Historic Zoning Commission

Scenic Drive NC: Level II

1-C-22-HZ

Applicant Request

Exterior rehabilitation and addition to secondary structure. Exterior rehabilitation elements include enclosure of existing breezeway between garage and main house, addition of covered porch to rear elevation, re-framing of primary roof section, new front porch.

Façade (south elevation): after the fact review -- the existing front-gable roof porch (added in 2013) was removed and reconstructed. At 15'-2" wide by 8'-4.75" deep, the new front porch is significantly smaller in width than the 2013 porch, with a front-gable roof supported by paired square porch supports. The previous porch gable was clad in fiber cement shingles; the proposed porch gable is described "vaulted open timber truss." The central section of house has been reconstructed, with the central side-gable roofline elevated approximately 4' above the original. Façade windows have been removed, and full-height, four-light casement windows are proposed. Demolition of brick exterior chimney on façade.

Rear (north) elevation: addition of a shed-roof porch between two existing gable-roof massings, to feature a metal roof with a 3/12 pitch and siding glass doors.

Enclosure of existing breezeway between garage and primary house, to feature brick-clad foundation and siding to match main house.

Major addition to secondary structure: gable-roof pool house to receive a cross-gable addition, with added massings on west and south elevations. The addition will feature vertical board-and-batten siding to match existing, an asphalt shingle-clad roof, aluminum-clad multi-light casement windows, and a stuccoed foundation, along with a new exterior stone-clad chimney.

Conditions of approval per 1/20/22 HZC meeting: the applicant select façade replacement windows more appropriate for a Ranch house; addressed via sheet A-3.1A dated 1.25.2022.

Site Info

One-story frame residence with brick veneer wall covering. Hip and cross-gable roof with asphalt shingle roof covering. One-story garage on south elevation. Six-over-nine, double-hung windows. Exterior front brick chimney. Designed by Elizabeth W. Dunlap, a landscape architect.

1. 1105 Scenic Drive was determined to be a contributing resource to the Scenic Drive NC overlay at the time of designation. Due to the large lot sizes on Scenic Drive and the site topography, the house itself is minimally visible from the right-of-way.

2. Review of the majority of the exterior rehabilitation work on the primary structure is after-the-fact. In permitting, several items were treated as either interior work or basic exterior rehabilitation, which do not require HZC review in Neighborhood Conservation overlays. The contractor also received a permit for partial demolition, which ultimately resulted in the removal of the 2013 front porch, the existing middle section of the façade, the primary side-gable roof, and the exterior brick chimney. Demolition, in whole or in part, requires review by the HZC.

3. The HZC or staff should have reviewed the roofline revision prior to issuing of any permits or construction. Roof guidelines note that "houses should have ... roof shapes that are consistent with the architectural forms of the District." The reconstructed roofline has been elevated in height, creating a façade disproportionate to the original Ranch form of the house. The side-gable roof and the one-story form characteristic of a Ranch have been retained.

4. While the removal of the front porch added in 2013 is appropriate within the design guidelines, HZC or staff should have received the opportunity to review partial demolition on the property. The proposed (partially built) front porch is disproportionately small for the façade (especially with the elevated roofline).

5. The proposed full-height casement windows on the façade do not meet the design guidelines, which recommend that "proportion and style of windows shall be appropriate to the design type" and "replacement windows are encouraged to duplicate the look and quality of the original." The applicant should select façade windows which are more appropriate for the Ranch house and proportionate to the façade, or at minimum, provide further illustration of the proposed façade windows and how they compare to original windows on the house.

6. The work proposed for the rear elevation (new porch and enclosure of breezeway connecting to the garage) meets the base zoning code and guidelines for building coverage and will not be visible from the street. Overall, these modifications maintain the footprint of the house and do not require the removal of major character-defining features.

7. The existing secondary structure is a non-historic structure, added to the property in 2017. While the proposed addition is large in massing, almost doubling the existing secondary structure, the secondary structure will not be visible from the public right-of-way. Placement of the addition meets the design guidelines.

8. Guidelines recommend that "detached accessory buildings ... be proportional to the house in height and size." While the accessory building is very large, it is secondary in height to the primary structure, and is smaller than the primary house.

9. The proposed materials for the secondary structure reflect those already installed on the building and meet the specifications of the design guidelines.

10. In the opinion of staff, 1105 Scenic Drive is no longer a contributing structure to the Scenic Drive NC overlay. Due to the addition of a large front-gable roof porch added in 2013 and the removal of most character-defining façade features, the house no longer meets the typical characteristics of a Ranch house and no longer retains the character-defining features referenced in the design guidelines' architectural description.