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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Application Number: 2001-0420 Property Location: 119 LaPorte Property Owner: Jeff Berndt Landmark or District Designation: LL Rating: S/11 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT This house was built as a speculative venture by James D. Oliver, of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, in 1905 and eventually sold to William and Harriet Duttera in 1912. William was born in Pennsylvania in 1865 and came to South Bend in 1891 where he met and married Harriet Steele. Mr. Duttera was a foreman and later a superintendent of the power plant at the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. The Duttera's owned the house until 1926 when it was sold to Lee Kiester, a laborer at the Studebaker Corporation. Mr. Kiester resided at this address for 15 years, finally selling it in 1941 to Leon DeRuyver. Leon only owned the house for two years; he sold it in 1943 to Alice Teeter. Ms. Teeter resided here until 1954 when the property was sold to Lloyd & Esther Devenney. Lloyd was the president of the Nu -Way Feed & Seed Company and Esther was the Secretary - Treasurer. Together they resided here until 1970 when the property was sold to Leonel Trevino, who sold the house in 1980 to John & Lisa Kovach. John was the director of the Hannah Lidahl Children's Museum and Lisa was an orchestra teacher. They owned the property until 2001 when it was sold to the current owner, Jeff Berndt. RECOMMENDATION The Preservation Guidelines for Local Landmarks follow the Rehabilitation Model. The applicant is requesting to replace the picket fence between the rear privacy fence and the house, which crosses the driveway, with a 6' tall wood privacy fence. The owner is also requesting to install a wood 6' tall privacy fence from the existing 6' tall wood privacy fence, which runs parallel with the alley across the side yard to the rear corner of the house. The property in question actually consists of two lots. The existing rear yard is surrounded by a 6'tall wood privacy fence that runs to the alley then follows the alley to the rear line of the house at which point it turns into a 3' tall cement block fence that runs the remaining length of the alley to the sidewalk where it converts into a wood, 3' tall picket fence that encloses the front portion of the side lot to the house. The