HDC_04 15 1999City of Little Rock
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
15 APRIL 1999 MEETING
(This meeting date was scheduled on 28 January due to tornado damages)
MINUTES
Commissioners Present: Judy Gardner Howard H. Gordon
Charles Marratt Mark Zoeller
Commissioner Absent: John Greer, Chair
Staff: V. Anne Guthrie Anthony Black
The meeting of the Little Rock Historic District Commission (LRHDC) was called to order and
roll call was taken; there was a quorum but no minutes were presented.
The COA application for consideration was:
Applicant: City of Little Rock
Address: 1414 Rock Street
403 East 14th Street
407 East 14th Street
400 East 15th Street
Request: Demolitions of structures due to tornado damage
Barbara Hyatt, Code Enforcement Supervisor of Operations with the Department of Housing and
Neighborhood Programs, served as representative of the City of Little Rock's request for the
demolition of four structures, which were destroyed by the 21 January tornado. Support
documentation was presented through photographs and three damage assessments by city Public
Works and Code Enforcement ( via city ordinance) and the Arkansas Historic Preservation
Program (AHPP). All four structures were listed as destroyed on the three damage assessments.
It was agreed that each structure will be presented, reviewed and voted on separately. Just
because the City is applicant for the structures does not mean that the city will demolish them;
one structure is being dismantled by the owner. However, there was discussion regarding city
demolition of structures, which is contingent on the owner's insurance and other factors.
1414 Rock, a 1890s Queen Anne structure is non-contributing due to artificial siding. The
owner, while not present, was before the LRHDC in 1997 for its rehabilitation and converting it
from multi to single family. There was a motion and unanimous vote to approve its demolition.
Little Rock Historic District Commission
15 April 1999 Minutes, Page 2
403 East 14th Street, owner Robert Traylor was present and discussed the structure, which is ca.
1886 with Colonial Revival additions. The structure is non-contributing due to artificial siding.
There was a motion and unanimous vote to approve its demolition.
407 East 14th Street, is a contributing ca. 1880 Queen Anne with Colonial Revival additions.
The owner was not present. There was a motion and unanimous vote to approve its
demolition.
400 East 15th Street, is a contributing ca. 1900 Colonial Revival structure; it was relocated to its
present site with the construction ofl-630. There is little remaining of the structure from the
tornado damage. Owner Steven Bullock was present and asked what the city is doing with the
contaminated soil (a recent newspaper article focused on this block and its high lead content).
There was a motion and unanimous vote to approve its demolition.
Staff reviewed the notification procedures and stated that property owners within 150' for the
above-four listed properties were notified of the demolition request via registered mail. There
were no objections regarding their demolition.
Traylor addressed another of his properties, 1407 Rock, which is a Colonial Revival structure.
While not on the city ordinance, the structure is listed as destroyed on two assessment lists, that
of the Public Works and the AHPP.
Nancy Lowe asked what was being done about salvageable materials, such as architectural
elements, from those structures approved for demolition. The QQA, under contract with the
CLR, is working closely with the city and getting the information regarding the addresses of
structures, owners, their approval, etc. The salvage operation was discussed and the process of
information dissemination for property owners to find about the salvage, especially for structures
outside historic districts. The topic of the lead based soil in MacArthur Park Historic District
was discussed, with Hyatt giving a summary of what the city was doing, meetings, topics of
concern, etc. Under old business, a commissioner asked whether the three entities had been
notified through letter as to their non-compliance.
As there was no other business, the LRHDC adjourned at 5:45 p.m.