Historic Zoning Commission
Fourth and Gill H-1: Level II
9-H-19-HZ
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the following: installation of basement entry doors; replacement in-kind of wood porch elements; HVAC installation, with the condition that shrubbery or fencing be installed to screen the unit; the rear addition, with the condition that the addition be differentiated from the historic structure via a small offset, a change in siding, or other design tactic; porch stair installation, with the condition that the stairs receive a handrail and guardrail to meet codes. Revised design of the rear addition and the porch stairway to be reviewed and approved by staff.
Staff recommends denial of proposed fiber cement board replacement siding.
Applicant Request
Level II. Major repair or replacement of materials or architectural elements
Mechanical system; Porch; Siding; Other: Basement access doors- Installation of an HVAC system to the rear left corner of the house (north elevation). HVAC will be approximately 29-1/8" tall by 33" wide by 59" long. Unit will be minimally visible from the street.
- Replacement of porch columns, balustrade, and flooring as necessary. Substantial deterioration is evident, and existing wood columns are not connected to foundation beams at the front of the house, therefore not providing sufficient support for the porch roof. Columns will be replaced with materials and design to match existing.
- Rear addition: to extend 20' from the existing shed-roof extension, at 3.5' wide. Addition will square up existing house. Foundation will be brick to match existing foundation, and two windows on existing east elevation will be relocated in the same position and placement on the newly constructed exterior wall. Addition will not be visible from the street.
- Installation of access doors to basement/crawl space. Doors to be located toward rear of south elevation. Doors will be 45" wide by 60" long and elevated approximately 32" off the ground at their highest point. Doors will be wood double doors.
- Addition of steps to right (south) side of porch. Concrete steps will match existing concrete stps on left (north) side of porch.
- Replacement of existing aluminum siding. Applicant is proposing HardiePlank Lap Siding in wood-grained charcoal gray.
Site Info
Queen Anne cottage, c.1900One-and-one-half-story residence with a gable-on-hip roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of aluminum siding, and a brick foundation. A gable-on-hip-roof porch is centered on the façade, supported by square wood columns. Two single-light casement windows on side gable fields. Two interior brick chimneys. Windows are two-over-one, double-hung wood sash.
1. The house is a contributing resource to the Fourth and Gill H-1 Overlay and the National Register Historic District.
2. The proposed placement of the HVAC unit towards the rear of the north side elevation is appropriate. Guidelines recommend that they should be screened with shrubbery or fencing.
3. The size, scale, and location of the proposed rear addition is appropriate.
4. Guidelines recommend that new additions are installed in a manner that makes clear what is historic and what is new, avoiding duplicating the exact form, material, and detailing of the historic building in the new addition. The proposed addition is not presently differentiated from the historic structure, whether via a small offset or a change in siding.
5. The basement access hatch is small in size and will not detract from the historic integrity of the house.
6. Per 2018 IRC, if a stairway includes four or more steps, a handrail is necessary for safety. A guardrail is also required if stairs are located at 36" above the groundline. The south side of the porch is above 36" tall and would require a guardrail of at least 34" tall. The top of the guardrail could serve as the handrail and be between 34" and 38" tall. An exact mirror of the north elevation stairway would create design challenges with the required guardrail being visibly taller than the original porch balustrade.
7. Replacement in-kind of wood porch columns and any rotted sections of flooring is appropriate.
8. There is not a precedent for approval of fiber cement board siding as a full replacement for existing siding on a historic house in the neighborhood.
