TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Glenn W. Gross, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:
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Designation of the Ed and Marie Viesko House at 2060 High Street SE as a Local Historic Resource
Ward(s): 2
Councilor(s): Andersen
Neighborhood(s): SCAN
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ISSUE:
Should the City Council advance Ordinance Bill No. 23-16, designating the Ed and Marie Viesko House located at 2060 High Street as a local Historic Resource to second reading for enactment?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Advance Ordinance Bill No. 23-16, designating the Ed and Marie Viesko House located at 2060 High Street as a local Historic Resource to second reading for enactment.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
The Ed & Marie Viesko House was constructed in 1924 and is significant both for its association with Ed Viesko, a prominent Salem builder, as well as for its architecture, which is an excellent example of the English Cottage style, popular in Salem in the 1920s. The current property owner, Dr. Richard K. Neahring has requested the designation and the Historic Landmarks Commission recommends the City Council designate the property as a local Historic Resource.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Procedural Findings:
1. The property owner submitted an application on August 17, 2016 requesting designation of 2060 High Street SE (Attachment 5 and 6) as a Local Historic Resource. After the application was deemed complete on August 18, 2016, it was scheduled for a public hearing before the Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC).
2. Notice was sent to surrounding property owners and the SCAN Neighborhood Association and a public hearing was held on September 15, 2016. SCAN submitted testimony in support of the designation.
3. After receiving testimony and reviewing the application the HLC found that the proposal adequately met the applicable criteria in Salem Revised Code (SRC) 230.010(e) related to age, cultural significance and integrity. Therefore, the Historic Landmarks Commission is forwarding to City Council its recommendation for designation (Attachment 7).
4. The City Council conducted first reading of Ordinance Bill No. 23-16 at the November 28, 2016 meeting and scheduled the matter for a public hearing on December 12, 2016.
5. The City Council held a public hearing on December 12, 2016. After receiving testimony and reviewing the application, the City Council found that the proposal adequately met the applicable criteria in SRC 230.010(e) related to age, cultural significance and integrity. The City Council voted to advance Ordinance Bill No. 23-16 to second reading for enactment.
Substantive Findings:
1. Local Historic Resources are significant to the history of Salem based on the cultural, human or architectural significance of the building, structure, site, or object that is being considered. Unlike with the designation of sites to the National Register of Historic Places, which are the purview of the National Parks Department, the decision to designate a local Historic Resource rests solely with the City Council.
2. Once designated as a local Historic Resource, a building or site has the same level of protection and regulations under the zoning code as a building or site on the National Register of Historic Places. If the City Council approves the designation of the Ed and Marie Viesko House any exterior alterations, except maintenance, repair and paint, will require review pursuant to SRC Chapter 230. Additionally, the owners will be eligible for city, state and federal resources available to owners of historically designated properties, such as the City’s Residential Toolbox Grant.
3. In order to approve the designation of the Ed and Marie Viesko House the City Council must find that the following criteria, found in SRC 230.010, are met:
Age. The proposed historic resource is at least fifty years old, or demonstrates exceptional significance if less than fifty years of age.
Finding: The Ed and Marie Viesko House was constructed in 1924 and is 92 years old. The criterion is met.
Significance. The proposed historic resource demonstrates significance in at least one of the following areas:
(A) Cultural Significance. The proposed historic resource:
(i) Contributes to the character and historic identity of the neighborhood or city; or
(ii) Makes a contribution to the historic character of a historic resource, neighborhood, district, or the city as a whole.
Finding: This criterion is not applicable to the evaluation of the proposed nomination, as the applicant has not nominated the resource for its cultural significance.
(B) Human Significance. The proposed historic resource:
(i) Is associated historically with the life or activities of a person, group, organization or institution that has made a significant contribution to the local community; or
(ii) Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local history; or
(iii) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, important information concerning prehistory or history.
Finding: While the applicant is nominating the Viesko House for its architectural significance, the proposed resource is also significant for its association with Ed Viesko. The Viesko’s were the first owners of the property, owning the resource from 1924 until it was sold out of the Viesko family in 1973. Ed Viesko worked as a Salem contractor from the 1920’s through his retirement in 1959. While he began his career constructing homes in Salem, after he partnered with Jim Hannaman in 1936, he focused on building larger commercial projects. After Hannaman’s death in 1943, Viesko partnered with Claude Post and constructed many important Salem buildings, including the Meier & Frank Building, the Marion County Courthouse, the Oregon State Correctional Institute and Smith Auditorium at Willamette University.
This criterion has been met for the proposed nomination; the house is significant for its association with Ed Viesko, an individual who has made a significant contribution to the local Salem community through his role in constructing many of Salem’s significant buildings.
(C) Architectural Significance. The proposed historic resource:
(i) Is significant as an example of a particular architectural style, building type, structural type, or method of construction; or
(ii) Is the work of an acknowledged master or architect, or possesses high artistic values.
Finding: The applicant is nominating the Ed and Marie Viesko House for its architectural significance, as an excellent example of the English Cottage style, popular in Salem in the 1920s. As noted in the nomination documents, this style has several notable features which can be seen in the Viesko House, including the following:
• cross-gabled, medium to steeply pitched roof;
• arched or rounded doors/front entry;
• stucco siding; and
• multi-paned windows in groups of two or three.
These features can be seen in the photos of the Ed and Marie Viesko House included as Attachment 4.
The house is significant as an example of Salem’s English Cottage style and this criterion has been met.
Integrity. The proposed historic resource retains sufficient original design characteristics, craft work, or material to serve as an example of an architectural period, significant building type or structural type, or recognized architectural style.
Finding: The Ed and Marie Viesko House retains excellent integrity on both the exterior and the interior. Overall, the building’s relationship to the street frontage and the neighborhood has not changed since its construction. A small number of alterations have been made to the structure over time, including the addition of the small copper roof over the door, minor modernization of the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as the installation of updated HVAC systems. Removable solar panels have been installed on the roof, on a secondary side facing the interior of the lot. The criterion has been met for the proposed nomination of the primary house.
At the rear of the site there is a two story, double facing garage, which was likely constructed at the time of the house, which has been modernized and converted to include a guest house. This garage does not retain enough integrity to be considered historic contributing to the site, therefore, it shall be considered a non-contributing accessory structure to the Ed and Marie Viesko House.
CONCLUSION:
The Ed & Marie Viesko House satisfies the criteria for age, integrity and significance. The proposed historic resource is 92 years old and is significant both for its association with Ed Viesko, a prominent Salem builder, as well as for its architecture. It is an excellent example of the English Cottage style, popular in Salem in the 1920s.
Kimberli Fitzgerald, AICP
Historic Preservation Officer
Attachments:
1. Ordinance Bill 23-16
2. Ordinance 23-16 Exhibit 1
3. Ordinance 23-16 Exhibit 2
4. Vicinity Map
5. Ed and Marie Viesko House Photos
6. Ed and Marie Viesko House Nomination
7. HLC Recommendation
11/15/2016