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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04_DRAFT_Historic_Preservation_Plan04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center Bozeman, Montana Prepared for: Cassie Colombo and Seth Cooper Bozeman, Montana Prepared by: Scott L. Carpenter InteResources Planning, Inc. Bozeman, Montana September 1, 2022 Revised December, 13, 2022 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 1 Historic Preservation Plan Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana INTRODUCTION: The Westgate Village Shopping Center, located at 1003, 1005, 1007, 1009, 1011 West College Street in Bozeman, Montana, was built in 1957 by Bruce Mecklenburg. The building was Bozeman’s first multi-unit shopping center built during the post-World War II era of Bozeman. The historic property has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places by the Montana State Historic Preservation Office. The building is eligible for the National Register under Criterion A (Association with Historic Events) and Criterion C (Properties that Embody the Distinctive Characteristics of Type, Period, or Method of Design and Construction). Details of the architectural description, history, and significance of the Westgate Village Shopping Center is thoroughly presented in the report Historic Documentation and Evaluation: Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana (Carpenter 2022a). The period of significance for the National Register Nomination for Westgate Village is defined as 1957 – 1973, encompassing the period of original design and construction as well as installating of the roof-top metal frames for individual business signs. This Historic Preservation Plan (Plan) presents the key architectural elements of the Westgate Village Shopping Center with plans and specifications for future historic restoration, repair, and preservation maintenance. The Plan, along with the Historic Documentation and Evaluation report, establishes the framework for returning the building to its historic appearance, and assures the preservation of the historic architectural significance. The historic property of the Westgate Village Shopping Center (Property) comprises several extant and non-extant architectural elements that support the architectural and historical significance as well as the integrity of the building. The attributes of significance and integrity are defined in National Register Bulletin 15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (National Park Service 1990). Existing significant character-defining contributing elements of the Westgate Village historic property that support a recommendation for nomination to the National Register include: 1. The original rectangular form and structure of the building, with all the retained original materials. 2. The original flat, built-up roof in two levels with projecting portion on the south to cover the concrete walkway with support posts. 3. Full-width concrete walkway with wood tongue-and-grove cantilevered ceiling/roof. supported by wood posts. 4. The original free-standing business sign (Colombo’s) in the southeast corner of the parking lot. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 2 5. Painted mural on the exterior of east wall of building. 6. The three original metal-mesh covered sign frames for roof-top business signs as documented from historic photographs and documents and identified in the Comprehensive Sign Plan: Historic & Culturally Significant Signs, Westgate Village Shopping Center (Carpenter 2022b). 7. The entire original full-width façade in five asymmetrical bays (one for each rental unit), each made of large, fixed glass windows, glass doors in original openings, original above-door fixed glass transom spaces, on top of rustic-form brick base walls in stacked-bond pattern beneath windows. 8. Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) block walls in stacked-bond pattern on west, north, and east exterior walls. 9. The entire full-width asphalt parking lot between the front façade concrete walkway on the south side of the building and the sidewalk along the north side of West College Street. All proposed work to be carried out under this Historic Preservation Plan will follow The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (National Park Service 2017), as well as consultations with the Montana State Historic Preservation Office and Preservation Review Board. National Register program staff at the Montana State Historic Preservation Office has reviewed the Westgate Village Historic Property Record and Comprehensive Sign Plan to assure that all content will support the determination for eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and that current plans for restoration and treatment will not adversely affect the historical character, integrity, or significance of the building (letter from John Boughton, SHPO, December 1, 2022). DETAILS: Original Form and Structure of the Building The Westgate Village Shopping Center retains its original form and structural materials as designed by Hugo Eck and constructed in 1957. The building is a rectangular form with concrete masonry block walls and the designed front façade (described below). The front façade on the south is made of low masonry band walls beneath large full-width glass windows and doors to each commercial unit (see Figure 1). Running the full length of the south façade is a concrete walkway with flat roof extending from the two-level flat roof covering the building. The walkway roof is supported by a horizontal wood beam supported by 6x6-inch posts. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 3 Figure 1. View to north at south façade of Westgate Village Shopping center. The west and east side walls and the north rear wall are constructed of concrete masonry unit (CMU) block, measuring 15 ¾” x 8” x 8”, set in stacked pattern. The original blocks making up the west, north, and east walls are made of a red matrix (see Figures 2 and 3). One widow on the west wall, one blocked window on the east wall and egress doors in the north wall are not character defining elements. The block walls are character defining within the context of the National Register eligibility for the property. Figure 2. View to southwest at rear, northeast, corner of building. Note stacked-bond pattern of CMU blocks, original window location (now blocked). 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 4 Historic preservation requirements for the original form and structure of the building: • The original form and structure of the building is a strong character-defining element of the building, supporting the eligibility for listing in the National Register. No portion of the exterior walls, roof, or form of the building should be altered with additions or structural attachments, except for specific preservation issues related to character- defining elements of the roof, concrete walkway, façade, signs, and parking lot are detailed in sections below. • Preservation maintenance on the building should include repair and patching of broken blocks and mortar, as well as repointing as necessary. All repair and replacement materials should be in like kind, dimension, material, and appearance. • If CMU blocks are to be replace in the future, blocks of same dimensions should be used and placed in the same stacked-bond pattern. If possible, replaced blocks should be of the same red matrix material. • The original window opening on the west and east walls should not be removed, even if the windows are removed or blocked. Concrete window sills should remain. • The three exterior walls (north, east, and west) should all be painted with a light green semi-gloss paint (Pantone No. 5773U) to closely match the known original painted surface color determined by historical paint analysis (Carpenter 2022c). Figure 3. Detailed view of CMU blocks used in building. Note red matrix color. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 5 • The CMU block and rustic brick lower wall of the front (south) façade should also be painted with a light green semi-gloss paint (Pantone No. 5773U) to closely match the known original panted surface color determined by historical paint analysis. • The wood beams, wood window trim, replaced louvers, and walkway roof support posts should all be painted with a solid wood stain in a terra cotta color (Pantone 492U) to closely match the known original painted surface color determined by historical paint analysis. • The exposed pine tongue-and-groove ceiling of the covered walk-way along the south façade should be finished with a clear varnish or poly-urethane coating with no stain. • The interior of the entire building is not character defining to the building as the spaces have undergone numerous changes in layout, architectural details and paint, and furnishings. Original Two-Level Flat Roof The entire building is topped with a roof of original flat form (see Figure 1). The roof structure has a flat, built-up surface conforming to two levels. The two levels are divided in line with the common north-south wall between units 1005 and 1007 West College Street. The two roof levels have an elevation difference of 20-inches, with the east portion being higher. Non- historic metal flashing protects the front edge/exposed eave of the roof. Historic roof-top business signs are fully detailed in a separate Comprehensive Sign Plan for Westgate Village Shopping Center (Carpenter 2022b). Historic preservation requirements for the original two-level flat roof: • The overall form, dimensions, and appearance of the roof are character-defining to support National Register eligibility. No alterations or additions should be made to the roof structure or form. • The actual rubberized roof surface, as well as the metal flashing placed on the facia surfaces are not historic and, hence, are not character-defining features of the building. These two features can be changed and repaired at any time with like or upgraded materials. Flashing covering the facia should be painted the same terra-cotta trim color (Pantone No. 492U) used on the covered walkway support posts and the louvered sun- shades, discussed below. If possible, facia flashing on the front (south) elevation should be removed to maintain the original wood facia board, with paint to match terra-cotta trim color of walkway supports. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 6 • The small, vertical flashing piece that connects the upper (east) roof level facia to the lower (west) roof level facia should be removed to recreate the original different roof levels of the façade (see Figures 1 and 4). Original Full-Width Covered Concrete Walkway A sloping, single-level concrete walkway runs the full-width of the south-facing façade of the building. The east end of the walkway is flush with the adjacent sidewalk on the east and terminates at two full-width concrete steps down to the alley on the west. The walkway is a focal point of the property, providing direct at-grade access to all the business’ entrances. The walkway is covered by a full extension of the two-part flat roof extending from the south façade of the building. The front (south) edge of the roof is supported by a full-width 12” laminated beam supported by 6 by 6-inch wood posts. Connections between posts and the beam are accomplished with steel bracket plates. The underside of the extended walkway roof is finished in tonged-and-groove boards to form the “ceiling” of the walkway. The walkway, with supported roof overhang is architecturally important to the original design as it frames the Figure 4. View to north at façade and details of two-level flat roof. Note metal flashing placed on facia of two roof portions and hap-hazard vertical flashing piece connecting both levels of roof. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 7 important arrangement and elements of the façade. All of these described existing features are original to the building and are considered character-defining contributing elements to support National Register eligibility. An important character-defining element of the walkway are wood louvered sunshades that form a brise-soleil. These were once attached between the upper 22 ½ inches of the walkway’s support posts, touching the underside of the horizontal support beam (see Figures 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8). Although these louvered features were recently removed, their restoration is important to the historic qualities of the walkway and building façade. Figure 5. View to east from west end of covered walkway along facade. Note steps at east terminus of walkway at alley and level approach from parking lot. Note unfinished surface of tongue-and-groove wood ceiling of walkway. Note the “Yogurt” sign on the exterior wall is not historic. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 8 Figure 6. View to northwest at portion of facade and covered walkway at west end of building (doors left to right at 1011, 1009, and 1007 West College St. Note horizontal wood beam beneath roof extension, supported by 6 by 6-inch wood posts. Picture shows remnant of two wood louvered sunshade features. Note that original sunshade features were present along full width of support beam and had four louvers, not three as shown. Lower louvers in photo may have been removed due to minimal height clearance above sloping walkway. Figure 7. View to NNE at east end of building, showing covered walkway with wood sunshade louvres between support posts and at east end (facing west). Note terra-cotta brown color of horizontal beam, support posts, and louvers. Note that louvers at Food Co-Op (1011 West College St.) shows complete with four louvers whereas sunshade in front of business to east (1009 West College St.) has the lower (4th) louver removed, perhaps to allow for more head-height as walkway slopes upward in relation to roofline. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 9 Figure 8. Sketch elevation showing overall arrangement and dimension for wood louvered sunshade between covered walkway support posts. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 10 Figure 9. Detailed sketch of typical post attachment for wood louvered sunshades. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 11 Historic preservation requirements for the original full-width covered concrete walkway: • The overall form, dimensions, and appearance of the original full-width covered walkway are character-defining to support National Register eligibility. No alterations or additions should be made to this architectural feature. • The concrete walkway and steps should be maintained in their original form, dimension, and material. • The horizontal support beam and support posts should be painted in the same terra- cotta trim color (Pantone No. 492U). The flat surface of the walkway ceiling should be refurbished and treated with a clear finish (varnish or polyurethane) to reveal the grain of the wood. • The wood louvered sunshade features should be refabricated and installed between the support posts (see Figures 5, 6, and 7). Louvered detail should also be included on west end of walkway (see Figure 6). Original Full-Width Façade The original full-width façade is arranged in five asymmetrical bays, one for each storefront. Each storefront has large, single-pane glass windows, wood-framed glass doors (when original) in original openings, and original above-door fixed transom windows. The façade’s low band wall (beneath windows) is constructed of 5-6 courses of rustic-faced bricks measuring 15 ¾” wide by 3 ¾” high, set in a stacked bond pattern (see Figures 6 and 7). The original architectural features within the façade are all character-defining to the historically and architecturally significant building. Repair, painting, and preservation maintenance should be carried out with an eye to preserving these character-defining features. Close adherence to original in-kind materials and paint colors should be strictly followed. Much of the façade is intact as originally constructed. A few minor changes have been made that are easily reversible to attain the original design and appearance of the building. The low band-wall of brick at unit 1011 West College Street has been replaced with metal siding below the windows. Windows at the two storefronts at the east end of the building (1003 and 1005 West College Street) have been replaced with a combination of new windows, a new door, T- 111 plywood panels infill where original windows were located, and the removal of the door to unit 1005. Only two of the original five wood-framed glass doors remain. Not all the windows retain the original wood trim. Each storefront currently has different paint colors on brick and wood trim, making for an awkward and discontinuous appearance of the unique façade. Between two and 5 different 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 12 paint layers are found on all surfaces. Repair, painting of a defined palette of colors, and restoration of original elements will enhance the significant architectural appearance. Historic preservation requirements for the original full-width façade: • The overall form, dimensions, and appearance of the original full-width façade is the primary character-defining feature to support National Register eligibility. Alterations or should be made careful planning and execution to assure that the integrity and appearance is retained and enhanced. • 1003-1005 West College Street units: o Replace entrance door to match original wood-frame glass doors on building (as currently exist on units 1007 and 1009, see Figures 1, 5, and 6). Replace transom window above door. o Remove all plywood infill where original windows existed (units 1003 and 1005) and replace with windows of same dimension and frame style as original. Windows can be obscured, to block the view of interior functions (see Figure 10). o Install an entrance door of same dimension, design, and material in the blocked doorway of unit 1005. The original door opening is clearly visible in the replaced and repainted brick pattern (see Figure 11). The glass in the door can be obscured and the door remain locked, with appropriate signage, due to changes to interior layout and function. • 1011 West College Street unit: o Investigate framing or other materials beneath recently installed metal siding beneath lower brick band wall. Consider replacing with original brick pattern or brick veneer to match. o Consider replacing windows and doors to match original wood frames (as seen at units 1007 and 1009), or replace with new frames with sympathetic materials and color to original (see Figure 1). • Paint all band-wall brick, ends of CMU block bearing walls and wood trim to be consistent with all storefronts. Lower brick wall should be painted a satin finish off- white to match historic color photographs. Window and door trim, and wood door frames should be painted terra-cotta brown to match posts, horizontal beams, and sunshade louvers on covered walkway. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 13 Figure 10. View to north at facade of units 1003 (right) and 1005 (left) West College Street. Note that left window has been blocked with plywood, lower halves of center two windows have also been blocked. Entrance door on right is not original. Door to unit 1005 on left has been removed and door opening blocked with plywood above and infill white brick below. Figure 11. View to north at remodeled facade of unit at 1005 West College Street. Note the 2 ½ columns of white brick blocking lower portion of original doorway. Note detail of T-111 plywood blocking left window and lower portion of center and right window. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 14 Roof-top and Free-standing Business Signs The roof-top business signs and the free-standing signs in the parking lot are discussed at length in the separate Comprehensive Sign Plan for Westgate Village Shopping Center. Three original roof-top metal sign frames, above units 1003-1005, 1007, and 1011, are important parts of the building design and use from the earliest days in the 1960s. As business change, signs are allowed to change but the size, design, and appearance are consistent for all business to support the architectural appearance and qualities of the building. These three sign frames are contributing architectural elements of the historic building. The original free-standing business sign (dating to 1973 or earlier) located in the southeast corner of the parking lot is also considered to be a contributing element of the historic property. The roof-top sign frame above unit 1009 was removed at the request of the City of Bozeman Planning Department in 2021. The free-standing Westgate Village Shopping Center sign, originally installed in the northeast corner of the parking lot in 1957, was erected in 1957 and was removed sometime around 1986-1988. Because of the removal of these two historic signs, they can no longer be considered to be contributing architectural elements of the National Register eligible property. The restaurant at 1003-1005 West College Street (currently Colombo’s Pizza & Pasta) has a larger roof-top sign, commensurate with the larger floor-space of the restaurant. Each of the roof-top signs at unite 1007, 1009, and 1011 all measure 3-feet height by 8-feet wide. All signs are supported by historic welded metal frame with backing made of expanded metal mesh. The signs are an important character-defining element of the historic building. Historic preservation requirements for the three roof-top metal sign frames (1003-1005, 1007, and 1011) and the free-standing (Colombo’s) business sign: • The overall form, dimensions, materials, lighting, and appearance of the roof-top business sign frames and free-standing sign form the primary character-defining feature to support National Register eligibility. • Roof-top signs may change with each new occupying business, but they need to conform to established guidelines for dimension, color, and lighting to assure visibility and maintain a consistent historically sympathetic appearance. Hence, it has been determined by SHPO that the actual sign and text is not eligible and can change with each business that occupies the unit in the future. The historical significance is retained by the design, construction, material, and location of the three metal sign frames. The SHOP review confirmed that future changes to the actual signs will retain qualities that are compatible with the original design of the mid-century structure (email correspondence from John Boughton, SHPO, December 1, 2022). 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 15 • It is recommended that the text and graphics of each sign be limited to a minimum number of identifying words and the business name. Each sign should be relatively consistent with each other in respect to font size, style, and color. The metal expanded- metal screen frame that was recently removed from the roof above unit 1009 will be replaced in the same materials, color, and dimensions as the original sign frames on units 1009 and 1011. • All roof-top signs attached to the historic metal frames should be in the form of metal box signs attached to the existing metal frames. All signs will have channel letters and be lit from their interior to reduce light pollution. The use of interior back-lighted box signs will be consistent with the form of free-standing parking lot signs on the property. All type-faces and graphics shall be consistent with a mid-century style. • The historic free-standing (Colombo’s) business sign located in the southeast corner of the parking lot will remain and me repaired and maintained with close adherence to using the same materials, design, and colors. Wall Sign on Exterior East Wall The exterior surface of the east wall of the building exhibits a large business sign for the restaurant located in 1003-1005 West College Street. Historically, there was a business sign painted on this wall. The sign, as it exists today, is identified, and discussed in the separate Comprehensive Sign Plan for Westgate Village. For the purpose of this historic preservation plan, the sign is being treated as a historic exterior painted mural. The painted mural is a contributing element of the historic building for the purposes of defining the eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Historic preservation requirements for the painted mural: • The wall sign will be maintained as is and may continue as a “ghost sign” if the business changes. The exterior wall will be repaired and repainted with established colors for the CMU block wall. Colors for the sign will be the same as existing and will be maintained in good condition. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 16 Figure 12. View to northwest at southeast corner of building. Showing painted mural on exterior of east wall. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 17 Full-width Asphalt Parking Lot A full-width, asphalt parking lot between the concrete walkway on the south side of the building and the sidewalk has continued use from the original design of the building. Throughout the life of the building, the simple, rectangular parking lot has had two entrances/exits leading from and to West College Street and one undefined area of passage into the alley and adjacent business parking lot to the west. Historically, no formal delineation of parking spaces has occurred. The parking lot, as it relates to the mid-century shopping center serving vehicle traffic, is a contributing element of the historic building and site. Plans have been developed to redesign and formalize traffic flow into and out of the parking lot to create a safer interface with the heavy traffic on College Street. The design will eliminate the two points of entrance/exit on College Street and replace with one entrance off of South 10th Avenue, near the southeast corner of the building. An exit will also be formalized at the west side of the parking lot. Formalized vehicle parking spaces will be marked adjacent to the West College Street sidewalk so that vehicles and customer foot-traffic will be separated and divided from the front of the building, and an ADA accessible van parking space will also be identified. • The parking lot will be maintained with changes to entrance/exit and formalized parking spaces. No additional changes or additions to the parking lot space will occur. 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 18 REFERENCES: Boughton, John (Montana SHPO National Register Review Coordinator, Helena, MT) 2022 Email correspondence from John Boughton to Scott Carpenter, InteResources Planning, Inc., December 1, 2022, regarding Boughton’s review of draft Comprehensive Sign Plan: Westgate Shopping Center. Copy on file at InteResources Planning, Inc. offices, Bozeman, MT. Carpenter, Scott L. 2022a Historic Documentation and Evaluation: Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, MT. InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT. April 8, 2022, revised May 3, 2022. 2022b Comprehensive Sign Plan: Historic & Culturally Significant Signs, Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, Montana. InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT. 2022c Historical Paint Analysis, Westgate Village Shopping Center, Bozeman, MT. InteResources Planning, Inc., Bozeman, MT. National Park Service 1990 National Register Bulletin No. 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, Cultural Resources, National Register Office, Washington, D.C. 1990; revised 1991, 1995, 1997. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB- 15_web508.pdf 2017 The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Technical Preservation Services, Washington, D.C. https://www.nps.gov/tps/standards/treatment- guidelines-2017.pdf 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 19 Appendix Email from John Boughton, Montana SHPO National Register Coordinator Regarding review of Comprehensive Sign Plan: Westgate Village December 1, 2020 04 Historic Preservation Plan: Westgate Village Shopping Center 20 EMAIL On Thursday, December 1, 2022, 8:30 AM, Boughton, John <JBoughton@mt.gov> wrote to <scott@interesources.com>: Hello Scott, Thank you for sharing the information for the sign plan for Westgate Village Shopping Center (1003-1011 West College Street) in Bozeman. Significant time and thought have obviously gone into the plan, that includes a discussion of a recreation free-standing Westgate Village sign, the existing Columbo’s Pizza sign, the rooftop frames and signs, and the “ghost” sign on the side of the Columbo Pizza portion of the building. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) believes the plan addresses and acknowledges the importance of the signage to the overall historic aesthetic of the property. The Sign Plan suggests use of internally lit channel lettering. Although, different than the signage that originally graced the rooftop frames, the change reflects the evolution of sign technology. Although not original to the property, internally lit channel lettering is historically appropriate to the time of the building’s construction. The effort to retain the rooftop sign frames strongly conforms to the original promotion of the different business that occupied (and continue to occupy) the complex. Although the names of the businesses on the signs changed over time, the method of using rooftop signage and affixing that signage to the frames remained constant. Retention and use of the rooftop frames strongly contributes to the overall integrity of the property. Noting the reintroduction of the Westgate Village sign, regardless of how close in presentation to the original the recreated sign appears, it will unfortunately count as a noncontributing element of the property, due to its recent age. That being said, it is important to state that because it is a reintroduction and near facsimile of the original sign that once occupied the lot, little to no diminishment in the overall integrity of the property will occur. Thanks again for sharing the Sign Plan with us Scott. To conclude, implementation of the Sign Plan would not adversely affect the eligibility of listing the Westgate Village Shopping Center in the National Register. John John Boughton National Register Coordinator MT State Historic Preservation Office Montana Historical Society 1301 E. Lockey, P.O. Box 201202 Helena, MT 59620-1202 (406) 444-3647