Historic Zoning Commission

Scenic Drive NC-1: Level II

1-D-13-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Replacement/repair

Remove front porch steps and add gable-front porch with square supports and new stacked and flagstone steps. Gable to be fiber cement shingles. Add fiber cement shingles over brick to east front gable. Porch foundation is to be stacked stone and floor to be flagstone. Remove existing steps at existing brick retaining wall and add new stacked stone steps. Install wrought iron step railing at side steps of porch as required by state Building Code. Re-roof porch and entire house to replace 3-tab asphalt shingles with dimensional architectural asphalt shingles. Add 3 solar tubes, not visible from the right-of-way, into rear roof.

Site Info

One-story frame with brick veneer wallcovering. Hip and cross gable roof with asphalt shingle roof covering. One -story garage on south elevation. Six-over -nine double -hung windows. Exterior front brick chimney. Irregular plan.

STAFF'S FINDINGS OF FACT
1. A Certficate of Appropriateness was approved in 2008 to add a covered stoop over the front entry. The front porch was to have swept front gable with a small telescoping front gable to mark he front entry, brick columns with a segmental arch over the front entry were to be added, and tripled square columns were to be added at corner of side section of front porch. This addition would have changed the appearance of the style of the house to that of Tudoresque.

2. The currently proposed front porch addition will not change the style or era of the house. It would still be considered a "ranch-style" house.

3. There are distinctive architectural features on homes throughout the Scenic Drive area; however, an
NC-1 district does not regulate maintenance of existing features.The purpose of the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay (NC-1) for the Scenic Drive corridor of Sequoyah Hills is to maintain the setting of the area, minimizing changes to the neighborhood, its setting, and its basic overall architectural heritage.

4. The Scenic Drive Design Guidelines are limited in their application, applying only to 1) the addition of space to an existing building, 2) the construction of new buildings, or 3) the demolition of existing buildings.

5. The architecture on Scenic Drive ranges from the ?rst quarter of the 20th century to present day. . . Achitectural styles include Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival and an Art Moderne home. The architecture is an eclectic collection of styles, and is therefore not a unifying factor of the streetscape.

6. Although the individual buildings along Scenic were developed at different times, and reflect variations in architecture, the streetscape is defined by the overall wooded and sloping setting, lot coverage, setbacks, roof shapes, landscaping .. . Lawns, plantings, and semi-wooded areas are essential to maintaining this appearance. They are the unifying factors that tie this district together. Asphalt and concrete detract from this appearance.


SCENIC DRIVE AREA OF SEQUOYAH HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD (NC-1) DESIGN GUIDELINES

New Construction - Additions (pg. 12) calls for materials that are consistent with the existing historic materials (#12). Roofs (pg. 13, #1 & #2) the roof pitch and roof shape is consistent with others in the district. The proposed plans create a strong front entry orienting the house better to the street (see pg. 13, #2).

New Construction: Additions
2. In constructing new buildings, the materials to
be used should be appropriate for the style of
house that is being constructed.

3. Materials commonly in use in the existing
neighborhood houses are preferred. The
following modern wall cladding material.
should not be used on primary buildings:
Vinyl or aluminum siding.

6. New additions and constructions shall conform
to the prevailing widths and heights of typical
facades of adjacent houses. The footprint of
new additions and constructions should be in
character and proportion with contributing
neighboring houses.

9. The recommended location for additions
is to the rear or side of existing buildings.
Additions to the front of buildings are strongly
discouraged because they obscure the original
architectural designs. Front additions are not
appropriate for contributing structures.

11. The design of additions, accessory buildings,
including carports, and modifi cations, in
particular the front facade of the house, should
be consistent with the character of the main
structure.

12. If an addition or modifi cation is made to an
existing house, the wall cladding material
should match or complement those on the
existing house. Traditional combinations such
as wood shingle siding additions on brick
primary structures are acceptable. The roofi ng
material for additions should match the existing roof.

13. All construction plans shall assess and take
into account the impact of drainage on both the
subject property and neighboring properties.

Roof Form and Coverings
The houses in the District are diverse in their
architectural designs and trim, with roof variations
formed by fl at roofs, offsetting gables or hips,
telescoping gables and dormers. Wings extend from
the main body of the building and porches or porticos
add further diversity. In constructing additions:

1. The minimum roof pitch should be appropriate
for the style of house or addition.

Front Entries, Porches, Stoops & Porticos
1. Stoops, porticos or front porches in keeping
with the historic look of the neighborhood are
encouraged for new buildings.

2. Houses that front on streets in Scenic Drive
have strong front entries that orient the houses
to the street and its neighborhood. A formal entry,
facing the primary street except in the case of corner
lots, should be included in any new designs . . .

Site Design
1. New buildings and additions shall be designed
to set into the landscape with a minimum of
reshaping to the topography and loss of mature trees.

10. Foundation plantings with low ornamental
shrubs should be installed with new construction.