Letter to the Editor: Health and Human Services Building!

Big thanks to NCL Board Member Marie Dolcini for writing this fantastic letter to the editors! Say YES to historic preservation!

Infill Housing on Historic Sites?

Preservationists Say ‘Yes in Our Backyards!’

Dear Editor-

Increasing affordable housing stock and saving historic structures from the wrecking ball is not an either-or proposition. Unfortunately, in the case of the old Health and Human Services campus along Old Sonoma Road, there are those who would have you believe it is.

Make no mistake. As residents, neighbors, parents, seniors, employees and employers, we absolutely support infill development and workforce housing on the site. The question of density remains and should be determined in partnership with all stakeholders. But as preservationists, we believe that neighborhoods that retain and celebrate their unique and historic attributes aren’t just more aesthetically pleasing, environmentally responsible, and more enjoyable for residents and visitors – they are better long term community investments.

What makes neighborhoods, towns and city districts livable and attractive? Thoughtful design that’s sensitive to local context and that enhances our experience of the built environment. Adaptive reuse – or repurposing old buildings for new use – is a common strategy for preserving historic structures and can:

Preserve local history
Define/retain/improve neighborhood character
Conserve resources and reduce waste
Serve as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization efforts
Offer developers a range of state and federal tax credits

The old Napa Infirmary buildings on the site of the former Health and Human Services campus are another distinct part of our town fabric with a history dating back to 1910. These three Spanish Colonial structures and crescent drive are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and a great candidate for adaptive reuse, but the option has yet to be honestly explored.

Consultants MIG were hired by the county to offer conceptual sketches at a second public workshop back in February and showed only one possibility for retaining the century-old buildings and crescent: Flanking the complex with 5-story apartments to achieve desired density. Clearly, MIG’s preservation option was designed with only perfunctory effort and was a non-starter to anyone who saw the rendering; unfortunately, they did the County and citizens a disservice with their polarizing presentation.

The good news is that since then, County leaders have acknowledged citizen disapproval with their demolition plans in order to maximize density on the site and have postponed the project indefinitely. Instead of rushing ahead without a clear mandate, they should commit to vetting developer partners experienced in infill projects that involve historic resources.

Some local examples of citizens rallying to save threatened structures with the help of visionary developers in the past include:

Blue Oak School
Napa Mill
Opera House
Jarvis Conservatory
Hall of Records
First Bank Building (now Allegria)
Franklin Station Post Office

What would Napa be without these iconic landmarks? Once neighborhood eyesores/detractors, all are now cherished architectural icons adding distinction to neighborhood and town character and to our shared sense of place. With effort and creative thinking, we can do it again.

According to a 2015 California Office of Historic Preservation case study on infill development, “Local government planners and preservation advocates should work with project proponents through the local preservation review process, and/or the CEQA process to incorporate historic resources into infill development design.”

A cursory search online of the terms “adaptive reuse” and “infill development” reveals a wide range of award-winning projects across the country reflecting just such a collaborative approach. Most, if not all, took advantage of a variety of federal and state tax credits and local grants to make their projects reality – including low income housing tax credits, state and federal historic preservation and new markets tax credits, grants/offsets from municipalities and foundation and private support.

Citizens in Martinsville, IN, repurposed their old infirmary to affordable housing project for seniors 55-years old and older. In Boston, MA, the housing authority rehabilitated five historic former hospital buildings into 94 units of affordable and market-rate rental housing. And in Cleveland, OH, residents partnered with community development organizations to renovate a former hospital listed on the National Register of Historic Places into 137 affordable apartments for seniors.

While preserving the historic resources at the old HHS campus will admittedly add another layer of complexity to what promises to be a complex process, it needn’t necessarily be more expensive given potential tax credit offsets and the fact that the buildings are not extraordinarily elaborate. And the quality of construction of these century-old structures should also factor in any cost/benefit analysis: affordable housing simply cannot be built to the same standard.

Napa County Landmarks recently submitted an application to have the historic complex officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places to draw greater attention to it as a threatened resource. At the same time, we stand ready and willing to work with the City and County to ensure that any future development of the site is an unqualified success.

Our “mini Presidio” is a perfect candidate for creative repurposing and could accommodate low-moderate income, senior or veterans housing, commercial development and/or serve as communal areas for future residents. The distinct crescent drive and lawn could continue to serve as a street buffer and public green/open space.

We wholeheartedly embrace infill, but urge a more creative, thoughtful approach to addressing our collective need for housing that also recognizes the site’s merits. Instead of seeing historic attributes as an obstacle to adding as many units as possible, let’s view them as development opportunities for accommodating growth, revitalizing communities and preserving our shared past.

– Board of Directors, Napa County Landmarks
– Preservation Action Committee, Napa County Landmarks

Top Ten Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows

1. Because your windows fit your house.
• Quirky as they might be, your older windows fit your house. Care was taken to match the weight and style of window to the building, the trim, etc. They have expanded and contracted with the seasons. With proper weather stripping they can be made to fit and seal even better. Replacement windows have a rigid structure that fits within your window openings. Old houses move and shift over time and frequently the gaps that open up around replacement windows and the window openings result in more drafts than the original windows.

2. Because you appreciate good craftsmanship.
• The true mortise and tenon construction of antique windows is incredibly strong and even when it begins to weaken is easily repaired. Many unique window shapes were created because of the craftsmanship with wood joinery. Antique windows were built to last and not end up in landfill.

Example of curved antique glass. Photo courtesy: www:clearywindowrestoration.com.

3. Because you value good materials.
• Antique wood windows are constructed of old growth timber. The wood is much denser and more weather resistant than today’s tree farmed softwoods. Delicate profiles are possible because of the density of the wood. The reason these windows are still around, even with years of neglect, is because the wood is of very high quality requiring no cladding or additional materials to give them weather resistance. Minus all the ugly paint your wood windows are usually quite beautiful, graceful, and strong.

4. Because you love the character of antique glass.
• Even the glass in antique windows tells a story. It may be roundel or cylinder glass, each indicating a certain era of manufacturing. Old glass has varieties of color and texture that are a delight to the eye. Two layers of glass are better than one, and in an antique home that second layer of glass should be the storm window that protects the original window.

5. Because you think a warranty should be more than 20 years.
• Chances are your windows have done their job for fifty or more years already. Sure, they may be a little creaky and may not be as attractive as they once were, but it’s a far better investment to repair a proven performer than to sink money into a new window that only has a 20 year warranty at best. With proper maintenance your antique windows should last another 100 years. Heck, even without maintenance they may last that long!

6. Because you want to avoid vinyl.
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is becoming one of the greatest concerns in the building industry. Not only does the production of it create an environmental nightmare, but the gases it emits over time are becoming a concern. Heaven forbid your house catches fire, and PVC burned will release toxic amounts of dioxin. If you are concerned about lead, please understand that it is used as a stabilizer in the manufacture of PVC. If you are concerned about our planet’s health you should read up on efforts to reduce the use of vinyl.

7. Because you want more light.
• Replacement windows are set into the window opening, and the sash is smaller than the originals. You get less viewing area and less light. Who wants less light?

Restoring the weight & pulley system in an antique window. Photo courtesy: doublehungwindow restoration.com

8. Because windows are a functional part of your house.
• Weights and pulleys are the best balance systems ever invented. There is a prevalent myth that a lot of cold air comes in through the weight pocket. If there is cold air in the weight pocket it’s generally because there is a gap between the outside trim of the house and the siding. It may also indicate a poor seal at the floor joists. Replacing easily serviceable weights and pulleys with vinyl jamb liners or invisible balance systems means installing a system that has a maximum life span of 10-20 years but generally fails in less time. You can’t believe how joyful it is to open and close windows easily with one hand when everything is restored to the way it was designed to work!

9. Because you really can save 30-40% on heating costs.
• According to the Field Study of Energy Impacts of Window Rehab Choices conducted by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, the University of Vermont School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering laboratory the estimate first year energy savings between a restored wooden window with a good storm window vs. a replacement window was $0.60. Yup, less than a buck. In their conclusions section they noted “The decision to renovate or replace a window should not be based solely on energy considerations, as the difference in estimate first year savings between the upgrade options are small.” Broken glass, failed glazing, no weather stripping – these small and repairable items are what really effect energy efficiency in windows.

10. Because the greenest building is one that is already built.
• Replacement windows are touted as a way to save energy. But when evaluated from the perspective of the entire production, shipping, installation and removal process replacing windows consumes a whole lot of energy, or viewed the other way an older building has a great deal of embodied energy. If the total energy expenditure to manufacture replacement windows is considered the break even period stretches to 40-60 years. In the words of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation “We can’t build our way out of the global warming crisis. We have to conserve our way out. That means we have to make better, wiser use of what we have already built.” Repairs and restoration work are done by local craftspeople paying local taxes. The use a minimum of materials and resources and a maximum of labor. Restoring windows is the best use of existing materials and the best way to support the local economy.

Restoring antique stained glass windows. Photo courtesy: www:savingspaces.org.

Article written by New England Window Restoration Alliance, www.windowrestorationne.org

Letter to the Editor: Health and Human Services Building!

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