9.0 - 1515 W 31st St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS DECEMBER 4, 2024 HR-2024-149566 OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT 1515 WEST 31ST STREET, BUILDING 2 9.0 – 1 PROPOSAL Demolish a contributing garage and construct a second housing unit. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS A garage that is listed as a contributing resource to the Old West Austin National Register district, which has been altered, is proposed to be demolished. It its place, a second housing unit, which is to be two floors in height with an added loft space. The footprint of the housing unit is to be similar in size and in an approximate location to the garage. The housing unit would be connected to the historic house with a new single-story screened porch. ARCHITECTURE The house at 1515 West 31st Street is a single-story and was constructed around 1938 with simple bungalow details. There is a front porch set at the right side, supported by two simple wood posts. The front entry is recessed under the porch, along with a single-hung window. Along with the two other windows at the front elevation, these have all been previously replaced. The roof is also made of replacement metal finish, which is a combination of hipped and gabled construction. There was also a two-story rear addition added to the house previously, which features a front-facing gable roof with decorative brackets that may confuse it as original. At the rear of the property is a simple rectangular garage with two roll up doors at opposite sides. A backyard pool is also present. RESEARCH DESIGN STANDARDS Little could be found about those that lived at 1515 East 31st Street. There is record of a William & Beatrice Spraul owning the property in 1940, but it is possible that they may have moved during World War II, as news articles identify an Earl Smith with that address by 1942. In between this, an invitation for service members was extended by Mrs. Mary Warner of this address. It is unclear how long each of these people lived at the address, or what their roles in the community were. 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: Residential new construction 1. Location The new unit is located at the rear of the property, behind a previous two-story attached addition. 2. Orientation The secondary unit is rotated from the above-mentioned addition. However, the entry to the unit is towards the front of the property. Due to the proposed screened porch connection to the existing house, there is a continuity across the entire built area of the property. 3. Scale, massing, and height As a two-and-a-half story new construction, the design of the secondary unit is as tall or taller than it is wide. However, it is not significantly taller than the addition in front of it, though the lofted space appears slightly disrupt the overall shape of the unit. 4. Proportions Several buildings on the block have rear, second-story additions. However, this is a situation in which the property would have two separate two-floor additions. However, as mentioned above, the two heights are compatible, though the highest sections of new construction are likely to be visible from the street. 5. Design and style Siding and roofing materials are proposed to match the existing building. The overall style is mostly muted and defers to the altered original house. There are ample shutters proposed on many of the windows, an element which is not found on the main house. More detail on windows is provided below. 6. Roofs Roof material is to match the replacement material found elsewhere on the property. No overhang is proposed on the secondary unit. 9.0 – 2 7. Exterior walls Wall cladding proposed to match the original house. 8. Windows and doors Numerous windows are proposed on the new construction, and do not appear to follow an overall grid or are related to each other in terms of spacing. Some, such as at the east elevation, appear to be much grander than others, such as at the west elevation. At the east, transom windows are present, along with shutters. Due to the size of these windows, they appear to be too large on the narrow end of the housing unit. The west elevation features horizontal sliding windows that do not share similar indent from the corner or similar heights on the same floors. At the lofted area, an oversized window is present which almost intersects the fascia. The number of window types and their locations confuse the overall design of the construction. Many of these issues appear above the ground floor, which are more likely to be visible from the street. Summary The project meets some of the applicable standards. PROPERTY EVALUATION The property contributes to the Old West Austin National Register district. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain 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 an intact, though not notable, example of a simple bungalow form. 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. Simplify the window design to reduce different sizes of windows and maintain level fenestration heights across individual floors. LOCATION MAP 9.0 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos 9.0 – 4 Google Streetview, 2009 Occupancy History City Directory Research, November 2024 Mr. and Mrs. Louis Kirkpatrick 1950 1940 William & Beatrice Spraul, owners, plant manager Historical Information 9.0 – 5 The Austin Statesman, October 6, 1942 (left), and May 26, 1950 (right) Permits Sewer service permit, 1938