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-i STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFIATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Application Number: 2001 -0405 Property Location: 1623 East Wayne Street Property Owner: Gretchen Erickson & Edward H. Hinchcliffe Landmark or District Designation: East Wayne Local Historic District Rating: C -10 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT In 1927 H. Russell Stapp, of Whitcomb & Keller designed this house, which was then sold to Earl and Margaret Currise. Mr. Currise was the engraving supervisor at the Tribune. In 1944 the Currises sold the home to Max S. and Jeannette Gilbert, of Gilbert's Clothing Store. Max Gilbert and a brother of his turned the Gilbert Store over to their younger brother, Paul D. Gilbert, when the older brothers went to fight in World War II. Max survived the war, and married Betty Leviton in 1956. Paul Gilbert married Ina Brenner in 1946, and they bought the house on Wayne Street from Max in 1949. Paul proceeded to develop Gilbert's into one of the leading haberdasheries in the Midwest. He became a legend of South Bend business and civic leadership. In 1974, the Gilberts sold this house to Jeanne and Joseph P. Sergio. Mr. Sergio sold it to Lynne and John Winn in 1992, and I believe they in turn sold it to the present owners. The house is two story period or Italianate Revival, with load bearing exterior walls of tile /stucco, a hip roof with boxed eaves, asphalt shingles, and eight over eight windows, single in the front, grouped into pairs and threes in the back addition. The roof has a low pitch, and molded trim. The front door is offset, and has a paneled door and brick stoop, enhanced by a half wallibuttress at the Southwest corner of the house. There was a rear pergola -type porch, supported by round metal posts. The concrete slab and the posts remain. The survey card indicates some decorative iron grating around the house, and it is possible that more may have been donated to one of the patriotic scrap iron drives during World War II. RECOMMENDATION The family is seeking permission to install an open -style picket fence with French Gothic board tops around their back yard, and side yard along Esther Street. The fence is proposed to be 3' high in places, 4' in others, and 5' high along Esther Street. There is a Petition pending before the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance from the 20' setback requirement along Esther Street. The reason the Erickson/Hinchcliffes are proposing a French Gothic fence, when they have o more period revival or Italianate house is that their next -door neighbors have a French Gothic picket fence, and they'd like to match. Part of the reason for taking the fence all the way out to within two feet of Esther Street is to enclose the little basketball court. (1) Staff recommends approval of the portions of the proposed fence running between the house and the neighbor's fence, and from the garage along the driveway. However, a 5' tall fence, even if it is open style, running 70' long, two feet from the sidewalk, is too great an intrusion upon the original Sunnymede landscape plans for open, unfenced spaces. Some compromise could be appropriate, since the houses behind this one are not in the historic district. But the house on the other side of Esther Street is in the district, as, of course, are the houses across the street, with a view of this yard. (2) Staff recommends that the proposed fence along Esther Street be approved only if significantly reduced both in height and length. (3) Staff also suggests that the Commission recommend, but not require, that the owners give serious consideration to a cast metal fence of the same or a similar style to the decorative iron grating originally in their home. (4) If the owners wish to amend their Application to include repair of reconstruction of the damaged pergola behind their house, staff recommends approval of that, as well.