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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: 7 April 2015 Application Number: 2015 -0331 Property Location: 531 S. St. Joseph Architectural Style/Date /Architect or Builder: Free Classic /1910 Property Owner: Mary Ann and Ben Wilson Landmark or District Designation: Taylor's Field Rating: Contributing DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/ SITE: The house is a 2 storey plus attic situated on a corner double lot. It has an irregular plan and vinyl clapboard siding. The hipped roof has two hipped dormer covered in asphalt shingles. There is a hooded wood panel with dentilled frieze front porch entrance supported by brick columns with a low brick wall in between. The second floor front windows are 16/1 double hung; there are 1/1 double hung windows in the first floor boxed bay and three part bay on the second floor on the south side. ALTERATIONS: The vinyl siding and asphalt roofing are not original to the house. Some of the windows appear to be replacement windows. The spindles in the porch and upper floor balconies are replacements. APPLICATION ITEMS: Wood privacy fence -dog eared 6' wood pressure treated and 4' picket fence with two gates per diagram and product information submitted . DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The homeowners propose to enclose their rear and side yards with fencing. Along the front east and side north yard there will be a 4 foot cedar wood picket gothic style fence with a gate at the north. The 6' wood pressure treated dog ear privacy fence will be installed along the alley side of the back yard at the west and sidewalk side of the yard at the south. There will be a gate at the west alley side. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: Taylor's Field Local Historic District Guidebook B. BUILDING SITE, LANDSCAPING AND ACCESSORIES Individual properties in the district are characterized by a house located near the front of each lot with a small to medium lawn in front and little to no lawn at the rear of the property. Often the back yard is used as a parking lot for tenants. About half of the properties include a garage which is either located at the rear of the property and accessed from unpaved alleys running behind the property or located directly next to the structure and accessed by small drives. Nearly all of the garage structures are out of date, single -stall frame buildings. One large carriage house still stands in the district. Most properties have trees, shrubbery and/or hedges. Most houses conform to the uniform set -back within each block. Required Plants, trees, fencing, walkways, private yard lights, signs (house numbers) and benches which reflect the property's history and development shall be retained. Recommended New site work should be based upon actual knowledge of the past appearance of the property found in photographs, drawings and newspapers. New site work should be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type and appearance. Accessory structures such as decks, gazebos, fountains and/or small outbuildings should be appropriate to surrounding site elements in scale, type and appearance. Plant materials and trees in close proximity to the building and causing deterioration to the building's historic fabric should be removed and replaced by suitable flora as approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. Prohibited No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings or other site elements before evaluating their importance to the property's history and development. Front yard areas shall not be transformed into parking lots nor paved nor blacktopped. Front yard areas shall not be fenced or fences shall not extend forward beyond the setback line of the house. The installation of unsightly devices such as television satellite dishes, solar panels and skylights shall not be permitted in areas where they can be viewed from the public thoroughfare. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval as the project conforms to the guidelines for Taylor's Field. C.D. Hostetler, Director