Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC: Level II

8-E-22-HZ

Applicant Request

Exterior rehabilitation of existing house and new rear addition.

Exterior rehabilitation scopes include removal of asbestos shingle and vinyl siding and installation of Hardie lap siding, with Hardie diamond-pattern siding in front and side gable fields. Enclosed front porch and non-historic front addition to be removed and reconstructed with a low-slope, shed-roof porch supported by square columns, a continuous CMU foundation with brick cladding, tongue-and-groove flooring, and a wood ceiling. Replacement windows. Some windows on original section of house to be relocated. On the façade, a non-historic picture window on the front gable field will be reconstructed with a Queen Anne-style bay window, and the gable field will feature decorative triangular trim.

Large rear addition. One section of the house to be removed and reconstructed, with an additional new two-story section to project from the rear. Addition to feature a gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of Hardie lap siding, gable fields clad in a diamond-pattern Hardie shingle siding, and two stories of one-over-one, double-hung vinyl windows. Two secondary entries are located on the rear elevation, with the second-story entry accessing a rear deck. Two one-over-one windows are located in the rear and left side gable fields.

CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL PER 10/20/22 HZC MEETING: 1) use of historically appropriate cornerboards, window trim, and door trim; 2) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards for parking and remain within impervious surface limits; 3) selection of a façade door to meet design guidelines, with approval by staff; 4) bottom section (bulkhead area) of projecting bay window to be enclosed with siding as typical instead of glass.

Site Info

One-story residence with a hipped roof with lower gables projecting to the front and side, clad in asbestos shingles. Craftsman-style, front-gable roof porch enclosed approximately 1950. Side addition. Secondary entries on rear and side levels of basement.

1. 1315 Forest Avenue is a contributing resource to the Fort Sanders National Register Historic District and local overlay. The house is a highly modified Folk Victorian house with an enclosed front porch, a side addition, and a basement level accessible via the side and rear elevation.

2. Removal of the existing asbestos siding and installation of Hardie lap siding meets the design guidelines. Final drawings should also incorporate appropriately-sized vertical cornerboards, window trim, and door trim.

3. The original window pattern on the house has already been highly modified, with some windows being enclosed, replaced with midcentury picture windows, or covered with the multiple additions to the front, sides, and rear. The guidelines recommend that "window proportions and symmetry should be similar to the pre-1940 styles in the neighborhood." The proposal re-establishes a relatively consistent pattern of window placement.

4. The west elevation (side elevation 2) has been revised to incorporate two windows instead of one on the third-story gable field. The applicant should clarify the design, materials, and operation of the new bay window on the façade, including the bulkhead area.

5. Removal of the non-historic enclosed front porch and side addition meets the design guidelines. Reconstruction of a front porch meets the design guidelines, which recommend to "provide porches with proportions and materials which complement pre-1940 houses." The applicant has revised the flat-roof front porch to incorporate a small shed-roof slope. The new porch columns should receive additional detail (turned wood posts, larger square columns, chamfered details, etc).

6. Removal of the shed-roof addition on the right side is appropriate, as the addition is not character-defining. The application also includes the removal and reconstruction of a section of the rear.

7. In general, the placement of a new addition on the rear elevation is appropriate within the design guidelines. Several adjacent houses feature two-story rear additions, as the block's topography slopes significantly towards the north (rear). The proposed addition is significantly larger than the original house. The Commission may choose to discuss the if any additional complexity is needed to break up the elevations, including projecting or recessed massings for the new additions.

8. The replacement door on the façade should meet design guidelines ("similar proportions and features to pre-1940 architecture"). The new addition's roof should include ~1' eave overhangs on all elevations.

9. Final modifications to the site plan will be necessary to meet City Engineering standards for parking. Per the Fort Sanders design guidelines, front yard parking is discouraged. The house and parking area need to remain below 45% impervious surface for the RN-5 zoning. The final site plan could be approved by staff, provided there are no substantial modifications to the addition's design and placement.