2. 809 Forest Avenue_COA 2022-1205

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1319 E. South Street, South Bend, Indiana 46615 p. 574‐234‐6578 ♦ email: johncmellor@gmail.com December 5, 2022 Adam Toering, Historic Preservation Administrator Department of Community Investment City of South Bend 227 West Jefferson Boulevard, Suite 1400S South Bend, Indiana 46601 MEMORANDUM Certificate of Appropriateness Application Polaniecki House / Chapin Park Historic District South Bend Adam, My clients, Andre’ and Andrew Polaniecki, are the owners and residents at 809 North Forest Avenue in South Bend. Their home sits within the Chapin Park Historic District, whose district report describes the property as a Gabled T / American Four Square. Specifically, its description the house is as follows: Harriet Sweet was listed as the owner of this property, lot 26, in 1890; however, neither she nor her husband is ever listed at this address. The house was built between 1890 and 1894 and was later modified. George Uhler, a stenographer for Oliver, lived here from 1894 until 1898. Fred and Addie Hinz purchased the house in 1916. The house as originally constructed is largely intact, save for a series of alterations in the back. This includes an addition completed in 2009 of a new second story bedroom on top of a pre‐existing addition to the house. This work has proven to be unsatisfactory to the current owners, as the decision to place it on top of the pre‐existing work has resulted in a number of awkward conditions within the house. While ceilings in the original 1890s portion of the home exceed 9 feet on the main level, they are below 8 feet in the rear addition. This lowered ceiling also results in a mis‐alignment of floor levels between the rooms on the upper floor, requiring a short run of steps to access the rear bedroom. Further, access to this bedroom is gained only by first passing through a bathroom – a strange condition at best. Also, the rear addition is constructed on an uninsulated slab‐on‐grade which causes this room to be too cold and