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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-12 PACKET 05.A. TO: Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation FROM: John M. Burbank, Senior Planner DATE: January 8, 2016 RE: Historic Register of Sites and Landmarks Delisting Request – Hill-Gibson House, 7007 East Point Douglas Road South Background/Proposal At the last ACHP meeting, a motion was forwarded to the City Council recommending approval of an amendment to the City Code to allow a property owner to be able to request removal of their property from the City’s Local Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks (RHSL). The ACHP discussed that removing properties from the RHSL seems counterintuitive to the Historic Preservation program and its intentions, but that a property owner should have a means in which to bring their request before the ACHP, the City Council, and the general public. The Committee also discussed verification of the criteria and findings that were utilized to register specific properties. It was recognized that times and conditions change and the management of a historic property is ultimately and financially the responsibility of individual private property owners. The ACHP unani- mously passed a motion for the City Council to discuss the potential of an ordinance amendment establishing language for the process to remove a site from the City’s Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks. The ACHP recognized that if the ordinance were amended, the act of removing a site would still be required to be reviewed by the ACHP and City Council. The ACHP also recommended that if a property were to be delisted for purposes of non-historic treatment or potential demolition, the City should recommend that a property owner take the following steps:  Don’t significantly change the historic features of the structure.  Explore options to do an adaptive reuse of the structure.  Work with the City to document the significant historic features of the structure for the City’s historic record archives.  Distribute the historic information of the structure and property in an educational manner to the general public.  Utilize demolition as a last resort. At the December 16 City Council meeting, a draft ordinance relating to the RHSL discussion topic was presented to the Council. The Council packet from that meeting is attached. The Council concurred that establishing language in the City Code that allows historic property owners a clear means in which to request a change in the City’s treatment of a property seemed prudent and adopted Ordinance No. 953, which is attached. The new ordinance allows an avenue in which property owners can publicly address the status of a property in relation to the RHSL. The following ordinance criteria is used when completing registration documentation to add a property to the RHSL: Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Registered Properties January 5, 2016 Page 2 of 7 B. Eligibility Criteria: In considering the designation of any area, site, place, district, building or structure in the city as a historic site or landmark, the advisory committee on historic preservation shall consider the following factors with respect to eligibility: 1. Its character, interest, or value as part of the history or cultural heritage of the city, the state or the United States; 2. Its association with persons or events that have made a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of the city; 3. Its potential to yield information important in history or prehistory; 4. Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of architectural type or style, or elements of design, detail materials or craftsmanship; and 5. Its unique location or singular physical appearance representing an established or famil- iar visual feature of a neighborhood or community of the City. (1971 Code §13A-4) Since the Council adopted the ordinance, the City has received an application to delist 7007 East Point Douglas Road South, which is known as the Historic Hill-Gibson House, from the RHSL. This structure was placed on the RHSL in 1998 (Resolution No. 1998-227, which is attached). The doc- umentation supporting the registration is also attached. This document was prepared by Robert C. Vogel on December 16, 1998. The 1998 registration included the main house and two contributing secondary resources – a barn and a shed. The City has previously delisted a property from the RHSL in 1994 when the St. Mathew’s Church was relocated within the community. There was no supporting documentation in the City’s records other than Council minutes and Resolution No. 1994-226. Structure Photographs Hill - Gibson House -1998 Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Registered Properties January 5, 2016 Page 3 of 7 Architectural Detail and Condition Photos – Fall 2015 Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Registered Properties January 5, 2016 Page 4 of 7 Hand Hewn Log Floor Joists Hand Hewn Log Floor Joists Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Registered Properties January 5, 2016 Page 5 of 7 Contributing Secondary Structures Historical Information The previously referenced documentation supporting the registration identifies that the significance of the site is a product of its historical associations and architectural design values related to two locally important events, the settlement of the Corners Neighborhood and Cottage Grove’s agricul- tural development. The house is a one-and-one-half story, wood frame, vernacular gabled house style. The preservation planning report identifies further information on Lewis Hill, one of its earliest inhabitants. The attached report has lengthy information on the review of the site from a historic perspective. Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Registered Properties January 5, 2016 Page 6 of 7 Discussion The new ordinance language list several review questions that are applicable in the HRSL nomina- tion process. This review criteria is listed below. B. Review Criteria: In considering the request to remove area, site, place, district, building, or structure from the from the local historic register, the advisory committee on historic preservation and the City Council shall consider the following factors with respect to the request for removal: 1. Have any conditions related to the property’s character, interest, or value as part of the history or cultural heritage of the city, the state or the United States changed? 2. Is the property eligible for the National Historic Preservation Register? 3. Does the inclusion of the property on the local historic register have a demonstrable hardship or cause negative impacts in the current property owner’s ability to manage or market the property? 4. Is the property’s association with persons or events that have made a significant con- tribution to the cultural heritage of the city clearly evident by the registration on the local historic register? 5. Will the property’s association with persons or events that have made a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of the city be negatively impacted by the removal from the local historic register? 6. Can the property’s potential to yield information important in history or prehistory still be obtained, documented, and distributed before and after the removal of the property from the local historic register? 7. Are there other examples on the local historic register or within the community that have similar distinguishing characteristics of architectural type or style, or elements of design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship? 8. Would the removal of the property from the local historic register detract from the sig- nificance of its historic past within the neighborhood and community? 9. Are there opportunities for the current property owner and the City to actively promote the history of the property with the site not included in the local Historic Register? The ACHP should address this criteria to the best of their ability prior to making a recommendation to the City Council. If the request is granted, a certificate of appropriateness issuance should be granted. Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Registered Properties January 5, 2016 Page 7 of 7 Summary If the ACHP concurs with the application request to delist 7007 East Point Douglas Road south which is known as the Historic Hill-Gibson House from the RHSL, the following information should be included with the recommendation based on the previous discussions by the ACHP. 1. Photo documentation of the structures. 2. Work on educational opportunities. Recommendation That the ACHP discuss the delisting request and make a recommendation to the City Council on whether a certificate of appropriateness should be issued authorizing the delisting of the Hill-Gibson house, properties, and associated structures (WA-CGC-022) located at 7007 East Point Douglas Road South. MARK R. ANFINSON ATTORNEY AT LAW LAKE CALHOUN PROFESSIONAL BUILDING 3109 HENNEPIN AVENUE SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55408 __________ 612-827-5611 FAX: 612-827-3564 mranfinson@lawyersofminnesota.com January 8, 2016 Mr. Herb Japs, Chair Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation City of Cottage Grove 12800 Ravine Parkway South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 Re: Hill-Gibson House Dear Mr. Japs and members of the ACHP: As you may know, my client Hugh Gibson was the owner of the Hill-Gibson House from 1992-2000, following more than 70 years of ownership by his father and grandfather. With the support of the City's Historic Preservation Officer, Mr. Gibson advocated successfully for placement of the property on the City Register of Historic Sites, which the City Council approved by unanimous vote. My client was named Preservationist of the Year for his efforts to secure the historic listing and for the hard work he had put into bringing the property into good, sound condition, spending countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars in the process. This was a true success story in historic preservation. Building on his father's work, Mr. Gibson transformed a property that was showing the effects of wear and tear into a fine example of what can be achieved by investing in rehabilitation of historic structures. As noted in the City-adopted Preservation Planning Report (1998): "The Hill-Gibson House is in an excellent state of preservation. ... It is one of the best preserved nineteenth century farmhouses in the city." 1 Today, the house remains fundamentally sound in structural terms. The City has renewed the rental licenses for both units of the house year after year. Although certain repairs may be needed, that is to be expected with any older structure. The existence of repair needs should not be used as an excuse to justify demolition, but as an impetus to continue the work my client began. Regrettably, the applicant has chosen a different path. The proposal before the ACHP is for the removal of this notable historic property from the City Register. Although the proposal is technically only for de-listing, the eventual consequence may be total demolition of the house and outbuildings. That would be a grave setback for historic preservation in Cottage Grove. With demolition looming as a real possibility for this property, ACHP members should realize the full implications of what they are being asked to recommend. While we recognize the owner’s legitimate interests in selling the property, there is no justification for de-listing a historic structure simply to achieve a higher value sale. The purpose of historic listing is to protect historic resources, not set the stage for their destruction. As far as we can tell, the applicant is not contending that the findings of the original Preservation Planning Report were erroneous in any major ways. Such a claim would not be supportable. The report was prepared by a reputable consultant in historic preservation, its findings were carefully documented and its recommendations based on widely accepted criteria for determining a property’s historic significance. In contrast, the criteria being invoked in support of de-listing appear driven principally by expediency. We also are concerned that de-listing this property will create a ripple effect leading to the removal of other locally listed historic properties, particularly in the Highway 61 corridor. Once word gets around that the City has put a lot of time and energy into de-listing this property for potential demolition, it is not hard to imagine how other property owners may react. It will be only a matter of time before more dominoes start to fall. We therefore urge the ACHP on review of this application to:  recommend disapproval of the proposed de-listing; and  express strong support for avoiding demolition. It is not enough just to say that demolition should be a “last resort.” Instead of making excuses to justify demolition, the City should join with my client and any other interested parties to find an alternative to demolition. We are convinced there are such alternatives, and that this property can be saved. The best path forward would be successful re-purposing of the structure at its current site. 2 That is what the City Council endorsed by adopting the Design and Treatment recommendations in the Preservation Planning Report – which included many statements encouraging preservation of the property in place. As a very last resort, it is sometimes reasonable to consider moving a historic structure to an appropriate new location. But in the case of the Hill-Gibson property, we do not think either of these options has been explored sufficiently. The City can and should do better. Thank you for considering our comments. Yours truly, s/Mark R. Anfinson Mark R. Anfinson Copy to: Ms. Charlene Stevens, City Manager City of Cottage Grove 12800 Ravine Parkway South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 3