Landmark Commission Development Services Department City of Galveston June 5, 2017 17LC-017 MEMORANDUM TO: Tom Schwenk, Chair and Commissioners Galveston Landmark Commission FROM: Catherine Gorman, AICP, Historic Preservation Officer Development Services Department DATE: May 31,2017 RE: 17LC-017 (5920 Avenue Q Yz) Request for designation as a Galveston Landmark. Property is legally described as Lots 13- 16, Garretts Subdivision, in the City and County of Galveston, Texas. Applicant and Property Owner: Linda Sue Martin The Galveston Landmark Commission, at their meeting on March 20, 2017, voted to recommend approval of this request. The request is for designation of an accessory structure that was described by the owner as a vault. The Staff has been provided with additional information from the daughter of the original owner regarding the history of the accessory building: In the late SO's and early 60's, many people were concerned about nuclear war. In fact, many people at that time decided to build a bomb shelter or a fallout shelter in that event. More aptly they were all the rage; and the fallout shelter was considered "a civil defense initiative intended to reduce casualties if a nuclear war occurred". Simple research confirms, "they were designed to allow occupants to avoid exposure to harmful radioactive fallout from a nuclear blast, and its likely aftermath of radiation, until radioactivity dropped to a safer level". According to an article written on December 3rd, 2009 in the Hudson Star-Observer (google.com) "The fallout shelter craze came with the cold war involving the United States and Russia". In 1957 under President Eisenhower, the Gaither Report concluded that "the United States would soon be surpassed in all categories of nuclear weaponry and that civil defense preparations in the USSR were well ahead of American efforts". Along about this time, my Dad decided to build such a structure for our family. As Galveston is only 3 ft. above sea level, the likelihood it could be built underground was not a consideration. So my father, decided an above ground structure, fully fortified by one foot concrete would work just as well. I do not know how many other fallout, or bomb, shelters were built in Galveston County at the time but I know there were several in Santa Fe and surrounding areas. A few years later, President John F. Kennedy went a step further when he suggested "A fallout shelter for everybody as rapidly as possible". I can just imagine that during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, my Dad, who was always prepared, was grateful he'd been Landmark Commission Development Services Department City of Galveston June 5, 2017 ahead of the curve. I remember the times the civil defense would sound a whistle and the times we were told to hide under our desks at school. How that was supposed to stop us from being annihilated by a nuclear bomb I'm not sure, but I guess the school system thought they were at least doing something to help! In light of the new information submitted, Staff found that it would be appropriate to return the case the Landmark Commission and Planning Commissions for reconsideration. Staff finds that the accessory structure continues to be eligible for designation as a Galveston Landmark and meets the following criteria of Article 10 of the Land Development Regulations: 1. The character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City of Galveston, Galveston County, the State of Texas, or the United States. The Elliot Bomb Shelter is valuable to the cultural history of the City of Galveston due to its association with the Cold War. The Cold War refers to a period of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern Bloc and Western Bloc. 2. Association with events that have made significant contribution to the broad patterns of local, regional, state or national history and association with the lives of people significant in the city, region, state or national past. The tensions of the Cold War lead to an increase in the construction of private bomb shelters as a reaction to the threat of nuclear war. Most bomb shelters were constructed underground. Due to Galveston's high water table, construction underground was not feasible and the shelter was built above ground. It is the only known example of a bomb shelter in the City of Galveston. 3. Distinctive characteristics of a period or method of construction, or architecture; representative of, or a rare survivor of, the work of a master designer, builder or craftsman. The Elliot Bomb Shelter has the distinctive characteristics of a method of construction. The shelter is constructed of concrete with walls one-foot thick and accessed by a steel door with a combination lock. 4. Retention of historic integrity, meaning that the property possesses several, and usually most, of the following aspects of integrity: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association. The Elliot Bomb Shelter retains all ofthe above listed aspects of integrity. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff continues to recommend approval with the following conditions: Specific Condition: 1. The Galveston Landmark designation shall apply to the vault structure only; and Standard Condition: 2. As with all properties containing a Historic Overlay Designation, including Landmark Designations, exterior alterations to the property will be subject to review and approval by the Landmark Commission and must conform to the Design Standards for Historic Properties of Galveston, Texas. Landmark Commission Development Services Department City of Galveston June 5, 2017 OTHER REVIEWS The Planning Commission will review at their June 6, 2017 meeting. City Council has final authority on Galveston Landmark requests and will review at the June 22, 2017 meeting. SUBJECT PROPERTY Landmark Commission Development Services Department City of Galveston June 5, 2017 17LC-018 STAFF REPORT ADDRESS: Public Notice and Comment: 81113th Street No Sent Returned In Favor Opposed Comment 6 LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Property is legally described as Northwest Part of Lot 13 and North 55.5' of Lot 14, Block 315, in the City and County of Galveston, Texas APPLICANT /REPRESENTATIVE: Charles and Elizabeth Spillar PROPERTY OWNER: Same ZONING DISTRICT: Historic Zoning District, Historic District (HZD-H) HISTORIC DISTRICT: East End REQUEST: Certificate of Appropriateness in order to add to rear of house and modify roof design. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval with standard conditions EXHIBITS: A- Applicant's Submittal B- Galveston Historic Sites Inventory Sheet C- Photographs STAFF: Daniel Lunsford Planner 409-797-3659 [email protected] 1 Zoning and Land Use Location Zoning Land Use Subject Historic Zoning District, Historic Residential Site District (HZD-H) North Historic Zoning District, Historic Residential District (HZD-H) South Historic Zoning District, Historic Residential District (HZD-H) East Historic Zoning District, Historic Residential District (HZD-H) West Historic Zoning District, Historic Residential District (HZD-H) Date 1880 Historical and/or Style Folk Victorian Architectural Condition Excellent Significance Evaluation "Contributing" -contributes to the historical significance of the district through location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and/or association. Executive Summary The applicant is requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a new 13'x24' extension, with modification to the roof from hipped to gable. The materials will be as follows: Siding Wood siding and trim to match existing Windows Windows and trim to match existing. Roof The roof material will be composition shingle. Standards for New Additions on Residential Properties Design Standards for These Design Standards apply to the design of additions to existing structures. Historic Properties 2.23 Minimize the visual impacts of skylights and other roof top devices. Appropriate • Locate skylights below the ridge line of the roof (a skylight that is flush with the roof plane may be considered where it remains visually subordinate). Inappropriate • Do not interrupt the plane of the historic roof with a skylight. 2 2.47 Minimize the visual impacts of utility lines, junction boxes, and similar equipment. Appropriate • Locate utility lines and junction boxes on secondary walls and group them, when feasible. • Group lines in one conduit, when feasible. • Paint these elements to match the existing background color, when feasible. 3.34 Use building materials that are compatible with the surrounding context. Appropriate • Use wood siding with a weather-protective, painted finish, or masonry (brick, stone or genuine stucco) as the primary exterior building material (preferred approach). • Consider using alternative materials that are similar to traditional materials in scale, proportion, texture if they have proven durability in the local climate (i.e., cementious fiber board with a smooth finish) . Inappropriate • Do not use highly reflective materials such as glass or polished metal as a primary building material. 3.35 When using horizontal lap siding, ensure that it is applied in a manner similar to that seen historically. Appropriate • Use new siding that is similar to the lap exposure, texture and finish of traditional wood siding. • When using cementitious fiber board, use the Artisan product line by the James Hardie Company, or similar product. • When possible, use trim boards that show depth and typify high­ quality construction. Inappropriate • Do not use a finish that is out of character, such as a raised grain, or rusticated surface. 3.40 Design an addition to a historic residential structure to be clearly differentiated from the original structure. Appropriate Use a lower-scale connecting element to join an addition to a historic residential structure. Differentiate an addition from the historic original using changes in material, color and/or wall plane 3 3.41 Keep an addition to a historic residential structure simple in size, shape, materials, color and detail. Inappropriate Do not try to make an addition appear older than it is.