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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-08-15 HPC MIN HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING August 15, 2018 7:00 P.M. Chairman Larson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present: Commissioners Goodman, Krakowski, Mino, Steinwall, Welty, Chairman Larson, Council Representative Junker Absent: Commissioner Hadrits Staff: City Planner Wittman ELECTION OF OFFICERS Motion by Commissioner Steinwall, seconded by Commissioner Mino, to elect Larson as Chair. Motion passed 6-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Possible approval of June 20, 2018 meeting minutes Chairman Larson said he recalls Commissioner Hadrits was elected as Vice Chair at the May meeting. City Planner Wittman confirmed and stated this should be corrected in the June meeting minutes. Motion by Commissioner Krakowski, seconded by Commissioner Steinwall, to approve the minutes of the June 20, 2018 meeting as amended. Motion passed 6-0. OPEN FORUM There were no public comments. CONSENT AGENDA Case No. 2018-21: Consideration of a Design Permit for new business signage for the property located at 102 2nd Street South in the CBD district. Greg LaMere, property owner and Monica Veil, applicant. Motion by Chairman Larson, seconded by Commissioner Krakowski, to adopt the Consent Agenda. Motion passed 6-0. NEW BUSINESS Case No. 2018-18: Consideration of a Design Permit for storefront reconstruction and other façade improvements related to operation of a bar and grill, distillery and retail store at the property located at 227 Main Street South in the CBD district. Mark Miller, property owner. Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting August 15, 2018 Page 2 of 7 City Planner Wittman explained that the applicant is requesting approval of a storefront reconstruction and other façade improvements on the rear of the structure located at 227 Main Street South, a contributing building in the Commercial Historic District. The request includes the construction of a five-bay, accordion storefront of painted wood and insulated glass including transom windows, to replace the existing vertical, wood sided façade. A single door with sidelight will be installed on the south end of the façade. The design will be similar to the front façade. Retail uses are proposed for this storefront area. Staff finds the proposed structural alterations are consistent with the guidelines and recommends approval with five conditions. Chairman Larson asked what materials will be used. Brad Smith, representing the applicant, explained that a cornice or window separation will be created, reflecting an old fashioned storefront detail. This is a cinder block addition to the original building. Until they open up the block wall and see what is there, they cannot decide on the size of the window. Commissioner Mino asked about colors to be used. Mr. Smith stated that the main color will be cream; materials will be all wood. The door on the front is natural fir and they may do the same for this façade. There will be a dark red accent. They plan on using the same color scheme on the back as currently on the front. Commissioner Welty suggested centering what is labeled “sign panel” on the drawing. The applicant said that is a window. Chairman Larson asked if the applicant considered aligning the top of the door and sidelight with the top of the accordion doors to maintain a consistent appearance. The applicants agreed they would want to make sure the openings line up. Chairman Larson pointed out that the accordion door is drawn as a sliding door that stacks. He asked if it will be a sliding door or accordion door, noting that a sliding door requires depth, as it is a series of panels that are stepping back. He provided photos showing the difference between accordion and sliding doors. The applicants responded that a sliding door would be more functional. When viewed straight on from the street, it will definitely look like a storefront. They will all slide to one side. Commissioner Welty suggested using a style of french door. The applicants responded that a french door would limit the open store space. Chairman Larson said he would like more detail on what the cornice will look like. He would like to make sure City Planner Wittman reviews it. Mr. Smith asked if the Commission could approve the application with a condition that once he tears into it, he will bring back a detailed sketch, so the process does not take another month. Chairman Larson replied Ms. Wittman would need to determine whether she can administratively approve it, or it has to come back to the Commission. Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting August 15, 2018 Page 3 of 7 Motion by Commissioner Mino, seconded by Commissioner Welty, to approve Case No. 2018-18, Design Permit for the construction of a wood and insulated glass storefront at the property located at 227 Main Street South, with the five conditions recommended by staff, adding Condition #6, “The sign panel/window above the doorway shall be in line, vertically and horizontally, with the proposed window and door openings”; Condition #7, “The façade will be painted with the same level of detail and of the same colors as the front façade”; and Condition #8, “The façade shall contain a level of detail similar to the front façade with the cornice detailing reviewed and approved by staff.” Motion passed 6-0. Case No. 2018-20: Consideration of a Design Permit for new business signage for the property located at 423 Main Street South in the CBD district. Tim Keenan, property owner and Adam Lee Randall, applicant. Ms. Wittman stated that the applicant is requesting approval of three signs to be added to the structure located at 423 Main Street South: 1) one 3’ tall by 8’ long digital print, custom shape router-cut sign to read “Caribbean Smokehouse”, the business name. The flat, metal sign is proposed to be flush with the wall face, underneath the existing “Brick Alley” sign; 2) one 25” tall by 32” wide projecting metal and laminate sign to be hung from an existing bracket, underneath existing exterior lights. The sign will include the business name and tagline “putting family back into food” as well as graphics; and 3) one 57.5” wide by 12” tall single sided, brushed metal sized with a digital laminate print to read “Caribbean Smokehouse.” Staff finds that the use of flat metal with digital, laminate graphics is not consistent with the Downtown Design Review District guidelines. Additionally, the trademark logo color and character is not in keeping with the historic character of the area. Lastly, only one sign is permitted on the side of the building facing Main Street; both the projecting sign and the free-standing (monument), multi-tenant sign are not in conformance with the Zoning Code nor the guidelines. On the basis HPC Case No. 2018-30 does not conform to the Downtown Design Review District standards, staff recommends either denial or tabling the Design Permit to ask the applicant to consider amending the request. Chairman Larson pointed out that signage is a big deal downtown. Every business watches what is allowed for other businesses so the HPC must be consistent. The applicant asked if the overall design is acceptable if they tone down the color scheme. Commissioner Goodman noted that against a red brick building, red will blend in and not be eye-catching. City Planner Wittman reviewed how the materials are inconsistent with the Design Review District standards in terms of material, lettering style, and colors. The applicant said he told the designer he would like the signage to be very similar to the existing Smalley’s sign but more consistent with the Brick Alley lettering. Chairman Larson said when the Commission talks about wood, it doesn’t have to be actual wood - most wood-look signs are routed out of synthetic resin that looks like wood. They appear three dimensional as opposed to the flat plate that the Commission is objecting to. Commissioner Mino commented that a serif font looks more old fashioned whereas a sans serif font looks more modern. The applicant said he has been going back and forth with the designer about whether or not the proposed signs fit the guidelines. Ms. Wittman added that signs are for identification purposes only - tag lines are not generally allowed. Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting August 15, 2018 Page 4 of 7 Chairman Larson suggested adding a black edge on the hanging sign. The subtext and logos are not in keeping with the historic character of the area. Ms. Wittman added that she didn’t check the size of the hanging sign; it might be a little too large. Also, generally, only two signs are allowed per building face and one per street-facing side. She suggested the Commission may want to table consideration of the permanent signage. In the meantime the applicant could still put in window signage. Motion by Commissioner Steinwall, seconded by Commissioner Mino, to table Case No. 2018-20, Design Permit for new business signage for the property located at 423 Main Street South. Motion passed 6-0. Case No. 2018-19: Consideration of a Design Permit for a 9 unit condominium structure to be located at 107 3rd Street North in the Downtown Design Review District and the Commercial Historic District. Jon Whitcomb, representing Browns Creek West LLC, property owner. Ms. Wittman stated that on June 19, 2018, the City Council approved a Special Use Permit and Variances for a 9-unit condominium building to be located at 107 3rd Street North. The applicant is now requesting a design permit for the structure. He proposes a three-story building with partial mansard roof elements to screen stairwells and elevator components which will rise above the roofline. The foundation will be limestone face. All three floors will be faced with red brick. The mansard roof will be standing seam metal in dark gray. Dark gray, flat metal panels will be located on some of the vertical elements of the structure. The north, south and west façades will have black metal balconies; the east façade will have red metal and glass balconies. White trim elements, including metal and composite dentils on the cornice, will be featured. There will be additional limestone elements for window sills and lintels. Over half of the rooftop will be green but will also have a roof deck patio. At-grade landscaping will include a variety of deciduous over- story trees and coniferous trees and shrubs. The applicant’s submission does not include mechanical or lighting plans nor is any signage proposed for the structure. Staff finds that the 35’ tall building with a partial mansard roof, designed to screen mechanical components, will help visually frame the intersection of Myrtle Street West and Third Street. It will help provide for greater definition on this street corner. The use of historic and modern materials will allow for the building to be complementary to the existing, built environment. The vertical design elements, set back from the public sidewalk and landscaping, help break up the vertical elements of the building. Staff recommends approval with five conditions. Architect Roger Tomten, representing the applicant, said having gone through the history of the proposals for this site, the most important thing to note is that the site is not conducive for a commercial site or a full office setting. Mixed use was initially considered but it was determined it would be all residential. The massing echoes massing of existing buildings and helps anchor the corner. The design reflects the Stillwater vernacular. It’s not meant to be a modern building. Chairman Larson acknowledged the difficulty of new construction on an empty lot near an historic district. He referred to the Minnesota Heritage Commission Statewide Training Manual’s chapter on new construction in historic districts acknowledging this struggle. It states buildings don’t need to literally mimic historic styles. They should reflect their time and be distinguishable from their historic neighbors. Councilman Junker asked about the material on the south side. Mr. Tomten said it is a metal panel. The purpose is to break up the mass of the building and provide vertical proportioned elements. Chairman Larson recognized that the openness of the east side with a view of the river lends itself to different materials. Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting August 15, 2018 Page 5 of 7 Commissioner Mino commented that the design looks like two different buildings - the east side looks like a modern building and the west side looks like a couple of different styles. Mr. Tomten responded it’s not uncommon for a building in the CBD to look different on another side. Commissioner Mino replied that is for commercial buildings and this is a residential building. Commissioner Welty asked if a more contemporary front porch was considered. Chairman Larson offered the following comments. The stone base appears as a big red brick box with stone trim, in between traditional and contemporary - a transitional style, not completely historical nor completely contemporary. He sees the mansard roof as a contemporary element. At least they are not over the top reproductions of historical elements but are interpretations of historical elements. However, the cornice as shown strikes him as being very literal in its historicism, so it stands out from the rest of the design somewhat jarringly. With the exception of the iron balconies, the cornice is the only other very literal historical element so it seems slightly out of place. If the balconies were just vertical black pickets, that would be better than the curvy balconies. A more contemporary look might fit the building better. The balconies with the glass railings on the east seem to be of a different world than the rest of the building. He asked if the east and west could be more like each other and if the balconies be consistent around the building to match. The front palladium window seems odd. He asked if brick rather than metal panels was considered for the front, and if the elements on the ends that are dark could be brick instead, perhaps with a color variation. The whole building would hold together better with a similar railing system and a similar deck and post system on each side to make it feel as unified as possible. He recognized that some of the details haven’t been developed yet, and pointed out that the Commission is used to seeing a more developed design stage. Commissioner Welty said she likes the contrasting volumes and colors and feels that having traditional and contemporary elements intermixed serves to break up the building. However, she agrees that there may be a better material to use than vertical metal panels. She also feels that the Juliette balconies are too fussy. Chairman Larson summarized that he would prefer a more unified design with similar elements on all four sides. Commissioner Steinwall emphasized that four sided design is important. She does not necessarily feel that the building needs to be simplified. She still wants to see architectural details. Some of the elements discussed add considerable interest to the building and help break up the massing. Chairman Larson agreed that the massing should not change. He is talking more about the surface and the detailing - the cornice, the curvy balconies and possibly the palladium window up the middle. The east side is dominated by the big contemporary gray blocks. If the balcony forms could become less of the big block contemporary version and something that would better fit with the west side, it would lessen the difference between the sides. Commissioner Mino noted that the windows on one side are quite different from the other side - very modern versus very traditional. In looking at pulling the entire building together, she would like the windows to be part of that too. Chairman Larson acknowledged the project has not yet been taken to a level of detail where many of the design elements discussed would be addressed. Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting August 15, 2018 Page 6 of 7 City Planner Wittman said the Commission could approve a preliminary design tonight with the expectation that they will see more detail in the future. The 60-day deadline to act on the application is September 22. Commissioner Steinwall suggested the application be tabled to give the applicant a chance to digest the ideas. Chairman Larson said he would like to be clear what the Commission would or would not be approving. He is uncomfortable with semi-approving it to see a more refined version later. Jon Whitcomb, applicant, acknowledged there are many challenges, one of which is not knowing what he is trying to price and build. He doesn’t know whether this project can be built affordably in the market today. No one knows what the price per foot is to know whether it can even be built to a market level and people would still be interested in purchasing. So the closer the project can get to an approval allows him to lock in more pricing. He would prefer some level of approval be granted now because it moves the project further along and narrows the scope of additional work. Ms. Wittman encouraged the Commission to table the application. She doesn’t think the concepts discussed will require a significant amount of changes. Tabling it would give the applicant an opportunity to make a couple of non-significant design changes so that they may be able to bring it back next month. Motion by Commissioner Mino, seconded by Commissioner Steinwall, to table Case No. 2018-19, Design Permit for a 9 unit condominium structure to be located at 107 3rd Street North based on the recommended changes discussed in the review. Motion passed 6-0. OTHER ITEMS OF DISCUSSION There were no other items of discussion. STAFF UPDATES Final 2040 Comprehensive Plan Historic Resources Chapter Update Ms. Wittman provided the final draft of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan’s Historic Resources chapter. She informed the Commission that the chapter will be sent to the State Historic Preservation Office and to the Minnesota Historical Society as part of grant finalization. The chapter will be incorporated into the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, to be released for final public input this winter. She also reminded the Commission of the annual Boards and Commissions Picnic August 23, and of the State Conference which is in Winona. She informed the Commission that the new City Attorney is Kori Land. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Mino, seconded by Commissioner Krakowski, to adjourn. All in favor, 6-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:18 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Julie Kink, Recording Secretary