Loading...
09 - September 26CITY OF PRATTVILLE Historic Preservation Commission Planning Department Staff Report CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS 125 N. Chestnut Street – CA1308-02 DATE August 22, 2013 PROPOSED DEVLOPMENT Petitioner: Alfred Q. Booth Property Owner: Alfred Q. Booth Agent: N/A Location: 125 N. Chestnut Street Review Status and History Submission Status: Initial request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for this address. Previous Approvals: N/A Conditions of Previous Approvals: N/A 1984/2007 Historic Properties Inventory Details 125 North Chestnut Street, Atkeison House (circa 1890, contributing): This one-story frame building with a gable roof is covered with asbestos-shingle and composite siding. It has an asymmetrical three-bay front and a porch with a scroll-cut flat-wood balustrade and bracketed supports Proposed Alteration, Renovation or Addition The following changes have been requested by the applicant. See the application included as Attachment A for the owner’s description of each item. 1. Replace existing shingle roof with new material – standing-seam metal roof. Page 2 of 3 PLANNING STAFF EVALUATION Reviewed by: Joel T. Duke, AICP Site Visits Conducted: August 22, 2013 Recommendation:  Item 1: Approve with conditions. Evaluation: The requested alterations were reviewed against the standards contained in the Prattville Residential Design Review Guidelines Manual. The relevant sections of manual are included. Staff comments/evaluations are summarized at the end of each section. Item 1. Replace existing shingle roof with new material – standing-seam metal roof. Roofs (page 31) Roofs help to determine building style and are important elements of historic appearance. Historic roof shapes and, when feasible, materials should be retained and maintained. Public visibility of modern features should be very limited. 1. The historic roof shape should be retained. 3. If localized damage or deterioration of historic roofing materials occurs, replacement with matching materials is preferred to wholesale removal. 4. If historic roofing materials are severely damaged or deteriorated or are missing and are prohibitively expensive to replace, dark grey, black, brown, dark green, or dark red asphalt or fiberglass shingles may be used. Analysis: As long as the shape and underlying construction of the porch ceiling and roof are retained, a change in the roofing material has not been a major consideration by the Commission with previous requests. Replacement of the asphalt shingles with metal roofing is permitted. The Commission should retain final approval over the style of the standing-seam metal panels, and possibly the color. The applicant has presented three different roofing styles with the application. It is unclear whether these are examples or the actual products the applicant wants approved for use. The applicant should choose one of the three for consideration. It is also appropriate for the Commission to consider the color in order to maintain compatibility with the structure and the adjacent Page 3 of 3 properties. For example a shiny “metal” finish is more traditional than a black, green or red. ATTACHMENTS A. Application and attachments B. Location Map C. Roofs – Prattville Residential Design Review Guidelines     P r a t t v i l l e R e s i d e n t i a l D e s i g n R e v i e w G u i d e l i n e s M a n u a l 31 Roofs 1. The historic roof shape should be retained. 2. Roof-related features such as chimneys, shingles, tiles, finials, parapet walls, and cor- nices should be retained and maintained. Roofs help to determine building style and are important elements of historic appearance. Historic roof shapes and, when feasible, materials, should be retained and maintained. Public visibility of modern features should be very limited. Gabled roofs of various configurations, as shown in the first three images, are common. Hipped roofs, as shown in the final image, also exist in the district. The historic roof forms of buildings should be retained. Historic roof features like the exposed brackets and fascia board on the left and chimney on the right should be retained and maintained. P r a t t v i l l e R e s i d e n t i a l D e s i g n R e v i e w G u i d e l i n e s M a n u a l 32 3. If localized damage or deterioration of historic roofing materials occurs, replacement with matching materials is preferred to wholesale removal. 4. If historic roofing materials are severely damaged or deteriorated or are missing and are prohibitively expensive to replace, dark grey, black, brown, dark green, or dark red asphalt or fiberglass shingles may be used. 5. New skylights, solar panels, decks, balconies, and satellite dishes should not be readily visible from the street. If possible, the historic raised-seam metal used to roof this house should be retained or replaced with like materials. If modern shingles are used to replace historic roofing materials, black, brown, or another of the colors listed above are appropriate colors to use. Roofs P r a t t v i l l e R e s i d e n t i a l D e s i g n R e v i e w G u i d e l i n e s M a n u a l 33 6. New dormers should not be located on primary facades, should be unobtrusive, and should be in keeping with the historic appearance of the building. Skylights, solar panels, satellite dishes, and other new roof features should be located where they can not be eas- ily seen from the street. The upper skylight’s design is less obtrusive and, hence, more appropriate for use. If dormers are desired on this building, they should not be located on its primary façade. Instead, they should be added to its rear elevation. They should use de- sign and materials sympathetic to those of the building. Roofs CITY OF PRATTVILLE Historic Preservation Commission Planning Department Staff Report CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS 345 S Washington Street – CA1309-02 DATE September 24, 2013 PROPOSED DEVLOPMENT Petitioner: Louise Jennings Property Owner: petitioner Agent: N/A Location: 345 S Washington Street Review Status and History Submission Status: Initial request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for this address. Previous Approvals: N/A Conditions of Previous Approvals: N/A 1984/2007 Historic Properties Inventory Details 345 South Washington Street, A. F. Fay-Grouby House (circa 1880, contributing) This rectangular one-and-a- half story frame building with a gable roof has parallel rear extensions. The central cross gable field at the front and parallel rear cross gable fields have scalloped shingle siding. The full-length front porch has a modified mansard roof, turned supports, scroll-cut trim, a balustrade, and a pierced wood frieze. Its central door is flanked by floor- length, shuttered windows. Proposed Alteration, Renovation or Addition The following additions have been requested by the applicant. See the application included as Attachment A for the owner’s description of each element. 1. Restore and repair current residential structure and servant quarters. 2. Extend current laundry area on the rear of the structure out 6 feet. Addition will be Page 2 of 6 approximately 6’ x 7.5’ or 45 square feet. 3. Fence area shown on architectural illustration with 60” ornamental iron fencing. 4. Replace exterior front light fixture with proposed brass fixtures (photo attached to application. 5. Create parking area along west side of the property as shown in attached architectural rendering. 6. Create open garden with semi-covered patio areas. PLANNING STAFF EVALUATION Reviewed by: Joel T. Duke, AICP Site Visits Conducted: September 23, 2013 Recommendation:  Item 1: N/A  Item 2: Approval  Item 3: Approval  Item 4: Approval  Item 5: Approval following clarifications by petitioner  Item 6: Approval Evaluation: The requested alterations were reviewed against the standards contained in the Prattville Residential Design Review Guidelines Manual. Staff comments/evaluations are summarized at the end of each section. Item 1 – Restore and repair current residential structure and servant quarters. Maintenance or repairs with like materials that do not alter the appearance of the structure are not required to obtain a certificate of appropriateness. Item 2 – Extend current laundry area on the rear of the structure out 6 feet. Addition will be approximately 6’ x 7.5’ or 45 square feet. Additions (page 40) Additions to dwellings are appropriate as long as they are placed on rear elevations or non-readily visible side elevations. Additions should be designed to complement the historic qualities of the dwelling. 1. Additions should cause minimal damage or removal of historic walls, roofs, and features from historic buildings. Existing openings should be used to connect the building and the addition. Page 3 of 6 2. Additions should have no or limited visibility from the street. Generally, re ar elevations are appropriate locations for additions. 3. Additions should be compatible with the original building in scale, proportion, rhythm, and materials. 4. Additions should be distinguishable from the historic building: they should be smaller and simpler in design. 5. Additions should not imitate earlier architectural styles, but should be contemporary in design. Analysis The proposed addition satisfies Guidelines 1 and 2 by connecting to the structure at existing windows on the rear of the building. By extending the existing roof line and matching the existing metal roof, the addition satisfies Guideline 3. Guidelines 4 and 5 are important to allow observers to distinguish between the original structure and new construction. However, the proposed addition is small, located between the rear wings of the historic structure, and further hidden by a back porch. The addition does not alter the historic appearance of the structure. Item 3 – Fence area shown on architectural illustration with 60” ornamental iron fencing. Fences and Walls (pages 46 & 47) Fences and walls have historically been used to define ownership or function and to separate public and private space. Historic fences and walls should be retained and maintained. New fences and walls should use design, materials, and placement that minimize their effect on the district’s historic character. 2. Wood and metal picket fences are appropriate new construction. If wooden, they should be painted using colors complementary to the adjacent house. They should be less than three feet tall, and the pickets should be set less than three inches apart and be less than four inches in width. 3. Cast iron fences are appropriate for 19th and early 20th century dwellings. These fences should be less than three feet tall. Analysis Proposed fence does not exactly match any of the adopted guidelines. Its location in the rear yard limits its visibility from the street allowing it to partially meet Guideline 2. The height of the fence at 5’ does not meet the guidelines, but may be acceptable to the Page 4 of 6 Commission being located in the rear yard and partially screen by vegetation. A wooden privacy fence in the same location would be permitted to be up 6’ tall. Item 4. – Replace exterior front light fixture with proposed brass fixtures (photo attached to application. Lighting (Page 22) Remaining historic light fixtures should be retained and maintained. New light fixtures should be unobtrusive in design, materials, and placement. 1. Historic light fixtures should be retained and maintained. 2. Deteriorated or damaged historic light fixtures should be repaired using methods that allow them to retain their historic appearance. 3. Owners are encouraged to replace missing or severely damaged historic light fixtures with replacements that replicate the originals or other historic examples in appearance and materials. 4. If modern light fixtures are desired as replacements or where light fixtures previously did not exist, they should be unobtrusive and constructed of traditional materials. 5. Light fixtures should not damage or obscure architectural features or other building elements. Analysis The existing light fixtures on either side of the front entry are not original the structure and appear to be recent replacements. The applicant’s proposed fixtures and placement meet the Commission’s guidelines. Item 5 – Create parking area along west side of the property as shown in attached architectural rendering. Driveways, Sidewalks and Walkways (pages 44 & 45) Driveways, sidewalks, and walkways are common district features. Historic examples should be retained and maintained, and new construction should follow historic examples. 1. Historic driveways, sidewalks, and walkways should be retained and maintained. 2. Driveways should be of gravel, concrete ribbons, grass and dirt, or concrete. Blacktop and asphalt driveways were not historically features of the district, and should be avoided. Page 5 of 6 3. Driveways should be located to the side of the house. 4. Residential parking areas larger than one car width should be screened and located behind the house or out of view from the sidewalk. 5. Many district residences have narrow concrete walkways connecting the sidewalk or street to the main entrance. New walkways should follow these historic models. Analysis The subject site does not have an existing concrete or paved driveway. The petitioner is proposing to add a driveway and parking area that accesses the site from First Street. Given the location of the structure’s rear entry and a desire to preserve the historic servant’s quarters, the applicant has selected the most appropriate location for a driveway or parking pad. The proposed landscaping should adequately screen the parking area from Washington Street. The driveway material is not indicated and should be defined before granting approval. The application is unclear regarding the front walkway. The architectural rendering shows the existing walk being removed and replaced with stepping stones. Retention of the existing walkway or replacement with a similar layout is recommended by guideline 5. Clarification is needed from the applicant. Item 6 – Create open garden with semi-covered patio areas. Gazebos and Pergolas (page 48) Because gazebos and pergolas are generally modern additions, they should use design, materials, and placement that minimize their affect on the district’s historic character. 1. Gazebos and pergolas should be constructed of wood and painted in colors sympathetic to the adjoining building. 2. Gazebos and pergolas should not obscure views or damage historic features of the adjoining building. 3. Gazebos and pergolas should be located out of or with limited public view. Analysis The proposed landscaping structures appear to substantially meet the guidelines. ATTACHMENTS Page 6 of 6 A. Application and attachments B. Location Map