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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06 & 07 - 840 East Texas StreetMEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: BRUNO RUMBELOW, CITY MANAGER MEETING DATE: JULY 5, 2022 SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING - APPEAL TO CERTIFICATE APPROPRIATENESS #CA22-09 RECOMMENDATION: City Council to conduct a public hearing requested by James Gravatt regarding the Historical Preservation Commission's denial of Certificate of Appropriateness CA22-09 for property located at 840 East Texas Street, legally described as Block 5, Lot 6, D.E. Box Addition. FUNDING SOURCE: BACKGROUND: Mr. James Gravatt is appealing the denial of #CA22-09 wherein he was seeking approval to remove and replace five Commission -approved windows with windows that were previously rejected by both Preservation staff and the Historic Preservation Commission. On February 25, 2022, Mr. James Gravatt submitted a #CA22-09 to remove the five Commission -approved poly-carbonite windows on the front of the house and to re -install the five unapproved Don Young anodized aluminum windows. On May 25, 2022, the Historic Preservation Commission denied the CA. These issues began when Mr. James Gravatt constructed a new addition to the rear of the house. He received staff approval for Don Young double pane bronze anodized aluminum windows to be installed in the new addition due to their not being visible from the street and due to the high cost of matching Steelcase windows. Several months later on November 6, 2020, Mr. Gravatt submitted #CA20- 109 to remove the original Steelcase single hung, awning style windows from the front and west ends of the historic portion of the Cosnahan House and to replace them with new Don Young bronze anodized aluminum windows, to match those of the new addition. he request for whole house window replacement must be reviewed by the Grapevine Historic Preservation Commission for compliance with the Secretary of Interior Standards nd Design Guidelines for the D. E. Box Historic District. The proposed removal would violate standards 2, 5 and 6, of the Secretary of Interior Standards which require the retaining of distinctive features and materials; and requiring the utilizing of repair, rather than replacement of original features. The Design Guidelines for the D. E. Box Historic District concur with these Standards. he house was constructed in 1953 for Grapevine resident H. M. Cosnahan, a former Mayor of Grapevine. It featured original single -hung Steelcase windows, with awning style sash, in two -over-two horizontal configurations. This awning -style design of Steelcase windows was popular in the 1950s and used in high quality homes throughout Grapevine. The Steelcase windows are character defining elements of the 1953 Cosnahan House, which is a contributing structure to the D. E. Box Addition Historic District. Necessary repairs could have been made to the existing Steelcase windows as required. Staff informed Mr. Gravatt that by adding engineered storm windows on the Steelcase windows on the exterior or on the interior of the house, a higher energy efficiency rating could be achieved for the original Steelcase windows. Use of storm windows could match or exceed the rating of the proposed double pane Don Young aluminum windows. At the December 16, 2020, meeting of the Grapevine Historic Preservation Commission, the Commission voted to table the #CA20-109 case to the January 27, 2021 meeting, to give the owner time to develop an evaluation of the condition of the existing Steelcase windows in the 1953 Historic Cosnahan House. The applicant had telephoned -in for the December 16, 2020, Historic Preservation Commission meeting, and made the commitment to evaluate the condition of the existing Steelcase windows. The Commission said they needed this information in order to make a determination about whether the Steelcase windows could be removed. Unfortunately, this evaluation did not happen. Earlier in the day of December 16, without an approved CA or Building Permit, Mr. Gravatt's contractor removed the nine Steelcase windows, destroying them in the process; and installed nine Don Young aluminum windows, not following Commission procedures. Mr. Gravatt later said that he was unaware that his window installer had removed and destroyed the Steelcase windows and had installed the Don Young windows earlier in the same day of the meeting. The new Don Young aluminum windows are one -over -one windows which do not match the two -over -two awning style horizontal mullions of the original Steelcase windows. Staff was informed of the destruction of original windows by a HPC Commissioner who noticed the change and advised Historic Preservation staff. Staff then contacted Mr. Gravatt and discussed the error. Staff attempted to help him find information regarding appropriate replacement windows to mitigate the error. In 1953 at the time the Cosnahan House was built, available window material options were steel windows or wood windows. The Cosnahan house had steel windows which was at the time the top quality windows available, and was an upgrade over wood. Mr. Gravatt obtained a price quote for replacing the nine steel windows from Portella Steel Windows for $33,878, not including installation. As a cost alternative, Mr. Gravatt worked with his window installer who suggested a proposal to add aluminum bars to the nine aluminum windows. The aluminum bars would be glued on to the window glass of the aluminum windows to resemble the mullion bars of the two -over -two window configuration of the original Steelcase windows. The cost for this proposal would be $3,500. This will not simulate the narrow frame unique character of the original Steelcase windows. The Don Young aluminum windows do not match the quality of the original Steelcase windows removed. Historic Preservation Staff contacted steel and also wood window manufactures for price quotes for replacement windows for the house. The steel replacement windows were $33,878 confirming the original quote. Quotes obtained for metal clad wood and poly-carbonite windows for the five front windows of the house were $4,730 and $3,662.96 respectively. This information was provided to Mr. Gravatt by Historic Preservation staff. Mr. Gravatt stated he would prefer to install the glue -on aluminum bars to the unapproved Don Young windows, but if required by the Commission he would remove and install Marvin Metal Clad Wood windows. This would be much more consistent architecturally with the original windows that were improperly removed. Replacement of the windows with an architecturally appropriate replacement window will be much more durable than a glued -on rig job, which is architecturally inferior. Mr. Gravatt eventually decided to go with the Marvin poly-carbonite windows which staff approved by #CA21-09 because they most closely resembled the original window details and proportions. These approved windows were installed. One year later, on February 25, 2022, Mr. Gravatt submitted CA22-09 to remove the Commission approved Marvin poly-carbonite windows and replace them with the same Don Young aluminum windows originally and illegally installed by Mr. Gravatt's contractor. Staff recommended the Commission deny the request to remove the five Commission -approved Marvin poly-carbonite windows currently installed on the original portion of the house and replace them with the five unapproved Don Young one -over -one aluminum windows. The Marvin poly-carbonite windows more accurately replicate the Steelcase windows that were original to the house and were removed and destroyed without obtaining a building permit or obtaining approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness by the Historic Preservation Commission. The intent of the Grapevine Historic Preservation Commission, following the Secretary of Interior Standards, is to retain the distinctive features and materials of the original historic house. This cannot be accomplished by re -installing the unapproved one -over -one aluminum windows. The appearance of the original Steelcase windows is more accurately replicated by the high - quality Marvin poly-carbonite windows currently in place. At the HPC hearing, applicant Jay Gravatt, 840 East Texas Street, described the history of the windows. He stated that he does not believe the Commission should have the right to tell him what to do with his house. City Attorney Matthew Boyle described the history of this property regarding the replacement of the windows and stated the property owner did not follow the process. Commissioner Telford made a motion to close the public hearing; Commissioner Niewald seconded the motion prevailing in a vote of: Ayes: 6 (Shope, Niewald, Telford, Anderson, Wilbanks and Temple) Nays: 0 The public hearing was closed. Commissioner Temple made a motion to deny the request for Certificate of Appropriateness #CA22-09; Commissioner Telford seconded the motion prevailing in a vote of: Ayes: 6 (Shope, Niewald, Telford, Anderson, Wilbanks and Temple) Nays: 0 The minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission's meeting were approved oat the June 22, 2022 meeting. This item was originally scheduled for the June 21, 2022 City Council meeting, however, Mr. Gravatt requested to table his appeal to the July 5 meeting. The public hearing was opened on June 21 and continued to July 5.