HPC Meeting Date: July 5, 2023
To: Members of the Heritage Preservation Commission
From: Revée Needham, Assistant City Planner
Title
Pre-Application Design Review for New Construction at the former Archer House site.
Body
Action Requested:
The Heritage Preservation Commission is asked to hear a presentation on preliminary plans for new construction on the site of the former Archer House and provide feedback.
Summary Report:
New Construction is proposed on the site of the former Archer House at 212 Division St S. The Archer House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as contributing to the Northfield Commercial Historic District. This property is located within the Downtown (C-1) and Historic (H-O) zoning districts. The property is approximately 0.56 acres and is located adjacent to the Medical Arts Building to the north and Nutting Block Building to the south. The Cannon River is located to the west and Division Street is to the east, across the street from the Northfield Public Library. The property is also partially within the floodplain.
New construction within the H-O district requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) issued by the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC), as outlined in the Land Development Code Section 8.5.8. The Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office has confirmed that they do not need to review the construction plans unless the owners pursue federal financing.
The property is owned by Manawa LLC and in preparation for submittal of a COA application, the project team is seeking initial feedback from the HPC. Preliminary plans are attached to the staff report and the architect, Bob Loken of ESG, will be presenting. These plans are preliminary and do not include all the details and construction notes at this time.
The new construction is for a mixed use residential and commercial building. The property slopes towards to river and includes a lower level of parking, street level with two commercial spaces and four residential units, and three additional levels with residential units.
The HPC is asked to provide feedback on and ask questions about the preliminary plans. This item is for information and discuss only, and no formal motions or action are requested at this time. After receiving feedback, the owners will apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA).
The new construction project will involve many boards and commissions beyond the HPC, such as the City Council, Planning Commission (PC), and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), as the applicant is applying for Tax Increment Financing, a variance (for height over 50 feet), and a conditional use permit (for parking).
When the COA is formally applied for and brought to the HPC, the HPC will review the application based on the criteria found in the Land Development Code 8.5.8:
(a) For all applications, the proposed action fully complies with all applicable requirements of this LDC;
(b) That the proposed action is in harmony with the purpose of the H-O district for sites located in the H-O district;
(c) That the proposed action would complement other structures within the H-O district for sites located in the H-O district;
(d) That the proposed action is consistent with the Downtown Preservation Design Guidelines for sites located in the H-O district, and consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties for sites located within or outside the H-O district;
(e) Consideration should be given to the amount and quality of original material and design remaining in the building or structure when applying criteria, guidelines and standards;
(f) For new construction, the building or addition should be compatible with:
a. scale, texture, materials, and other visual qualities of the surrounding buildings and neighborhoods;
b. the height, width, depth, massing and setback of the surrounding buildings; and
c. the amount of solid wall to window and door openings, and the replacement of window and door openings, should be proportional to that of the surrounding buildings and neighborhood; and
(g) Consideration shall be given to clear cases of economic hardship or to deprivation of reasonable use of the owner's property.
In applying the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Standards for Rehabilitation, Standard 9 states “New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic
materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work
will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and
its environment.” In applying the “differentiated” and “compatible,” Steven Semes proposed four strategies: literal replication, invention within a style, abstract reference, and intentional opposition.
In addition, the SOI has provided the following guidance for New Construction within the Boundaries of Historic Properties:
• “Related new construction - including buildings, driveways, parking lots, landscape improvements and other new features - must not alter the historic character of a property. A property’s historic function must be evident even if there is a change of use.
• The location of new construction should be considered carefully in order to follow the setbacks of historic buildings and to avoid blocking their primary elevations. New construction should be placed away from or at the side or rear of historic buildings and must avoid obscuring, damaging, or destroying character-defining features of these buildings or the site.
• Protecting the historic setting and context of a property, including the degree of open space and building density, must always be considered when planning new construction on an historic site. This entails identifying the formal or informal arrangements of buildings on the site, and whether they have a distinctive urban, suburban, or rural character. For example, a historic building traditionally surrounded by open space must not be crowded with dense development.
• In properties with multiple historic buildings, the historic relationship between buildings must also be protected. Contributing buildings must not be isolated from one another by the insertion of new construction.
• As with new additions, the massing, size, scale, and architectural features of new construction on the site of a historic building must be compatible with those of the historic building. When visible and in close proximity to historic buildings, the new construction must be subordinate to these buildings. New construction should also be distinct from the old and must not attempt to replicate historic buildings elsewhere on site and to avoid creating a false sense of historic development.
• The limitations on the size, scale, and design of new construction may be less critical the farther it is located from historic buildings.”
Within the Northfield Downtown Design Guidelines, new construction should consider the following design elements: proportions of the façade, composition, propositions of the openings, detailing, materials, color, and building setback.
The HPC is asked to review and consider the above criteria and guidelines with respect to the new construction proposal, such as:
• Scale and Massing
• Height, Width, and Depth (Size)
• Building Setback
• Façade Proportions
• Composition of the Façade
• Proportions of Openings
• Materials
• Color
• Other architectural features and visual qualities
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
August 17, 2023 - ZBA Review of Variance
August 17, 2023 - PC Review of Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
September 5, 2023 - City Council Review of CUP
September 2023 - HPC Review of Certificate of Appropriateness
October 2023 - Construction Begins