821 Ashland Avenue_COA 2020-0611 (Withdrawn)

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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: July 10, 2020 Application Number: 2020-0611 Property Location: 821 Ashland Avenue Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: American Foursquare / 1901 Property Owner: Alfredo Rangel Landmark or District Designation: Chapin Park Local (Ordinance #9574-05) and National Historic District Rating: Contributing DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE: Two story wood frame house with a square plan sitting upon a brick foundation. The hip roof has asphalt shingles and a brick chimney offset from the peak with three simple corbel courses. The house front features a full height bay with windows. Windows throughout were wood 1/1 double hung with diamond pattern muntins on the front façade. ALTERATIONS: Certificate of Appropriateness #2019-0404 allowed for the retroactive replacement of a number of the original windows with new vinyl windows. AA #2019-0404A allowed for the tear off and replacement of the asphalt shingle roof. COA #2017-0605 allowed for the demolition of the garage structures at the rear of the property. Aluminum siding was added to the exterior of the structure sometime prior to 1987. In 1949 the full- width front porch was removed and a front stoop was added, with a small plastic porch roof over the entrance. APPLICATION ITEMS: “Demolition of two story frame house structure.” DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: City of South Bend Department of Code Enforcement seeks a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition of the fire damaged structure at 821 Ashland Avenue, including the following: 1.Demolish two-story wood frame house, leaving an empty lot. In November of 2019 a fire caused extensive damage to the property at 821 Ashland Avenue. HPC Staff, members of the Department of Code Enforcement, local preservation entities (Indiana Landmarks), and the property owner have been in conversation to determine various options available to the property owner. The property had been negotiating with their insurance provider regarding the fire claim and he testified to this fact at a Code Hearing in early 2020. The property owner has now expressed interest in selling the property and has been actively seeking a potential buyer. Code Enforcement applied for the Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the structure in June of 2020. Phone conversations between Deputy Director Marlaina Johns and Specialist Adam Toering on July 10, 2020 indicated that a purchase agreement had been obtained for this property with a new party; a repair agreement between the potential purchaser and the Department of Code Enforcement has not been agreed to yet. Other properties in the neighborhood have suffered fire damage. 917 North Leland Avenue suffered a rather extensive fire at the rear of the structure and has been extensively rehabilitated by property owner Barney Brooks. This property was also under scrutiny from Code Enforcement following the fire, and cooperation between Historic Preservation Staff and Code Enforcement staff with the property owner led to the structure’s current condition. SITE VISIT REPORT: N/A STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: CHAPIN PARK V. GENERAL