Historic Zoning Commission
Ft. Sanders NC-1 (postponed from 2/21/2019 mtg): Level II
2-F-19-HZ
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the following conditions for approval (added for March 21, 2019 HZC meeting):
1. After-the-fact approval and reconstruction of the unstable foundation on the main house as determined by City Building Inspections.
2. If the porch foundation is also required to be demolished by City Inspections due to the inability to correct structural deficiencies, it must be faced with the original brick and the porch brick pier supports must be retained. If the battered posts require replacing due to rot, they must replicate the originals.
3. The demolished walls on the east and west sides are to be reconstructed with the condition that the window openings match the original size and locations including the replication of the original set of twin windows on the west side. The original fascia and corner trim is to be replicated.
4. The rear addition is recommended to be demolished since it is not historically appropriate, but may be rehabilitated as proposed if pemitted by City Building Inspections with approval of the door and window specifications to be approved by staff. The shutters for the faux windows shall be louvered and placed within window framing and have hinged hardware, although they are not required to be operable.
5. Only one square casement window of the minimal dimension required for egress may be installed in the basement of the east side projecting bay facing 16th Street.
6. The proposed gabled stoop may only be placed only over the door in the rear addition, not on the side door of the main house basement façade on 16th Street.
7. The window opening on the east side must be located as closely to the middle of this wall section as possible in order to replicate the original placement.
7. The ground level must be restored at least as high along the east and west facades as shown in the sumitted and approved elevation drawings.
Applicant Request
Level II. Demolition and reconstruction of addition
Additions; WindowsWindows: Windows installed within new walls and openings will be with vinyl 1/1 windows with no muntins. Windows will be recessed with angled sills.
Siding: Old vinyl siding to be replaced with Hardy siding in 5-inch exposure, smooth (not larger wood-grain).
Front Porch: Rebuild the front porch structure as it is not structurally sound with new tongue and groove wood flooring.
Columns: The existing Craftsman columns have been determined to have been built later after the original house and the proper style would be a Victorian porch. The existing columns are poorly built as well, they are falling apart, leaning, and are different sizes. We propose removing the 3 brick columns on front porch and replacing with 6x6 turned posts. There would be 5 full posts and 2 half posts. The foundation also has structural issues and will probably need to be rebuilt. The original brick would be re-used and rebuilt with cinder block wall behind it to support the porch.
Foundation: Foundation of the house was structurally unsound and has been replaced per City Codes requirements. The brick foundation on East side,16th Street, was only 3-4 ft above old ground line per photos. Brick foundation on West side (mostly hidden) was only 2-3 ft. Only al 6-12-inch brick foundation was under rear addition (proposed to be rebuilt). The new foundation is cinder block with a stucco finish. This work has already been completed and approved after-the-fact by City Development Services. All the foundations have been replaced except for the addition and the front porch. The old brick from the foundation is not salvageable in sufficient quantities for re-use. There is enough to rebuild the front porch foundation.
Rear Addition: The rear addition of the house as indicated on the attached survey is in poor structural shape and will need to be largely restored, it is intended to be restored exactly as it was built. A section to the back left as indicated in red on the survey has been removed as it was structurally unsound and is pending reconstruction. The building department has determined that it may be rebuilt, but the bump out must be in line with the existing house bump out, pending COA approval. This is indicated by the blue line on the survey (This is an approximately 6" reduction in the East side dimension). There is a 2-3 inch encroachment along the rear wall that will require re-constructing so that it is not built over the property line.
Site Info
Queen Anne ( c. 1903) with Craftsman porchOne-and-1/2- story with pyramid hipped roof and lower front and side cross gables. Later-added full façade porch with three battered columns on battered brick piers. Canted bay window on south side. Alumimun siding. Non-contributing (ca. 1940-50s) two-story frame addition on rear projecting toward Sixteenth Street.
1) The house is a contributing structure with the Fort Sanders NC-1 and the National Register Historic District.
2) The demolition of the east and west walls, foundation, and the west portion of the addition (as outlined in red on the site plan) was permitted after-the-fact by City Development Services.
3) The addition is non-contributing and nonconforming and it is appropriate and recommended to remove it altogether; however, the applicant has chosen to rebuild it in phases in order to retain it and to mitigate the setback nonconformities.
4) The proposed 4 windows double-hung windows symetrically placed on the 16th Street-side, and relocating the door to face the front will somewhat improve the appearance of the addition. It is proposed to be a few inches smaller in footprint given that it will required to be to be pulled back off of the west and south property lines. However, in order for the addition to be sufficiently distinguished from the main house, a mininum of a one-foot offset from the NW corner of the main house, as shown, will be necessary.
5) Window openings on the north (rear) side of the addition are not permtted due to the fire code; therefore, the proposed faux windows will be comprised of shutters within window frames to match others on the addition. The type of rustic board and batten shutters proposed are not the appropriate style and louvered shutters with hinge hardware are recommended instead.
6) The option of continuing the stuccoed foundation along the entire east (16th Street) elevation up to the addition is more appropriate than continuing the siding down to the basement level.
7) Relocating the basement door on the east side to the left by 18 inches does not have significant impact; however, the window above it should be located as closely to the middle of this wall section as possible in order to replicate the original placement.
8) Replacing the demolished set of twin windows on the west projecting bay with a single window is not appropriate.
9) The proposed demolition of the battered brick porch piers and replacement with turned posts is not appropriate since the porch roof is a heavier Craftsman style constructed at the time of the brick piers. The turned posts are too small -scaled relative to the porch roof. The later Craftsman porch has acquired significance in its own right.
