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Staff tells HPC removing the Armory’s 1906 eave conflicts with preservation guidelines; synthetic roof material questioned
Summary
City staff told the commission that removing the southern eave — in place for roughly 120 years — and proposed plastic shake roofing conflict with multiple historic‑preservation guidelines; staff recommended either retaining the eave or further study and provided specific guideline citations for the commission’s consideration.
Julian White, the City of Aspen’s Historic Preservation Officer, presented staff’s review of the revised Armory Hall proposal, telling the commission the central concerns are the proposed removal of the circa‑1906 southern eave, large new fenestration that alters window proportions, and removal/covering of historic brick for the visitor center and vestibule additions.
White noted that although the eave was added after original construction (circa 1906), guideline 10.1 calls for preservation of older additions that have achieved historic significance in their own right. On roofing, staff said the oldest known roof material was wood shingles and that proposed plastic shakes “do not accurately replicate wood shingles at this time”; staff declined to endorse a generic plastic shake product without seeing a specific manufacturer sample. Staff recommended continued work with the applicant to refine roofing materials and fenestration while minimizing removal of historic brick.
Staff also highlighted accessibility and landscape concerns: the decorative gravel option for Connor Park would not meet ADA criteria while crusher fines might; real grass would require maintenance and may fail under the park’s large spruce tree. Staff recommended that, if the commission wished to move forward with a recommendation, it include conditions addressing these guideline conflicts and material clarifications.
In short, staff positioned HPC to weigh preservation guidelines as paramount for the building’s long‑term survival while inviting applicants to deliver more precise material specifications for staff review.
