Item 5A - 1709 Pine St
Agenda Item #5A, Page 1
M E M O R A N D U M
October 3, 2018
TO: Landmarks Board
FROM: Charles Ferro, Interim Comprehensive Planning Manager
Debra Kalish, Senior Counsel, City Attorney’s Office
James Hewat, Senior Historic Preservation Planner
Marcy Cameron, Historic Preservation Planner II
Caleb Gasparek, Historic Preservation Intern
SUBJECT: Public hearing and consideration of a Landmark Alteration
Certificate to replace the existing siding with fiber cement
lap siding and trim on a non-contributing accessory building
at 1709 Pine St., an individually landmarked property, per
section 9-11-18 of the Boulder Revised Code (HIS2018-
00226).
STATISTICS:
1. Site: 1709 Pine St.
2. Zoning: RMX - 1 (Residential Mixed - 1)
3. Lot size: 14,518 sq. ft.
4. Individual Landmark: Whiteley-Hellems House
5. Owner/Applicant: Erin Decker, owner and representative of
condo association
6. Date of Construction: 1890 (house); 1979 (accessory building)
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Landmarks Board make the following motion:
I move that the Landmarks Board approve the proposal for the replacement of siding with
fiber-cement lap siding and trim at the non-contributing accessory building at the
landmark property at 1709 Pine St., subject to the condition below, in that the proposal
generally meets the standards in Section 9-11-18, B.R.C. 1981, and is generally
consistent with the General Design Guidelines and that the Board adopt this
memorandum as findings of the Board.
Agenda Item #5A, Page 2
CONDITION OF APPROVAL
The applicant shall be responsible for ensuring that the fiber-cement siding and
trim is installed in compliance with the approved plans on file in the City of
Boulder Planning Department, except as modified by these conditions of
approval:
1. The siding be installed with a smooth, rather that textured finish.
This recommendation is based upon staff’s opinion that, in this instance, if the
applicant complies with the condition listed above, the proposed application of
fiber-cement lap siding and trim will be generally consistent with the conditions
as specified in Section 9-11-18, B.R.C. 1981 and the General Design Guidelines.
BACKGROUND:
• The Whiteley-Hellems House was constructed in 1890 and designated as
an individual landmark in 1978. The non-contributing accessory building
at 1709 Pine St. was constructed between 1972-1975 prior to the property
being landmarked.
• On Aug. 8, 2018, the request to install fiber-cement lap siding and trim on
the accessory building was reviewed by the Landmarks design review
committee (Ldrc) and referred to the full Landmarks Board for
consideration in a public hearing.
• The General Design Guidelines state that materials on non-historic buildings
should utilize materials similar to those traditionally found during the
period-of-significance for the property.
• Staff considers that the appropriateness of materials that simulate wood
like fiber-cement siding in a historic district or on landmarked property
will be very rare, but in this case, such an installation on a non-
contributing building on a landmark property is acceptable given the age
and character of the building, as well as its location, which has limited
public visibility.
• Staff considers, in this instance, the installation of fiber-cement lap siding
and trim is consistent with Section 9-11-18 of the Boulder Revised Code,
Section 6.4.1 Materials (New Primary Structures), and Section 6.5.2, Key
Building Materials, of the General Design Guidelines.
Agenda Item #5A, Page 3
PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
The property is at 1709 Pine St. is located on the northeast corner of Pine and 17th
streets in the identified potential Whittier Historic District. The property was
designated as an individual landmark in 1978 as the Whiteley-Hellems House.
Three buildings are located on the property: the 1890 house, a flat-roof, one-story
garage (date of construction unknown) at the northwest corner of the property,
and a 1 ½ story gable-roof accessory building constructed between 1972 and 1975
located at the northeast corner of the property.
Figure 1. Location Map of 1709 Pine St.
Figure 2. Bird’s Eye View of 1709 Pine St. Google Maps.
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Property History:
The property was surveyed in 1986, and records the following:
Richard H. Whiteley built the house in 1890-1891. Whiteley was a member
of the first class to graduate from the University of Colorado in 1882. He
attended law school at Harvard College and then returned to Boulder to
open his law practice. He was elected to the state senate, serving from
1888 to 1892. In addition to his private clients, Whiteley was the attorney
for the National State Bank and several other companies. Mr. Whiteley
was married to Ella Tyler, daughter of Captain Clinton M. Tyler.
Hortense and Zena Whiteley, sisters of Richard, became the owners of the
house after their brother’s death. Hortense was married to Fred B.R.
Hellems. She was a member of the faculty of the State Preparatory School,
where she taught Greek and Latin. F.B.R. Hellems was Dean of the college
of Liberal Arts at the University of Colorado. He married Zena Whiteley
after Hortense’s death in an automobile accident. Zena Whiteley was
active in university women’s organizations and St. John’s Episcopal
Church and gave support to many student groups. The house was called
“The Poplars” by the Whiteley family.
The Whiteley-Hellems House is a significant example of construction
based upon a pattern book design. The house is a close duplicate of one
designed by the staff of “Scientific American Architects and Builder
Edition,” 1889. The design of the house included two interesting front
towers, a shingled dormer and walls of heavy sandstone masonry. The
sandstone came from the Wilson-Case quarry north of Boulder. The house
is a visual landmark, contrasting sharply to surrounding residences.
Richard Whiteley is the subject of William Roger’s 2007 book, “A
Scalawag in Georgia: Richard Whiteley and the Politics of
Reconstruction,” available at the Carnegie Branch Library for Local
History. The Arts and Sciences building at the University of Colorado is
named in honor of Fred Hellems.
The house was designated in 1978 as the nineteenth designated landmark
in the city of Boulder and the same year the property was converted into a
condominium.
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Figure 3. Tax Assessor Photograph of 1709 Pine St., c.1949.
Figure 4. Whiteley-Hellems House, 1709 Pine St., 2018.
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Figure 5. Accessory Building (center left) proposed for new siding and trim,
1709 Pine St., 2018.
Request:
The application proposes to install fiber-cement siding and trim on the non-
contributing 1972-1975 accessory building located behind (north) of the main
house. Submitted information indicates that all of the existing and deteriorating
hard board siding is to be replaced with fiber-cement lap siding (prefinished
tan). No details were provided as to the exposure of the proposed siding, though
product information indicates it is available with an exposure between 5” and
10.75 inches. Citing concerns with longevity of wood siding and the associated
costs with repainting, the applicant is requesting that fiber-cement lap siding be
approved for installation on the non-contributing building.
Agenda Item #5A, Page 7
Figure 6. Existing siding proposed for replacement.
Figure 7. Proposed Fiber-Cement Siding.
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CRITERIA FOR THE BOARD’S DECISION
Subsections 9-11-18(b) and (c), B.R.C. 1981, set forth the standards the Landmarks
Board must apply when reviewing a request for a Landmark Alteration
Certificate:
(b) Neither the landmarks board nor the city council shall approve a landmark alteration
certificate unless it meets the following conditions:
(1) The proposed work preserves, enhances, or restores and does not damage
or destroy the exterior architectural features of the landmark or the
subject property within an historic district;
(2) The proposed work does not adversely affect the special character or
special historical, architectural, or aesthetic interest or value of the
landmark and its site or the district;
(3) The architectural style, arrangement, texture, color, arrangement of
color, and materials used on existing and proposed structures are
compatible with the character of the existing landmark and its site or
the historic district;
(c) In determining whether to approve a landmark alteration certificate, the
landmarks board shall consider the economic feasibility of alternatives,
incorporation of energy efficient design, and enhanced access for the disabled.
The following is an assessment of the proposal against these standards:
ANALYSIS:
1. Does the proposed application preserve, enhance, or restore, and not damage or
destroy significant exterior architectural features of the landmark or the subject
property within an historic district?
Staff finds that because the 1972-1975 accessory building is non-contributing
to the Whiteley-Hellems landmarked site and public visibility of this building
limited, in this case, the proposed replacement of the existing siding with the
requested fiber-cement siding will not damage or destroy the property or the
district.
2. Does the proposed application adversely affect the special character or special historic,
architectural, or aesthetic interest or value of the district or site?
Staff finds that the proposed application will not adversely affect the special
character of the landmarked site, as the accessory building is non-
contributing and minimally visible from public ways.
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3. Is the architectural style, arrangement, texture, color, arrangement of color, and
materials used on existing and proposed structures compatible with the character of
the historic district?
While the proposed fiber-cement siding and trim has a texture that attempts
to mimic wood, its appearance is generally unlike traditional painted wood.
However, because the building is non-contributing and has minimal public
visibility, in this case its application on the accessory building at 1709 Pine St.
will not be incompatible with the character of the landmarked site.
4. The Landmarks Board is required to consider the economic feasibility of alternatives,
incorporation of energy-efficient design, and enhanced access for the disabled in
determining whether to approve a Landmark Alteration Certificate.
The application states that the installation and maintenance cost of fiber-
cement siding is a prime consideration in requesting this material. The total
cost of the fiber-cement installation and maintenance is projected to range
from $32,000 to $44,000, compared to $63,000 to $105,000 for cedar siding. It is
unclear as to whether wood siding of similar dimensions is less energy
efficient than the proposed cementitious siding
DESIGN GUIDELINES ANALYSIS:
While there is little specific guidance given for the replacement of siding and
trim on non-contributing buildings, the following is an analysis of the proposal’s
compliance with guidelines that address replacement siding on existing
buildings and on new construction. Design guidelines are intended to be used
only as an aid to appropriate design and are not intended as a checklist of items
for compliance.
General Design Guidelines:
Section 6.4.1, Materials, (New Primary Structures), of these guidelines reads that,
"Materials should be similar in scale, proportion, texture, finish, and color to
those found on nearby historic buildings.” Section 6.5 Key Building Materials for
new construction, reads that, “Roofs, porches, dormers, windows and doors are
some of the most important character-defining elements of any building. As such
they require extra attention so that they complement the historic architecture.
In the past, staff and the Landmarks Board have interpreted these guidelines to
not allow simulated siding materials as they are dissimilar in finish, texture, and
weathering to those traditionally used in the historic district. Perhaps most
noticeable about this type of siding is the exaggerated and repetitive simulated
grain pattern embossed into siding. Likewise, the reverse condition can be
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obtained where the material is smooth with very little texture and dis-similar to
wood in appearance.
Because the Guidelines identify that replacement “materials should be similar in
scale, proportion, texture, finish, and color to those found on nearby historic
buildings,” the staff and the board have been consistent in recommending that
real wood clapboard siding and trim be used when existing siding replacement
is necessary.
In 2017, the Landmarks Board approved the replacement of wood siding with
fiber cement siding on a non-contributing building in the Mapleton Hill Historic
District, due to its non-historic date of construction and limited visibility.
Analysis:
Cement-fiber siding is a composite of concrete and wood fiber which is very
hard. Because it is concrete based and in siding form, brittle, it is prone to
chipping and breakage with relatively low impact. It appears to retain the
embossed texture as it ages.
It is unclear how the prefinished material weathers, however when painted with
latex or oil-based paint the finish will dull down and require maintenance in the
form of scraping and repainting on roughly the same cycle as natural wood
typically every five years or so. Cement fiber siding has a relatively low thermal
co-efficiency, meaning that the material exhibits limited expansion and
contraction with change of temperature.
Cementitious vs. Wood Siding:
Staff has observed fairly significant differences between the two materials in
terms of texture and finish. It is unclear the differences in weathering between
prefinished fiber-cement siding and wood. The selected material is pre-finished
(tan colored similar to the existing siding) has a prorated 15-year warranty
against the finish chipping, cracking, or peeling but does not cover fading or
chalking. The manufacturer defines fading and chalking of prefinished fiber-
cement as a function of normal weathering.
While the Guidelines state that buildings should be of their own time, they also
state that materials need to be similar to nearby historic buildings in terms of
color, texture, and finish. Staff considers that the appearance of fiber-cement
siding and trim is dissimilar in appearance to wood and would be an
inappropriate material to use on a historic building or addition to a historic
building for this reason. However, in this case, because the accessory building on
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the landmark property is clearly non-contributing, is not a building from the
recent past of architectural interest, and has limited visibility from public ways,
staff considers that application of fiber-cement lap siding and trim on the
accessory building at 1709 Pine St. will not have an adverse impact on the
Whiteley-Hellems landmarked site.
Findings:
This decision is consistent with the purposes and standards of the Historic
Preservation Ordinance in that:
1. The installation of fiber-cement lap siding and trim on the non-
contributing accessory building at 1709 Pine St. will not damage the
landmark property. Sec. 9-11-18(b)(1), B.R.C. 1981.
2. While the texture and finish of fiber-cement siding and trim is generally
not compatible with the character of historic buildings, because the
building is non-contributing to the character of the landmark property
and has limited public visibility, the proposal will not adversely affect the
historic character of the designated Whiteley-Hellems landmark. Sec. 9-11-
18(b)(2), B.R.C. 1981.
3. While the material and texture of fiber-cement siding and trim is unlike
wood siding, because the 1972-75 building is clearly non-contributing and
has limited public visibility, the proposal will not be incompatible with
the historic character of the Whiteley-Hellems landmarked site. Section 9-
11-18(b)(3), of the Boulder Revised Code.
4. In making these findings, the Landmarks Board has considered the
economic feasibility of alternatives, incorporation of energy-efficient
design, and enhanced access for the disabled in determining whether to
approve a Landmark Alteration Certificate.
ATTACHMENTS:
A: Tax Assessor Card and Historic Survey Information
B: Applicant Materials
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ATTACHMENT A: Tax Assessor and Historic Survey Information
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Tax Assessor Photograph, 1709 Pine St., c.1949.
Historic Building Inventory Photograph, 1986.
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ATTACHMENT B: Applicant Materials
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