HDC_05 07 1998City of Little Rock
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
LITTLE ROCK HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
7 MAY 1998
MINUTES
Commissioners Present:
John Bush Howard H. Gordon John Greer
Charles Marratt Julie Wiedower
Staff Present: V. Anne Guthrie Tim Polk Anthony Black
Guests: Richard Butler, Don Campbell, Connie Manning, Jason Rinehart, Mark Zoeller
The meeting of the Little Rock Historic District Commission (LRHDC) was called to
order. Roll was taken, and as there was a quorum, the minutes from the February
meeting were approved.
The first Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application was:
Applicant: Ralph Patton
Address: 1309 Cumberland Street
Request: Construct a privacy fence (ca. 55') in rear of property
The applicant presented the COA proposal request while passing around photographs
of similarly constructed fences. The proposed rear yard fence, replacing an existing
chain link, is approximately 55 linear feet; it connects to the house on the north, runs 35'
east, then 20' south along the east side (with a setback of ca. 20' from the alley) and
connects to a two-story garage at the southeast corner of the lot. The wooden fence is
six feet (6') in height with an additional two foot (2') trellis. Two examples of this fence
type are on the northeast corner of 14th & Cumberland streets and the northeast corner
of 14th & Spring streets. After questions (i.e., regulated fence height), a motion was
made by Commissioner Wiedower to approve the request subject to a variance
approval for its height. A vote was taken, and the request was passed unanimously.
The second item for consideration was:
Applicant: Quapaw Quarter Garden Club
Request: Install twenty (20) banners in the historic district
Mark Zoeller, Vice President of the Quapaw Quarter Garden Club and chair of its
Maintenance Committee, introduced Connie Manning and presented the request. (At
this point, Charles Marratt entered the meeting.) There are 23 banners proposed for
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7 May 1998 Minutes, Page 2
the Governor's Mansion district and 20 banners proposed for the MacArthur Park
district. Zoeller gave an overview of the banner project: designed by Becky Witsell;
made by Arkansas Flag & Banner company; sizes vary (30" x 70" for utility and 24" x 36"
for period light poles); funded by donations from the Garden Club and $1,000 from a
Neighborhood Challenge grant; and a maintenance committee was established. The
LRHDC packets contained a project description, a Chronicle article about the banners
and a mapping and listing of their locations in the historic district. The siting of the
banners was dependent on the type of poles to which they will be attached, the street
and visual perspective. After discussion, a motion was made to approve the request as
submitted; the request was passed unanimously.
The last COA agenda item was:
Applicant: Arkansas Arts Center
Address: 501 East 9th Street
Request: Construct a 31,500 square foot addition to the existing
building for new entry, galleries and offices
Townsend Wolfe, director of the Arkansas Arts Center (AAC), and Gene Levy and Mark
Wellborn of Cromwell Truemper Levy Thompson Woodsmall, Inc. architectural firm
were representatives for the application. Wolfe presented an overview of the expansion
project as enhancing (and not infringing upon) the neighborhood and park and
stabilizing the downtown area. Their use of the Pike-Terry mansion as the Decorative
Arts Museum is an example of the institution's commitment to and serving as a focal
point of the neighborhood. The expansion's purpose is to allow the AAC to do their job
better; to serve visitors better; to care for its collection; and to improve MacArthur Park's
image as a safe area.
Wellborn explained the general characteristics of the expansion as providing: a new
exhibition gallery, a new entrance, an atrium lobby, a relocated Vineyard and museum
shop, limited office space; and a vault. The expansion is generally to the northwest.
On the west elevation, a circular driveway with a fountain and decorative landscaping
identifies the new main entrance. New parking is along the property's southwest
boundary. There is a new curb cut on Commerce and two new curb cuts on the north
elevation, one for the service drive and the other for the dumpster. (Note: See
application and Staff Report and Recommendations for project description.)
After Wellborn's project review, Wolfe presented the landscape issue regarding the
review two years ago by the Parks and Recreation department of the preliminary
landscape plan. As the city owns and maintains the property, it complicates the issue
in terms of if the landscape plan is not a part of the contract, who is responsible for its
implementation, which is required as part of city regulations. It is within the LRHDC's
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7 May 1998 Minutes, Page 3
responsibility to review landscape plans as it relates to new construction and parking.
With an expansion of such scale and size, its approval is contingent upon landscaping,
which should be considered a necessity for a project of this scope. Wolfe stated that it
is in the AAC's interest to ensure that the landscaping is in place.
Wellborn presented the architectural elements of the expansion, with the elevations as
cascading or stepping away from the streets to lessen the scale; the scale and mass of
the structure's physical form are reduced by the ability to stagger and offset the
expansion. A scaled model of the expansion will be finished later this month. Wellborn
detailed the expansion's interior floorplan. The current entrance used for the theatre
will continue to be used, and the present location of the Vineyard will be converted into
a lecture hall.
Commissioner Gordon asked about the compatibility of the design with the historic
neighborhood. Levy responded by saying that Ed Cromwell (the architect for the 1960s
structure) intended for the original style and subsequent expansions to reflect a park-
like atmosphere. This is the reason for the cascading of the facades, and each
expansion reflects the stepping back of the elevations. Repetition of this elevation
treatment is carried over to the west end. The interior of the Rockefeller gallery, which
contains the WPA facade of the 1937 building, was retained, and the expansion is
compatible with the existing structure. The atrium separates the old from the new
addition, yet it matches the old in colour, texture and materials.
Wiedower stated that the project will have the most impact on the neighborhood from
the west in its massing, scale, etc. While the expansion's west elevation meets
required setbacks, more importantly, its design provides the AAC with a defined
entrance. The project may place more traffic on 9th and Commerce streets and their
intersection. It is a difficult intersection already with the presence in the ROW of
existing power and transformer poles, street lighting and a large tree. On pick-up days,
the intersection's southwest corner has several trash cans out from the neighboring
apartments.
Commissioner Marratt stated that with the AAC activities and existing traffic on
Commerce, it may be necessary to install traffic control on 9th Street. It was mentioned
that the city traffic engineer reviews the plans during the city permitting process. While
traffic on 9th has diminished over the years, the 9th and Commerce intersection is not a
safe one for cars or buses. As a neighbor, Mark Zoeller was asked his opinion of area
traffic. He presented his observations about buses and general area traffic patterns; he
also stated that there is a high number of on-street parking in the 900 block of
Commerce due to the apartments.
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7 May 1998 Minutes, Page 4
Gordon raised the issue of whether new concepts in lighting were considered as part of
the project. Wellborn stated that new lighting will be installed on the west by the circular
drive along with ground-mounted lights installed along the expansion's exterior. As
there will be existing light poles relocated into the parking lot, there will be no increase
in lighting in the new parking areas.
Don Campbell, a condominium owner at 916 Commerce, expressed his concerns about
the expansion. He had several issues to address: the difficult intersection at 9th and
Commerce; the elimination of the northwest connecting loop, which is used as a
shortcut; the removal of 26 trees, their replacement and maintenance of new ones; also
the view from his condo will be eliminated. Parking is another concern with the
increase of 63 new parking spaces. For AAC events, on-street parking on Commerce
and 10th streets causes both to be more crowded; and as his condo complex doesn't
have sufficient parking for tenants who have more than one car, they park on 10th or
Commerce. The increase in parking compounds an existing problem. He is skeptical
about not having sufficient landscaping to shield the parking and traffic from the
neighborhood. Also, he was concerned that sufficient notification wasn't given.
Chair Bush stated that consideration of traffic and parking, while effecting an
application, are not within LRHDC's responsibilities. Wiedower stated that as
landscaping is within their purview, the dilemma is how to integrate and coordinate the
landscape plan and the building design to minimize its impact on the neighborhood.
Marratt stated that the expansion will increase traffic in the neighborhood, which is why
landscaping and traffic need to be considered.
The discussion focused on the options for considering the application and the need for
more information, especially regarding the landscape plan. (Note: a landscape plan
was submitted as part of the application, but the packets contained no landscape plan.)
Several commissioners expressed their concern about the proposal: lighting as an
integral part of the design; the implementation and maintenance of a landscaping plan;
and the need for more information. Commissioner Greer stated that architectural plans
change a lot in the planning process and even the city permitting process changes
plans. He asked whether they should wait for all city permitting approvals before
approving its final design.
Levy stated that the expansion's plans go out for approval in a week and that the
ground breaking is scheduled for June; the plans cannot go forward until the COA is
approved. He was asked why they had waited so long before coming before the
LRHDC, especially if the renderings, which were in the packets, are two years old.
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7 May 1998 Minutes, Page 5
Richard Butler stated his concerns about : the park's historic sites and structures, such
as the wooden Indian marking the Quapaw lands; the temple's relocation; and the
expansion's effect upon the arsenal, which is an historic structure. Wolfe answered by
stating that: the wooden Indian would be relocated by Parks and Recreation; the
temple's relocation is part of the firm's contract, and it will be relocated probably east of
the AAC; and the expansion will not impose upon the arsenal.
After subsequent discussion regarding the approval process, construction dates and
the landscape plan, Wolfe stated that the AAC, regardless of the city, will find a way to
present a landscape plan that is within reason and meets stated concerns. In the past,
the AAC has taken upon the responsibility of grounds maintenance.
After discussion of a motion and a subsequent amendment, Greer moved that the COA
be approved contingent on approval of the final landscape plan by a committee
consisting of Greer, Wiedower and staff. Gordon asked whether a concern could be
part of a motion, which is to evaluate the existing lighting and see if new lighting should
be put in; the request may be considered only as a concern. A vote was taken and the
COA request was unanimously approved.
Gordon stated that for the record he was frustrated by the time that it took the LRHDC
to review the request. This is a large project and there are other partners involved in
the request, who did not attend and present plans. It is not incumbent upon the city to
see that all the involved parties (Parks and Recreation, landscape consultant, etc.)
attend the meeting and present their plans. As a consequence, there was inadequate
time to consider the request. Also, he felt that the LRHDC was abused by being given
too little time to consider the project's scale, scope and magnitude with construction
due to begin in June. It is staff s responsibility to assess whether all materials are
available for consideration. His concern that neighbors were not given sufficient notice
was addressed by staff reviewing public hearing requirements (i.e., at least ten days
notice by certified mail to property owners within a project's sphere of influence).
As the meeting was long, the remainder of the agenda was addressed briefly; more
detailed information will be available at the June meeting: two new commissioners
were appointed to replace Bush and Wiedower. Judy Gardner and Mark Zoeller are the
new members whose term will take effect at the July meeting; election of officers will be
upcoming. The update of Curran Hall's stabilization will be given at the next meeting;
there was brief discussion regarding Curran's sidewalk and crepe myrtles.
As there was no other business, the LRHDC adjourned at 7:30 p.m.