5. 518 South St. Joseph Street_COA 2021-0427A

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(574) 520-7745 www.olrsb.org peterclaverhouse@gmail.com St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker, Inc. P.O. Box 4241 South Bend, IN 46634 April 27, 2021 Dear Staff of the Historical Preservation Commission, I am writing to submit an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness on behalf of Saint Peter Claver Catholic Worker, Inc., for our home at 518 S. St. Joseph St., South Bend, IN, 46601. We would like to construct a treated wood-frame pavilion over our backyard paved patio area to support solar panels, and we have included the necessary design and site images specified in the application guidelines. Our faith-based mission is to practice the works of mercy, principally by offering hospitality to people who need a place to live while they regain stability. Currently, 518 S. St. Joseph is home to three volunteer staff members and three longer term women guests. Our organization is deeply committed to the integrity of creation, and in the context of the growing climate crisis, we have wanted to adopt solar energy for many years. Recently, our community received a significant estate gift, making it possible to consider installation of solar panels. In addition to aligning well with our values, shifting to solar energy would represent a substantial economic savings, enabling us to redirect funding to meet other essential needs, like food and supplies for our guests. We now have an opportunity to work with Inovateus Solar as well as Dr. Kevin Walsh, an engineering professor at Notre Dame. Odom Community Developers will serve as our contractor. We intend to install natural landscaping, e.g., arborvitae, to obscure the visibility of the pavilion from S. St. Joseph St. We anticipate that the panels will be mounted directly to the single-seam metal roof, with very little rise, and the roof will be slightly sloped toward the south (about .5” to 12”). Any view of the roof and panels from the street would be only in profile. We believe that this structure will fit in aesthetically with our existing landscape and that of our neighborhood. In addition to supporting the solar panels, it will also provide welcome shade