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STAFF REPORT 715 Riverside Drive South Bend, IN -- Non -Contributing STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT This house.is an American Foursquare in design executed with free -classic detail elements with Adamesque'influences. The house has been covered with aluminum siding and is considered non-contributing at the present time. The house was built by Seth Hammond in 1911. It was first rented in 1912 t Rollo and Blancehe Bunch who purchased the property in 1915. Mr. Bunch was salesman for Spiro's. The house was sold in 1920 to Charles Worden, an electrician -for I&M and his wife Ethylan. The property remained in their family until being sold to the present owners in 1977. PROPOSED CHANGE The application was submitted after the fact to allow alterations to the existing chain-link fence which delineates the property lines at each side of the front yard. This fencing has been modified by the addition of wood lattice panels which have been tied to the existing fencing. The avowed purpose of this alteration is to provide a measure of protection for young children who visit the house from sharp edges found on the chain-link. STANDARDS . The Preservation Guidelines and Standards District state: I.B.(1) Required - Plants, trees, property's history and development for the River Bend Local Historic (and) walkways... which reflect retained. I.B.(2) Recommended - New site work should be based upon actual knowledge the past appearance of the property found in photographs, drawings, and newspapers. New site work should -be appropriate to existing surrounding si elements in scale, type and appearance... I.B.0) Prohibited - No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings, or other elements before evaluating their importance to the property's history and development.... Front yard areas shall not be fenced or fences shall not extend forward beyond the setback line of the property..... RECOMMENDATION Few houses in the district have front yard fences and the installation of n fencing is -such location is generally prohibited by the guidelines noted above. Since the fencing in question predates the establishment of the district and,its regulations, the existing fence is allowed and its removal may not be required. However, removal of these fences,would enhance the continuity of the open space along Riverside Drive. It is worthy to note th