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April 16, 2014 <br />Preservation Specialist Report ' <br />1348 East Wayne South <br />East Wayne Historic District <br />I met with the owner at the property on April 1.5, 2014 at 3pm. We reviewed the scope of <br />work which included new retaining walls for flower beds, a new walk to the public <br />sidewalk, and new steps for the front door and western side door: <br />The flower bed on the east of the house was struck by a vehicle during a high speed chase <br />in 2013. At the time, it was temporarily repaired to get through the change in seasons. <br />The -brick retaining wall was cracked in several locations due to poor gutter drainage and <br />discharge from a basement sump pump being dumped directly into the flower bed. The <br />front steps had a short first step which the owner refers to as a "trip- able" step as it posed <br />a hazard for those entering the front door. -The owner had those installed prior to the <br />district being designated to match "the red brick flower beds that were existing. <br />The owner has begun to replace the brick retaining wall with a mortared limestone wall <br />with a blue -ish cap stones. The limestone BBQ and flower bed in the rear of the house <br />predates this owner having the property and the slate roof has a blue -ish tone. The owner <br />hoped that the new flower bed and steps'would tie these features together and give a more <br />consistent look. The house is aluminum siding and the foundation bricks which has <br />approximately an 18" reveal are not red but yellow brick. The red brick that was in place <br />was not original to the house, due to the brick that was used and was the only example of <br />red brick at the structure. New gutter pipes (black corrugated) will be integrated in the <br />retaining walls will discharge past the wall and into the sloping yard away from the <br />house. The sump pump, per suggestions by Randy James of the Building Department, <br />will have interior piping running the length of the basement and have a discharge near the <br />west side door flowing away from the house. The owner hopes these changes will lead to <br />less damage to the new flower beds and better flow away from the house and less damage <br />to the basement and foundation. <br />The front path will be straight to the sidewalk as opposed to the curved brick one that <br />existed previously. The "landing" patio extends 4 feet closer to the public sidewalk than <br />the previously did but due the curve to the previous sidewalk, does not take much more <br />lawn than was previously covered. <br />Steve Szaday <br />Preservation Specialist/Inspector <br />Historic Preservation Commission of <br />South Bend and Saint Joseph County <br />