Historic Zoning Commission

Fourth and Gill H: Level II

12-G-22-HZ

Applicant Request

After-the-fact review of installation of alternative materials. Applicant received a Level 1 COA on 10/28/22 (11-E-22-HZ) for "removal of non-historic vinyl siding and repair to existing wood lap siding below, which may include in patches or new wood lap siding." All siding on the façade has been removed and replaced with an LP Smart Side lap siding product with a faux wood grain. Applicant proposes to retain the LP Smart Side on the façade and use the salvaged wood from the façade on the side and rear elevations.

Application also includes a proposal to replace the existing non-original front door, with two options submitted.

Site Info

One-and-one-half-story, frame residence with a hipped roof with lower projecting gables, an exterior of vinyl siding, and a brick foundation. Partial-width, hipped-roof porch supported by square columns.

1. 1008 Gratz Street is a contributing resource to the Fourth and Gill National Register Historic District and local overlay.

2. Review of this work is after-the-fact. The level 1 COA (11-E-22-HZ, issued 10/28/22) approved "removal of non-historic vinyl siding and repair to existing wood lap siding below, which may include in patches or new wood lap siding." The LP SmartSide product was not approved.

3. The LP SmartSide is a composite material: an engineered wood product similar to plywood, where wood strands are blended with zinc borate, resins, and waxes, before being finished with a clear chemical overlay and pressed with a faux woodgrain stamp to resemble wood lap siding. The product is made of wood but not a single wood material such as pine, poplar, or cedar.

4. Composite materials have been approved in Fourth and Gill on limited applications, including new construction, new secondary structures, and new additions. Composite material has not been approved as replacement material on original houses in the neighborhood. When composite siding has been approved on new construction and additions, approvals have typically specified smooth finish instead of faux wood graining.

5. Guidelines recommend repairing wooden features by "patching or piecing-in" and discourage removing an entire wooden feature and "reconstructing in order to achieve a uniform or 'improved' appearance." Guidelines also note that if features are replaced, "the materials they are made from should be compatible with the original in size, scale, and material." While the material does feature an exposure width and overlap depth comparable to the original siding, LP SmartSide is not compatible in material with the wood lap siding.

6. Replacement doors are encouraged to mimic doors comparable to the original style, including materials, glazing, and pane configuration. The second submitted option, featuring a full half-light window, meets those guidelines. While the single square inset panel below is somewhat atypical of historic styles, the detailing will be minimally visible from the street.