Design Review Board

Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District

1-C-21-IH

Applicant Request

An identical design is proposed for this case, 1536 Minnesota Avenue; 1534 Minnesota next door, and 1537 Minnesota across the street. Similar findings are detailed below and the staff report will ultimately recommend that variation in design be incorporated to avoid three identical houses (whether accomplished by adding some complexity to the roof forms, the addition of extensions or bays, or incorporating material differences).

1. The front setback is proposed to be 25' from the front property line, with an 8' deep front porch. The front porch extends the full width of the façade so the house's primary massing will be set back 17' from the front property line. The average setback of the full block is 30' from the front property line, with the minimum front setback as 19' and the maximum as 44;. The two adjacent properties (1530 and 1526 Minnesota Avenue) are closer to the street, at 19' and 25' respectively. The proposed front setback is consistent with the block. The site plan incorporates a walkway to the front property line.

2. The block is characterized by modest Minimal Traditionals, modified Craftsmans, and contemporary infill construction. Overall, the modestly-sized house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot and the other houses on the block.

3. The parking pad's placement at the rear of the lot, accessible from the alley, meets the design guidelines. Parking should meet City Engineering standards and be screened with landscaping or fencing to meet design guidelines. The final site plan should also indicate how the homeowner can access the house's entries from the parking pad in the rear.

4. The one-story, 28' wide house is similar in scale to the adjacent properties. The façade is slightly more narrow than the adjacent properties; however, the proposed three-bay façade will be comparable to its neighbors. The 2' tall foundation is appropriate for the context. The scratch coat and painted foundation should extend around each elevation.

5. An 8' deep porch is appropriate for the historic context and will contribute to the house's consistency of front setbacks. Guidelines recommend that porch posts and railings should be comparable to those originally used in the neighborhood. The nearby historic properties include a Craftsman bungalow, several altered Queen Anne cottages, and Minimal Traditionals, which use fewer porch supports with wider porch stairs.

6. Design guidelines encourage window and doors styles to be similar to historic houses on the block. The applicant has stated the windows will be double-hung vinyl, which meet Infill design guidelines. Revised drawings should reflect the actual windows to be installed. The Board may choose to discuss the distribution of windows on the right side elevation. Past Infill Housing reviews have discouraged the use of non-operable shutters that aren't appropriately sized for the windows.

7. A 6/12 pitch is compatible with the original housing on the block. Historic houses on the block (and infill construction) incorporate more complex roof forms, including secondary gables or shed roofs covering the stoops.

8. The proposed materials of vinyl lap siding, a stuccoed foundation, and an architectural shingle-clad roof meet the design guidelines. The use of a different siding design (shingles, vertical siding, etc) on the gable would contribute additional visual interest to the large front-gable field.

9. Final site plan should show one native or naturalized shade tree to be planted in the front yard and one in the rear yard

Site Info

Construction of new primary residence on vacant lot. Proposed house will measure 28'-0" wide by 36'-0" long, with a front-gable roof, partial-width 8'-0" deep front porch. House will front Minnesota Avenue, and is proposed to be set 25'-0" from the front property line, with equal side setbacks of 10' on each side. Parking is accessed from the alley to the rear of the property, with a 19' by 19' concrete parking pad located on the rear right (south) corner of the property. A concrete sidewalk extends from the center of the porch to the street.

The house features a front-gable roof with a 6/12 pitch, clad in architectural shingles, an exterior of vinyl siding, and a CMU foundation with a painted scratch coat above. Gable fields are clad in board and batten vertical siding.

The façade (northwest) features a partial-width, front-gable roof porch. A half-light door is centered on the façade. Two pairs of adjoining double-hung vinyl windows flank the door, with non-operable vinyl shutters. A louvered vent is centered on the front gable field.

The right (southwest) elevation features four adjoining double-hung vinyl windows on the first bay, with an additional window of the same design towards the house's rear. The rear (southeast) elevation features two sets of paired double-hung vinyl windows. An accessible secondary entry is located on the left (northeast) elevation, featuring a ramp with a concrete, cast-in-place, retaining wall.