Public Comment Item 5A - 936 Mapleton Ave - Richard BarrettFrom:Hewat, James
To:landmarksboard
Subject:FW: 936 Mapleton Ave Proposed Addition
Date:Wednesday, April 4, 2018 12:48:45 PM
Please see message below addressing the proposal at 936 Mapleton Avenue.
James Hewat
Senior Historic Preservation Planner
City of Boulder
303.441.3207
hewatj@bouldercolorado.gov
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Barrett <rbarrett@unionlc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 4, 2018 11:28 AM
To: Hewat, James <HewatJ@bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: 936 Mapleton Ave Proposed Addition
Mr. Hewat,
Elaine and I live at 1040 Mapleton in the house known as the Giffin-Klingler house (also known as Ivy Crest and
sometimes referred to as the Harlow Platts house). We’ve owned the property now for nearly 30 years. In those 30
years I have seen many additions made to houses in the Historic District and I’ve never seen a proposed addition so
inconsistent with the intent of maintaining a Historic District in Boulder as this one for 936 Mapleton Ave.
1. It is far too large relative to the size of the historic home. Most additions that have been approved in the Historic
District have only been 10%-20% of the historic house’s square footage. What is proposed is an 83% addition,
nearly doubling the size of the historic home. The character of the historic neighborhood is that some of the turn of
the century homes were very modest and Boulder was not a wealthy community. This history should not be
destroyed by allowing a Developer to double the size of a historic house in the Historic District.
2. Additions in the Historic District are not to be visible from the street. In Figure 24 of the Memorandum to the
Landmark Board, illustrates that this addition will be very visible from Mapleton. How the staff can recommend
approval knowing that the proposed addition is in direct violation of this requirement, surprises me. I cannot think of
any other addition to an historic home in the District that is so visible from the street.
3. The shoe box appearance of the proposed addition is clearly inconsistent with the historic architecture existing in
the Historic District. This is the type of addition on the back of historic homes that has destroyed the architectural
integrity in other Boulder neighborhoods and has clearly ruined the aesthetics of neighborhoods like Pine and
Spruce Street, east of Broadway. If seems to me the mission of having a Historic District is to prevent this type of
abomination.
4. The size of the addition is clearly in violation of the requirement to preserve the backyard. This addition will go
right up to the garage which violates the relevant guideline.
More could be said, but it would seem that these four points alone make approval of this proposal a non-starter.
Richard Barrett
1040 Mapleton Ave
PS The property includes the white cottage in the rear. It would seem to me that that should be part of the
discussion. It would not surprise me that the Developers have plans for that piece of the property but they are
seeking approval piecemeal.