June 16, 2017 TO : Historic Preservation Review Commission FROM
AGENDA ITEM HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 22, 2017 CONSENT ITEMS
DATE
:
June 16, 2017
TO
:
Historic Preservation Review Commission
FROM
:
Adrian Lopez, Assistant Planner
SUBJECT
:
PROJECT:
APPROVAL OF DESIGN REVIEW FOR NEW HAND RAILINGS FOR 175 WEST H STREET 17PLN-00012 Design Review 175 West H Street APN: 089-044-200
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The property owners, Jon Van Landschoot and Donnell Rubay, request Design Review approval for the installation of new handrails at their residence located at 175 West H Street. RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution approving the request for Design Review for new handrails at 175 West H Street. GENERAL PLAN: Goal 3.1 Maintain and enhance Benicia’s historic character o Policy 3.1.4 Promote the preservation and enhancement of historic neighborhoods, commercial areas, and governmental districts. PERMIT STREAMLINING ACT DEADLINE: The application was deemed complete on June 1, 2017 and the 60-day deadline for action under the Permit Streamlining Act for projects exempt from CEQA is July 31, 2017.
CEQA: The proposed project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to Section 15301, Existing Facilities. The exemption includes minor alterations of existing structures involving negligible or no expansion of existing uses. The proposed project is limited to installation of new handrails for the property. BACKGROUND: Applicant / Owner: General Plan designation: Zoning designation: Existing / Proposed use: Adjacent zoning and uses: North: East: South: West:
Jon Van Landschoot and Donnell Rubay Downtown Mixed Use Neighborhood General Single Family Residential (RS)/ Single Family Residential (RS) Neighborhood General / Neighborhood General – Open Neighborhood General Neighborhood General Neighborhood General Figure 1 – 175 West H Street
Figure 2 – Street View from H Street
Proposed work area
Figure 3 – Existing Condition and Proposed Upper Hand Rail
Figure 5 – Existing Lower Steps and Proposed Hand Rail
SUMMARY/ANALYSIS: The property owners Jon Van Landschoot and Donnell Rubay propose installing new handrails at the upper steps and lower steps of their home. Their residence is a contributing building in the Downtown Historic Conservation District and a Mills Act home with a Property Maintenance Agreement. The scope of work is limited to installation of new handrails on existing stairs between the sidewalk and front yard and leading to the front porch for the homeowners’ safety. No exterior alterations to the house are proposed. The new handrails are aesthetically appealing and do not dominate the surroundings nor visually distract from the historic Craftsman Bungalow house. The architectural design of the handrails is simple and will serve the purposes of life and safety concerns of the homeowners. The handrails will be stained with a Minwax Red Chestnut color to differentiate the new construction from the historic home.
Downtown Historic Conservation Plan The Downtown Historic Conservation Plan (DHCP) provides Design Guidelines for both exterior alterations to historic buildings and for new construction. All applicable guidelines are provided below. Staff determined that the project is generally consistent with the guidelines. Table 1: Consistency with the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan Design Guidelines for Residential Building Types Policy 5
Materials and Color Encourage the use of materials commonly used for the construction and finishing of historic buildings in the district and colors which complement those materials and styles.
Guideline 5.5
Metal or metallic finishes are generally inappropriate including handrails, porch railings, decorative iron work and aluminum canopies or awnings.
Applicant is proposing wood handrails with a MinWax Red Chestnut stain.
Historic Buildings Policy 2
Façade Elements and Details Retain the traditional facade elements, proportions and architectural details which give historic buildings their special character and use appropriate replacements where necessary.
Guideline 2.1
Architectural elements such as porches, steps and railings should not be removed. Replacements, where required, should be similar in character to the original.
The DPR Form Photograph section shows a handrail for the lower steps on the property. The proposed handrails appear to match the previous design and character.
Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan (DMUMP) Consistency The Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan is silent on the matter. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation of Historic Properties As a property with a designated contributing historic structure to the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan and pursuant to the Mills Act Contract, all exterior changes must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Table 3: Consistency of New Handrails with SOI Standards 1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. 2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.
The property owner proposes to maintain the property as residential.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken. 4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved. 5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
The proposed railings will read similarly as a previous handrail located near the sidewalk and will not introduce or create a false sense of historical development or introduce conjectural features or elements.
The existing house’s historic character, as described on DPR Form 523A, will be retained and preserved, including the predominant porch. The proposed handrails will not diminish the historic character of the property.
These standards do not apply to this project.
Table 3: Consistency of New Handrails with SOI Standards 6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. These standards do not apply to this 7. Chemical or physical treatments, if project. appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used. 8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken. 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, The new handrails are aesthetically features, and spatial relationships appealing and do not dominate the that characterize the property. surroundings nor visually distract from The new work will be differentiated the historic Craftsman Bungalow from the old and will be house. The architectural design of compatible with the historic the handrails is simple and will serve materials, features, size, scale and the purposes of life and safety proportion, and massing to concerns of the homeowners. The protect the integrity of the new handrails will be stained with a property and its environment. Minwax Red Chestnut color to differentiate the new construction 10. New additions and adjacent or from the historic home. related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
Conclusion: Staff recommends that the Historic Preservation Review Commission approve new handrails for 175 West H Street. Further Action: The decision of the Historic Preservation Review Commission may be appealed to the Planning Commission within ten (10) business days. Attachments: 1- Draft Resolution 17 2- 175 West H Street - Proposed Handrails Submittal 3- 175 West H Street - DPR Form
DATE
:
June 16, 2017
TO
:
Historic Preservation Review Commission
FROM
:
Adrian Lopez, Assistant Planner
SUBJECT
:
PROJECT:
APPROVAL OF DESIGN REVIEW FOR NEW HAND RAILINGS FOR 175 WEST H STREET 17PLN-00012 Design Review 175 West H Street APN: 089-044-200
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The property owners, Jon Van Landschoot and Donnell Rubay, request Design Review approval for the installation of new handrails at their residence located at 175 West H Street. RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution approving the request for Design Review for new handrails at 175 West H Street. GENERAL PLAN: Goal 3.1 Maintain and enhance Benicia’s historic character o Policy 3.1.4 Promote the preservation and enhancement of historic neighborhoods, commercial areas, and governmental districts. PERMIT STREAMLINING ACT DEADLINE: The application was deemed complete on June 1, 2017 and the 60-day deadline for action under the Permit Streamlining Act for projects exempt from CEQA is July 31, 2017.
CEQA: The proposed project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to Section 15301, Existing Facilities. The exemption includes minor alterations of existing structures involving negligible or no expansion of existing uses. The proposed project is limited to installation of new handrails for the property. BACKGROUND: Applicant / Owner: General Plan designation: Zoning designation: Existing / Proposed use: Adjacent zoning and uses: North: East: South: West:
Jon Van Landschoot and Donnell Rubay Downtown Mixed Use Neighborhood General Single Family Residential (RS)/ Single Family Residential (RS) Neighborhood General / Neighborhood General – Open Neighborhood General Neighborhood General Neighborhood General Figure 1 – 175 West H Street
Figure 2 – Street View from H Street
Proposed work area
Figure 3 – Existing Condition and Proposed Upper Hand Rail
Figure 5 – Existing Lower Steps and Proposed Hand Rail
SUMMARY/ANALYSIS: The property owners Jon Van Landschoot and Donnell Rubay propose installing new handrails at the upper steps and lower steps of their home. Their residence is a contributing building in the Downtown Historic Conservation District and a Mills Act home with a Property Maintenance Agreement. The scope of work is limited to installation of new handrails on existing stairs between the sidewalk and front yard and leading to the front porch for the homeowners’ safety. No exterior alterations to the house are proposed. The new handrails are aesthetically appealing and do not dominate the surroundings nor visually distract from the historic Craftsman Bungalow house. The architectural design of the handrails is simple and will serve the purposes of life and safety concerns of the homeowners. The handrails will be stained with a Minwax Red Chestnut color to differentiate the new construction from the historic home.
Downtown Historic Conservation Plan The Downtown Historic Conservation Plan (DHCP) provides Design Guidelines for both exterior alterations to historic buildings and for new construction. All applicable guidelines are provided below. Staff determined that the project is generally consistent with the guidelines. Table 1: Consistency with the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan Design Guidelines for Residential Building Types Policy 5
Materials and Color Encourage the use of materials commonly used for the construction and finishing of historic buildings in the district and colors which complement those materials and styles.
Guideline 5.5
Metal or metallic finishes are generally inappropriate including handrails, porch railings, decorative iron work and aluminum canopies or awnings.
Applicant is proposing wood handrails with a MinWax Red Chestnut stain.
Historic Buildings Policy 2
Façade Elements and Details Retain the traditional facade elements, proportions and architectural details which give historic buildings their special character and use appropriate replacements where necessary.
Guideline 2.1
Architectural elements such as porches, steps and railings should not be removed. Replacements, where required, should be similar in character to the original.
The DPR Form Photograph section shows a handrail for the lower steps on the property. The proposed handrails appear to match the previous design and character.
Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan (DMUMP) Consistency The Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan is silent on the matter. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation of Historic Properties As a property with a designated contributing historic structure to the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan and pursuant to the Mills Act Contract, all exterior changes must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Table 3: Consistency of New Handrails with SOI Standards 1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. 2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.
The property owner proposes to maintain the property as residential.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken. 4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved. 5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
The proposed railings will read similarly as a previous handrail located near the sidewalk and will not introduce or create a false sense of historical development or introduce conjectural features or elements.
The existing house’s historic character, as described on DPR Form 523A, will be retained and preserved, including the predominant porch. The proposed handrails will not diminish the historic character of the property.
These standards do not apply to this project.
Table 3: Consistency of New Handrails with SOI Standards 6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. These standards do not apply to this 7. Chemical or physical treatments, if project. appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used. 8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken. 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, The new handrails are aesthetically features, and spatial relationships appealing and do not dominate the that characterize the property. surroundings nor visually distract from The new work will be differentiated the historic Craftsman Bungalow from the old and will be house. The architectural design of compatible with the historic the handrails is simple and will serve materials, features, size, scale and the purposes of life and safety proportion, and massing to concerns of the homeowners. The protect the integrity of the new handrails will be stained with a property and its environment. Minwax Red Chestnut color to differentiate the new construction 10. New additions and adjacent or from the historic home. related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
Conclusion: Staff recommends that the Historic Preservation Review Commission approve new handrails for 175 West H Street. Further Action: The decision of the Historic Preservation Review Commission may be appealed to the Planning Commission within ten (10) business days. Attachments: 1- Draft Resolution 17 2- 175 West H Street - Proposed Handrails Submittal 3- 175 West H Street - DPR Form
