Historic Preservation Commission Meeting

MINUTES CITY OF DRIPPING SPRINGS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Monday, June 17, 2013 Regular Meeting City Hall, 511 Mercer Street Dripping Springs, Texas I. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Commissioner Charlie Haydon calls the meeting to order at 5:46 pm and takes roll. Present: Commissioner Charlie Haydon; Commissioner John Holdridge; Commissioner Karl Seelbach; and Commissioner Linda Freeman. Also present is City Administrator Michelle Fischer. Absent: Commissioner Ted Lehr, Chair; Commissioner Kathryn Chandler; and Commissioner John McIntosh, Vice Chair. II. CONSENT Discussion and Possible action regarding: A. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes, March 4, 2013-no action taken on this item. B. Approval of Special Meeting Minutes, March 25, 2013 C. Approval of Special Meeting Minutes, April 15, 2013 D. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes, May 6, 2013 Commissioner Seelbach makes a motion to approve items B, C, and D, seconded by Commissioner Haydon. VOTE: Commissioner Haydon and Commissioner Seelbach approve items B, C, and D; Commissioner Holdridge approves items B and D and abstains on item C since he was absent at that meeting; and Commissioner Freeman abstains on items B, C, and D. The motion passes. III. BUSINESS Discussion and Possible action regarding: A. Oath of Office for Commissioner Linda Freeman, Term to Expire June 2014-Commissioner Freeman already took her oath of office, prior to the meeting. Commissioners welcome her to the Commission. B. Update on City of Dripping Springs STP MM CAMPO Project CSJ: 0914- 33-065: Mercer Street Pedestrian Improvement Project-Ms. Fischer gives a status report on the project. C. Mercer Street Improvement Project: Pedestrian Enhancements and Landscaping 1. Proposed Art Mural 2. Selection of Improvements, including Benches, Waste Receptacles, Potted Plants, Landscaping, Signage, Art Mara Cardwell and Susan Manzello, representatives of the Artists Alliance of the Hill Country, present conceptual ideas for incorporating art into the downtown area. Their ideas include signage at The Triangle and on Mercer, benches, art embedded in sidewalks, landscaping, murals, seating walls, a kiosk at The Triangle, and a sitting and play area at The Triangle. Commissioners discuss the concepts. Ms. Fischer states that the benches and signs on Mercer that are part of the CAMPO grant have been designed, approved, and submitted to TXDOT with the final construction plans. She suggests that the proposed concepts can be considered for the area identified by the Sustainable Places Project as the catalyst project area and could also be considered as improvements along Mercer Street in the future. Commissioners recommend that Mara and Susan obtain cost estimates for the mural concepts for the VFW/American Legion Building and DS Water Supply Corporation water tank. They request that the estimates be considered for the Fiscal Year 2014 budget request that needs to be submitted to the City Treasurer at the beginning of August. Commissioner state that they are excited about the concepts and want to keep the artists involved as plans for downtown area improvements develop. 3. Buffer Wall and Kiosk 4. Fundraising-Commissioner Freeman reports that she will help Commissioner Chandler with the fundraising printed materials and meetings with potential donors, and she hopes to recruit volunteers to help with the fundraising. 5. Publicity-no discussion. 6. Special Events-no discussion. D. Certificate of Appropriateness for New Roof on City Hall, located at 511 Mercer Street 1. Staff Report-Ms. Fischer states that the roof complies with the design guidelines and Keenan Smith, the City’s Exterior Design Consultant, recommends approval. She states that the certificate of appropriateness was on the June 3rd Commission agenda, but the Commission did not have a quorum to meet. She states that the City Council approved the roof at its June 11th meeting and the work moved forward since City Staff recommended approval of the certificate and the new roof was greatly needed. 2. Public Hearing-no one speaks. 3. Certificate of Appropriateness- Commissioner Seelbach makes a motion to approve the certificate of appropriateness, seconded by Commissioner Holdridge. VOTE: all in favor, the motion is carried. E. Application for Certificate of Appropriateness for Miss Kitty’s on Mercer, located at 381 Mercer Street, Chad Halverson & Samantha Kennedy 1. Presentation-Samantha Kennedy gives an overview of the application. 2. Staff Report- Commissioner Seelbach gives an overview of the certificate of appropriateness that was already approved for the property and what the issues were regarding the façade and parapets (cut outs). Ms. Fischer states that the City’s Exterior Design Consultant, Keenan  Smith, does not recommend approval of the application because the design creates a false sense of history. 3. Public Hearing-no one speaks. 4. Certificate of Appropriateness-Commissioner Seelbach makes a motion to deny the application as submitted, but to approve a modified application that removes the parapets (cutouts), seconded by Commissioner Freeman. Commissioners discuss the parapets and why they do not find them appropriate. Commissioners discuss the idea of making the fascade roofline stair stepped or straight across, which is similar to other building previously and currently in the historic district. VOTE: all in favor. The motion is carried. IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Regular City Council Meeting, July 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m. B. Regular Historic Preservation Commission Meeting, July 1, 2013, 5:30 p.m. V. ADJOURN-Commissioner Haydon adjourns the meeting at 7:04 pm.