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Historic Landmarks Commission approves replacement of deteriorating wagon shed at Fort Dalles Museum
Summary
The Dalles Historic Landmarks Commission approved demolition and replacement of a deteriorated 1964 vehicle storage shed at the Fort Dalles Museum, citing preservation standards and public-safety concerns; Commissioner Eric Gleason abstained because of prior involvement with the nomination.
The Dalles Historic Landmarks Commission on a voice vote approved HLC application 217-24 to demolish and replace a vehicle storage shed at the Fort Dalles Museum, 500 W. 15th and Garson streets.
Sandy Freund, senior planner with the City of The Dalles and HLC coordinator, told the commission staff had found the proposal met the Secretary of the Interior Standards and relevant provisions of The Dalles municipal code and recommended approval with conditions. "All original uses of the site will be preserved and retained," Freund said during the staff presentation.
The applicant, Denise Dietrich Bocum of the Fort Dalles Museum and Anderson Homestead Foundation, said the existing open-sided shed — constructed in 1964 and not listed on the 1985 historic inventory for the site — no longer protects the museum's collection of horse-drawn wagons. "They are deteriorating. There are animals getting inside, and they're subject to UV," Bocum said, noting the museum covers the wagons with a tarp in winter. She said an enclosed, insulated replacement would allow display and conservation work.
Randy Katz, who identified himself as a nearby resident and a designer, told commissioners that the shed's vertical siding currently provides structural support and that removal by nonexperts could pose a safety risk. "If in fact we had someone come in and remove the siding or the roof structures, it would compromise the integrity of the building," Katz said. He recommended demolition be done by experts to avoid injury.
The applicant proposes a fully enclosed, insulated shed using fiber-cement "hardie" plank and batten siding designed to mimic wood, a 35-year composition roof, metal-insulated garage doors and white vinyl windows (staff later clarified the final design does not show windows). Staff documented rotted posts and other deterioration from water runoff and limited maintenance, and said the replacement would not adversely affect the designated Fort Dalles historic landmark or its surgeon's quarters.
Commissioner Carl Verkuderen moved to approve the application; Commissioner Bev Agee seconded. The motion carried; Commissioner Eric Gleason abstained, stating earlier he edited the nomination and therefore had ex parte contact.
The commission recorded no public opponents. The approval was memorialized later in HLC resolution 203-25.
