14.0 - 701 Baylor St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 HR-2024-095214 CASTLE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT 701 BAYLOR STREET 14 – 1 PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Construct a second-floor addition at the center-to-rear of the house, projecting above the existing roofline. Construction of a rooftop addition containing a bedroom and bathroom, to be accessed from within at a stairway from the ground floor residence. Addition will also feature a flat side terrace at the south half of the house, removing the existing side-gabled roof. The second-floor addition will have a roof sloping to the side that projects above the peak of the historic roof assembly by roughly five feet. The addition will be clad in steel and glass, and the wood cladding will be vertical, rather than horizontal, in orientation. Most windows are proposed to be removed at the ground floor of the southeast and northeast elevations, to be replaced with various styles of windows, most of which are steel framed. At the rear of the property, the ground floor deck is proposed to be extended, with a glass paneled handrail replacing the wood picket system. Below, the lower floor rear deck will be visually enclosed by a vertical slat assembly. Lower floor is proposed to be converted from one unit into two and would see one exterior door at the rear of the building removed. This would result in the property becoming a three-unit development. ARCHITECTURE The asymmetrical bungalow at 701 Baylor Street appears to be one-story from the front of the property, but due to the sloping elevation, there is a full lower floor that can be accessed from the side and rear. The house features an ample front gable with a smaller inset gable serving as cover over the front porch, which is supported by three ample brick and wood support posts. This porch extends across the southern two-thirds of the front façade. Four large windows are also present, two in each side of the front door. A slender chimney is located at the north side of the house, which extends above the moderately-pitched roof. The side of the house facing an alley features a privacy wall constructed of stone, brick, ceramic tile, and is capped with salvaged bowling balls. DESIGN STANDARDS General Design Standards The Castle Hill Historic District Design Standards are used to evaluate projects within the historic district. The following standards apply to the proposed project: Do not make changes to the public view of an existing contributing or noncontributing building that have no historic basis and/or that seek to create the appearance of an architectural style that is not original to the existing building. The rooftop addition, while pushed back from the front of the house, will be very visible from the street elevation. In addition, it uses an architectural style and material that is not compatible with the historic design. Rehabilitation or Alteration of Contributing Buildings Maintain the historic style and retain character-defining features. Character defining features generally include exterior wall materials, windows and window screens, doors and entryway details, roof form, porches, chimneys, railings, and trim. The rooftop addition will remove the historic roof form starting from the final bump out that occurs roughly a third of the way from the front of the house, and will continue all the way to the rear, resulting in a drastic change to the appearance. Additionally, the alteration of wood siding from a horizontal to a vertical orientation changes the appearance of the exterior, whether it is reusing original material or not. Repair existing original windows unless determined infeasible due to excessive deterioration that is adequately documented in the application for a certificate of appropriateness. Utilize recommended repair practices listed below where feasible. No information is provided on the current status of the windows proposed to be replaced on the northeast and southeast 14 – 2 elevations but appear to be in decent-to-good condition when viewed from Baylor Street. Furthermore, replacement fixtures would punch larger openings in the walls and would significantly alter the appearance of these two elevations. Additions to Existing Buildings For contributing buildings, two-story additions to one-story buildings must be set back a minimum of 1/3 the depth of the building measured from the front wall of the house (excluding the porch), or 15 feet measured from the front wall of the house (excluding the porch), whichever number is greater. The proposed second-floor addition is set back about a third from the front of the house (excluding the porch). Materials of the addition (walls, roofing materials, and windows) shall be compatible with the original building, and may include use of modern materials such as fiber-cement siding, as appropriate. Proposed use of the roof addition is metal and significant glazing on all sides, which will be visible from the street, the rear, and side elevations. Modern materials such as those currently proposed are not compatible with the historic material on the first floor and lower level. New roof forms must match the pitch of the roof on the existing house to the greatest extent possible. The roof of the second-floor addition des not match the pitch of the roof below, and it would not be hipped as is currently present at the rear of the building. Summary The project meets some of the applicable standards. PROPERTY EVALUATION The property contributes to the Castle Hill Local Historic District. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain high integrity. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it [does / may / does not] meet two criteria: a. Architecture. The building is a good example of bungalow construction of the early 20th century in the Castle Hill Historic District of Austin. It has not seen significant alteration since construction. 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 14 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos 14 – 4 Historic Review application, taken from Google Streetview, 2024 Albert & Evelyn Kinser, owner, clerk and manager at Kinser Liquor Depot 14 – 5 Occupancy History City Directory Research 1954 1952 1949 1947 1944 1941 1939 1932 1930 1923 Same as above Same as above Same as above Same as above Same as above Same as above Address not listed Historical Information Same as above, now at Kinser & Anderson Same as above, now at Kinser Barber Shop The Austin American, September 16, 1945 The Austin American, January 24, 1939 14 – 6 The Austin American, January 22, 1939