Everett Historical Commission

Everett Historical Commission Minutes November 21, 2016 Members Present Members Absent Speakers City Staff Allan White Bill Vincent Andrea Tucker Allan Giffen Arnold Morrison Chris Moore David Stalheim Dale Good Dave Ramstad Paul Popelka Glen Hunter Mike Gunn Ross Johnson Jack O’Donnell Laura Cameron- Note: 10 other individuals Behee in the audience Mark Soine Neil Anderson Steve Fox CALL TO ORDER A Special Meeting of the Everett Historical Commission was scheduled for Monday, November 21, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hearing Room in Everett City Hall at 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, WA 98201. Chair O’Donnell called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Chair O’Donnell called for action on the October 25 meeting minutes. Commissioner Cameron-Behee noted one correction to the minutes. Commissioner Anderson moved to approve the October 25, 2016 minutes as corrected. Motion seconded by Commissioner Hunter. Motion passed unanimously. CITIZEN COMMENTS None COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Chair O’Donnell announced that the Swalwell House, a National Register property at 2712 Pine, is now being restored and will be saved. He noted that it may be the oldest standing house in Everett. Commissioner Soine noted that this was his last meeting, and expressed his appreciation of the group. Commissioner Good also noted that this was his last meeting, and that he was honored to serve on the Commission. ADDITIONS TO AGENDA Allan Giffen announced an opening on the Tree Committee for a current member of an Everett board or commission. There were no other additions to the agenda. Page 1 of 6 LONGFELLOW SCHOOL DEMOLITION Planner Popelka provided background on the proposal for demolition, project review and the role of the Historical Commission in the process:  Building is not listed on any historic register, nor is it in a historic district  Commission has no regulatory authority over the proposed demolition, only an advisory role in reviewing the application  Federal or state funding of this project would require further review by outside agencies, but project is totally funded with local dollars  SEPA review is required which will include SEPA Determination, identification of potential impacts and mitigation measures for cultural resources  Formal opinion required from WA Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP)  Public comment period is part of SEPA process  Everett has Comprehensive Plan goals and policies for historic resources, but no regulations that apply to this building  Standard building permit process will be followed for demolition and parking Mike Gunn Executive Director, Facilities & Operations for Everett School District (ESD) Everett, WA Mr. Gunn gave a presentation with background information on the building, the proposed project, next steps in the process, and possible mitigation measures as summarized below:  Reviewed several past historical renovation projects including Everett High School Main Building (1996); South Junior, now Sequoia High School (1994); and Everett High School Little Theatre (1987 & 2009)  Longfellow School chronology of past uses from 1902-2016  Reviewed Property Use Matrix for all school properties; Longfellow was classified for sale/lease or demolition/parking  Described property marketing efforts 2014-2016 with no viable buyers  Current building operating costs $75,800/year; estimated renovation for long term use are $8.5 mil plus $5 mil over 20 years of operation  Next steps include cultural resources survey, SEPA review and mitigation measures, design, permitting and construction (summer 2017)  Possible mitigation measures include interpretive signage, salvage and reuse of small windows, doors, hardware, equipment, etc.) Commissioner Discussion Commissioner Fox gave a presentation about the general area of the school building, existing parking patterns and building history as summarized below:  Reviewed existing parking lots and street parking that serve the ESD school and stadium  Compared stadium parking and access with Alderwood Mall parking and access patterns  Estimated stadium capacity at maximum of 10,000; existing parking lots and street parking is approximately 850 spaces Page 2 of 6   Described alternatives to increase existing parking with redesigned lots, expanded street parking, use of Aquasox parking  Reviewed building history, alumni and architecture  Advocated preservation and reuse of building Commissioner Good asked for comparison of Longfellow renovation with Washington Oaks renovation. Mr. Gunn had only limited knowledge of the project. Commissioner Anderson noted future population growth with the Riverside development (425 new housing units) and Metro Everett projections for 800-1400 new housing units; students will attend Lowell and Jackson elementary schools. He questioned the demolition when a new school may be needed to meet student growth. Commissioner White, who has worked at the stadium over ten years, has never seen more than 1/3 use of stadium capacity; he also questioned who uses the existing parking. Mr. Gunn noted that Everett High student athletes are the primary users, and that the stadium has been full for special events. Commissioner Cameron-Behee described a historic preservation success on the Minneapolis riverfront that includes the Mill City Museum. That museum was built into the ruins of a former flour mill and is part of a pedestrian friendly district. She stated that the loss of every historic building in Everett impacts its image, heritage and tourism. Commissioner Morrison questioned if there was a need for storage and also suggested saving the building for maintenance and storage use. Preserving the façade and gutting the interior would allow construction of a metalcore building within the existing school building. Mr. Gunn stated that there are some needs for storage and support uses, but the cost of maintaining and operating the building is too high. The district has not considered the possibility of a metalcore building. Chair O’Donnell attended Longfellow School in the 1950’s. He noted an additional event at Longfellow from 2001 when the Bernie Weber mural was presented. He also noted preservation projects for schools in Bellingham and Mt. Vernon, but also the loss of the Collins Building. He questioned the need for more parking and the paving of an entire city block. He also advocated saving and reusing the marble in the building entry hall. Citizen Comments Chris Moore Director, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation 1204 Minor Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 Mr. Moore began by stating that destruction of the Longfellow School is tragically short sighted. He noted that the building is eligible for the National Register and is on the Trust’s list of Most Endangered Buildings. He advocated that the school district allow additional time for redevelopment options and uses, and suggested changing conditions of sale that would include some parking. He discussed long term population growth, the Page 3 of 6 noted that, based on the estimated project cost of $780,000, the cost of the proposed parking lot (64 spaces) is $12,197/space. He expressed concerns regarding SEPA as the school district is the Lead Agency for SEPA, responsible for determining significant impacts and mitigation, which leads to conflicts of interest in implementation. The proposed mitigation measures are not sufficient. The SEPA should be a Determination of Significance and require an Environmental Impact Statement. He also clarified that in addition to federal funding, any type of federal undertaking with federal permitting or licensing requirements would trigger Section 106 review at the federal level. He noted that the demolition falls on the 5oth anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act sponsored by Senator Jackson, a former Longfellow student. Dave Ramstad 1301 Pinkerton Ave, Everett WA Mr. Ramstad described his family’s extensive ties to Everett schools and the community. He stated that the leading problem in the community today is homeless people with no shelter or support. He noted that Everett is working on the issue, but much remains to be done; Longfellow should be utilized for sheltering the homeless. Paula McCullough Everett, WA Ms. McCullough recalled attending North Junior High School. She is very concerned about losing the Longfellow building. Andrea Tucker President, Historic Everett 3330 Wetmore Ave, Everett WA Ms. Tucker questioned the number of restrictions, notably lack of parking, that affected the sale of the property. She questioned the value of utilizing a real estate consultant, as opposed to a real estate broker, to coordinate the sale. She had also met with the developer who submitted the second letter of interest to the district and discussed saving the school and constructing an additional building. Additional Commission Discussion Commissioner Good recalled a proposal by the Seattle School Board to demolish West Seattle High School. Alumni members led a successful effort to save the school, preserving the facade and completely rebuilding the interior. This could also be done for the Longfellow Building. Commissioner O’Donnell received a call from a citizen who suggested the school be used for a history center for local museums and artifact collections. High school students could be involved with various historic projects. He also recalled that the Historical Commission is on record from 2014 for opposing the Longfellow School demolition. This project will be on the January 23, 2017 Commission agenda for further discussion. Page 4 of 6 Commissioner Soine commented on the discussion of parking and the homeless problems, noting that the City of Everett is committing staff and funding for homeless housing and programs. He advocated use of the building as temporary shelter for the homeless, similar to temporary shelters in Seattle in buildings scheduled for demolition. The meeting was recessed at 8:11pm and reconvened at 8:17 pm. 2108 RUCKER NEW CONSTRUCTION Planner Tygesen presented the proposed project and is requesting Commission action for three recommendations:  Conversion of existing single family dwelling to multi-family  Construction of a new duplex with garage in the rear yard  Deviations from guidelines and design standards The Commission will forward a recommendation on each item to the Planning Director for a final decision. He stated that the dwelling is in the R4 High Density Multifamily zone, which would allow conversion to multifamily for the six units proposed. He described the site, on-site and adjacent structures, and the general neighborhood. This proposal includes an addition on the south side of the main house. He noted other infill dwellings in the neighborhood where existing houses were preserved. For the duplex, the applicant is requesting deviation from the required rear yard setback (3’ required, 0’ proposed) and the roof pitch (6/12 required, 2/12 proposed). Gary Nelson Nelson Lumber Construction Co. PO Box 550 LaConner, WA 98257 Mr. Nelson, the applicant and owner of the project, described his experience with historic house rehabilitation projects similar to this proposal. He stated that the duplex is compatible with other structures along the alley, and meets the design standards. He noted that the windows and railing on the proposed addition were revised to meet the design standards, and that the look and materials of the exterior will be retained. Commission discussion and questions are summarized below:  Portion of the house roof will be expanded and will match the existing roof pitch  Discussion of potential view impacts to adjacent properties and need for view analysis; view impacts will be minimal, and no view analysis is required by code  No variances will be required; design modifications will be addressed through deviations from the design standards  Existing house as proposed meets side yard and building height standards  Original sash frames/openings will be preserved, but all windows will be replaced with similar units  Leaded glass windows at entry and second floor small window will be preserved  Hip roof with 5/12 pitch should be considered rather than shed roof with 2/12 pitch Page 5 of 6   Discussion led to no preference for hip roof vs shed roof  Rear setback for duplex may need to be increased to allow for roof overhang at alley property line Following discussion, Chair O’Donnell called for motions on recommendations for the project. Commissioner Good moved to recommend approval for conversion of the existing single family dwelling to a multi-family dwelling. Motion seconded by Commissioner Anderson. Motion passed unanimously. Commissioner White moved to recommend approval for construction of a new duplex and garage subject to Commission review of the final design. Motion seconded by Commissioner Hunter. Motion passed unanimously. Following discussion, Commissioner Soine moved to recommend approval of the shed roof for the duplex. Motion seconded by Commissioner White. Following discussion, motion was withdrawn. Commissioner Soine moved to recommend approval for either the shed roof or hip roof for deviation from the design standards. Motion seconded by Commissioner White. Motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Hunter moved to recommend approval of a zero setback for the duplex. Motion seconded by Commissioner Fox. Following discussion, motion was passed unanimously. Chair O’Donnell called for a motion to extend the meeting. Commissioner White moved to extend the meeting past 9:00. Motion seconded by Commissioner Cameron- Behee. Motion passed unanimously. PROJECT UPDATES Planner Popelka gave an update on the 2017 grant for the Hewitt District, applying for contributing status for the buildings at 2820 Oakes and 2821 Wetmore, and Mill Town Trail signage. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Agenda items for January 2017 may include the following:  Longfellow School Update  2017 Grant for Hewitt District  Hewitt District Noncontributing Buildings  2017 Work Program OTHER BUSINESS None ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:06 pm. Page 6 of 6