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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6-6-2001HASTINGS HER/TAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Special Meeting of June 6, 2001. Quorum: Commissioners Goderstad, Langenfeld, Craig, Boler, Sovik-Siemens, Thorsen, Sknacek and Smith present; Warg absent. Staff: Grossman. Chairman Thorsen called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Public Hearing. 401 W. Second Street. Chairman Thorsen open the public hearing on proposed changes to 401 W. Second Street at 7:05 p.m. Grossman described the applications for building permit and for design review. The proposed chauge to remove existing cedar shingles on the house and reside with vinyl. David and Terry Storholm, the owners of 401 W. Second, explained their reas6ns for wanting to reside and described the condition of the house. The shingles are deteriorating, some are soft, many do not hold paint. Removing the shingles would reveal visual problems. Twenty three of twenty six windows have been replaced. It appears the replacement windows are smaller than the original windows so there will be an unsided gap. The original siding has three different laps: 3 1/2, 4 and 4 1/2 inches. One area under the shingles does not have clapboards. Plugs exist in the siding where insulation may have been blown in. Shingle nails also made holes. They would also be willing to remove all the shingles and consider the original siding, but they want commission assurance beforehand that they will be able to reside with vinyl if the original siding cannot be restored for about the same cost of vinyl siding - $15,000. They are willing to use quality myl stdm~ with a 4 tach lap would match original clapboard in the district. The guidelines allow the commission to consider vinyl siding when the original siding is deteriorated. The Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings do not prohibit vinyl siding. Pam Thorsen, 315 Pine Street, said that the commission has to consider the integrity and character of the historic neighborhoods not just for the present but for future generations. She fears that the consequences of using vinyl siding on older homes will not be known until it is too late. This is a nation-wide disagreement about the long-term effect of vinyl siding. Manufactured siding does not match original wood siding. The Sec~tary's Standards do not recommend vinyl siding .. Gmssman noted that the Secretary's Standards were changed between 1983 and 1990 and do not specifically refer to vinyl siding - it only refers to materials. The current version says on page 6:"Standard 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. When deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and where possible, materials". The first Standards said replacemem materials were also to match the composition of the old materials. The Commission uses the 1990 edition of the Standards. The Standards do not apply verbatim to this case because the Storholms want to remove a s'ding which is not original to the house and replace it with a different siding material. The shingles were on the house when the district was established. If owners wanted to cover up the original siding now, that would not be approved under the City criteria and guidelines. The issue before the commission is what kind of material can be used to reside houses which have already been resided, and whether to approve a residing material before the condition oftbe original siding has been determined. If the original is deteriorated, is vinyl acceptable? There being no other persons wishing to make comment, the Chairman closed the public hearing at 7:35 p.m. The Commissioners then discussed the issues with the Storholms for about an hour. Motion by Goderstad, second by Smith that the Commission finds the proposed work (residing with vinyl) does adversely impair the significance of the site and the district based on the following findings, that the application is disapproved and that the Building Official shall be notified that the permit is not to be released; motion carried, 8 ayes, 0 nays. Findings: 1. The Radabaugh House, 401 W. Second, was designated as contributing to the historic district when it was registered in 1977. Contributing means it is of the same age, period design and materials (as far as can be determined) as the other buildings malting up the district. 2. Vinyl siding is not compatible with the material and character of a contributing building in this neighborhood, a National Register Historic District. Several houses in the district have been resided (but not with vinyl) but as many still show the original wood clapboard siding. The purpose of the district is preservation of original design and materials; that purpose is better served by encouraging owners to uncover, repair and replace, rather than continuing to cover up original appearances. References: List of properties in West Second St. National Register Histo~ric District. Ordinance Criteria Section 6. E. 1. (d): Contemporary design for alterations...to existing properties shall not be discouraged when.., such design is compat~le with the size, scale, color, material and character of the property, neighborhood, and environment. (i.e. vinyl siding is not a compat~le material). Residential Design Guidelines. (02) Walls, Wood sided. B. Vinyl and Aluminum siding; other manufactured products. Buildings originally clad in wooden siding should not be resurfaced with brick, stucco, artificial stone or brick veneer, hardboard or vinyl or aluminum siding. The Commission may consider the following exceptions to the installation of vinyl on a case by case basis: (a.) In cases where existing asphalt, asbestos, aluminum or vinyl siding (cedar shingles are also a second layer of siding over original) is to be removed and where the underlying original siding and decorative features are found to be significantly deteriorated, the Commission should conduct a site visit during the removal process and advise on appropriate treatment. Members of the commission visited the site in April. Some shingles had been removed for viewing the original siding underneath. Most of the underlying siding could not be seen. Motion by Simacek, second by Langenfeld that the Commission would consider the following treatments appropriate if the owners applied for a permit; motion carried, 8 ayes, 0 nays. 1. Repair/replace the existing cedar shingles with cedar shingles. 2. Remove all the shingles, repair/replace deteriorated original siding with matching wood siding as necessary and use Hardiplank (or equivalent cement-based siding) matching the appearance of the original siding in areas where there is no original siding. Motion by Simacek, second by Langenfeld to adjourn; motion carried.