Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2023 04 24

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REQUESTS: The applicant is requesting: 1. Demolition Review: That the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) approve the demolition of the front facade at 916 Main Street. A subcommittee referred the request to the full HPC. 2. Probable Cause: A finding of Probable Cause for a landmark designation for 916 Main Street to allow for funding of a commercial historic structure assessment (up to $9,000). 3. Design Referral: Approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Amendment to allow changes to the exterior of 916 Main Street, in which process the HPC is invited to make comments to Planning Commission and City Council on the proposed design. SUMMARY AND PROJECT BACKGROUND: The applicant is currently in the first referral stage of the review process for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Amendment to allow for alterations to the exterior of the building at 916 Main Street. Given that the building was built prior to 1955, the PUD process triggered a Demolition Review under the following language in Sec. 15.36.200(D): A demolition review under this chapter will be initiated upon referral from the planning department when a building constructed in or before 1955 is located on property that is contained within a pending application for a PUD final development plan or a special review use (SRU) request, which application has not been withdrawn and has had development referrals issued by the planning department. Therefore, the first item related to 916 Main Street is a Demolition Review. According to the Louisville Municipal Code (LMC) section 15.36.020, a demolition is an act which removes "(c) any exterior wall facing a public street." Under section 15.36.200 of the LMC, if the Commission finds that the building may have historical significance under the criteria "no permit for demolition, moving or removal shall be issued for a period not to exceed 180 days from the date the permit application was accepted ... The commission will make all reasonable efforts to expedite resolution of the application or request." The second item is a request to find Probable Cause, which would help the applicant explore preservation -related options. Under Resolution No. 17, Series 2019, a property may be eligible for reimbursement for a historic structure assessment (HSA) from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) if the Historic Preservation Commission finds "probable cause to believe the building may be eligible for landmarking under the criteria in section 15.36.050 of the Louisville Municipal Code." Further, "a finding of probable cause under this Section is solely for the purposes of action on the pre-landmarking building assessment grant request, and such finding shall not be binding upon the HPC, City Council or other party to a landmarking hearing." Finally, for properties in Downtown Louisville, the HPC acts as a referral body to make comments to the Planning Commission and City Council regarding the design elements in proposed PUDs. A number of the design criteria in the Design Handbook for Downtown Louisville relate to the expertise of the HPC, such as historic styles, massing, and scale. The last item, then, is a Design Referral. Staff recommendations: 1. Demolition Review: Staff recommends placing a 180-day stay on the demolition of the facade. 2. Probable Cause: Staff recommends a finding of Probable Cause. 2 12