Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC: Level II

1-D-23-HZ

Applicant Request

Revision to previously submitted proposal. Project includes a roof reconstruction, including reconstruction of two existing dormers and addition of two more dormers, and exterior rehabilitation.

Existing house features a hipped roof with one hipped dormer centered on the façade (north) roof slope and one gable-roof dormer on the left side (east) roof slope. Proposal includes one hipped-roof dormer with two one-over-one windows centered on the façade, two hipped-roof dormers with three one-over-one windows centered on east and west elevations, and one hipped-roof dormer on the rear (south) elevation.

Exterior rehabilitation includes the installation of new windows (creating new fenestrations on some elevations) and the enclosure of others. On the façade, the center second-story windows will be enlarged. On the east elevation, three stories of paired double-hung windows will be installed on leftmost bay. On the west elevation, several windows will be partially enclosed or shifted in header height, along with addition of a secondary access door on the main level. Multiple windows will be enclosed on the south elevation.

Work also includes repair to existing porch roof, replacement of front door if needed, and repair/repointing to exterior brick masonry siding.

HZC motion at 2/16/23 meeting: APPROVAL of revision dated 1/23/23, subject to the following condition - 1) masonry repointing and brick repair to meet specifications of NPS Preservation Brief 2.

Site Info

Two-and-one-half-story residence with a hipped roof clad in asphalt shingles, a brick exterior, and a continuous brick foundation. Hipped roof centered on façade.

1. 1800 Clinch Avenue is a contributing structure to the Fort Sanders National Register Historic District and Neighborhood Conservation overlay.

2. The previous proposal included a full third-story addition, elevating the existing roofline an additional three feet via a shingle-sided massing and new dormers. The revision adds two dormers and reconstructs two dormers in a larger size to accommodate more interior space instead of elevating the roof.

3. Many historic (H) overlay guidelines discourage adding elements to rooflines which were not originally present. Fort Sanders' design guidelines lack this note, with the only related guideline recommending "variations in the form of the roof above the second story such as gables at different angles, hipped roofs, and dormers" in new construction. Adding new dormers visible from the street would not typically be considered appropriate in a historic (H) overlay.

4. The proposed dormers are generally proportionate to the overall roofline and the form of the house. The windows are compatible with the proposed replacement windows and the overall style of the house. The use of lap siding instead of brick veneer will differentiate the dormer additions from the original house.

5. In general, the revision to front and side elevation window placement maintains the recommended "proportions and symmetry," including adding additional transparency on the east elevation. Enclosing multiple interior bays of windows on the rear does create a large closed swath of siding with no transparency, though the work meets the design guidelines for windows.

6. The remaining exterior rehabilitation scopes meet the design guidelines. All repointing and masonry repair should meet the specifications of NPS Brief 2, "Repointing Mortar Joints on Historic Masonry Buildings."