A bill for an ordinance designating 1717 East Arizona Avenue as a structure for preservation. Approves an individual landmark designation for property located at 1717 East Arizona Avenue in Council District 6. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 10-22-19.
Thank you, Councilman. It has been moved and. Seconded the public hearing for council bill 1120 is open. May we have the staff report? Our second deck is designation for the evening is 1717 Eastern Zone and this is number 2019 hours, 005. This also is an application that comes from the owner, the admin, a family trust, also just located on the same block within Washington Park. Again, this is Council District six, Paul Cashman Blueprint Denver Urban Neighborhood Context Low Residential Area Future Place Current zoning is used. You see, just as a reminder, designated property needs to meet these criteria in the following categories history, architecture, geography has maintained its integrity and be considered by LPC for historic context or theme like the last designation . It also meets History A and Architecture A and B. This property is directly associated with the historical development of Washington Park in the Washington Park neighborhood, specifically the Washington Park Place Subdivision, development of large, ornate building styles and forms and development commissioned by Jane C Pete as an investment property. Pete also hired Jules G B Benedict Design 1717 East Arizona Ave. The property illustrates the strong connection between the design and development of Washington Park and the surrounding neighborhood. Where this property differs significantly from the Gilpin Street address is in this architectural style built between 1915 and 1916. The House embodies the distinguishing characteristics of the Tudor revival style character. Defining features include the use of brick and half timbering on the exterior multiple front gables in arched front entry, arched window openings, window groupings and strings of three or more in a tower like curved wall on the West Side. Additionally, the house is a rare and distinct subtype of the Tudor revival style, given its steeply pitched false thatch. Excuse me, false thatched roof. The Tudor revival style house is a significant example of the work of prominent Colorado architect JJ Benedict. Like the Gilpin Street address, it is one of his earliest residential commissions. It also stands out from other Tudor revival style Benedict designs with its wavy, half timbered, false thatched roof and more modest, approachable scale. One can see the differences when compared to other Tudor designs by Benedict, including the Hermann Cres House and Golden in the top , around the top of the screen there. And the Gettys house in Denver's Country Club neighborhood in the lower right. The property retains a high degree of integrity, of location, design, setting materials, workmanship, feeling, association alterations that are compatible with the original design include a one story brick addition on the East elevation completed in 1982. In 1983 that you see on the screen here and a retaining wall with wrought iron fence constructed in 1983. You can see in the photos that it looks like the porch on the southeast corner of the structure was enclosed and extended. So that was the alteration. However, the openings have not been altered. Most windows are original. Many other original materials remain, and the original distinctive wood has been retained. Benedict's original design is easily recognizable. This property also relates to the theme of housing for Denver's parks and parkways between 1905 and 1929 and its period of significance as 1915 . Designation of 1717 East Arizona AD is consistent with visions and goals found within both the comprehensive plan and blueprint. Denver. Designation of the property helps retain Denver's authenticity by preserving historically and architecturally significant building. In summary, the property meets the criteria for landmark designation. It meets three designation criteria in two categories history and architecture. It maintains its historic and physical integrity, and it relates to historic context or theme. There have been three public comments in support of this designation, none in opposition, and LPC unanimously supported the application at its October 15 public hearing. Therefore, staff recommends approval of landmark designation for 1717 Stairs, Arizona. Thank you. Thank you very much. We have four individuals signed up for this one this evening. First up is Steve Edmond. And Shannon Stage. You'll be next. Hi. Good evening. I'm Steve Edmond and I am one of the. Owners with my wife of this house. And it's really a privilege to be able to be here and to present our discussion about why we feel it should be designated a historic landmark. And it's been our pleasure of having. Moved from Chicago to Denver about 40 years. Ago. And Walsh Park has always been a gem of a neighborhood. And as much as. I missed Chicago initially in many aspects of it, Denver has so many. Unique features, the uniqueness of. Its specific neighborhoods. But Walsh Park was the draw, and part of it was from the neighbors, the style, the park itself and the history. Behind all of this. And for the last nearly 30 years, we've lived in this house, raised our kids there, four kids and now two grandkids. And it's been such a pleasure to live in that home. And it's been a pleasure because the architecture speaks to history and the history provides us a sense of community. And there's that sense of community that really enriches our lives and enriches. What it means to live in Denver, especially in this neighborhood. And a good. Example is having the relationships we do with the locks. Our neighbors just a couple doors down, who you just heard from, very special to have that feeling. Very special to preserve that. It's also been special to know that this home has stood there for so long. And we've had a number of visitors who will knock on the door, who grew up in the neighborhood, someone who actually grew up in the home. And it gives you a sense of continuity. And I think that's so important as we think about making improvements and Denver as a. Place to live. With what Laurie. Tetlock mentioned about so many properties being being knocked. Down and rebuilt and in a style that is not unique to Denver and not. Unique with a sense of history or. Or a sense of community to them, I think is. Really at. Risk for devastating. The quality of our lives and what it means to retain. This piece of our history. So it's been our pleasure to be living in this wonderful house and a wonderful community and having great neighbors. And we think. That, again, the uniqueness of the the. Architect and his history has been something we've. Discovered over the years as well. So so I. Urge you to support the approval. For this. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up, Shannon Stage. Good evening again. My name is Shannon Stage. As I mentioned earlier, I am the preservation coordinator at Historic Denver. We saw inspiration spirit spread right here in East Wash Park. When to designate other homes. When the admins heard what the talks were doing, they reached out to us at Historic Denver to try and figure out how they could also be a part of this process to designate their home. So I worked with the admins to hire the same consultant Kristi minnillo to do the research and writing of the application. We were excited to see the homeowners passion for their homes driving their commitment to start this process and bring it to the finish line before you at City Council tonight. As you heard from Jenny, the admin house has a similar history and architectural legacy to the catwalk house. The house clearly meets the designation criteria. These designations will really anchor the neighborhood and preserve East Wash Park's history, our East Watch Parks history, as well as Denver's history. We want to thank the admins as well for their commitment to this landmarking process and for wanting to designate their home and bring it to you tonight. We hope these landmark stories and their passion to preserve Denver's history will inspire others in Denver to designate their homes and neighborhoods. We urge you again to support this designation as well. Thank you. Thank you, Kristi Mineo. Good evening once more. My name is Christie Minnie Yellow, and I also prepared the landmark application for this property built between 1915 and 1916, also located in the Walsh Park neighborhood. The property is directly associated with early development of that area. As with the Matlock house that you previously heard about, it was also designed by one of Denver's most well-known architects, J.J. Benedict. After seeing images of the previous property, I hope you can appreciate just how adept Benedict was at designing different properties in vastly unrelated architectural styles within a short span of time. This property is one of the most creative and fantastical of his commissions in the Tudor revival style. It stands out with its wavy half timbered second story and its false thatched roof, which is a rare feature for the stylist Jennie mentioned through the course of my work on this application. I frequently heard it referred to as the fairytale or storybook house upon its completion in 1916. The Rocky Mountain News stated that it was, quote, considered one of the most unusual and ornate in the South Side and quote, that certainly holds true today. Although the property has experienced greater turnover and ownership than its Benedict designed counterpart to the north, alterations have been few and sympathetic. The retains integrity of location, design, setting materials, workmanship and association. I support the designation of this unique property as a Denver landmark. Thank you. Thank you. Jesse Pierce. Good evening. My name is Jesse Larson. Paris. I'll be your next mayor in 2023. And I reside in Canarsie, the Barclays District, and I wanted to touch on the history involved with why Spark was Spark was not always and still with, some would say, welcoming place for blacks and other so-called people of color. So I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that racist history, that racism, white supremacist history that goes along with this. I don't even know if black people were even allowed to visit this place, let alone the. Visit or stay there. So I would be remiss if I did not bring that up, but I'm going to be in favor of this either way. It's going to be a reluctant yes due to that racist history. But I trust Cashman and others in regards to this. So it's going to be, I guess, a reluctant. Yes, though. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes our speakers. Are there any questions from members of council on this item? All right. Seeing none of the public hearing for Townsville, 1120 is now closed. Comments by members of Council Councilman Cashman. Yes, thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to the Edmond family. I'm not going to repeat the words I just said to the catalogs, but please know that my appreciation is equally as profound for what you're doing. This is so important. You know, I'm sitting here thinking, why do people collect pictures? We don't take pictures of every moment of every meal, but we do mark those that have importance to us. For whatever reason, we want to remember where we've been from, whence we have come. So we have some grounding to appreciate where where we're heading. And so it's we approach landmarking structures in the exact same way we choose those that have special relevance to us and hearken back to those important times in our lives as individuals, as families, and as a community. So I will repeat this same thing whenever a landmarking comes before us that it it is just such a important thing you're doing for our community. I think back to, you know, Denver is changing so fast, we're all aware of that and people are upset about the density and the pace of growth. But I'm thinking when when Denver was horses in in dirt streets and then the automobile came about and the uproar that must have taken place then is this profound change happened to the community. And then later on when the individual homes that dotted our city became neighborhoods and two acres around a house became ten feet apart. And the upset that that brought and so while change has happened and is going to continue to happen, it becomes ever more important to do as these families have done tonight. So I look forward to approving this and urge my colleagues to join me. Thank you, Councilman Cashman. Seeing no other comments, I will just add again, I know these are both in Councilman Cashman's district, but I feel like they are very close and personal to me. As I mentioned in the last one, I grew up a couple of blocks away from here. This house is actually on my maybe run is too generous for what I do, but my morning jog route. I see it every single day and I also see and have watched, I'll say with a little bit of horror, what has happened across the street and what will happen to every house in this community if if we don't have citizens who step up to do exactly this. And I so nowhere is there more of a stark reminder of what happens if we don't have citizens who are committed to preservation in our communities, then that corner where you can see what was and now will be compared to what the market will do if left unchecked . So a very special house. I'm very excited. Thank you for your gift and excited to support this this evening. Madam Secretary, roll call. Black. I. CdeBaca I. Flynn. I. Hindsight. Cashman. Kenny Ortega. Sandoval. I. Sawyer. I. Torres. I. Mr. President. Madam Secretary, please consider voting against the results. 11 eyes. 11 eyes countable. 1120 has passed. Thank you very much. All right, Councilman Hines, will you please put counts, Bill? One, two, three, seven on the floor?