Historic Zoning Commission

Fourth and Gill H: Level II

9-A-21-HZ

Applicant Request

Enclosure of non-historic screened-in porch on the rear elevation to create additional interior space. The rear addition will maintain the existing hipped roofline and brick foundation piers. The foundation will be infilled with new wood slat panels between the existing brick foundation piers.

The screened-in porch will be enclosed with a new wood lap-sided knee wall with single-light wood casement windows above. A centrally-located wood patio door will access the new deck. The eave overhangs and soffits will be maintained, primed, and painted, and new gutters will be installed to match new gutters on the main house.

A new deck, measuring 13'-8" deep by 20'-1" wide, will extend from the new addition. The deck will feature a foundation clad in wood slat panels, pressure-treated wood flooring, and a railing of pressure treated wood posts and tops with horizontal cable railings.

Scope of work also includes the removal of a satellite dish and the addition of a small metal chimney for a new interior fireplace.

Site Info

Two story frame with weatherboard wall covering. Hip roof with hipped front and side dormers, asphalt shingle roof covering. One over one double hung windows. One story hip roof porch with round wood replacement columns, Ionic capitals. Two brick interior central chimneys, noe front and one rear. Brick foundation. Rectangular plan. Transom and sidelights at front entry and paired one over one double hung windows on front elevation.

1. 906 Luttrell Street is a contributing resource to the Fourth and Gill National Register Historic District and local overlay.

2. The new metal chimney flue will not be visible from the right-of-way and will not result in the removal of any character-defining features.

3. The proposed porch to be enclosed is a non-historic addition, constructed around 2000. Placement of a new addition on the rear elevation meets the design guidelines. Placement of a new deck on the rear of a house meets the design guidelines.

4. While guidelines note "porches visible from a street may not be completely enclosed," the porch in question is a non-historic, screened-in porch which is already enclosed with screen windows with a comparable level of transparency to the windows on the proposed addition. The single-light casement windows and siding will maintain the same ratio of solids to voids and transparency as the screened-in porch. Moreover, the porch is located on the rear elevation and will not be visible from Luttrell Street and very minimally visible from Gill Avenue due to the placement of a privacy fence.

5. The new addition uses materials, including wood lap siding, wood casement windows, and maintaining the existing brick foundation piers, that are compatible with the primary house. The use of a vertical trim piece and new wood casement windows will serve to differentiate the addition from the original house.

6. Decks in historic districts, including Fourth and Gill, have been recommended to utilize a square picket balustrade with pickets set into the top and bottom rails instead of horizontal railings, such as the proposed cable railing. However, some cable railings have been previously approved and installed in Fourth and Gill. The railing would be very minimally visible from Gill Avenue only, if visible at all, due to the placement of the deck and a privacy fence.