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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFIATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: Application Number: Property Location: Property Owner: Landmark Designation: Rating: April 15, 2003 2003-0509 1342 East Wayne Street North, South Bend, IN Sue & Tim Liddell East Wayne Street Local Historic District, C — 9; Contributing This house was constructed in 1939 for Eldon & Mary Bowden. Eldon was a purchasing agent for Studebaker Corporation. Eldon and Mary lived here until 1944, when they sold the house to Viola and William Anderson. William was an accountant fdr General Liquors, Inc. In 1947, the Andersons sold again, to Albert Flack, vice president of Flack Cigar Co., and his wife, Virginia. APPLICATION ITEMS: Planting of three Bradford Pears in the tree lawn. We love to approve planting trees. Doing so in this case is complicated by the fact that planting flowering trees in the tree lawns is prohibited by the Wayne Street District Standards. Those standards do, however, encourage the planting of ornamental trees in the lawns proper, and around the houses. Your present staff agrees with the Historic Tree Pilot Survev that the HPC commissioned in 1993, and with the requirements of the Wayne Street Standards, that ornamental flowering trees are out of scale and out of character in the historic district tree lawn. As ornamental flowering trees go, Bradford Pears are bigger than most, but are still smaller by about 50% than any of the approved tree lawn trees for this district. More importantly, their branching habits are lower and different. 'it i Large Flowering tree shape Ash and Elm Ginkgo, Sweetgum, or Plane Tree or Sycamore Oak The tree lawn of this house would look better with trees in it than it does naked. However, it has good bones, and looks better naked than it would look cloaked with trees that are too small, or oddly placed. I understand that the inspiration for this Application was that the homeowners were at Ginger Valley and saw three or four Bradford Pear trees in full flower, left over from some big corporate order, and on sale for a good price. Staff would have no objection to approving some other way to take advantage of the possible bargain, but Staff recommends that the HPC find it NOT appropriate to place such trees in the tree lawn.