B.5.0 - 612 Highland Ave — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS APRIL 26, 2021 HR-2021-039343 SMOOT/TERRACE PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT 612 HIGHLAND AVENUE B.5 – 1 PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Construct a 1-story house with a lower level and partial basement; renovate the existing garage. The proposed project is a 1-story house clad in stucco and capped by a combination hipped and flat roof covered in standing- seam metal. Features include a shed-roofed front dormer, full-height fixed and casement steel-sash windows, a fully glazed steel-frame front door, and a stucco chimney. Concrete steps provide access to a full-width, 11’ deep front porch with a low brick wall, steel railing with metal mesh panel, and flat metal roof with wood soffit. A screened porch on the south is capped by a low-pitched roof and set back 51’ from the front wall. A lower-level opening to the rear of the property is minimally visible from the street. An existing detached garage is proposed to be renovated. Changes include replacement of horizontal wood siding with board and batten hardiplank siding, replacement of the garage doors, and in-kind replacement of the roof covering. The garage is accessed by the rear alley and not visible from Highland Avenue. STANDARDS FOR REVIEW The Smoot/Terrace Park Design Standards are used to evaluate projects within the district. The following standards apply to the proposed project: 1. New construction shall have the same street orientation and distance from adjacent buildings as the contributing buildings in the same block. The building sits on the previous historic building’s footprint (destroyed by fire), with the same orientation and distance as contributing buildings on the block. The project meets this standard. 2. Setbacks for new construction shall be consistent with setbacks of the district’s contributing houses. The building’s setback aligns with the adjacent contributing building on the south. The project meets this standard. 4. Design new buildings so that they are compatible with, but differentiated from, historic buildings in the district. The building’s scale and massing are compatible with nearby historic buildings. Elements such as the hipped roof form, dormer window, and full-width front porch present a modern take on historic architecture found elsewhere in the district. The triple banks of windows on the front wall and in the dormer reference window patterns in nearby historic buildings, with more vertical proportions that are compatible with the modern style and steeper roof pitch. However, a few elements do not appear to be compatible with the district, and—taken together—may call too much attention to the house when the goal is for it to contribute to the street as a whole.  The stucco cladding is a clear departure from the wood and brick cladding found on most nearby historic buildings. A number of Craftsman houses in the district feature stucco accents on the gable end and/or foundation or porch walls; the one exception is 1502 W. 9th Street, where stucco cladding is broken up by half-timbering in the gable end and a deep porch with columns and railing.  The flat cantilevered porch roof is a dramatic design element that does not have equivalents in the district.  The metal mesh panels on the side of the porch use a very modern material and pattern that are not reflected in historic porches elsewhere in the district. The project somewhat meets this standard. COMMITTEE FEEDBACK The committee commented on the brick porch and site wall and commended the front porch and front dormer as prominent elements. An 8” gap has been added between the porch and site walls. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Postpone the case to May 24, 2021, and refer it for further review by the Architectural Review Committee, with particular attention to ensuring that the design and materials are compatible with the historic district. B.5 – 2 LOCATION MAP B.5 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos B.5 – 4 Nearby contributing buildings on Highland Avenue. Source: Google Street View, 2019. B.5 – 5 1502 W. 9th Street (note stucco cladding). Source: Google Street View, December 2020.