Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC-1: Level II

4-E-20-HZ

Applicant Request

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

- Demolition of rear (west) elevation shed-roof stoop (one section of porch enclosed, will also be removed).

- Removal of non-historic secondary entry on north elevation (including door, concrete steps, and shed roof).

- Windows: existing windows will be replaced with one-over-one, double-hung vinyl windows.

- Reconstruction of front porch (east elevation): existing porch will be demolished and be reconstructed with a CMU foundation clad in brick veneer, new 6" by 6" wood posts, and a square picket railing. Existing concrete steps will be removed and reconstructed with handrails to match railing. New wood porch ceiling.

- Construction of rear addition. Rear addition will be 13'-10" wide by 7'-11" deep, clad in fiber cement siding to match the house, and feature a gable roof with a 36" x 42" tall window in the gable field. A rear entry door and one-over-one, double-hung window will be located on the proposed addition.

- Second-story gable-roof dormer addition proposed for the north (side) elevation to provide for a 36" x 42" egress window.

CONDITIONS of approval identified at 7/16/20 HZC meeting:
1) omit egress window in façade (east) gable field (east gable field to feature 30" x 30" casement window);
2) north and rear elevation dormer additions to reflect size of 215 16th St. (14' wide at widest point and 9' tall);
3) three full-sized windows to be located on rear section of north elevation;
4) smaller sized, decorative window to be installed on south elevation in stairwell location, header to be aligned with other window headers;
5) if foundation must be reconstructed in locations other than the front porch and rear addition, a revised application for a COA must be submitted.

Site Info

One-story frame residence with an exterior of vinyl siding. Hipped roof clad in asphalt shingles with a front-gable roof massing projecting to the front. One-over-one, double-hung windows. Façade features a cutaway bay window. One-story, shed-roof porch with turned wood columns. Interior offset brick chimney, brick foundation.

1. The house is a contributing resource to the Fort Sanders NC Overlay and National Register Historic District.

2. The rear shed-roof stoop is not a historic feature of the house and does not contribute to the house's overall integrity. Demolition of the existing shed roof, enclosed porch, and concrete block foundation for purposes of an addition is appropriate.

3. Placement of the addition at the rear of the property is appropriate. The rear addition will measure 13'-10" wide by 7'-11" deep, with a modestly-sized scale and massing that do not detract from the house's overall integrity. The rear addition will have a gable roof to provide an egress window on the rear elevation. The top of the gable roof is 20'-11" tall to the overall house height of 27'-4" tall. The rear addition should incorporate eave overhangs and fascia details to match the rest of the house.

4. A gable-roof dormer addition is proposed for the right (north) side elevation. The guidelines state "additions should be made to the rear or side of the building." The adjacent houses at 207 and 215 16th Street demonstrate similar side elevation gables which intersect the primary hipped rooflines. The dormer addition should be proportionate to the existing house; specific measurements should be provided to staff to confirm.

5. The proposed egress windows meet the minimum size requirement for building code. While applicant has installed egress windows in side gable fields in multiple instances in the Fort Sanders overlay, a full-sized egress window of 36" by 42" is not appropriate for the façade front gable. The proposed egress window would be too large for the historic proportions of windows.

6. Applicant has sufficiently documented deterioration of foundation under the front porch and proposed rear addition; reconstruction in these locations is appropriate. However, if the scope of reconstruction exceeds that described in the application, applicant will need to submit additional information for review by staff or HZC.

7. Moving the two historic windows on the right (north) elevation to serve interior purposes does not reflect "symmetry similar to historic styles in the neighborhood." Removal of the window on the left (south) elevation creates a large swath of wall space with insufficient transparency.