Dealing with the condition of approval this way doesn’t concern me as much as the ability to conform with historic preservation standards. It also places the Landmarks Commission in a difficult position again, being the ones that could stop the project if they don’t find the condition met. Note the third concern of the state staff regarding the tower . . . not just some silly neighborhood concern, this is from an expert.
DATE: April 22, 2010
TO: Common Council Plan Commission Landmarks Commission
FROM: Bradley J. Murphy, AICP, Director, Planning Division
SUBJECT: Renovation of Original Edgewater Hotel TowerOn March 23, 2010, the Plan Commission recommended approval of the rezoning of 666 Wisconsin Avenue and 2 E. Gilman Street from R6H and HIST-MH OR to PUD-GDP-SIP (ID #15955) to the Common Council subject to the comments and conditions contained in the Plan Commission materials and two additional conditions of approval.
The first of the additional conditions recommended by the Commission would require that the renovation of the original 1946 hotel tower be conducted in accordance with the Secretary of Interior’s (SOI) Standards for Rehabilitation (of historic buildings) and as approved by the State of Wisconsin Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
Following the Plan Commission hearing, Planning Division staff discussed the above recommended condition of approval for the Edgewater Hotel PUD with Jim Draeger, who is the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer at the Wisconsin Historical Society and whose office would be relied upon to implement the proposed condition of approval. Independent of staff’s discussion with Mr. Draeger and based on his limited knowledge of the project, he informally reviewed the Edgewater project for potential compliance with the Secretary of Interior’s standards and identified three key concerns regarding the developer’s plans for the 1946 hotel tower that could affect the project’s ability to conform to those standards:
1. The proposed addition to the roof of the original hotel tower of a one-story glass curtain-wall “club level” floor and rooftop outdoor seating area overlooking the lake may not meet the SOI standards due to likely visibility from the ground and from public view.
2. Plans for the rehabilitation of the original hotel call for a proposed entrance addition at the southeastern corner of the building that would feature a curving cantilevered roof and glass curtain wall intended to emulate the original Lawrence Monberg design for the hotel, which was constructed differently. Even though the proposed entry feature is seen by many as a positive aspect of the Edgewater project, Mr. Draeger indicated the feature may also not meet the SOI standards, which require that rehabilitation be in keeping with the historic building as constructed, not as designed.
3. Mr. Draeger also indicated that the plans for the new 9- to 14-story hotel tower to be constructed across the proposed plaza from the original hotel tower could affect the ability of the original tower to conform to the SOI standards for renovation.
Mr. Draeger also noted that the recommended condition of approval presented his office with an unusual situation, as SHPO has no legal authority under state or federal law to review this project under the conditions proposed by the Plan Commission. Typically, SHPO does not certify adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, but rather, serves as a recommending body to the National Park Service on whether or not a project requesting historic tax credits meets the standards. He also raised a concern that the recommended condition of approval could create a situation where his review could potentially negate the approval of the project by another unit of government and also noted that the kind of approval proposed has not been done in other cases.
In light of Mr. Draeger’s comments regarding the condition of approval recommended by the Plan Commission, the Planning Division recommends that the Common Council consider modifying the condition to instead require that final plans for the renovation of the exterior of the original 1946 hotel tower be approved by the Landmarks Commission or Preservation Planner.
Cc: Jim Draeger, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Wisconsin Historical Society
Rebecca Cnare, Planning Division
Tim Parks, Planning Division
