Item 6A - Chautauqua Lighting DGs Amendment - LB Review 1.3.2018
JOINT STUDY SESSION MEMORANDUM
To: Landmarks Board
From: Lesli Ellis, Comprehensive Planning Manager, PH&S, COB
Marcy Cameron, Historic Preservation Planner, PH&S, COB
Michael Matts, Director of Cultural Resources and Operations, CCA
James Hewat, Senior Historic Preservation Planner, PH&S, COB
Date: January 3, 2018
Subject: Amendment to the Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting Design
Guidelines
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The purpose of this review is to amend the Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting
Design Guidelines. The Lighting Design Guidelines were adopted by the Landmarks Board on
Nov. 1, 2017 and by the Colorado Chautauqua Association (CCA) Board of Directors on Nov.
13, 2017. At the Nov. 1, 2017 CCA Board Representatives/Landmarks Board Joint Study
Session, the group agreed to adopt the design guidelines as presented, with the agreement that
they would be amended with additional information in Section 1.6 on selection of lighting
fixtures, including a graphic of the original fixture for reference, a caption, and an additional
guideline in that section. For information on the background and process for the project, please
reference the Nov. 1 Joint CCA/LB Study Session Memo.
On Dec. 14, 2017 the CCA Building and Grounds Committee and CCA Board Representatives
for this project reviewed and approved the amendment. Their suggestions have been
incorporated into the amendment presented to the Landmarks Board for review. The CCA Board
of Directors is anticipated to review the amendment at their Jan. 22 meeting. See Attachment A:
Letter of Support from the CCA Building and Grounds Committee
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Landmarks Board adopt the following motion:
I move that the Landmarks Board amend the Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting
Design Guidelines pursuant to the rulemaking procedures set forth in Chapter 1-4, B.R.C.
1981.
PROJECT PURPOSE AND GOALS
In 2017, the City of Boulder and the Colorado Chautauqua Association jointly developed the
Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting Design Guidelines using the Collaborative
Stewardship Framework. The purpose of this project is to aid in decision making for exterior
lighting proposals within the boundaries of the Chautauqua Historic District, designated as a
local historic district and as a National Historic Landmark. The document provides a framework
for decision-making through the documentation of the historic use of lighting at Chautauqua,
assessment of current needs, lighting principles, recommended approaches to lighting, and
design guidelines.
AMENDMENT
At the Nov. 1 Joint Study Session, the CCA Board Representatives and Landmarks Board
members adopted the Lighting Design Guidelines as presented, and agreed to amend the
guidelines to provide additional guidance on the selection of lighting fixtures. The additional
guidance includes:
• A guideline in Section 1.6 on the selection of new lighting fixtures.
• A graphic illustration of an original light fixture based on historic photographs of
Chautauqua.
• A caption that identifies character-defining features of the original light fixture.
See Attachment B: Amendment to the Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting Design
Guidelines.
NEXT STEPS
If approved, staff will complete the Administrative Rulemaking Procedures, which includes a 15-
day public comment period. If no substantial changes are made within that period, the design
guidelines will go into effect. The Chautauqua Board of Directors will review the amendment
prior to the end of the public comment period.
Following the development and adoption of the design guidelines, Public Works staff will submit
a Landmark Alteration Certificate application for the lighting component of the Community,
Culture and Safety tax for review, using the developed design guidelines as a basis for the
proposal. The application will be reviewed by the Landmarks Board and the Colorado
Chautauqua Buildings and Grounds Committee.
ATTACHMENTS
A: Letter of Support from the CCA Building and Grounds Committee
B: Amendment to the Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting Design Guidelines
C: Chautauqua Park Historic District Lighting Design Guidelines (link)
December 15, 2017
To: City of Boulder Landmarks Board, c/o Marcy Cameron, and Michael Matts, Colorado Chautauqua
Association
From: Colorado Chautauqua Association Buildings and Grounds Committee.
Re Chautauqua Lighting Design Guidelines, Support for Amendment to Section 1.6 of the
Chautauqua Lighting Design Guidelines, dated 12/14/2017.
Hi Marcy and Michael,
Today the proposed Amendment to Section 1.6 of the Chautauqua Lighting Design Guidelines,
dated 12/14/2017
was reviewed by the Chautauqua Representatives and also by the CCA Buildings and Grounds
Committee as a whole.
After discussions and some suggested wording changes, the Chautauqua Representatives voted to
unanimously support the revised Amendment, per the attached version.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee then also voted its unanimous support for the same revised
version.
Please let us know if you have any questions on this.
Thank you for our work together to create these Guidelines for the Park.
Best Regards,
Thomas Thorpe and Nan Anderson,
Co-Chairs of the Chautauqua Representatives and of the Building and Grounds Committee
Amendment to Section 1.6 of the
Chautauqua Park Historic District
Lighting Design Guidelines
December 14, 2017
1.4 Design lighting to facilitate navigation and address safety
concerns.
.1 New fixtures may be appropriate at destination points with points
of light at the beginning and end of paths so a pedestrian may find
their way.
• Additional points of light may be appropriate where needed to
further facilitate navigation and address safety concerns.
• The greatest uniformity should not exceed 15:1.
1.5 Utilize a programmable control system to turn off lights when
they are not needed and to dim the output for the time of night and
occasion.
.1 Recognize the varied use of the campus throughout the day, week
and season and modify lighting times and locations as needed.
.2 Luminaires should have addressable wireless control modules that
communicate with the programmable control system.
1.6 Select new fixtures that are simple in design and respect the
utilitarian character of the historic district’s original lighting.
.1 New lighting in the historic district should generally be
unobtrusive and compatible with the overall historic character of
the buildings, sites, and streetscapes of the historic district.
.2 Select poles and luminaires that are neutral in design, and do not
create a new aesthetic or ahistorical character.
.3 New fixtures with components that reference, but that do not
replicate, character-defining features of the original fixtures may
be appropriate. Character-defining features include orthogonal
cross beams, a cone-shaped pendant, tapered pole and
unornamented design. Reference Figure 1.
.4 Select materials, colors, and finishes that are simple and blend
with the existing materials in the historic district.
.5 Reconstruction of missing fixtures or restoration of existing
features from the historic district’s period of significance (1898-
1930) is appropriate only if the materials and design are clearly
documented.
.6 It is not appropriate to introduce replica luminaires that mimic a
time or place other than what is documented at Chautauqua, as
these create a false sense of history.
1.7 Scale and size of luminaires should not overwhelm the historic
setting and should be compatible with the historic buildings and
landscape.
.1 Where possible, integrate lighting into the historic setting through
low mounting-level light fixtures such as directional lights
mounted in unobtrusive locations, pedestrian scale pole mounted
luminaires, and streetlights. Bollards may be appropriate in
unobtrusive locations, such as the perimeter of parks, but are
discouraged along pathways.
.2 Provide a consistency of scale and size for luminaires throughout
each lighting area, appropriate to the scale of the individual
building or landscape.
Figure 1. Sketch of original
light fixture at Chautauqua.
Character-defining features
of the original light fixtures
include orthogonal cross
beams, a cone-shaped
pendant, tapered pole and
unornamented design.
Note: Figure is for illustrative
purposes only.