B.2.0 - 1600 Gaston Ave — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS DECEMBER 17, 2021 C14H-2009-0029; HR-2021-148730 DAVIS HOUSE 1600 GASTON AVE. B.2 – 1 PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Construct a second-story addition over the garage and replace a window. 1) Replace existing concrete paver driveway with limestone pavers in existing driveway location. 2) Install copper lanterns flanking the front door and on the site walls at the front of the sidewalk. 3) Retain double-hung wood windows on front and side elevations; restore one to operable condition for fire egress. 4) Install a new window within a taller opening than existing on the west side elevation near the garage. 5) Construct a second-story addition on the garage. Changes to the garage to accommodate the addition include reducing the width of the garage door, adding a window, shortening the depth of the entry porch, and retaining and relocating the existing door. The front wall of the second-story addition is set back two feet from the front wall of the garage. The front (south) and east walls will be clad in cement plaster, wood siding, or stained shingles in darker tones similar to the roofing; the west and rear walls will be limestone. The addition will have a side-gabled composition shingle roof, with the roof slope and details to match the house. A shed-roofed dormer on the front will have patinated copper roofing, with its slope to match that of the front porch. Windows will be aluminum-clad wood with mullions to match those on the house. ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STANDARDS One-story side-gabled stone-veneered Colonial Revival-styled house with a full-width independent porch on plain square wood posts; the symmetrical façade features a central entry flanked with sidelights and a 6:6 Colonial Revival-styled window at each side of the entry. The house has a side-gabled stone-veneered integral garage to the left and set back from the principal block of the house. The City of Austin’s Historic Design Standards (March 2021) are based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and are used to evaluate projects at historic landmarks. The following standards apply to the proposed project: Repair and alterations 5. Windows, doors, and screens The standards for landmarks indicate that historic windows, doors, and shutters should be repaired and retained except in cases of extreme damage or deterioration. Further, window openings should not be enlarged except to accommodate an addition, and new openings must be limited and compatible with the building’s architectural character. The project initially proposed replacement of the front door and sidelights, replacement of windows on the front and east elevations, and removal of shutters on the façade. Following feedback from staff and the Architectural Review Committee, the applicant intends to retain these significant historic elements. The window on the west elevation that is proposed for replacement with a larger window is not a primary character-defining feature, and its modification will have limited impact on the overall character of the landmark house. Modifications to the garage to accommodate the addition are more extensive, but this part of the house was previously changed. While detailed plan and elevation drawings are not available in permit records, the garage was enlarged and largely rebuilt in 2004, in conjunction with additions made to the house prior to landmark designation. Site plan drawings indicate a 5’ increase in the width of the garage, widening or relocation of the garage door, and full replacement of the roof to cover a larger overall footprint. The proposed work will reduce the width of the garage door, add a window, and relocate the entry door. These changes are compatible with the overall character of the house. B.2 – 2 9. Light fixtures When adding a light fixture where none exists, this section recommends using a fixture that reflects the building’s style and period of construction. While a 1946 house would have been built with electric rather than gas lighting, the fixture shape and design is simple and compatible with the character of the house. Residential additions 1. Location Standard 1.6 indicates that additions are not appropriate for all historic landmarks and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This landmark has existing one-story additions to rear and sides of the house, portions of which are visible from the street. The prior additions include widening of the garage and garage door, and full replacement of its roof to cover a larger footprint. Given these modifications, staff recommends that another addition to the garage is appropriate to consider. Standards 1.2 and 1.3 indicate that a side addition or an addition that adds a story to a historic building should be set back from the front wall to minimize visual impact. The recessed garage is itself a historic feature, although largely rebuilt and modified. In response to feedback from the Architectural Review Committee, the front wall of the second-floor addition is set back 2’ from the front wall of the garage. 2. Scale, massing, and height These standards indicate that an addition should complement the scale, massing, and height of the historic building, so that the addition appears subordinate and does not appreciably change the overall shape of the building as viewed from the street. While the proposed addition increases the height of the garage, it does not overpower the historic house due to its limited overall size and low top plate. 3. Design and style Additions should be compatible with but differentiated from the historic building. The proposed addition borrows from the materials and architectural vocabulary of the house, but certain elements make it distinct, including its two-story height, cladding material on the front and side, and the shed-roofed dormer with mulled windows. 4. Roofs The roof form, slope, and materials match that of the house, in keeping with these standards. The proposed metal roofing on the addition’s dormer is a compatible feature. 5. Exterior walls In response to feedback from the Architectural Review Committee, the front and east walls of the addition will be clad in cement plaster, wood siding, or stained shingles in darker tones similar to the roofing. These material options are differentiated but compatible with the character of the house; the dark coloration will serve to minimize the visual impact of the addition. The stonework of the other walls will match that of the historic house. 6. Windows, screens, and doors The proposed windows in the addition are compatible with the historic house, in keeping with these standards. They are smaller than those of the house but have similar proportions and divided light pattern. Sites and streetscapes 5. Sidewalks, driveways, and parking The existing concrete paver driveway to be replaced is not the original material. The proposed limestone driveway will remain in the same location and is compatible with the character of the property, in keeping with Standard 5.2. Summary The project meets the applicable standards. COMMITTEE FEEDBACK The Architectural Review Committee provided feedback on the proposed project on November 29, 2021. Committee members emphasized that historic windows should be retained and repaired to meet applicable standards. Feedback on the second-story addition’s design included stepping the front wall back so it would not be continuous with the existing front wall of the garage, continuing the roof fascia in lieu of a trellis above the garage door, and considering a contrasting wall material such as stucco. The applicant has implemented the feedback as described above. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Approve the application, as the applicant has implemented Committee feedback. LOCATION MAP B.2 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Maps and Plans B.2 – 4 The 1961 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of this property shows an integral garage at the current location. B.2 – 5 Building permit records indicate the garage was enlarged and rebuilt when other additions were made to the house in 2004, before the house became a landmark. No additional drawings, such as a demolition plan or elevation showing the changes to the garage, are currently available in permit records. Note the entire garage roof was replaced. B.2 – 6 Site plan (overall sheet and enlargements) showing footprint of 2004 garage addition, courtesy of applicant.