HomeMy WebLinkAbout09222019 Historic Preservation Work Session Laydown - 2008 Historic District Memorandum
Historic Preservation Commission
Date: June 20,2008
To: Historic Preservation Commission
Through: Bob Hicks, Community Development Director
From: Anne Bailey,Executive Liaison Qb
Subject: Historic District Information
The Historic Preservation Commission has discussed establishing a Historic District. The
definition of a historic district is an area containing buildings or places in which historic
events occurred or having special public value because of notable architectural or other
features relating to the cultural or artistic heritage of the community of such significance
as to warrant conservation and preservation.(SCC § 15.10.140). Expanding and/or adding
requirementshestrictions to the current Historic District Overlay District, creating a
National Registered District and/or leaving the Historic District overlay as is are a few
ideas the Commission may want to consider in establishing a district.
L Historic District Overlay — � =
Currently the City of Seward has a historic district, which is classified as an Overlay
District H- Historic District on the zoning map_ This area incorporates the Downtown
area: South of Jefferson Street, 'West of Sixth Avenue and East of Third Avenue and the
Jesse Lee Heights Subdivision Addition#3: West of Swetmann Avenue, East of Phoenix
Avenue, North of Bear Drive and South of Benson Drive. The only requirement placed
on this district per SCC § 15.20.030 K is "No sign shall exceed the roofline of a building
within any historic district."
The Commission may wish to expand the current overlay district and/or place more
requirements or regulations on the overlay district.
If the Commission chooses this route the Commission would need to:
• Determine the overlay district area.
• Create a list of Historic District Overlay requirements and regulations.
• Hold public meetings to include the Community's input.
o Invite business owners, contractors, the Chamber of Commerce and other
public and community entities
o Provide an informative outline for the public
• Consider Building Codes and Grandfather Issues
• Obtain Grant money to create design criteria
• Make changes to the Seward City Code
• Address staffing issues(to review and enforce requirements
2.National Registered Historic District -
In order to create a historic district that would qualify for the National Register. Two
fundamental criteria must be met: 1)to identify the significance whether based on events,
people, architecturelconstruction; or the potential for information such as prehistoric
sites; and 2)the property continues to maintain its historic integrity with.consideration to
location, design, setting,materials,workmanship,feeling and association.
The National Park Service conducted a 2004 Seward Commercial Historic District
(SEW-1192) Determination of Eligibility. They evaluated 50 buildings and 1 structure
located within a four block area between Railway and Adams Streets, and Third and Fifth
Avenue and they gave additional consideration to a smaller area focusing along Fourth
Avenue from Railway Avenue on the south to Adams Street on the North. The time of
significance was 1903-1943. The National Park Service and the State Historic
Preservation Officer determined "much of the district's integrity has been impacted
because of changes to the historic building facades along with the addition of new
construction. This loss of a significant concentration of historically linked properties
resulted in the determination that the district was not eligible for the National Register of
Historic Places." They also determined that the Old Solly's Building, the Mai Property
and the Harbor Dinner Club did not qualify for the individual determination of eligibility
to the National Register of Historic Places. Currently ten sites from Seward are listed on
the National Register of Historic Places.
If the Commission decides to create a National Registered District they may want to
reduce the area of consideration and/or change the period of significance. The
Commission would need to:
• Hold a public meeting to get the Community's input.
o Invite business owners, contractors, the Chamber of Commerce and other
public and community entities
o Provide an informative outline for the public
• Obtain grant money to complete a survey of what would qualify for the National
Register of Historic Places.
• Obtain grant money to create design criteria. Consider:
o Building Code Provisions
o Incentives(such as,tax assessment forgiveness)
o Grandfather Issues
Make changes to the code.
RECOMIvMNDATION
The Commission review and discuss the options presented above and decide how they
would like to proceed.
PLANNING AND LAND USE REGuLATiONS 15.10.140
supervision, rehabilitation and counseling are provided to mainstream residents back into
society, enabling them to live independently. Such placement is pursuant to the authority of
the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Health club. Includes, but is not limited to, gymnasiums (except public), private clubs
(athletic, health or recreational), reducing salons and weight control establishments.
Historic distfict. An area containing buildings or places in which historic events occurred or
having special public value because of notable architectural or other features relating to the
cultural or artistic heritage of the community of such significafice as to warrant conservation
and preservation.
Home occupation.Any use customarily conducted entirely within a dwelling,or its accessory
building, and carried on by the occupants thereof,which is clearly incidental and secondary to
the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes and does not chdAge the character thereof, and
in connection with which there is no exterior sign, no display by stock in trade, no outside
storage of materials or equipment, no commodity sold upon the premises and not more than
two persons are engaged in such occupation.
Home professional off-we. A home occupation consisting of the office of a practitioner of a
recognized profession.
Hostel. A building,, or portion thereof, in which temporary or overnight lodging is provided
for hikers, cyclists or other travelers not generally traveling by car.
Hotel. A facility with six or more guest rooms and on premises management offering
transient lodging accommodations to the general public on a daily rate where access to all
sleeping rooms is through a main entrance and which may provide food, entertainment,
meeting rooms, recreational facilities or various personal services. Includes lodges and inns.
Junk. Dismantled or wrecked automobiles, aircraft, motor vehicles or machinery, mobile
homes,trailers, used appliances or furniture, scrap building materials, metals, rubber,paper,
plastic or other scrap materials.
Kennel. Any enclosure, building, shelter, area or establishment used for the purpose of
breeding, buying, selling, keeping or boarding five or more dogs over the age of four months,
whether for profit,pleasure,or as pets,by any person,individual, corporation,group of people
or business entity. Does not include an animal shelter-
Live-stock. Generally accepted large(over 250 pounds)and Mall(under 260 pounds)outdoor
farm ani'mals (i.e- cows, goats, horses, pigs, barnyard, fowl, ete.). Does not include cats, dogs
and other common household pets.
Loading space. A space located on premises for pickup and delivery at the premises.
Required off-street loading space shall not be included as an ofr-street parking space.
Supplement No. 01-1 jr, I
PLANNING AND LAND USE TIO S S 15 .1.5® 020
Chapter 15.15 Historic Preservation
15.15.O1O Purpose.
15.15.015 Seward Register of Historic Places established.
15.15.0 0 Historic district established.
15.15.01O Purpose.
Historic preservation is necessary to promote the educational, cultural, economic and general
welfare of the community by providing a mechanism to identify and preserve the distinctive
historic and architectural characteristics of Seward which represent elements of the city's cultural,
social, economic, political and architectural history. (ford. 95-10))
15J5.O15 Seward Register of Historic Places established.
A. A Seward 'Register of Historic Places is hereby established to provide for public
recognition of local cultural resources worthy of preservation.
13. Criteria for selection and placement on the Registet of Historic Places shall be set by
resolution of the Historic Preservation. Commission.
C. The Historic Preservation Commission shall recommand nominations to the Register of
Historic Places to the City Council.
D. Nominations to the Register of Historic Places shall be approved by resolution of the City
Council. (Ord. 95-10)
15.15.00 Historic'district established.
A. The historic district of the City is established to define those areas of the City that meet
state or federal standards for historic districts or that otherwise have special historic significance
that merits additional consideration in land use regulation.
B_ The City Council shall, by resolution, establish and define those areas to be included in
the historic district.
C. Criteria for selection and placement on the list of historic districts within the City shall be
set by resolution of the City Council.
D_ Upon designation, the historic district shall be classified as an Overlay District H - Historic
District on the official zoning map of the City of Seward. (Ord. 95-101)
Supplement No. 97-1 City ra,f Seward
07197 15 - 9
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PLANNING AND LAND USE REGULATIONS 5 15.20 .030
%Dole repair. If any sign is found not to be, so maintained or is insecurely fastened or otherwise
dangerous, it shall be the duty of the owner and/or occupant of the premises on which the
sign is fastened to repair or remove the sign within five days after receiving notice from
the administrative official.
E. Illumination from or upon any sign shall be shaded, shielded, directed or reduced
so as to avoid glare or reflection of light on private or public property in the surrounding
area and so as to avoid distracting pedestrians and motorists:
F. In those cases where a business or institution has frontage on more than one street,
signs are allowed on each street frontage,provided they are in conformance with appilica-
ble district regulations, and that frontage limits are not combined.
G. The symbol, slogan or national trademark of a national brand beverage or other
product that is sold on the premises shall not comprise more than twenty-five percent of
the total area of the sign. National brand logo signs designed to hang in a window and
not exceeding four square feet, and signs advertising products that form the bulk of the
business transaction, are exempted from this provision.
H. No sign shall be located so as to physically obstruct any door, window or exit
from a building or be hazardous to a motorist's ingress and egress from any public or
private parking area.
1. Signs used seasonally are to be included in the total square footage of sign area
allowed for that district.
J. In no case shall any portion of a sign attached to building exceed the maximum
allowable building height limit, or more than four feet above the roof line, facade or
parapet height, whichever is less,
K. No sign shall exceed the roofline of a building within any historic district.
L. Freestanding signs are subject to the following limitations:
1. maximum height of twenty feet or the height of the building, whichever is less;
2. one per street frontage;
3. only allowed within front yards and side yards which are adjacent to a street.
M. No readerboard sign may exceed thirty-two square feet per side;changeable letters
of such signs must be adequately secured against wind loss, and each readerboard sign
must be one of the following:
1. a wall sign,
2. a marquee, sign,
3. a freestanding sign within a structural framework.
N. Except in the central business district (CBI)) zone and along the west side of
Fourth Avenue between North and South Harbor Streets, no sign, except temporary street
banners, shall project into the airspace above any night-of-way or sidewalk. (Ord. 98-02)
15.20.030 Signs allowed without permits.
The following signs are not subject to a permit requirement if the following standards
are met. They shall be regulated by the following size and placement standards and shall
not be included when calculating permitted sign area for any building or parcel. If a
Supplement No. 98-1 City of Seward
11198 15 - 45
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§ 15.2 0 . 0 3 0 PLANNING AND LAND USE REGULATIONS
proposed sign exceeds the limits of this section, a sign permit must be obtained and the,
signage must count toward the total allowed signage for the building or -parcel.
A. nameplates not exceeding two square feet and building markers;
B. standard flags and insignia of government,religious,civic,charitable,educational
or philanthropic groups which can in no way be construed as advertising;
C. signs identifying the historic name of a building, provided that such name is
approved by the historic preservation comirLission. and the sign does not exceed twenty
square feet in size;
D. legal notices, traffic signs, information signs, historic signs or directional signs
erected by government bodies
es and signs required by law;
B. directional signs not exceeding six square feet (directional signs contain no
advertising);
F. signs advertising subdivision tract developments of two or more acres, not
exceeding thirty-two square, feet and limited to one such sign per street frontage;
G. incidental signs not exceeding four square feet each;
H. notices and warning signs of not more than two square feet each in area, i.e.,
vacancy, no trespassing, beware of dog;
I. point of purchase advertising displays;
J. structure or improvements intended for a separate use, such as phone booths,
donation containers or recycling boxes;
K. suspended signs provided they do not extend farther from the building facade than
the marquee of canopy to winch they are attached, do not exceed four square feet in area,
and maintain a clear distance of right feet between the sidewalk and the sign bottom. One
sign per pedestrian entrance;
L. signs or scoreboards on athletic fields intended for on-premises viewing;
M. fuel price signs not exceeding twenty square feet per sign face, with one sign
allowed per abutting street right-of-way;
N. two-sided or three-sided signs mounted on the roof of a vehicle for hire (as
defined in § 8.20.010) not exceeding fourteen inches in height and thirty-nine inches in
length on each side; signs on the side of said vehicle not exceeding four square feet; or
a sign mounted between the bumper and the lowest level of the rear window, not exceed-
ing eighteen inches by thirty-six inches;
0. signs on vehicles, operated during the normal course of business, which identify
the firm or its principal product (see also § 15.20.035 Q;
P. wall murals which ir
e purely decorative in nature and content, and do not include
advertising by picture or verbal message;
Q. signs painted on or placed inside windows, as long as they do not extend beyond
the first story of the building and do not block any opening required for entrance or exit
from buildings;
R. temporary signs for the purposes listed below which shall be removed upon
completion of the activity or project denoted by the sign:
1. grand opening and sale signs may be posted for not more than thirty days,
Supplement No, 98-1 City of Seward
11198 15 - 46
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