Historic Zoning Commission

Concord Village HZ: Level II

2-E-15-HZ

Applicant Request

Level II. Major repair or replacement of materials or architectural elements

Install poured concrete as porch floor on front and rear of house which was approved in 2014 to be constructed.

Site Info

1. The proposed porch floors are for new infill construction approved by the HZC 8/21/2014.

2. A wooden tongue-and-groove floor for the front porch was included in the approval by the HZC for this new construction . The front and back porch floors were requested to be a composite material as an alternative to wood flooring; however, specifications or samples were not provided to the HZC so the alternative material was not reviewed.

3. Some concrete porch floors exist within the Concord Historic District; however, staff has not been able to find a record of approval for these porches, so they are likley either grandfathered as having existed before the district was established (such as at 10801 Lake Ridge), or the concrete was utilized without approval.

4. A concrete slab for a rear patio that is not structurally connected to the housemay not be inappropriate, but a concrete floor for a porch on the front or rear of a house does not allude to the tongue-and-groove or board flooring that was historically typical.

5. A concrete slab porch can retain moisture and damage a stick-built wood structure if the concrete abuts the building and is not properly flashed.

6. A composite made of 95% recycled materials(wood, sawdust and plastic) is available and can be manufactured in a smooth finish to somewhat mimic tongue-and-groove flooring.

7. The houses in the Concord HZ district are situated with deeper setbacks than in urban areas, so an alternative material such as the afore-mentioned composite tongue-and-groove for the porch floor and simulates wood to a degree adequate for new construction. A concrete porch would not adequately simulate wood tongue-and-groove.