SALT LAKE CITY HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes
451 South State Street, Room 326
January 4, 2018
A roll is kept of all who attended the Historic Landmark Commission Meeting. The meeting was called to order at 5:30:34 PM. Audio recordings of the Historic Landmark Commission meetings are retained in the Planning Office for an indefinite period of time.
Present for the Historic Landmark Commission meeting were: Chairperson Charles Shepherd, Vice Chairperson Kenton Peters; Commissioners Sheleigh Harding, Victoria Petro-Eschler, Esther Stowell and Paul Svendsen. Commissioners Stanley Adams, Thomas Brennan, David Richardson, Robert Hyde and Rachel Quist were excused.
Planning Staff members present at the meeting were: Nick Norris, Planning Director; Carl Leith, Senior Planner; Katia Pace, Principal Planner; Michelle Poland, Administrative Secretary and Paul Nielson, Senior City Attorney.
FIELD TRIP NOTES:
No field trip was held for this meeting.
APPROVAL OF THE DECEMBER 7, 2017, MINUTES. 5:31:35 PM
MOTION 5:31:38 PM
Commissioner Peters moved to approve the minutes from the December 7, 2017. Commissioner Harding seconded the motion. Commissioners Peters, Harding, Petro-Eschler, Stowell and Svendsen voted “aye”. The motion passed unanimously.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR 5:32:08 PM
Chairperson Shepherd stated he had nothing to report.
Vice Chairperson Peters stated he had nothing to report.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT 5:32:16 PM
Mr. Nick Norris, Planning Director, stated he had nothing to report.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 5:34:19 PM
Chairperson Shepherd opened the Public Comment Period, seeing no one wished to speak; Chairperson Shepherd closed the Public Comment Period.
New Garage under West Porch at approximately 1205 Second Avenue - David Richardson, on behalf of owners Damian and Suzanne Dingley, is requesting to construct a garage under the west porch and west portion of the house, with a driveway approach from U Street. The house is a contributing building in The Avenues Historic District, is on a corner lot and the proposed alterations would face U Street. This proposal is being referred to the Historic Landmark Commission for decision because it is a substantial alteration to this residence. Special exception approval is also required for grade changes in excess of 4 feet within the required setback area. The subject property is zoned SR-1A (Special Development Pattern Residential District) and is located in City Council District 3, represented by Chris Wharton. (Staff contact: Carl Leith, (801)535-7758 or carl.leith@slcgov.com) Case number: PLNHLC2017-00682 (Administrative Item)
Mr. Carl Leith, Senior Planner, gave an overview of the proposal as outlined in the Staff Report (located in the case file). He stated Staff was recommending that the Historic Landmark Commission deny the request as presented.
The Commission and Staff discussed the following:
•The height of the retaining wall on the west property line.
•The alley access to the property and why that access was not a solution for parking.
•The site plan of the entire lot.
•The use of the alley by neighboring properties.
•The current parking for the property.
Mr. Damon Dinkley, property owner, reviewed the reasoning for the proposal and why it was the best option for the property. He reviewed the color scheme, configuration of the park strip, access to the proposed garage and current alley, current parking situation and the previous garage that was removed for the construction of the pool. Mr. Dinkley reviewed the height of the retaining wall and other garages that have been permitted in the area. He reviewed the “recycling” of the curb cut and how it would not be taking away from the streetscape. Mr. Dinkley stated he create a compatible project that benefited the property.
The Commission and Applicant discussed the following:
•Accessing the proposed garage from the existing alley.
•If the 1980’s addition could be converted to a garage.
•The issues with locating the garage in different areas of the property.
PUBLIC HEARING 6:17:46 PM
Chairperson Shepherd opened the Public Hearing.
The following individuals spoke to the petition: Mr. Tom Ness, Mr. Tory Surling and Mr. Mitchell Wade.
The following comments were made:
•Supported the petition and the negative impacts would be mitigated.
•Other properties have similar below grade garages.
•The garage was not street facing.
•The changes could be reversed pretty easily.
•Parking in the area was difficult due to the University and the garage would benefit the residents of the property.
•Opposed to the change but sympathetic to not having a garage.
•The property owner knew there was no garage when he purchased the property.
•This was the most beautiful house on the block and very prominent.
•The garage would be on the most prominent face of the structure.
•The addition of the garage would take away from the historic nature of the area.
•Parking was tough but there was always parking available.
Chairperson Shepherd closed the Public Hearing.
The Commission discussed and stated the following:
•The standards identified in the Staff Report as not being met.
•The aesthetic impact was minimal and the changes would be on a secondary façade.
•The most distinctive elements of the home were the porch and Victorian architecture which were not affected by the proposal.
•The foundation was not a character defining feature.
•The number of curb cuts in the avenues and moving the subject curb cut should not be a consideration for approval.
•The differentiation and compatibility would not be a concern as the garage would be a product of its own time.
•The garage would help parking in the area by removing two cars from the street.
•The project was sensitively done but the Staff Report was persuasive in the matter that this was one of the most significant homes in the Avenues.
•If the garage was really necessary as cars may be going away in the future.
•This was a prominent secondary elevation and would be changed with the addition of the garage.
•The home would become a three story structure on the northwest façade.
•The suggestion to add concrete strips for the drive way was compatible with the area.
•The ways the addition met the standard for approval.
•Buildings needed to evolve over time.
•The video helped to show the actual site lines of the property.
•There may be numerus curb cuts in the avenues but the subject section of the street was intact and should remain so.
MOTION 6:37:31 PM
Commissioner Peters stated based on the information in the Staff Report, the information presented, and the input received during the public hearing, he moved that the Historic Landmark Commission approve the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to construct a double garage and driveway access from U Street beneath the existing contributing building, as proposed in petition PLNHLC2017-00682. He stated evidence had been presented that demonstrated the proposal complied with the standards specifically standard 2- the historic character would be retained. Standard 5- the proposal would preserve historic features of the home and standard 9- was not relevant to the approval of the petition. Commissioner Svendsen seconded the motion. Commissioners Peters, Petro-Eschler, Stowell and Svendsen voted “aye”. Commissioners Harding voted “nay”. The motion passed 4-1.
Harold B. & Fern Lee House at approximately 1208 South 900 West -The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) received a request from Brett Robinson to add the Harold B. & Fern Lee House to the National Register of Historic Places. SHPO will consider this request at their Board meeting of January 25, 2018, and requests review by Salt Lake City before that time as the Certified Local Government (CLG) in this matter. This item is being brought before the Historic Landmark Commission to provide input to SHPO. The property is currently zoned R-1/7,000 Single Family Residential and is located within Council District 2, represented by Andrew Johnston. (Staff contact: Katia Pace at (801)535-6354 or katia.pace@slcgov.com.) (Administrative Item)
Ms. Katia Pace, Principal Planner, gave an overview of the proposal as outlined in the Staff Report (located in the case file). She stated Staff was recommending that the Historic Landmark Commission forward a favorable recommendation to the Board of State History regarding the petition.
The Commission and Staff discussed the following:
•If there were plans to repair the home.
•Who requested the national nomination for the property?
Mr. Brett Robinson, property owner, stated they requested the nomination and reviewed the renovations to the property. He stated they love the property, wanted to bring it back to life and the tax credits would help achieve those goals.
The Commission and Applicant discussed the following:
•How the home was being currently protected from decomposing.
•If it was the intent for the applicant to live in the home.
•The home was one of the Emily Cannon homes in the area and it was very important to protect the home.
•If there was a potential Local Historic District in the area.
•The protections given to the home and area with the nomination.
PUBLIC HEARING 6:53:44 PM
Chairperson Shepherd opened the Public Hearing seeing no one wished to speak; Chairperson Shepherd closed the Public Hearing.
MOTION 6:54:07 PM
Commissioner Harding stated regarding 1208 South 900 West based on the information in the memo, the information presented, and the input received during the public hearing, she moved that the Historic Landmark Commission forward a favorable recommendation to the Board of State History and the National Park Services regarding the petition. Commissioner Stowell seconded the motion. Commissioners Peters, Harding, Petro-Eschler, Stowell and Svendsen voted “aye”. The motion passed unanimously.
WORK SESSION
Multifamily Development at approximately 578 and 610 N. West Capitol Street - The Historic Landmark Commission will hold a work session to provide preliminary feedback on a petition from Dustin Holt, DB Urban Communities, for the construction of 14 twin homes on a steeply sloping site which fronts West Capitol Street to the west and Darwin Street to the east. The development site consists of two distinct parcels which will be linked through a third site via a legal easement agreement. The development will require a subdivision of this site which will be the subject of a future Planned Development application and approval by the Planning Commission. Because this is a work session, a decision will not be made at this meeting. The site falls within the Capitol Hill Historic District and is zoned SR-1A (Special Development Pattern Residential). The development site lies within Council District 3, represented by Chris Wharton (Staff contact: Carl Leith at (801)535-7758 or carl.leith@slcgov.com.) Case number: PLNHLC2017-00696
Mr. Carl Leith, Senior Planner, gave an overview of the proposal as outlined in the Staff Report (located in the case file). He stated Staff was seeking comments and direction from the Historic Landmark Commission regarding the petition.
Mr. Dustin Holt, DB Urban Communities, Mr. Bryce Baker, DB Urban Communities, and Mr. Russell Plate, architect, reviewed the intent of the proposal, the desire to have uniqueness in each unit and structure, the number of units that would be in the project and how they intended to make the proposal fit the neighborhood. The Applicants discussed the issues the neighbors would love to see resolved with the development of the property. They reviewed the issues with the slope of the lots, where the proposal did and did not meet the setbacks and the requested special exceptions for the proposal. The Applicants stated they were seeking feedback and direction from the Historic Landmark Commission on the layout of the buildings and if the Commission would be willing to work with them on the setbacks.
The Commission and Applicant discussed the following:
•Building number fifteen, its shape and number of units.
•The requested setbacks for the proposal.
•The Commission stated they were concerned a wide variety would not be achieved with the basic design of the buildings.
•There needed to be greater expression in the details of the buildings.
•Willing to work with the Applicant to shift the buildings to allow for the distinctive expression of each building.
•Willing to push the setbacks to integrate the variety and buildings to fit the area.
•Looking for fourteen individual looks and not seven.
•The setbacks need to be considered building by building to address the surrounding structures.
•Show the context of the site as best possible to help the Commission see how the buildings would affect their surroundings.
•It would be difficult for the proposal to not stick out when it should blend in with the area.
•If the roadway would be private.
•The relationship of the proposal to the homes on West Capitol.
•The connectivity of the project to the neighborhood that would give it a walkable feel.
•The proposed roof heights and where additional height may be requested.
•If the proposal was too dense for the site.
•The ways further development would better help the buildings fit the site and neighborhood.
•The parking for the proposal.
•What could be constructed on the property without going through the planned development process?
•The eclectic nature of the area.
•If all of the units should have two car garages.
•The easements for the neighboring roadway.
•The way the structures fight the grade and address the streets.
•If single family homes would be a better solution for the site.
•If roads could be in a required front yard.
•If the Planning Director had reviewed the subdivision.
•May have an issue with twin homes due to the massing.
•The approval process for each aspect of the proposal, including the Planned Development process.
•The time frame for the proposal.
The meeting adjourned at 8:13:09 PM