Meeting Date: May 3, 2023
To: Members of the Heritage Preservation Commission
From: Revee Needham, Assistant City Planner
Title
Certificate of Appropriateness for Minor Amendment of Deck at 300 Division St S. - Jacob Sitze Building.
Body
Action Requested:
The Heritage Preservation Commission is asked to approve a minor amendment to a previously approved Certificate of Appropriateness (HPC Resolution 2023-004) for deck stairs at 300 Division St S. - Jacob Sitze Building.
Summary Report:
The applicant, Cody Larson, owner of Little Joy Coffee is requesting a minor amendment to a previously approved Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for the rear deck. The COA was reviewed and approved by the Heritage Preservation (HPC) on October 14, 2021 with a minor amendment approved by the HPC on May 12, 2022. The previous staff report is attached as a hyperlink. This minor amendment is to move the stairs from the north end of the deck to the south end. The plans are attached. The property is located at 300 Division St. S. (Jacob Sitze building) and the historic inventory form is attached.
Because this is a minor amendment, staff have placed the item on the consent agenda. The consent agenda was included in the Board/Commission Rules of Business adopted on April 4, 2023. As described in the Rules of Business,
“Consent agenda. The purpose of a consent agenda is to allow for routine motions, resolutions (if applicable), and ordinances (if applicable) to be passed with one motion when no discussion is needed. Board or Commission Members may ask questions for clarification of an item. If a Board or Commission Member wants to discuss an item, it should be removed from the consent agenda by advance notice by noon on the day immediately prior to the meeting date to the Chair and staff liaison, or without said prior notice, during the approval of the agenda.
• Consent agenda item titles will not be read during the meeting.
• Items are approved by one motion unless a Board or Commission Member requests separate action. All items approved by majority vote unless noted.”
The Northfield city ordinances outline, in Chapter 34 - Land Development Code, Section 8.5.8, the Heritage Preservation Commission's Certificate of Appropriateness process and approval criteria. The HPC shall consider the following in evaluating an application for a certificate of appropriateness for a zoning certificate and/or building permit. Criterion (A) below must be met and criteria (B) through (G) shall be considered:
Note: The findings below are only for this proposed change, please reference the previous staff reports for the findings for the entire COA application.
Criteria A, For all applications, the proposed action fully complies with all applicable requirements of this LDC;
Findings: The proposed action complies with the LDC.
Criteria B, That the proposed action is in harmony with the purpose of the H-O district for sites located in the H-O district;
Findings: The proposed action is in harmony with the intent of the H-O district. Within the LDC Section 2.5.3, Historic Overlay District (H-O) purpose is defined “(a) Safeguard the heritage of the city by preserving sites and structures which reflect elements of the city's cultural, social, economic, political, visual or architectural history; (b) Protect and enhance the city's appeal to residents, visitors and tourists and serve as a support and stimulus to business and industry; (c) Foster civic pride in the beauty and notable accomplishments of the past; and, (d) Promote the preservation and continued use of historic sites and structures for the education and general welfare of the people of the city.”
a) The proposed change does not impact the historic Jacob Sitze building.
b) The proposed change will allow for the current tenant and neighboring businesses to utilize the riverfront area.
c) The proposed change will draw attention to the beauty of the historic Jacob Sitze building.
d) The proposed change promotes the continued use of the historic Jacob Sitze building for the tenant and visitors.
Criteria C, That the proposed action would complement other structures within the H-O district for sites located in the H-O district
Findings: The changes will complement other structures within the H-O district. The new location of the stairs will make the deck more usable with the neighboring buildings.
Criteria 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;
Findings: Not applicable.
Criteria 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;
Findings: Not applicable.
Criteria F, For new construction, the building or addition should be compatible with: (i) scale, texture, materials, and other visual qualities of the surrounding buildings and neighborhoods; (ii) the height, width, depth, massing and setback of the surrounding buildings; and (iii) 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;
Findings: Not applicable.
Criteria G, Consideration shall be given to clear cases of economic hardship or to deprivation of reasonable use of the owner's property.
Findings: Not applicable.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the minor amendment to the Certificate of Appropriateness per the supporting documentation.
Attached is a resolution draft for the HPC to review. If there are any proposed changes, HPC members can contact staff to make edits in advance of the meeting.
Alternative Options:
The HPC could approve the COA with conditions or deny the COA, both of which would require findings.
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timeline:
Construction for the deck is currently underway.