City Council Minutes 1998 04 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Historic Overview Chapter in the Historic Preservation Plan draft, historic Louisville is characterized by one and two-story commercial buildings along Main Street. The Design Charrette held in January of 1998 indicated a strong desire to maintain a downtown core of one and two-story buildings consistent with its historic character. The south and north building elevations will have considerable exposure from Main Street. The proposed project would create a parking demand for 68 spaces, 85 spaces if the basement is utilized as additional office space. Davidson called for the applicant's presentation. Cheri Ruskus, owner of Business Answers, 728 Main Street, Louisville, Colorado, stated that her primary customers are one to two person businesses. Cheri expressed that Business Answers has expanded and has had to take over the executive office suites, leaving no offices available to rent out. She conducted historical research on her building and found that there is little left of the original building. In approximately 1976, a fire destroyed most of the rear part of the building, and the current front facade was added during reconstruction after the fire. Within the next year many "large ticket" items will need attention, such as the roof, stucco on the front facade, and structural shifting, creating the oppommity for a major renovation. She would like to recreate the brick look common among the buildings on Main Street in the early part of the century. The third story was added for economic reasons. The renovation will be costly and the square footage of the third story is necessary to make the project cost-effective. She acknowledged the parking needs her building would create but felt it would be justified by the economic viability the business would bring to downtown Louisville. Eric Hartronft, Architect, Hartronft Associates, 1021 South Boulder Road, Louisville, Colorado, reviewed the architecture of the building. He requested a Work Session with Council at a later date to discuss downtown parking options, and was available to answer questions. Davidson called for Council comments or questions. Mayer expressed concern for the lack of parking. Hartronft commented that the City has a long-standing policy to provide parking for customers of downtown businesses. He stated that there is a need for centralized parking downtown and feels the momentum and excitement being generated to improve downtown would be useful to that end. Mayer stated that he has a concem about the scale of the building and how it fits into downtown. The Historical Commission is also concerned about these issues. Howard agreed that parking is an issue and a parking lot for sixty-eight cars would cost the City approximately $340,000. He did like the fact that brick would be on the building. He is concerned with the scale and massing of the building. He has received several telephone calls from citizens who are very concerned about the changing character of downtown, specifically the current three- story building downtown. He was also concerned about the proposed floor area ratio at this location. 9