09 - September 12 (Special Mtg)CITY OF PRATTVILLE
Historic Preservation Commission
Planning Department Staff Report
CERTIFICATE OF
APPROPRIATENESS
201 Gin Shop Hill Road – CA1309-01-SP
DATE
September 12, 2013
PROPOSED DEVLOPMENT
Petitioner: Historic Prattville Redevelopment Authority
Property Owner: Continental Eagle Corporation
Agent: N/A
Location: 201 Gin Shop Hill Road
Review Status and History
Submission Status: Initial request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for this
property.
Previous Approvals: N/A
Conditions of Previous
Approvals:
N/A
1984/2007 Historic
Properties Inventory
Details
Daniel Pratt Cotton Gin Factory (1854 – 1855,
contributing) This approximately 250-feet-by-fifty-feet,
three-story, brick L-shaped building with a roof that is
hipped on one end and gabled on the other abuts the
Sash, Door, and Blind Factory on the Southwest. A
square belfry with oval openings rises from the ridgeline.
The first and second floor has twelve-over-twelve
windows, and the third twelve-over-eight. Slightly
sunken jack arches are filled in with thin plaster coating
to simulate an ashlar lintel. On the East elevation are
three of the raised wood letters that formerly helped to
spell out “DANIEL PRATT COTTON MANUFACTURY.”
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. The Historic Prattville Redevelopment proposes to make necessary repairs to the
historic structure known as the “1854 Building” on the Continental Eagle
Corporation property at 201 Gin Shop Hill Road. The repairs will follow structural
Page 2 of 4
drawings prepared by Danny Raines, P.E. (Weatherford & Associates). The
proposed work is considered a temporary repair necessary to prevent further
deterioration of the structure.
2. The first ceiling beam, located on the West end of the third floor, is deteriorated to
point that replacement is required. Extensive damage to the structure is possible,
and likely, if the beam is not replaced.
3. We will remove this beam and install a new Glue-Lam beam, sized per
Weatherford and Associates. This beam will be lifted in place by crane and
assisted by a man lift. The existing ceiling joists that tie into this beam will be
reused if possible. If any of the ceiling joists are deteriorated and need to be
replaced, dimensional Southern Yellow Pine lumber will be used.
4. The existing, western gable end of 1854 Building’s roof is deteriorated and is to
be replaced. We propose to remove all of the decking on this gable end only, and
replaced with a new plywood roof deck. Felt paper will be installed and new
asphalt roof shingles will be added. The new shingles will be similar to the
existing shingles, but due to age and wear, the shingles will not match perfectly.
Also, any roof decking that we can salvage will be stacked and stored on the 3rd
floor to be reused at a later time. No original materials will be removed from the
site, unless they are deteriorated or otherwise not usable in the future. Removal
of cornice boards where the beam is replace may be necessary. Existing boards
will be reused if possible or replaced with new material in consultation with the
City of Prattville Planning Department.
5. There was some additional framing will need to be repaired or replaced in
conjunction with this work. Also, there will need to be extensive, temporary
shoring of the floors below the Work Area to help support the work above. All of
this additional framing and temporary shoring work is included in the proposed.
PLANNING STAFF EVALUATION
Reviewed by: Joel T. Duke, AICP
Site Visits Conducted: September 10, 2013
Recommendation: Approval – All proposed repairs will be contained
within the building and will not be visible on the
exterior of the building. Work on the exterior (removal
and replacement of the roof and shingles) is generally
considered maintenance under the Commission
guidelines.
Page 3 of 4
Evaluation:
The requested alterations were reviewed against the Commission’s Certificate of
Appropriateness review policy and the standards contained in the Prattville Commercial
Design Review Guidelines Manual. The relevant sections of manual are included. Staff
comments/evaluations are summarized at the end of each section.
Proposed Repair: Replace deteriorated ceiling beam, repair/replace roof trusses,
and replace portion of roof and shingles (See above for complete description).
Design Review Policy
Section II. Certificate of Appropriateness
A. When Required
Certificates of Appropriateness shall be obtained from the Historic Preservation
Committee prior to beginning any of the following activities on properties within
the Prattville Historic District:
1) Alterations, reconstruction, renovation or restoration of the exterior of
any existing building or structure;
2) An exterior addition to an existing building or structure;
3) A new structure including accessory buildings, walls, fences, terra ces,
driveways, patios, pools, antennas, or removal of other similar items;
4) Demolition of any structure, including accessory building;
5) Painting of any previously unpainted structure originally constructed for
commercial purposes;
6) Erection or alteration of any sign
B. Exempt Activities
Certificates of Appropriateness from the Prattville Historic Preservation
Committee shall not be required for the following activities:
1) Minor maintenance and repairs to existing materials;
2) Reroofing with same or similar materials;
3) Exterior paint colors, except are required in Section II A.5.;
4) Changes to the interior of the building
Analysis:
The proposed emergency repair by the Historic Prattville Redevelopment Authority is
being undertaken as to mitigate the deterioration of one of the most relevant structures in
the city historic district. As an emergency repair, the Commission would be able to
consider reasonable exceptions to the adopted guidelines. However, the proposed activity
is generally considered maintenance under the Commission’s adopted guidelines. The
proposed construction will require removal and replacement of a portion of the roof to
allow access to the damaged beam. Since the construction will be visible to the public
and require new roof shingles for a portion of the building, HPRA was advised to request a
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Certificate of Appropriateness. The Alabama Historical Commission has also reviewed and
concurred with the proposed repair.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Application and attachments
A
B
C
D
E
A B
C D
E
Site Map
Continental Eagle Corporation
201 Gin Shop Hill Road
Historic Structures