13.0 - 1709 Wethersfield Rd — original pdf

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13 – 1 HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS MARCH 6, 2024 HR-2024-001478 OLD WEST AUSTIN 1709 WETHERSFIELD ROAD Remove rear porch and deck and extend existing side gable to construct a new two-story addition. PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH DESIGN STANDARDS 1) Demolish existing rear porch and partial addition. 2) Extend roofline of original building to construct a two-story addition. The proposed addition has horizontal fiber cement siding to match the existing siding, painted wood windows to match existing double-hung 6:6 windows, and a composition shingle roof to match the existing roof. 3) Remove and rebuild existing chimney. One-story Colonial Revival house with symmetrical plan, full-width porch, side-gabled roof, and 6:6 wood windows. The house at 1709 Wethersfield Road was constructed in 1936. It was primarily a rental house with short-term occupants for much of the early 20th century, though Alma Street Pitts and her husband, Norman, purchased the property in the 1950s. The Pitt family owned and operated the Street Furniture Company. 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 in National Register districts. The following standards apply to the proposed project: Repair and alterations 1. General standards The proposed project alters the existing roofline. 3. Roofs See 1. The proposed project extends the existing side-gabled roofline upward to accommodate the two-story addition. 7. Chimneys The proposed project removes and rebuilds the existing chimney. Residential additions 1. Location The proposed addition is located to the rear of the house, extending the existing ridgeline. 2. Scale, massing, and height The proposed addition is much larger in scale than the existing original house or addition, and the roofline modification may increase its visual weight. It does not appear to be stepped in from the original portion of the house. 3. Design and style The proposed addition’s design and style appear to meet the standards. 4. Roofs See 2. 5. Exterior walls The proposed exterior wall materials are compatible. 13 – 2 6. Windows, screens, and doors The proposed new fenestration appears appropriate. Summary The project meets some of the applicable standards. PROPERTY EVALUATION The property contributes to the Old West Austin National Register Historic District. 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 for landmark designation: a. Architecture. The building displays Colonial Revival stylistic influences. 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, cultural, or historical value to the city. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Comment on plans. LOCATION MAP 13 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos 13 – 4 Google Street View, 2022 Occupancy History City Directory Research, February 2024 Arno E. Frank, Jr., renter Norman and Alma Pitts, owners – Street Furniture Co. Norman and Alma Pitts, owners – Street Furniture Co. 1959 1955 1952 1949 1944 1941 1939 John F. Dixon, renter W.H. Mallard, renter Vacant F. D. Allbright, renter Historical Information 13 – 5 The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 23 June 1946: A2. Permits