Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC: Level II

9-E-21-HZ

Applicant Request

Exterior rehabilitation project, with roofline addition/modification.

Façade: Modification to two non-historic enclosed front porches to reflect a sunroom-inspired design. Non-historic windows, second-story siding, and low-sloped shed roofs will be removed. Shed roofs will be replaced with front-gable roofs on each section, with a roof pitch to match primary roof slope. The front gable roofs will feature decorative brackets and horizontal lap siding. On the second story, new siding will be a wood or composite vertically-oriented tongue-and groove siding with trim. Window openings will be expanded, featuring adjoining single-hung windows on each porch bay.

On the first story, the existing brick will be maintained and repaired using historically appropriate mortar. First story window openings will be restored in width, featuring adjoining one-over-one windows above trim and vertical-sided panels to reflect the upper story siding. Stone sills will remain.

Replacement of existing front doors with new two-thirds light front doors. Low-slope, centrally located porch roof will receive a new metal roof cladding.

General exterior rehabilitation elements: New fiberglass shingle roof. Side and rear elevation windows will be replaced with one-over-one, double-hung windows, with enclosures removed and fenestrations restored to original sizes. HVAC wall units will be removed, with some through-wall units to be filled with longer windows to avoid brick patches. New secondary entries (two-thirds light door) will be installed in currently-enclosed opening on side elevations; new carriage-style overhead door will be installed on the left (east) elevation. Rear elevation chimney will be removed, with historic bricks to be retained and reused as patches throughout the building. Existing exterior stairwell to remain and be evaluated for maintenance and repair.

Site Info

Two-story frame residence with brick veneer wall covering. Enclosed front porches with second-story additions. Enclosed iwndows. Two interior brick chimneys with decorative corbelling.

1. 1200 Laurel Avenue is a contributing resource to the Fort Sanders National Register Historic District and the local NC overlay.

2. Many of the scopes included in the project are exterior rehabilitation elements, which would not require a COA from the HZC as a standalone project, due to the requirements of the Neighborhood Conservation overlay. However, the proposed exterior rehabilitation elements (including masonry repair and repointing, the retention of character-defining brick details and stone sills, and replacement of existing doors with historically appropriate doors) all meet the design guidelines and SOI Standards.

3. The removal of non-historic window enclosures and installation of one-over-one, double-hung windows will greatly enhance the building's integrity. Where through-wall HVAC units will be removed, the installation of longer windows to avoid brick patching is appropriate.

4. Providing secondary entries on side elevations where openings were previously boarded up is appropriate within the guidelines, and the proposed doors will contribute to the overall style of the house. The roll-up carriage door on the left side elevation will be compatible with the house and restore access to the basement area.

5. Removal of the rear elevation chimney will not detract from the historic character of the house. The chimney is on the rear and minimally visible from the right-of-way.

6. The main element which triggers HZC review is the reconstruction of the façade enclosed porches, and the addition of new rooflines on both. Removal of the vinyl-sided, shed-roof enclosed porches and the non-historic windows is appropriate.

7. The proposed front-gable rooflines, featuring simple brackets at both sides and below the ridges and horizontal lap siding in the gables, draws from a similar design at 1719 Clinch Avenue. The new roofline and details will complement the building's early Craftsman design. The new roof pitches will match the existing house's roof pitch. The additions also feature single-light casement window to restore transparency and creating a sunporch design. Using vertical siding and trim as the enclosure for the new second-story will differentiate the new additions from the original house, and be visually compatible with the brick exterior and lap-sided gable fields.