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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC1985-003 Minutes, Historic District Commission 11/08/1984MINUTES HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION NOVEMBER 8, 1984 4:00 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. John Jarrard, Chairman Mr. George Worthen Mr. Sam Strauss, Jr. MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Beth Foti Mr. Bill Kennedy, III STAFF PRESENT: W. Mike Dooley *Due to the fact that the applicant has withdrawn the request contained herein, I have taken the liberty to somewhat abbreviate this set of Minutes. The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. John Jarrard, at 4:05 P.M. and finding a Quorum to exist, the Commission moved and accepted the Minutes of the previous meeting as recorded. Staff reported that the required notification had been properly mailed to the owners of property within the area of influence of the application and that proof of notification had been received. Item No. 1 was announced and described as: Owner: Mr. Claude Herbert Address: 1004-06 Rock Street Request: Demolition Mr. Herbert, representing the application, was called on by the Chairman to describe his reasons for requesting that the structure be demolished. Mr. Herbert explained that he and his wife desired to plant a flower and vegetable garden on the site and that the structure was of no use to them as it had not been leased for approximately three (3) years. He continued by explaining that the structural condition of the building was poor and cited the roof, plaster, floor and foundation as requiring repair. He stated that he was a retired contractor and that it would require as much as $30,000 to repair the structure. He felt that the neighborhood would look better without a delapidated structure and explained that he did not know there were restrictions to razing the structure when he purchased it. Mr. Worthen asked how long he had owned the structure and Mr. Herbert replied that he had purchased it fifteen (15) years ago. Mr. Worthen asked if there was a possibility he would sell the house and Mr. Herbert said he would not. Mr. Strauss asked if he would consider moving the house and Mr. Herbert said that was possible if it wouldn't fall apart. Ms. Cheryl Nichols, Executive Director of the Quapaw Quarter Association, stated that the Board of Directors of that organization had voted to recommend denial of the request to demolish. (Attachment No. 1) She explained some of the historical background of the structure as well as its architectural style and significance. She requested that if the Commission does not choose to refuse the demolition request that they defer same in order to work with the applicant on alternatives. The Chairman read a recommendation prepared by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (Attachment No. 2) which covered their interest in maintaining the scale, density and setback relationships of structures within the MacArthur Park Historic District. They noted that original siding and roofing materials appeared to be intact and recommended that the request to demolish be denied. Mr. Worthen made a motion to defer the request for six (6) months in order to work toward an agreeable solution to the demolition. Mr. Strauss seconded the motion which passed by a vote of three (3) for, none (0) against and two (2) absent. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:40 P.M. WMD/se QUAPAW QUARTER ASSOCIATION of historic Little Rock October 30, 1984 Mr. Mike Dooley Office of Comprehensive Planning City Hall Markham at Broadway Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Dear Mike: At its monthly meeting last night, the Board of Directors of the Quapaw Quarter Association voted to oppose the demolition of the Colonial Revival cottage at 1004 Rock Street. (Bill Kennedy, a QQA board member who also serves on the Historic District Commission, abstained from the vote. Otherwise, it was a unanimous decision.) It is the board's belief, and mine, that the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness for the proposed demolition would set a very bad precedent for future decisions. Particularly because of the "youth" of the Historic District Commission, the setting of precedents must be taken very seriously. As you know, the owner of 1004 Rock contends that the cottage is in such poor condition that it must be demolished (and, besides, he wants to plant a vegetable garden in its place). Contending that a building is "too far gone to save is probably the oldest and most -used excuse for demolition. In the case of 1004 Rock, the excuse may be valid from the standpoint of the present owner. It is entirely possible, however, that the cottage could be sold to someone else who would be willing and able to restore it. Another possibility that has been proposed to the present owner is that a group of investors might lease the property and renovate the cottage utilizing the 25% investment tax credit available to historic buildings. In this manner, the present owner would not have to sell the property, and, at the end of the lease, he or his heirs would have a renovated building that would be worth considerably more than a vacant lot. 1321 South Scott o P.O. Box 1104 o Little Rock, Arkansas 72203 s 501-371-0075 Mike Dooley 10/30/84 Page 2 There almost certainlv are alternatives to the demolition of 1004 Rock Street if additional time and effort can be given to working with the present owner. Hopefully, he can be made to understand that the issue is not just whether or not he should have a vegetable garden but whether or not the City of Little Rock should be deprived of another historic building. On behalf of the QQA board, I encourage the Historic District Commission to deny the certificate of appropriateness that would allow the demolition of 1004 Rock. Once the certificate is denied, I hope the Historic District Commission will join forces with the QQA and residents of the MacArthur Park Historic District in working with the owner of the cottage to find a way of renovating it. Sincerely,f 1VGj• r f Chery Griff th Nichols Execu ive Director cc: Wilson Stiles. ARKANSAS HISTORIC PRESERVATION November 5, 1984 PROGRAM Mr. Mike Dooley Office of Comprehensive Planning City Hall Markham at Broadway Little Rock, AR 72201 RE: Certificate of Appropriateness 1004 Rock Street Dear Mr. Dooley: Thank you for providing the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) with the opportunity to comment on the application for a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of the structure at 1004 Rock Street. The scale, form and setback of this circa 190b Colonial revival structure is very typical for the MacArthur Park Historic District. Another important feature of this structure is that the original siding and roofing material are still intact. If this structure were to be removed the resulting empty lot would create a spacing pattern and density that never existed in this area. We feel that the setbacks, density, scale and form of individual structures within the MacArthur Park Historic District are very important in defining the overall setting and historic character of the district. It is for these reasons that the AHPP recommends that a certificate of appropriateness not be issued for the demolition of the structure at 1004 Pock Street. If you have any questions regarding our recommendation please contact Bill Hall of my staff at 371-2763. Si ncerel,y, _ Wilson Stiles State Historic Preservation Officer WS/ss cc: Ms. Cheryl Nichols Suite 200 • Heritage Center • 225 East Markham • Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 • Phone (501) 371-2763 A Division of the Department of Arkansas Natural and Cultural Heritage