HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-19-21 Public Comment - J. Pytka - Campeau HomeApril 17, 2021City of Bozeman Department of Community DevelopmentATTN:PhillipeGonzalezPO Box 1230Bozeman,MT 59771-1230RE: Application #20-446 ("T Campeau Home")My name is Jonathan Pytka, and I own and reside at 412 S Grand Avenue, which is right acrossthe street from the project (415 S Grand Avenue). Due to the project's direct and immediateimpact on myself, my family, and property, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide feedback.Location: This project is located in the heart of one of Bozeman's most historic and architecturallysignificant neighborhoods. The corner of S Grand Avenue and W Story Street is of particularhistoric and architectural prominence and, thus, sensitivity. Therefore, this project must be heldto the absolute highest standards of design and appropriateness and "rise to the occasion"!Bozeman Guidelines for Historic Preservation & the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District:According to Chapter 2, Design Guidelines for all Properties, Which Guidelines Apply?: "For newprojects within a historic district, the design guidelines for all properties will apply, as well asthose for specific character areas and historic districts. The guidelines will be applied morerigorously in this case." (emphasis mine)What! Like:• Single Family Home. I was pleased to see that the proposed structure is a single-famity home,not a multi-unit apartment tower (as are popping up around other parts of town). Despite beingzoned R-4, this part of town is not appropriate for apartment towers. A single-family home likethe one proposed at 415 S Grand Avenue is the best and most appropriate use for the area.• Open Space. "Lot "I" is maintained between 415 S Grand and 419 S Grand, thus preserving theviewing angles of the historic 419 S Grand and avoiding a situation whereby the home feelsshoehorned into the space. I appreciate that the owner has prioritized openness as a majorconsideration in the design and siting of the home.• Street Set-back. The home is set back from the street farther than the minimum requirement -which better aligns and is consistent with the historic street set-backs of the neighboring homes.What I Do Not Like:• The carport/driveway in front of the house is inconsistent with the neighboring homes. It alsodisrupts and diminishes the streetscape. In general, homes in this historic Ban Ton neighborhoodhave alley-side parking. Neighboring homes that do have street-side driveways either (1) have nogarage (414 S Grand) or (2) have a garage that is set back from the street and not directly attachedto the home (for example, 420 S Grand). Therefore, a carport/driveway in front of the house andintegrated directly into it is not in keeping with the neighborhood. I suggest reorienting the homesuch that the carport/driveway is located on the alley side of the property instead.
••Non-Compliance with Bozeman Guidelines for Historic Preservation & the NeighborhoodConservation Overlay District, Chapter 2, Design Guidelines for all Properties:• D. Streetscape, "Maintain the traditional character of the streetscape." The street-sidecarport/driveway does not maintain the traditional character of the streetscape.• F. Building Form, "Use building forms that are similar to those seen traditionally on the block."The street-facing, second-story porch is inconsistent with neighboring properties.• G. Solid-to-Void Ratio, "A typical building appeared to be a rectangular solid, with small holespunched in the walls for windows and doors.... This ratio on a new building, the amount of facadethat is devoted to wall surface, as compared to that developed as openings, should be similar tothat of historic buildings within the neighborhood." The street-facing, second-story porch createsa large void space in the facade, which does not comply with this guideline.• J. Parking, "The visual impact of surface parking should be minimized. On site parking shouldbe subordinate to other uses and the front of the lot should not appear to be a parking area."J. Parking, "Minimize the visual impact of surface parking in residential. A parking area shouldbe located to the rear of a site. Do not use a front yard for parking."J. Parking, "In residential neighborhoods where alley access is possible the use of parking offthe alley is preferred and appropriate."Non-Compliance with Bozeman Guidelines for Historic Preservation & the NeighborhoodConservation Overlay District, Guidelines for Residential Character Areas:A. Hierarchy of Public and Private Spaces, "Provide a front yard similar in character to itsneighbors when possible." The front yard driveway is not similar in character to its neighbors.A. Hierarchy of Public and Private Spaces, "Clearly define the primary entrance by using a frontporch." The front porch is narrow due to the fact that the front carport takes up half of the frontfirst-floor facade of the home. Meanwhile, the "back porch" spans the full width of the home.• B. Building Mass and Scale, "Provide a one-story porch similar to those seen traditionally."The street-facing, second-floor porch is non-traditional. Most front porches in neighborhood areon the first floor/ground floor, not on the second floor. This is a significant inconsistency.• C. Roof Form, "Use roof forms that are similar to those seen traditionally on the block."The street-facing, second-floor porch creates a "tree house" appearance that is inconsistent withthe roof forms seen traditionally on the block.Non-Compliance with Bozeman Guidelines for Historic Preservation & the NeighborhoodConservation Overlay District, Chapter 5(G), Bon Ton Historic District:• District Character, "Garages to the rear of the lot." 415 S Grand is a violation of this guideline.• District Character, "Automobile access is primarily from the alley." Violation of the guideline.Parking: The parking situation along the 400 block of S Grand Avenue is already a big problem -due to the overcrowded apartment buildings at 409 S Grand Avenue (Tester Apartments) and at401 S Grand Avenue that do not provide adequate parking accommodations for their tenants.Thus, the tenants end up parking up and down the street in front of other people's houses.Hopefully, 415 S Grand Ave will not exacerbate this problem. However, due to the curb cut forthe driveway called for in the plans, at least one on-street parking spot would be lost forever.••
Wood-Burning Stove: I see that the main floor plan calls for a wood stove in the Living Room.According to Montana State University Extension, wood stoves are a major contributor to poorair quality in Montana. Therefore, I hope that the intent is to only use the wood-burning stoveoccasionally rather than continuously and as one of the primary means of heating the home.(Reference: https://apps.msuextension.org/magazine/assets/docs/OutdoorAirQuality.pdf)Radon: There is radon in this neighborhood. A radon mitigation system should be installed duringconstruction. In order to avoid unsightly vent pipes and a noisy radon fan hanging off the side ofthe home, a radon pipe from the foundation up to the attic should be installed. All of the pipesand fan (in the attic) should be installed completely interior to the structure.Thank you for this opportunity to share my reactions and opinions regarding Project #20-446.Please realize that I am submitting these Public Comments with the sincere intention of makingthis the best project possible. I whole-heartedly wish the owner of this project success in bringinghis new home to fruition.Best,Jonathan Pytka412 S Grand AvenueBozeman, MT 597157:In Concurrence,JasgnSarisky -^^'412 S Grand AvenueB^)zeman,MT 59715Jim^labunde410$ Grand AvenueBozeman, MT 59715\Mara Klabunde410 S Grand AvenueBozeman, MT 59715
^SKSMW'&fSSXSKSI^B3-,m,^ss&s.sm^^&^isKi-:li-wn.^•!S^ ';.l<'.StBOZEMANGUIDELINES FORHISTORIC PRESERVATIONOVERLAY DISTRICTIIrt& THE NEIGHBORHOOD ICONSERVATIONf-j;8€i-%^&'•I.^fr*•/BtillIm^I1^q3-»»»•"•:••^^a.^d*••Ifr1.1t,4-«-.^s--..„ rs.JANUARY 17,2006Amended July 13, 2015
4. Historically Significant Property in the Conservation OverlayOther older buildings are found within the Conservation Overlay, but outsideof any historic district. They are generally isolated buildings, in the context ofnewer structures, but sometimes they exist in a small grouping. These may beidentified at the time of application for COA approval. The conservation of theoverall character of the building is the focus. The rehabilitation guidelines aretherefore applied with some flexibility. Focus is on maintaining the general form,character and materials, but more latitude in alterations is available. When sucha building is in a context of similar construction, the rehabilitation guidelineswill be applied more rigorously.5. Non-historically Significant Property in the Conservation OverlayThese are more recent properties, or older ones that are substantially altered,which lie within the Conservation Overlay, but outside of any historic district.For these, the design guidelines for all properties will apply, as well as thosefor specific building types (commercial or residential).6. New Infill and ConstructionFor new projects within a historic district, the design guidelines for all propertieswill apply, as well as those for specific character areas and historic districts. Theguidelines will be applied more rigorously in this case.For new infill projects within the Conservation Overlay, but outside of anyhistoric district, the design guidelines for all properties will apply, as well asthose for specific character areas.Please see the table on page 13 for a diagram of what guidelines apply to aproject.E. Policies underlying the design guidelinesThe preservation principles outlined in Appendix C, as well as the followingpolicies, should be considered when applying the design guidelines to historicproperties in Bozeman.The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Rehabilitation ofHistoric PropertiesThe design guidelines incorporate principles set out in The Secretary of theInterior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelinesfor Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings,which are listed in Appendix B. These are a widely accepted set of generalrehabilitation standards established by the National Park Service. Thesestandards are policies that nonnally serve as a basis for more detailed rehabilitationguidelines. The City of Bozeman's Unified Development Ordinance has adopted TheSecretary of the Interior 's Standards as a basis for its standards for a COA. It isthe intent of this document to be compatible with the Standards, while expandingon those basic preservation principles as they apply in Bozeman.14Design Guidelines
D. StreetscapePolicy:Maintain the traditional character of the streetscape. This includes a rich col-lection of varying street designs, sidewalk types and street trees.Guidelines:1. Maintain the variety of street paving designs.Most streets in the neighborhood are paved and have both curb andgutter. However, some streets lack sidewalks or paving. Thus, theypossess their own character and serve as informal pedestrian ways.This tradition of unpaved streets should continue when it is not ahazard to pedestrians or bicyclists.2. Maintain the variety of sidewalk designs.Where a detached (sidewalks separated from the street by a stripof grass) sidewalk exists, it should be preserved.• Where no sidewalk exists a new sidewalk is required; it should beconstructed to be in character with the traditional sidewalks in theneighborhood.3. Continue the use of planting strips.Planting strips should act as a transition between public and semi-public spaces.Where planting strips between the curb and sidewalk exist theyshould be maintained.If new detached sidewalks are installed in the neighborhood, newplanting strips should be provided.4. Continue the pattern of street trees in a block. Because street treesserve various aesthetic and practical functions, they should bemaintained.Existing street trees should be preserved, when feasible.If a new detached sidewalk is to be created, street trees should bean accompanying feature.If a new sidewalk is to be installed, it should detour around maturestreet trees, when feasible.When an existing street tree dies, it should be replaced.Any new developments should include street trees.The historic urban design character for street tree placement shouldbe considered when enforcing city street standards.a.fJ,mA»i R__^^aBozeman should preserve the mature treesthat line the street.^&.^-d?^'J?^?^?.^..'^^^'•^^<>'--..Front- yard-Detached sidewalkPlanting stripStreetStreetscapes such as these should be con-tinued throughout the neighborhoods. No-tice the lack offences in the front yards andthe use of sidewalks and planting strips.•^"°t»6»", ••r~\•*E. ':«'if«aa^At*jContinue the pattern of street trees in resi-dential neighborhoods.Chapter 247
^r-t4iiNotice the traditional gabled roof usedas well as the porch; these make up theoverall building form.^[:y\•>'••>.•<Br<"<^-.'•'•^'^^-^1^.-^ ../•-. ^^./:'>'--•''vj&r"..-'••-•'<-••^~-.•••'^•<•':.;<;./-'Avoid using exotic roof forms such as thisA-frame example. Notice the discontinuityin building forms along the street.E. Landscape DesignPolicy:Traditionally, plant beds were located around building foundations, alongwalkways and sometimes in front of fences. Some of these plantings may havehistoric significance and should be retained, to the extent feasible. Some maturetrees may also contribute to the historic landscape and should be preserved.Guidelines:1. Preserve and maintain mature trees and significant vegetation withinall corridors.Include existing vegetation as a part of a landscape design schemewhere appropriate.In development areas, healthy trees and vegetation clusters shouldbe identified for preservation. Special consideration should be givento mature trees, 6" or greater in diameter, and to vegetation clusterswith significant visual impact. Vegetation designated for preserva-tion should be incorporated into new development site design tothe maximum extent possible.F. Building FormPolicy:A similarity of building forms also contributes to a sense of visual continuity.In order to maintain this sense of visual continuity, a new building should havebasic roof and building forms that are similar to those seen traditionally. Overallfacade proportions also should be in harmony with the context.Guidelines:1. Use building forms that are similar to those seen traditionally onthe block.Simple rectangular solids are typically appropriate.2. Exotic building and roof forms that would detract from the visualcontinuity of the street are discouraged.Geodesic domes and A-frames are not generally considered tra-ditional building forms and should not be used in the designatedhistoric districts.Sloping roof forms such as gable and hip roofs are appropriate inmost residential and transition areas.Flat roofs are appropriate in most commercial and transition areas,and in some cases may be appropriate in residential areas.48Design Guidelines
G. Solid-to-Void RatioPolicy:Atypical building appeared to be a rectangular solid, with small holes "punched"in the walls for windows and doors. Most buildings had similar amounts ofglass, resulting in a relatively unifomi solid-to-void ratio. This ratio on a newbuilding, the amount of facade that is devoted to wall surface, as compared tothat developed as openings, should be similar to that of historic buildings withinthe neighborhood.Guideline:1. Use a ratio of solid-to-void (wall-to-window) that is similar to thatfound on historic structures in the district.Large surfaces of glass may be inappropriate. Divide large glasssurfaces into smaller panes similar to those seen traditionally.^^\.?r'•^^^•-f->»'t'-.»^'t<t;z.Ys2^^:y?®•-.•^<>^.'.: <?'•'^•'•-..Using too much glass in areas visible fromthe street is out of character in a residentialneighborhood.^an'BCTti'liSuB••a»•• MB f ""Nil<t:«•»••*•? "'S AS•—-J^"*Mw- «^#»:.•£»<*ti^—<..,- «s=This new infill commercial building uses a traditional solid-to-void (wall-to-window) ratio that is found on commercial structures in the downtowndistrict, which is appropriate.Chapter 249
^>%t5^^^s=Where a parking lot abuts a public side-walk, provide a visual buffer.-uer.\r~1-I^^~:I IJ. ParkingPolicy:The visual impact of surface parking should be minimized. On site parkingshould be subordinate to other uses and the front of the lot should not appeal*to be a parking area.Guidelines:1. Minimize the visual impact of surface parking in residential!neighborhoods.A parking area should be located to the rear of a site.Do not use a front yard for parking. Instead, use a long driveway,or alley access, that leads to parking located behind a building.Consider using ribbon paving in residential neighborhoods to mini-mize the amount of hard surface paving.2. Locate a surface lot in the interior of a block whenever possible.This acknowledges the special function of corner properties, as theyare generally more visible than interior lots, serve as landmarks andprovide a sense of enclosure to an intersection.3. Site a surface lot so it will minimize gaps in the continuous buildingwall of a commercial block.Where a parking lot shares a site with a building, place the parkingat the rear of the site or beside the building.In residential neighborhoods where alleyaccess is possible the use of parking off thealley is preferred and appropriate. Mark-ing the parking spaces with a different typeof material is appropriate as well.TIr-\I:<S)— —^^-^sin;<(U-ILj2±3?SI^0uiL~|^L]Z^T1.(U.:(U;'^ §L_LIBeforeAfter: option 1After: option 2In commercial or adaptive re-use areas parking is preferred to be set to the rear of thestructure.52Design Guidelines
CHAPTER 3.GUIDELINES FORRESIDENTIAL CHARACTER AREASA. Hierarchy of Public and Private SpacePolicy:The hierarchy of public and private space is a progression that begins at the street,which is the most public space, proceeds through the front yard, which appears"semi-private," and ends at the front door, which is the "private" space. Thissequence enhances the pedestrian environment and contributes to the characterof the neighborhood; it should be maintained.Guidelines:1. Provide a front yard similar in character to its neighbors whenpossible.The front yard should be maintained in a traditional manner, withplanting material, and not covered with paving or large outdoordecks.2. Provide a walkway from the street to the building.A walkway running from the street to the front porch provides unityto the streetscape. Where a walkway has been an element of thehierarchy, this should continue.3. Orient the front porch to the street.While the porch serves as a transition area from the street to thehouse, it is also an essential element of the streetscape: It provideshuman scale to the house; it offers interest to pedestrians; and it isa catalyst for personal interaction.This should not be interpreted to exclude side porches.4. Clearly define the primary entrance by using a front porch.The porch should be "functional," in that it is used as a means ofaccess to the entry.^-<.i4-.*r&.IKIJ{/•tma«3The overall set back must be consistent toprovide a uniform streetscape.•-Ar^sasaw.'«xProvide a walkway from the street to thebuilding.•ih.J7!SiIStltiSi»•s;.*Clearly define a primary entrance with afront porch.Chapter 357
^^-y^jrjFB/-^\11:..!;K~\^M>EThe drawing on the left shows a structurewhich does not relate well in mass andscale to the adjacent structure.p^,--\^^^•^.''-. ..••'..•"<<^In order to minimise the perceived scaleof a building, step down its height towardthe street, neighboring structures and therear of the lot.r^On larger structures, subdivide largermasses into smaller "modules" thatare similar in size to single householdresidences seen historically.B. Building Mass and ScalePolicy:The mass and scale of a building is also an important design issue in a residentialcharacter area. The traditional scale of single household houses dominates theneighborhood, and this similarity of scale also enhances the pedestrian-friendlycharacter of many streets. Similarities in scale among prominent building fea-tures, such as porches and fences, are also important. In many cases, earlierbuildings were smaller than current tastes support; nonetheless, a new buildingshould, to the greatest extent possible, maintain this established scale. Whilenew buildings and additions are anticipated that may be larger than many of theearlier structures, this new construction should not be so dramatically greater inscale than the established context that the visual continuity of the neighborhoodwould be compromised.Guidelines:1. Construct a new building to be similar in mass and scale to thosesingle household residences seen traditionally.Traditional features that convey a human scale should also be used.Consider these techniques:- Use building materials that are of traditional dimensions.-Provide a one-story porch that is similar to those seen tradition-ally.2. On larger structures, step down a building's height toward thestreet, neighboring structures and the rear of the lot.When zoning regulations permit, the back side of a building maybe taller than the established norm if the change in scale will notbe perceived from public ways.3. On larger structures, subdivide larger masses into smaller"modules" that are similar in size to single household residencesseen traditionally.Other, subordinate modules may be attached to the primary build-ing form.4. The front wall of a new structure should not exceed two stories inheight.The primary plane of the front should not appear taller than thoseof typical historic structures in the block.A new multi-household structure should not overwhelm existingsingle household structures, in terms of height.5. A facade should appear similar in dimension to those seentraditionally in the neighborhood.Typically, a residential building front ranges from 14-30 feet inwidth. Additional widths were accomplished with a setback orchange in building plane.58Design Guidelines
C.Roof FormPolicy:In most neighborhoods, a similarity of roof form also contributes to a senseof visual continuity. In order to maintain this sense of visual continuity, a newbuilding should have basic roof form that is similar to those seen traditionally.Guideline:1. Use roof forms that are similar to those seen traditionally on theblock.The primary ridge line of a residential structure should not exceedthe typical maximum for the block.D. Secondary StructuresPolicy:Secondary structures are traditionally subordinate in scale and character to theprimary structure and are typically located to the rear of the lot, they are primar-ily used for parking garages and storage. While structures in the rear generallyhave little impact on the character of the street they do have an impact on thecharacter of the alley and the neighbors to the rear, this character should bemaintained.Guidelines:1. A new secondary structure should be subordinate in height to thosebuildings seen traditionally along the street front.Secondary stmctures that are no more than one or one-and-one-halfstories in height are preferred.2. Locate secondary buildings to the rear of the lot.Locating a secondary structure to the side of the primary structure,but set back significantly from the front wall plane is also appropri-ateA secondary structure should be oriented similar to those seen tra-ditionally along the alley, where they are available.3. Locate a garage such that its visual impacts will be minimized isencouraged.If a garage must be accessed from the street, set it back from thefront wall plane when feasible.When a garage must be located on the front wall plane, the percent-age of building front allocated to it should be minimized.^^KIft5&^<«•TS,n-•fr^'?>•Ia^i!?lsA facade should appear similar indimension to those seen traditionally inthe neighborhood./^.^-^\..''--- \[ •/-"^•:^-'-.<^'•^.•^.Locate secondary buildings to the rear ofthe lot.a^;s--^^^•-<^.•TThis secondary structure is not subordinateto the original structure because the newstructure is of equal height.BT^-. .-•<.:"s>--.<:..,<.^•s'.-"."X,.>•:^This secondary structure is only one storyand therefore is subordinate to the originalstructure.Chapter 359
Wtt-~"t',:—f»•Im"I?s• r^fc-^,,.^.,.1^tlMH-l-t('H-£KMItK"":: II: "•''Is.$)w 111"gV!'s.^.»si:-sst.3-9' (U)\ Xt'.IlR"^•awa. *t*•-<—s«nipMWWMv^w^v.^rIStt^•:.3%!,ft.:.;-sTil.^~sBon Ton Historic Districtli\¥fThe preservation of the architecturalfeatures has made this home significantto the district.E11AS.»—The Story Mansion is a historic structurelocated on Willson Avenue.G. Bon Ton Historic DistrictBozeman's finest examples of historic residential architecture, spanning fromthe early 1880's to the early 1930's, form the bulk of the 260 buildings in theBonTon Historic District. Italianate, QueenAnne, Colonial Revival, Bungalowand other styles are well represented in the district. Many houses display towers,wrap-around porches, and elaborate ornamentation in brick and wood.In 1935, elegant concrete lamp posts were installed lining both S. WillsonAv-enue, a major thoroughfare through town which is wider than the others, and W.Cleveland Street, the location of many fine Depression-period houses. Theselamp posts help to establish, the southern and eastern borders of the district.Because of this combination of both vernacular architecture, which is similarto that found elsewhere in the city, and high style architecture, which is foundnowhere else in the city, the Bon Ton District possesses a character that is unique,but that is nevertheless consistent with the character of the two bordering historicdistricts. The Ban Ton Historic District is therefore the centerpiece of a vasthistoric, residential area in Bozeman.os4'•;1 ^.11^•w••'.f^}l^~^si^s.iIH^til^l" 11f~! "~"'—9 I • 1^3tlI»»fe •1"B8»S .R I '-9;tf*-^w-^^^s^-•.|fi "S.,.,.— .—.—..-^^»sg"w»-^ tFi^? • ;«Airf?71It»11f8» •.»•» t»s__j^1?I»J :lv: ir'k?1r"n^r<a.L-^'.^.9t3r^:1-»»—•hi-:i:t-' 33jv^:.A 1947 Sanborn Fire Insurance map shows many planning characteristicsthat still define the Bon Ton historic district today. This includes:buildings that are set back at a similar distance from the street, similarbuilding facade widths and lengths, alley access, secondary buildingslocated to the rear, and front porches. Lot coverage is similar throughoutthe neighborhood.88Design Guidelines
District Character:residential neighborhood settingsimilar front yard setbackcombination of elaborate and vernacular building stylesporches address the streetsecondary structures & garages to the rear of the lotautomobile access is primarily from the alleyGuideline:1. Reflect the district character when building within the district.Consider the use of wood and masonry materials.Consider developing a design palette for new construction thatdraws from design elements and materials found in the area.Use simple rectangular building forms with sloping roofs.,/\^ff~-:3-IrfirA».•dt„!T-•IT'"~'VS^KV'Ll.,i'^ ^.^S^fea^;BaRegularly spaced trees define thestreetscape canopy.A diversity of building types can be foundthroughout the district.Chapter 589