D.8.0 - 608 E 41st St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS JANUARY 24, 2022 GF-2022-000303 608 E. 41ST STREET D.8 – 1 PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Replace all windows, open enclosed front porch and replace screens, remove chimney, replace roof with standing-seam metal, add dormer to main façade, remove decorative brackets, and construct a two-story addition immediately above the ridgeline of a ca. 1930 one-story house. 1) Window replacement: replace most existing windows, except porch windows. Window at main façade will be removed and replaced with new window of similar configuration. Windows at secondary elevations appear to be vinyl. 2) Open enclosed front porch, removing existing screens and knee wall, and replace screens with undivided retractable screen. 3) Remove existing brick chimney. 4) Replace roof with standing-seam metal roof to match proposed addition. 5) Add dormer to main façade. The proposed dormer is gabled, with a single arched window. 6) Remove decorative brackets at entryway and gable ends. 7) Demolish existing addition and carport and construct a two-story addition to the rear of the house, immediately above the existing roof ridge. The proposed addition is clad in painted brick and horizontal fiber- cement siding. Its irregular compound roof is clad in standing-seam metal and features shed, side-gable, and gabled profiles. Windows are a combination of fixed and 1:1 casement, with full-height 2:2 fixed windows with decorative half-timbered trim at the east elevation and an ornamental fountain beneath. Decorative exposed purlins are proposed for eave overhangs at east and rear elevations. ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH One-story cross-gabled house with partial-width inset screened porch, steep gable with deep eaves and triangular knee braces, arched front entryway with decorative brackets and exposed rafter tails at gabled portico, original lattice window at main façade, and horizontal wood siding. The main house at 608 E. 41st Street was constructed around 1930 by W. D. Nealand. Frances and W. Bryan Stoermer were its first and longest-term owners. W. B. Stoermer owned and operated a welding and machinist shop with his brother Clarence. The shop was located on E. 5th Street, though the address changed from the 100 block to the 300 block. The Stoermers constructed a rear dwelling unit in 1936, and it became a steady rental property even after their departure in the early 1940s. DESIGN STANDARDS 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 potential historic landmarks. The following standards apply to the proposed project: Repair and alterations 1. General standards The proposed project removes some historic-age material at visible elevations, including character-defining decorative details. 3. Roofs The proposed metal replacement roof is not compatible with the historic building’s style but is considered an acceptable modification within historic districts per the design standards. 5. Windows, doors, and screens The demolition plan indicates that a lattice window at the main elevation will be replaced; however, the replacement appears D.8 – 2 to match the existing. 6. Porches The proposed modifications restore the porch’s open design and replace stationary screening with retractable screens that will not permanently obscure the front of the house. 7. Chimneys The proposed project modifies the original brick chimney to accommodate the addition. Residential additions 1. Location The proposed addition is located immediately above the existing roof ridgeline. The proposed dormer is situated in front of the existing ridgeline, immediately atop the porch. The citywide design standards specify that additions should be located behind the ridgeline of the existing building; neither the dormer nor the second-story addition meet this standard. 2. Scale, massing, and height The proposed addition does not appear subordinate to the main house due to its scale, height, compound roofline, and placement. The dormer alters the massing of the historic portion of the house to remain. 3. Design and style The proposed addition is adequately differentiated from the existing house; however, its window-to-wall area ratios, floor- fenestration patterns, and bay divisions at secondary elevations are minimally compatible, particularly at the east elevation, which will be partially visible from Peck Avenue. Adding incompatible decorative details to the new portion of the house (exposed purlins, half-timbered trim, and water features) while removing brackets and exposed rafter tails from the historic portion of the home detracts from the overall compatibility of the project. 4. Roofs The proposed addition’s roofline is complex and visible above the single-story portion of the house. Its standing-seam metal material is less compatible than shingle roofing. 5. Exterior walls The proposed addition’s primary and secondary materials appear mostly compatible, with the exception of elaborate trim at the east elevation. 6. Windows, screens, and doors The proposed addition’s fenestration is mostly hidden from the street view; however, the full-height window at the east elevation would be visible from the secondary street. The arched window at proposed dormer is somewhat compatible; though its shape may be difficult to differentiate from existing arched details, it appears on a clearly added element. 7. Porches and decks The addition’s proposed porches and balconies do not appear to be visible from the street, except for the east elevation’s second-floor balcony, which is not compatible with the style of the existing house. Summary The project meets few applicable standards. PROPERTY EVALUATION The draft North Loop-Hancock-Boggy Creek survey lists the property as a medium priority. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain high to moderate integrity. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it does not meet two criteria: a. Architecture. The building is constructed in the Tudor Revival style. b. Historical association. The property does not appear to have significant historical associations. c. Archaeology. The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d. Community value. The property does not possess a unique location, physical characteristic, or significant feature that contributes to the character, image, or cultural identity of the city, the neighborhood, or a particular demographic group. e. Landscape feature. The property is not a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, D.8 – 3 cultural, or historical value to the city. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Approve the application upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package, encouraging the applicant to simplify the addition’s roofline, push the addition back further from the existing roof ridge, omit the dormer at the main elevation, retain original decorative details and fenestration where it exists at the historic portion of the house, and simplify the east elevation to appear more understated from Peck Avenue. LOCATION MAP D.8 – 4 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos D.8 – 5 Google Street View, 2021 D.8 – 6 Partial demolition application, 2022 Occupancy History City Directory Research, January 2022 O. H. Hoffmeyer, renter 1959 1957 1955 Wilford C. Wilde, owner Research engineer, University of Texas Daird A. and Mirien Senter, renters Student D.8 – 7 1952 1949 1947 1944 1941 1939 1937 1935 1932 William J. and Lila Brooks, owners Cotton buyer Country Club of Austin William J. and Lila Brooks, owners Cotton buyer Mary V. Brooks, renter Clerk, Texas Employment Commission William F. and Maxine Winters, owners Student, University of Texas Vacant David H. and Frances Swope, renters USA J. Harold and Elizabeth Wade, renters USA Gilbert L. and Mary J. Koehler, renters USA W. Bryan and Frances Stoermer, owners Stoermer Bros. Louis M. and Mary E. Koch, renters Draftsman, State Highway Department William B. and Frances Stoermer, owners Stoermer Bros. Lester B. and Marjorie Hobbs, renters Salesman, Standard Brands Inc. William Bryan and Frances Stoermer, owners Stoermer Bros. William Bryan and Frances Stoermer, owners Stoermer Bros. William Bryan and Frances Stoermer, owners Stoermer Bros. 1929 Address not listed Permits Water service permit, 1930 D.8 – 8 Water service permit, 1936 Sewer service permit, 1936 Building permit, 1954 Building permit, 1960 Biographical information D.8 – 9 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), Oct 30, 1926 ; Feb 4, 1928; Mar 23, 1929 D.8 – 10 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973), Oct 2, 1929; The Austin American (1914-1973), Mar 26, 1939