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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: 10/06/2005 Application Number: 2005-1006 Property Location: 628 Park Avenue Property Owner: Sarah Micklem & Cornelius Eady Landmark or District Designation: Chapin Park Local Historic District & National Register Dist. Style/Rating: Renaissance Revival/Significant [This is an E. Hill Tumock designed house.] APPLICATION ITEMS: 1.) Install semi -circular brick or slate flagstone terrace in front of the French doors in the central pavilion. 2.) Landscaping of shrubs, grasses, and vines around terrace and foundation. 3.) Replacement tree for the tree lawn. 4.) Brick path connection sunroom to driveway. PRESERVATION STANDARDS I. A. Recommended. New or replacement trees should be compatible in variety with those presently growing. I. B. Recommended. New site work should be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type, and appearance. RECOMMENDATION For most houses in Chapin Park, a terrace or patio in the front yard would seem inappropriate and redundant (so many houses have front porches). However, a terrace in front of 628 Park has many reasons to argue in favor of appropriateness. 1.) The design of the house is suitable for a terrace in front of the central pavilion. The four large French doors off the front of the house would offer easy access to a terrace. 2.) One nearby home has a sort of terrace in the front of the house. 618 Park is a Revival/Prairie style house with a raised terrace off a covered portico/entrance porch. 3.) 628 Park Ave is a Renaissance Revival home. Many Renaissance buildings were built off of or surrounding cobblestone piazzas; public Renaissance Revival buildings might have central courts with patios as part of formal gardens. E. Hill Tumock's design of this house shows two potted topiaries as references to formal landscaping, but this is the extent of the information we have for the exterior landscaping. 4.) The proposed terrace and the brick walk from the sunroom to the driveway are appropriate to the site and the residence in scale, type, and appearance. The brick would match the driveway pattern. Flagstone, a nature material, would also be appropriate. Staff recommends approval of the terrace and the walk, and leaves the option of the brick or flagstone up to the owners. Staff recommends a shade tree for the tree lawn. Ornamentals were not planted in the tree lawns and would not be appropriate to this district. The Chapin Park standards allow for much flexibility with the choice of landscaping plants and flowers and thus the Commission does not need to review this part of the application. Staff does appreciate receiving this part of the plan for our records purposes.