Historic Zoning Commission
Fourth and Gill H: Level III
8-B-24-HZ
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 8-B-24-HZ, subject to the following conditions: 1) brick foundation cladding to be aligned with the exterior wall as much as possible; 2) window trim to incorporate projecting sills, with detail submitted to staff for review; 3) final window specifications and final material specs (including siding and porch materials) to be submitted to staff for review; and allowing for discussion among the Commission, neighborhood, and applicant on the proposed front setback with respect to the tree.
Applicant Request
Other: New primary structureNew primary structure fronting Deery Street. The 2-story house measures 32'-8" wide by 43; deep, and is proposed to be set 14' from the front property line. Parking is located to the rear of the house and accessed from the alley, via a 20' wide concrete driveway. The house features a 6/12 pitch, side-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles. A centered, front-gable massing extends to the front, with a one-story front-gable roof massing on the right half of the façade. A 7' deep front porch is recessed under a shed roofline, supported by three 10" square wood posts.
The house will feature an asphalt shingle roof, an exterior of fiber cement lap siding, and a foundation clad in brick veneer with a brick rowlock. Windows are 3/1, double-hung, "wood clad." The façade features a three-light transom window and a full-light entry door topped by a transom underneath the porch, with two 3/1 double-hung windows on the projecting front-gable massing. Three adjoining 3/1 windows are located on a front-gable, second-story massing, with two three-light windows on the primary massing. Front gable fields are clad in fiber cement shake siding.
The left (northwest) elevation features an exterior brick-clad chimney, two bays of 3/1 double-hung windows on the ground floor, and three bays of windows on the upper story. The right side elevation features one three-light fixed window and two 3/1 windows on the upper story. The rear elevation (northeast) features smaller windows and a paired full-light door.
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL PER HZC 9/19/24: 1) brick foundation cladding to be aligned with the exterior wall as much as possible; 2) window trim to incorporate projecting sills, with detail submitted to staff for review; 3) final window specifications and final material specs (including siding and porch materials) to be submitted to staff for review.
Staff Comments
N/A
PLACEMENT; HEIGHT, SCALE, & MASSING
1. The new house is proposed for an average-sized lot in Fourth and Gill that historically held a two-story, wood frame residence with an exterior of wood and a one-story, full-length porch. The proposed house reflects the shape of the lot, with a rectangular form and the narrow side parallel to the street.
2. The house has been revised to be set 14' from the front property line. The average front setback of the block is 14', and the adjacent two houses are 13' and 14' from the front property line. The front setback has been selected to maintain the façade line of the streetscape and reinforce the existing alignment of the block. The house maintains consistent side setbacks which meet the base zoning requirements. The site plan includes a walkway from the front door to the sidewalk to further engage the street. At the August meeting, participants discussed on the mature tree in the front of the lot. The proposed front setback will result in the removal of the tree, preservation of which may be compromised by adjacent new construction. The Commission and neighborhood should discuss the proposed front setback in relation to the tree.
3. Guidelines recommend avoiding "replicating or imitating the styles, motifs, or details of older periods," and encourage compatibility in interpretation of historic styles and forms seen in the neighborhood. The revised design adapts a Craftsman style to a two-story Four Square form, and the revisions meet the design guidelines more clearly than the initial Tudor Revival-style house.
3. The overall height of the house, 2 stories and measuring approximately 29' to the top of the roof, is compatible with the existing buildings on the street. The 700 blocks of Deery Street feature a mix of two-story and one-story houses. The foundation appears to be approximately 12" tall, which meets the design guidelines. As shown in the elevation drawings, contemporary brick veneer cladding on a poured concrete or concrete block foundation can often project a wythe out from the exterior wall and feature a rowlock course, almost like a narrow sill. Historic foundations were structural masonry, so the brick is flush with the exterior siding. If possible, the foundation should be constructed to allow for the foundation and the siding to be aligned as much as possible.
4. The house incorporates multiple rooflines, a front-gable roof dormer, and a smaller front-gable roof massing to "break up boxlike forms into smaller massings." The side elevations have been revised to avoid the larger asymmetrical roof slopes.
5. The proposed house is compatible in façade width with other two-story houses on the block. The facade features a "mix of wall areas with windows and door elements" similar to the neighborhood's historic houses, as there is sufficient transparency and the four-bay arrangement is similar to houses in the neighborhood. The front dormer is large in size but breaks up the large front roof massing.
BUILDING FEATURES
6. Using a centrally-located two-thirds-light door accessed via a recessed corner porch, the design incorporates a strong sense of entry on the façade.
7. The guidelines recommend duplicating traditional roof shapes and pitches to make new structures visually compatible with the neighborhood. The revised application now proposes a more consistent roof pitch, with sufficient complexity to be compatible with the neighborhood. The façade elevation features three front-gable roof massings and a shed-roof porch; the Commission should discuss the façade rooflines.
8. The design includes a 7' deep, 16' wide front porch, recessed under the primary roofline. The porch is proportionate to the house and features a projecting roofline. The porch is supported by 10" square cedar-wrapped posts. The applicant should provide porch flooring and ceiling details to staff for approval.
MATERIALS
9. Asphalt shingles are an appropriate roofing material within the design guidelines. The final selection should use dark green, dark gray, black, or another dark color to simulate roof colors on original houses.
10. The 2/3rds-light door is appropriate for the neighborhood context and contributes additional transparency to the façade, and the proposed mahogany wood meets the design guidelines.
11. Guidelines recommend wood materials instead of synthetic siding, noting that concrete composition planks may be appropriate for new construction. The applicant proposes fiber cement lap siding as an exterior cladding material. While HardiePlank is appropriate for a new house, the final drawings should specify a smooth-finished product and an exposure pattern similar to historic houses on the block (4"-6" exposure instead of the wider boards shown on elevation drawings).
12. Windows are described as "wood clad" on the application. Aluminum-clad wood may be appropriate for new construction, but final specifications should be submitted for review. The drawings have been revised to incorporate sufficient windows on all elevations. The revised design incorporates window trim and projecting sills should be included.