Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Signed Minutes - July 15, 2019

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canopy with a gable and large brackets. ALTERATIONS: A sleeping porch and bay window are later additions. COA 1987-0610 allowed for the replacement of the curved concrete sidewalk from the base of the steps to the street. COA 1989-0908 allowed for the removal of a dead sugar maple tree from the east side of the front yard. COA 1997-1027 allowed for the installation of ornamental iron railings on the terrace steps along with light fixtures. COA 1999-1101 allowed for the replacement of the driveway with new concrete. COA 2002-0916 allowed for re-roofing with “3 & 1 style black fiberglass shingles.” COA 2002-1017 allowed for the replacement of the copper half-round gutters with new 5” galvanized gutters and downspouts. RME 2012-0503 allowed for the removal of 2 rotten columns at car port and subsequent replacement with ‘Endura-Stone’ composite columns from Pacific Column Company. RME 2016-1213 allowed for soffit repair work, re-roof of internal gutters and flat roof work. RME 2017-1106 allowed for the removal and later replacement of multiple trees on property in advance of later projects. COA 2018 -0314 allowed for the demolition and reconstruction of the front porch, including the pillars. APPLICATION ITEMS: “Owners are seeking 1) A reduction in size of overall porch at the property – 2) elimination of non- functioning / non-code staircase extending off the port-cochere – it was designed solely for horse drawn carriages and not for cars; 3) Reduction in columns from 4 to 2 on front of house – 2 of 4 columns (inner columns) are non-load bearing – nonstructural; 4) Replace fluted style columns to cylinder and replace wood constructed columns which failed due to exposure to elements and freezing and thawing to a more durable composite material.” DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: Applicant seeks approval for the following four project components: 1. Reduction in the overall size of the wrap-around porch on the south and east faces of the structure. The main entrance porch and the porte-cochère porch have been built. a. Historic Precedent: The 1932 Assessor Card for the property indicates that the original porch did not extend across the entire front façade, nor did it connect to the porte-cochère. Evidence that the wrap-around porch may have been added a later date were first encountered by Staff at a follow-up site visit in summer / fall 2018, where the deconstructed porch unveiled windows to the basement. b. Configuration / Constitution: The reconstructed entrance portico and porte-cochère are clad in red brick (as the entire porch had been before). The removed porch unveiled ‘yellow’ brick as the primary construction medium for the main structure. It is the intention of the property owner to keep this brick, as-is. This will result in two distinct colors of bricks being visible on the front façade of the structure. The overall cost of reconstructing the porch in the most recent configuration should be noted. Reducing the overall size of the porch allows the property owner to address other (potentially more pressing) maintenance concerns. Staff supports the reduction in size of the porch. Staff would prefer to see either the yellow or the red brick used continuously across the entirety of the structure. 2. Elimination / Removal of the Port-cochere stairs. a. Historical Context: The porte-cochère originally allowed for a covered area for visitors to arrive at the house under cover from the elements. The steps that were previously installed in the porte-cochère were narrow, on the face of the porch wall, rising to the north, and staff believes these steps were not the original steps to enter the house from the porte-cochère. Staff is of the opinion that the screened-in porch portion was originally constructed with a smaller footprint, and was changed sometime prior to 1950 (as evidenced by the 1932 Assessor Card cubed representation). Porte-cochère projects that the Commission has reviewed recently include the Kizer House, where most recently the Commission allowed the porte-cochère stairs to be removed to allowed for additional construction projects and more thoughtful use of the existing space. b. Configuration / Constitution: The removal of the steps will allow for the the porte-cochère to be safely used as a pass-through for automobiles to the rear of the house (currently cars drive around the porte-cochère). The screened-in porch is still serviced by a larger stair on the north side of the porch area. Staff supports the removal of porte-cochère stairs. 3. Reduction in the number of columns on the front porch from four to two.