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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/12/2003 - Regular Minutes - Historic Preservation Committee MINUTES Historic Preservation Committee August 12, 2003 CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 5:30 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Sanford, David K. Chester, Thomas Taylor, Bill Lancaster, Robert McGee, Sherlei Dannhaeuser, J.P. Grom, and Alt. John Stropp. Carl Shafer arrived at 5:45. Randal Allison was excused at 7:04. MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Katie Elrod, Lee Battle, Lauren Harrell and Deborah Grace. VISITORS PRESENT: Mike Luther, Robert Payne, Dennis Rother, and Michael Campbell AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Call to Order. Chairman Sanford called the meeting to order and 5:37 PM. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Introductions of Committee Members. Staff Katie Elrod welcomed new appointees: Thomas Taylor, John Stropp, and Carl Shafer. ----- Committee members were asked to verify their contact information. Mr. Stropp requested clarification on the definition of an alternate and the positions voting rights. Staff Deborah Grace swore in new appointments: Thomas Taylor, John Stropp, and Carl Shafer and reappointments: Marsha Sanford, Bill Lancaster, and Randal Allison. Sherlei Dannhauser reported that her field is Anthropology and that she has served on the HPC for one year. Staff Katie Elrod reported that she is the staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Committee and Staff Planner in the Neighborhood Services Office in the Long-Range Planning Division of the Department of Development Services. She reported that she has worked with the HPC since last October. Robert McGee reported that he has lived in College Station since 1972 and is serving his second term on the HPC and he retired in 1998. Staff Lauren Harrell an intern of the Long-Range Planning Division. She reports that she works with the HPC and with Development Review. J.P. Grom reported that he is an architect with BRW Architects and that he has served HPC for one year. John Stropp reported that he works Texas A&M Foundation and he lives in the historic area and has been in town for 19 years. Bill Lancaster reports laughingly because he is on HPC because he is old. Tom Taylor is serving on the HPC for the second time and has lived in College Station since 1954. Randal Allison has lived in College Station for 18 years and teaches anthropology at Blinn College. He reported that he was among the first group of students to receive a certificate in Historic Preservation at the College of Architecture at TAMU. David K. Chester reported living in College Station since 1967 and has served on HPC for one year. Staff Senior Planner Lee Battle reports forking in the Long-Range Planning Division,which includes Neighborhood Services and has worked with the City of College Station for 91/2 year. Chair Marsha Sanford reports she has been a Real HPC Minutes Page 1 of 5 August 12,2003 Estate broker with Coventry Glen Reality for 25 years. She added that she has served on HPC and other boards for several years. She reported that she serves on HPC because she is really interested in historic preservation, old properties, and preserving memorabilia. Staff Elrod asked committee members to select a style of business cards. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Consider absence request from meeting. Committee member Sherlei Dannhauser was present at the meeting and rescinded her absence request AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: Hear visitors. Visitors had no comment. AGENDA ITEM NO. 5: Consideration, discussion and action to approve meeting minutes from July 8, 2003. Minutes from July 8, 2003 were not available for approval. AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: Consideration, and possible action regarding a presentation by Dennis Rother of Rother's Bookstore and Suanne Pledger of Loupot's Bookstore regarding their plans for a parking lot behind the commercial structure at George Bush and Montclair. --- Dennis Rother and Robert Payne, accompanied by Michael Campbell, representing the Southside commercial strip on George Bush Drive at Montclair Street presented information to the Historic Preservation Committee. Suanne Pledger was not present. Mr. Rother stated that the merchants are working to address problems that the commercial strip may face in the future,particularly the access and parking issue. Proposed is a parking lot that would be located at 200 and 202 Montclair. Currently,there is an old house on each of these two properties. These homes would need to be removed. Mr. Rother showed the HPC a rendering depicting the proposed amenities of the parking lot that included: signage with the College Station Southside Historic Area emblem and a historic plaque attached,brick wall, landscaping, screened dumpsters, and sidewalks. Mr. Rother's stated that they would need to obtain a Conditional Use Permit from the City of College Station in order to build the parking lot. Staff Elrod and Staff Battle reported that the requirements for parking lots changed with the creation of the Unified Development Ordinance, Mr. Rother stated that they were hoping that the City would want to contribute funds to the parking lot. Thomas Taylor asked how they planned to control parking in the lot. Rother's responded that employees would be given stickers and one-hour parking would be posted. Carl Shafer asked what hours the parking lot would be open. It was stated that it would be day-use and marked as a tow zone. HPC Minutes Page 2 of 5 August 12,2003 Robert McGee clarified the parking lot site boundaries. Chair Sanford inquired regarding the landscaping and sidewalk plan. J.P. Grom inquired in the alley could be widened. It was reported that it would be difficult because the utilities were in the alley ROW. Sherlei Dannhauser asked if a study had been done as to how the other merchants would participate. The presentation ended and the HPC discussed the presentation. Randal Allison commented that if the project required a zoning change that this case would set a precedent. Other commercial ventures could then start to encroach into Southside residential neighborhood and there would be no step zoning. Chair Sanford stated that more information is needed in regard to City requirements. John Stropp spoke in favor of the project stating that traffic was a problem in the area of the commercial center. Shirley Dannhauser stated that she needed more information perhaps a marketing study. Staff Elrod stated that pertinent aspects of the project from a historic preservation perspective was weighing the loss of housing stock that exceeded 50 years old, the future success of a commercial center whose function in the community had great historic significance, and the precedent of changing residentially zoned land in an historic area into a land zoned to accommodate parking. Carl Safer asked if the home owners were in agreement of the parking lot project. Mr. Lancaster stated that the properties were now owned by willing parties. (ohn Stropp said that the City should participate in the parking lot and help good people move down :he road. Mr. Stropp asked if the City had a plan for Southside. Staff Lee Battle stated that for small area plans the City concentrates on land that is to be developed and that Southside is a developed area and that no neighborhood plan had been done. He further stated that in conjunction to the City's 1997 Comprehensive Plan there were efforts to designate portions of Southside as redevelopment land use. This initiative,however, failed due to public opposition and land use was left R-1. Staff Battle confirmed that the new Unified Development Ordinance would require a zoning change to commercial in order to build a parking lot. Once the land was zoned commercial any project that complied with commercial zoning could transpire. Staff Battle advised the HPC to keep their focus on the historic context of the project and not to get caught up in the zoning. RANDAL ALLISON MOVED THAT DISCUSSION CONTINUE AT THE NEXT MEETING AND THE TOPIC BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA. J.P. GROM SECOND THE MOTION. The motion passed all in favor. Visitor Mike Luther encouraged the HPC to consider this project in context to the commercial area on the mirror image side of TAMU,Northgate and to take time to gather data. AGENDA ITEM NO 7: Committee and staff report of pertinent past and upcoming community events pertaining to historical interests. Staff Elrod reported that the Exploring College Station History Series dates have been set. The History Lunch Lectures are scheduled for September 10th, October 15th, and November 19th. The HPC Minutes Page 3 of 5 August 12,2003 Lunch Lectures start at 11:30 a.m. at the College Station Conference Center. The Evening History Share Seminars are scheduled for September 23rd, October 21st, and November 11`h. Project HOLD scan dates are scheduled for August 21st and August 28th The City of College Station is holding a Citizen's Committee Orientation on Monday, August 18, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. All newly reported committee members are requested to attend. AGENDA ITEM NO. 8: Report,consideration and possible action regarding the Historic Preservation Committee's participation in the City of College Station's 65th Birthday celebration. Staff Elrod reported that the Senior Advisory Board(SAB)was partnering with the Historic Preservation Committee to put on the Exploring College Station History series for the fall of 2003, which would include Lunch Lectures and Evening Share Seminars. Staff Liaison to the SAB Marci Rodgers scheduled Haskell Monroe for the September 10th lunch and Gary Halter for the October 15th lunch. Staff Elrod recommended that a sub-committee work on inviting specific individuals to head up the Evening Share Seminars. AGENDA ITEM NO. 9: Report, consideration,and possible action regarding the Historic Marker Initiative and the identification of eligible building and subjects. J.P. Grom reported that a letter and application had been sent to the church on Rock Prairie. David Chester reported that an application had been given to St. Thomas Episcopal. Mr. Chester who serves on the Cemetery Committee reported that there was a State historic marker in City cemetery for the portion of the cemetery for the AGENDA ITEM NO. 10: Report,consideration and possible action regarding the Project Hold: Historic Online Library Database. Staff Elrod reported that Scan Dates were going well. She passed out the most recent postcards advertising the scan dates. She stated that scan dates in the future might be on days other that Thursdays. AGENDA ITEM NO. 11: Review function of Organizational and historic marker sub- Committees and appoint new members as appropriate. It was discussed that the Organizational Sub-committee met to work out more detailed planning for work projects such as Project HOLD and the City's 65th Birthday. The Marker Sub-committee is . working to promote the Historic Marker Program and to find buildings belonging to public institutions to award markers to commemorate the City's 65th birthday. The committee discussed the need to compose a sub-committee to contact, select, and invite individuals to share their memories at the Evening Share Seminars. After discussion the following sub-committees were confirmed: Organizational Sub-committee: Ms. Dannhaeuser,Mr. McGee,Mr. Lancaster, and Chair Sanford. Historic Marker Sub-committee: Mr. Grom, Mr. Chester,Mr. Stropp, and Mr. Shafer. Exploring History Sub-committee: Mr. Taylor,Mr. Lancaster, and Chair Sanford. HPC Minutes Page 4 of 5 August 12,2003 AGENDA ITEM NO. 12: Report and set dates for Organization and Historic Sub-Committee meetings. Sub Committee meeting dates: Exploring College Station—August 20th at Noon in the Planning Library Historic Marker—August 25th at 11:30 a.m. in the Planning Library Organizational - September 8th at noon in the Planning Library. AGENDA ITEM NO. 12.: Consideration, discussion and possible action in the selection of future agenda items. In addition to ongoing projects, the future agenda items for September's meeting are as follows: Southside Parking Lot issue, Addition of an additional alternate,plan for the Southside area. AGENDA ITEM NO. 14: Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. AGENDA ITEM NO. 13.: Adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 7:08. 1 APPROVED: i Ji 1J1 A L1flI / Mars i a Sanford, Chair v, AT ST: / f2si? /tacey A‘'1 Sm' , Staff Assistant HPC Minutes Page 5 of 5 August 12,2003