Agenda review and update.
Chair van Balgooy opened the general meeting at 7:33 p.m. and introduced the commissioners and staff. He stated that the worksession was limited to a review of the meeting agenda.
II. COMMITTEE / ORGANIZATION REPORTS
A. Peerless Rockville – Suzanne Fisher gave the report:
Window repair will be the subject of a second restoration workshop at Frieda’s Cottage, 19 Thomas Street, this Saturday, February 23, conducted again by Hank Handler of Oak Grove Restoration. The workshop series is sponsored by the Rockville Rotary Foundation. There will also be an open house at Frieda’s Cottage from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
There will be a four-minute segment on the past and future of Chestnut Lodge on Fox t.v. news at 10:00 pm on Saturday, February 23.
Nominations for the 2008 Peerless Rockville Preservation Awards are due March 1. Peerless is looking for nominations of individuals, organizations, institutions or businesses that have contributed to Rockville’s architectural character and/or cultural heritage. Nominations may come from the general public, staff and the HDC. The nomination form is online at the Peerless Rockville website.
Peerless will present “From Main Street to ‘Miracle Mile’: Rockville, Religion and the Recent Past” on Tuesday, March 4 at 7:30 pm at the Red Brick Courthouse. Terry Lachin will present an illustrated talk of 20th century religious architecture in Rockville. Please enter the building through the rear doors.
Peerless Rockville welcomes new Executive Director, Mary van Balgooy who will take over the position on March 10, 2008 from Eileen McGuckian who is retiring. A tribute to Eileen McGuckian will be held at Glenview Mansion on Sunday, March 16 from 5 to 8 pm.
Ms. McGuckian sent a letter to the Mayor and Council, City Clerk and others requesting that the designation of the 1971 library at Maryland Avenue and Vinson Street be taken up by the Mayor and Council and that the process not be stalled any further.
For more information on projects and activities call Peerless Rockville @ 301-762-0096 or see: www.peerlessrockville.org
B. Lincoln Park Historical Foundation – Commissioner Anita Neal Powell stated that the 2008 Maryland African-American Preservation Award applications are due by August 26, 2008. Applications are available at www.aapc-md.org, and the conference will be held at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October.
C. Comments – Historic District Commissioners, Historic Preservation Staff. No reports.
III. DISCUSSION/UPDATES
A. Joint HDC annual training meeting, February 20, 2008 (hosted by Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission; speaker on substitute materials). Commissioners McCool, Moloney and Powell and staff members Robin Ziek, Nicole Walters and Katie Mencarini attended. Commissioner Moloney said that the theme was that there are no current substitute materials that are as good/durable as original materials. Commissioner McCool added that there are some newer treatments, such as using a borite solution for treating lumber, that are improvements over older technology, such as pressure treating.
B. Twinbrook Plan – update. Staff Cindy Kebba summarized the work that is in progress by students of George Washington University Professor Richard Longstreth’s Graduate Seminar. The 14 students are looking at specific streetscapes in the subdivisions associated with developer Joseph Geeraert and each student will do a research paper on a particular theme related to the Twinbrook development and survey 6 houses. Term paper topics include alterations to Twinbrook houses, commercial development in the neighborhood, the social structure and organizations in the 1940s-60s, etc. The students toured Twinbrook by bus on February 2 after receiving an introduction to Rockville and Twinbrook history by Eileen McGuckian and others. On February 5, students met with members of the community at John Tyner’s house and were introduced to John’s large archive of materials on Twinbrook and saw a film depicting the construction of Twinbrook Forest. The students will present their findings to the community in April.
The Planning Commission will hold the last of their worksessions on the draft Twinbrook Plan on March 12 and will hold a wrap-up session on March 26 which may be followed by another public hearing or else the Planning Commission may give its recommendations to staff to amend the current draft before going to the Mayor and Council for more public hearings.
C. HDC and PC meeting: We are hoping to schedule a joint meeting with the two commissions in March or April. Commissioners should give staff dates (evenings or weekends) that they are available/unavailable.
D. CLG Grant Letter of Endorsement. The $5,000 grant is earmarked for producing African-American markers at the sites listed in the African-American Heritage walking tour brochure that was published in 2003. The total cost is $10,000 and the grant will be matched by City funds and staff time. We will receive a decision in June.
E. Preserve America status: We have received Preserve America Community status. We have applied for a Preserve America grant as well and will receive word on that in March.
IV. CERTIFICATES OF APPROVAL and
V. MONTGOMERY CO. HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT APPLICATIONS
Chair Pro Tem van Balgooy stated that the Consent Agenda would be addressed first, followed by application HDC2008-00414.
MOTION: Commissioner McCool moved to recommend approval of the consent agenda (tax credit applications HDC2008-00412 and HDC2008-00413, and COA application HDC2008-00415). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Moloney.
VOTE: 4-0
A. HDC2008-00414
Applicant: Reverend Jane Wood
Address: 17 Wood Lane (Cordelia House)
Request : Rehabilitation of structure
Planner Kebba presented the staff report. She said that Cordelia House is located at 17 Wood Lane and is a former parsonage on the site of the Jerusalem-Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church property. It was damaged by fire in 1999 and has been vacant, un-used and boarded up since then. Michael Schwartzman, Vice President and Director of Development at Ross Development has come forward to provide his company’s financial assistance and development expertise, along with those of the Minkoff Company, to rehabilitate the former parsonage to its former appearance so that it may be used again by the church. The rehabilitation will follow the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and the City’s Technical Guides for Exterior Alterations. Repairs will be made where feasible and replacements in kind will be done for missing elements and for elements that are beyond repair. Windows are completely missing. Staff requested that the applicant submit specifications for the new windows they plan to install in the building. Mr. Schwartzman had submitted a two over two sash, double-hung MW Window, Jefferson Series 200 with a 7/8-inch wide mullion and simulated divided lights with the application. The window frame/sash are wood but the exterior casing and mullions would be a paintable synthetic material. Staff requested that the applicant find an all-wood alternative that would replicate the design of the destroyed windows. Mr. Schwartzman complied and provided specifications for an all-wood window by Weathershield that has the same two over two configuration with flat wood exterior casing. This is the choice recommended by staff. Planner Kebba noted that both Mr. Schwartzman and the applicant, Rev. Wood, were available for questions.
Reverend Wood stated that she has been the pastor for five years. She said the church sought to demolish the structure after the fire, then planned to retain the front portion and add to the rear. The church determined that the latter would be too financially constraining. Mr. Schwartzman offered his company’s assistance to rehabilitate the structure. She said the building stopped being a parsonage in 1986.
Michael Schwartzman said that he would like to get started with the project as soon as possible. It will take 4 to 6 weeks to order windows. They plan to repair the stucco, recreate missing cornices, and bring the building back to its pre-fire appearance.
Commissioner Moloney said the Weathershield window and flat wood casing were appropriate. He said that Weathershield offers lots of moulding choices and that details should be replicated as closely as possible, including the moulding on top of the windows, and the sill profile that extends beyond the edge of the trim on both sides of the windows. Sill horns are available from Weathershield if needed.
There was some discussion about the front door that had been on the structure and whether or not it had any glazing. The applicant and staff will search for photographs that might show the door. The Commission also thought screening the front porch could be optional since the porch was not likely screened before the 1950s or so. Screens for the new windows would also be allowed. Commissioner van Balgooy said that the applicant would not have to bring the building back to its 1912 appearance, but they should pick a point during its period of significance and rehabilitate it with that time in mind (i.e., not pick some elements from 1912 and others from 1970).
MOTION: Commissioner Moloney moved to recommend approval of HDC2008-00414 for the Weathershield double-hung, all-wood window with 7/8-inch mullions and simulated divided lights, subject to the following conditions:
1. All exterior rehabilitation will follow Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and the City of Rockville’s Technical Guides for Exterior Alterations. Existing historic features and materials will be repaired wherever possible and replaced with in-kind materials that match the dimensions, design and textures of the original materials when repair is not possible.
2. The applicant will return to the HDC with exterior door selections and for any deviation from the above condition.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Powell.
VOTE: 4-0
VI. Selection of HDC Chair – Recommendation to Mayor and Council.
MOTION: Commissioner McCool moved to recommend Commissioner van Balgooy as HDC Chair to fulfill resigned Commissioner Con Hitchcock’s term (until September 2008?). The motion was seconded by Commissioner Moloney.
VOTE: 4-0
VII. Minutes
Meeting No. 01-08, January 17, 2008
Meeting No. 11-07, November 20, 2007
MOTION: Commissioner McCool moved to approve the minutes for meetings No. 11-07 and 01-08 as submitted. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Powell.
VOTE: 4-0
VIII. Adjourn
The HDC adjourned at 8:17 p.m.
