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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: January 21, 2004 Application Number: 2003-0102-3 Property Location: 1501 East Wayne Street, South Bend, IN Property Owner: Alice McLane & John Axelberg Landmark or District Designation: East Wayne Street Local Historic District Rating: Contributing: 10 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT Built in 1926 by H. Russell Stapp for Whitcomb & Keller, it was sold in 1931 to Pearl & James Hughes. James was, at the time, an engineer for the Studebaker Corporation. Ten years later, in 1941, the Hughes sold this home to Helene and Ralph Van Horne, of Van Horne & Co Jewelry dealers in South Bend. In 1999, the HPC approved a very extensive landscaping plan, including hedges, shrubbery, significant trees, terracing, and fencing a portion of the yard. In 2002, the HPC approved a modification of the landscaping plan, and the extension of fencing and the installation of wooden play equipment. APPLICATION ITEMS: Remove existing Pennsylvania Slate roof from both house and garage, and replace it with (a) a high-definition asphalt roof over most of the sloping roof, (b) copper roofing on the eyebrow dormers, (c) E.P.D.M. on the flat portions of the roof, and (d) new copper gutters and downspouts. RECOMMENDATION These homeowners have spent much time and effort first trying to keep the existing slate in repair, and then, failing that, seeking bids for slate replacement roofs. All of the slate replacement options available are outside the budget they have available for this project. They have also researched some of the rubber, recycled tire, facsimile slate options on the market, including some of the brands that the HPC has generally approved for slate replacement in similar situations. These are less expensive than slate, but still more costly to install than the proposed asphalt. Staff communicated the HPC's January 10 approval of facsimile slate and E.P.D.M. roofing materials to the homeowners, and the homeowners indicated that they would do further research on those options, but felt that the economics of their situation would likely make this meeting regarding their application for asphalt replacement still necessary. Staff recommends approval of (a) facsimile stale unless economic considerations absolutely force the use of asphalt; (b) (b) copper roofing on the eyebrow dormers, subject to any conditions recommended by the Architectural Historian, (c) E.P.D.M. on the flat portions of the roof, and (d) new copper gutters and downspouts, conditional upon the dimensions and profile of both being the same as the existing, or otherwise separately approved by the Commission.