HomeMy WebLinkAbout2. 710 Park Avenue_COA 2021-1029ASTAFF REPORT
CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
Date: November 10, 2021
Application Number: 2021-1029A
Property Location: 710 Park Avenue
Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Second Empire / 1875
/ “Chapin-Anderson House”
Property Owner: Randy and Amy Davis
Landmark or District Designation: Local Landmark (Ordinance
#6461-1978), Chapin Park Local Historic District (Ordinance #9574-
05), Chapin Park National Register District
Rating: Outstanding
DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/ SITE : Eclectic Italianate built for Mary Chapin Anderson between 1875
and 1877. Four generations of the Anderson-DuShane family lived in this house until 1962. Irregularly shaped
two-story structure (with third story tower) on a stone foundation. Exterior cladding is wood shiplap clapboard
with corner boards; entablature with paired brackets. Asphalt shingled hipped roof with gable dormers, tower
has mansard roof with wood shingles. Full width wrap-around front porch with paired doric columns on stone
piers, supporting an entablature with dentils; flat roof & balustrade. Windows are 1/1 double hung, most have
segmental arch molded entablatures; wood door with single leaded light, sidelights are leaded; stained glass
transom.
ALTERATIONS: COA 1986-0911 allowed for the removal of a diseased locust tree in the center of the rear yard.
COA 1991-0607 allowed for the removal of a dead tree. COA 2006-0604 allowed for the retrofitting of the original
sashes in the bay window area. COA 2021-0805 allowed for the continued retrofitting of original windows in the
master bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. COA 2009-0731C allowed for the continued retrofitting of the
original windows in the guestrooms I and II on the second floor. COA 2010-0920 allowed for the removal of the
locust tree int the rear yard. COA 2011-1116 allowed for the Code Enforcement requested demolition of the two
story carriage house at the rear of the property. COA 2014-0815 allowed for the removal and replacement (in-kind)
of the soffit, fascia, crown, and built-in eve-trough framing on the curve of the porch. COA 2016-0628A allowed
for the removal and replacement of damaged sections of the fence. COA 2017-0831A allowed for roof and gutter
repair. AA 2019-0522A allowed for roof repairs and replacement on the west façade roof. AA 2021-0308A
allowed for foundation reconstruction work (in kind).
APPLICATION ITEMS: “See attached Back up. 1) Landscape removal 2) Garage Modification, 3) Addition of
Back door to back porch, 4) Addition of Windows to Family Room and 5) Strategic Window Replacement”
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant has requested approval for the following five major
project components, including:
1. Landscaping:
a. Cedar trees along front porch, to be replaced with Boxwood, Emerald Green (on corner)
hydrangea and ground cover,
b. Mulberry and Japanese Barberry (invasive) from left corner of lot, to be replaced with
grass,
c. Vegetation along driveway, to be replaced with a flower garden.
2. Garage Modification:
a. Relocate existing side door to garage façade,
b. Add a second 9’x7’ garage door, installing a Clopay Classic Collection door,
c. Add reclaimed transom windows (seven, per supplied renderings) above garage doors and
man door,
d. Install 34” x 74” Marvin Aluminum-Clad “Ultimate” window,
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e. Repair/replace existing siding for continuity,
3. Addition of Back Door to back porch,
a. Removing a wood floor-to-ceiling height window with curved glass top,
NOTE: exterior trim does not appear to be original to the house, nor does it match the door
trim of the opening across the porch.
b. Installing a Jeld-Wen 30” x 90” full-light fiberglass door with transom window above,
4. Addition of Windows to Family Room,
a. Removal of two original (?) double hung windows,
b. Removal of one single ‘raised’ fixed window,
c. Installation of six (6) double-hung aluminum-clad windows centered on the exterior wall,
5. “Strategic Window Replacement”
a. Per supplied documentation, removal/replacement of the following windows with Marvin
Ultimate Aluminum-Clad windows:
i. Two (2) double-hung windows on the first floor rear bedroom,
ii. One (1) Double-hung second story rear window,
b. Two (2) Double-hung windows on dining room bump out, to be “fully insulated”,
c. “Rebuild the driveway facing windows with insulated double pane glass into fixed/sealed
windows.”
The “Chapin-Anderson House” is the second most architecturally significant structure in the Chapin Park
neighborhood, after the Chapin House at the corner of Navarre and Park. The window openings are either original
to the house or are very ‘early’ additions, they include both rounded and flat casing and trim. Many have been
modified with the inclusion of insulated glass in 2008-2009.
Regarding the proposed modifications:
1. The Landscaping component offers little issue and Staff recommend approval.
2. The Garage Modification component pertains to a later, ancillary addition to the main structure (added
sometime between 1972 and 1983). Staff favor the use of reclaimed windows (although the grid pattern is
somewhat anachronistic on this house, and would be more appropriate on a Tudor home) to add light into
the interior space. The secondary status of this addition is borne-out in the garage and man door selection.
Staff recommends approval.
3. The Addition of Back Door to Back Porch component, on the southeast side of the structure, Staff would
recommend that the door selection be upgraded to match the ‘facing’ door on the other side of the porch,
and, if possible, replicating the trim and casing for the opening when doing so.
4. The Addition of Windows to the Family Room component will result in the loss of curved-top sash original
windows, to be replaced with a bank of six (6) new aluminum-clad windows, allowing more light into the
interior space. The trim/casing profiles should be replicated in this new configuration. Staff support
property owners in proposing changes to the existing structure for improved functionality. Staff makes no
recommendation.
5. The Strategic Window Replacement component involves replacing ‘original’ windows.
Window Replacement Project Context:
The previous property owner applied to replace the original windows with various products, including
denied proposals for:
• Marvin aluminum clad replacement windows in 2006,
• a comparative study/competition between an aluminum-clad replacement window and a restored
window in 2007,
• the installation of Marvin “Tilt-Packs” in the bay window in 2008.
The previous property owner opposed the installation of storm windows, external or internal. Meeting
minutes reveal spirited discussion regarding the viability of storm windows to add to the energy
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efficiency/performance of the property. File photos of the house in the 1970s show aluminum storm
windows (with squared-off window tops), these storms were removed by 1986.
In 2008, “Replacement Systems International, LTD” (Richard Spigelmyer) was hired to restore the original
sashes and install insulated glass in the original wooden sashes. The insulated glass is now failing on some
of the restored/rehabbed windows. The original glass was retained on site (per meeting minutes).
Window Replacement Project Justification:
The applicant contends the indicated windows need to be replaced because “the majority of the windows
don’t seal or lock properly and that the weights are broken on a number of them.” These are maintenance
issues and should not be seen as justification for replacement.
Staff recommends that improvements related to energy-efficiency should be considered for the existing
windows: spring bronze, felt insulation strips/weatherstripping, and storm windows. Window restoration
companies (including the company that did the previous rehabilitation in 2008) should be consulted
regarding the condition of the existing windows.
Windows on the ‘bay’ protrusion on the northside are being proposed for reconstruction as fixed-in-place
windows.
Staff recommends denial.
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: CHAPIN PARK
I. THE ENVIRONMENT
A. The District Environment
The Chapin Park Local Historic District is a particularly fine residential area located close to downtown South Bend, the St. Joseph River,
Memorial Hospital and Leeper Park. This section is meant to protect and guide appropriate maintenance of the common areas of the district
(i.e. visual landscape and streetscapes).
Required
Brick streets contribute greatly to the character of the neighborhood. These streets have always been essentially passenger car thoroughfares.
The appointments of the streets (i.e. lighting, curbs, horse hitches and monuments) should contribute as much as possible to their
architectural, historic and residential character.
Retention and maintenance of existing brick streets in the district is required. Repair work to fill voids and gaps must utilize brick paver
materials and acceptable installation methods whenever applicable. When utility work dictates the removal of street sections (pavers), the
original materials will be reinstalled. Brick streets shall be patched with brick pavers. Concrete, asphalt, fillers and similar materials shall
not be used.
All original streetlights shall be maintained, especially the George Cutter “Park View” streetlights designed by Cutter Company for this
neighborhood. Present efforts by the Neighborhood Association and the Historic Preservation Commission to restore “Park View”
streetlights to the district shall continue. Any change in lighting must receive approval of the Historic Preservation Commission.
New or different fencing requires a C of A and shall reflect the style and character of the individual property and the surrounding
environment and properties.
Recommended
The current or historic character of lawns should be preserved. Front yard areas, common lawns and tree lawns should remain open. New or
replacem ent trees should be compatible in variety with those presently growing. Vacant lots should be kept landscaped appropriately while
vacant, and may be used for recreational or residential development.
When replacement of utility poles or power supply lines is necessary, consideration should be given to underground conduits or utility poles
erected along rear property lines.
Prohibited
Existing relationships of building and their environments shall not be destroyed by widening existing streets, applying asphalt or other
bituminous coverings or by introducing new streets or parking lots. Signs, streetlights, benches, new plant materials, fencing, walkways and
paving materials which are out of scale or inappropriate to the neighborhood may not be used. The erection of high walls or barriers, which
would alter the relationship of the houses, shall be prohibited. Utility poles with high intensity overhead lights shall not be used on main
thoroughfares.
B. BUILDING SITE, LANDSCAPING & ACCESSORIES
This section focuses on individual properties and amenities. Building sites tend to be irregularly shaped, of varying topography and with
different setbacks with regard to plots. Alleys are generally behind houses. Landscape accessories like fences are unique to each structure.
Chapin Place presents a unique situation within the district. Applications from properties that have property lines on Chapin Park will be
considered on a case-by-case basis.
Required
Fencing, walkways, outbuildings, private yard lights, signs (i.e. house numbers) and benches (visible from the street) as well as trees located
in a yard or tree lawn which reflect the property’s history and development shall be retained.
A tree located in such areas shall only be removed if the removal is required due to storm damage, disease, threatened damage to a structure
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or for such other reason acceptable to the Historic Preservation Commission. Storm damage or diseased trees should then be replaced with
an approved species at the same or approximate location wherever possible.
Fencing visible from the street in front of the structure shall be open (meaning spaces between the pickets) and consistent with the historic
character of a structure enclosed.
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 also be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type and appearance. Front yard areas
should remain open. (See above for information regarding fences.) Trees in close proximity to a building may cause structural damage.
Owners are encouraged to remove these trees and replace (or replant) them at a more appropriate location as soon as planting season permits
and upon approval of a C of A.
Prohibited
No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings or other elements bef ore
evaluating their importance to the property’s history and development. Front yard areas shall not be transformed into parking lots nor paved
nor blacktopped, nor enclosed by solid fences, chain link, nor industrial / commercial style fences.
The installation of unsightly large devices, such as television satellite dishes, skylights or solar panels, shall not be permitted in areas where
they detract from the architecture of a building, are intrusive to the public view of the building or are highly visible from a public street, or
ruled inappropriate after Commission review.
Utility poles with high-intensity overhead lights should be installed so that they cannot be seen from a street. The Commission will evaluate
all installations as well as any potential exceptions resulting from special circumstances, before granting a C of A.
II. EXISTING STRUCTURES
A. BUILDING MATERIALS
Original exterior building materials in the district include brick, stucco, clapboard, wood shingles, and brick or stone masonry. In some
instances, vinyl, composite and aluminum siding have been applied over the original material.
Required
Original exterior building materials shall be retained when possible. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through repair,
cleaning and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves shall be retained or replaced by replicas of
the same design when deteriorated beyond repair.
Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration or to
remove stains and shall be done in a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low-pressure water and soft natural bristle
brushes. Brick or masonry mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems, or when sufficient mortar is
missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of
application and joint profile.
When repairing stucco, stucco mixture shall be used. A professional shall make a study of the old stucco, to determine the exact mixture and
underlayment used in the original work. Some repair methods are not compatible with the original techniques and may cause early
disintegration of the repair work and the original work.
Ample ventilation must be afforded the structure when siding is installed, in order to prevent increased deterioration of the structure from
moisture and insects.
Recommended
Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. When maintaining or repairing original siding is not feasible,
aluminum, vinyl or composite siding may be used. When used over wood surfaces, this siding should be the same size and style as the
original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original trim around windows, doors, cornices gables, eaves and other architectural
features.
Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County prior to initiating any restoration
or rehabilitation effort. [ Address and contact information is listed in the front of the Guidebook.] The Commission is an invaluable source
of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration – materials, methods, contractors and the like.
Prohibited
Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new materials that is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building was constructed, such as
artificial stone, brick veneer, asbestos or asphalt shingles.
Sandblasting or the use of harsh detergents shall not be used on masonry includi ng brick, stucco, limestone, flagstone and sandstone. This
method of cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration.
Repointing shall not be done with a mortar of high Portland cement content which can often create a bond that is stronger than the building
material. Usage of Portland cement can cause deterioration as a result of the differing coefficient of expansion and porosity of the historic
masonry unit and the mortar. This most often results in serious damage to adjacent brick.
Unpainted masonry surfaces shall not be painted unless they had been painted originally. Paint shall not be removed from masonry surfaces
by any means that damage the surface.
Not Recommended
Waterproof or water repellant coatings or surface consolidation treatments should not be used on masonry surfaces unless required to solve a
specific problem that has been studied and identified. Coatings are frequently unnecessary and expensive, and can accelerate deterioration of
the masonry. Mortar joints, which do not need repointing, should not be repointed. Wood siding should not be power-washed.
B. ROOFS AND ROOFING
Roof shapes in the district encompass all the various designs found in residential structures: hipped, gabled, gambrel, flat and combinations
of these. Roofs are covered with a variety of materials such as asphalt, asbestos, wood and slate shingles as well as clay tiles. Residences in
most cases have wood fascias with gutters and downspouts. The fascias of some vinyl- and aluminum-sided houses are covered with the
same materials.
Required
The existing shape and type of materials of the roof shall be retained. All architectural features, which give the roof its essential character,
shall be retained, including dormer windows, cupolas, cornices, brackets, chimneys, cresting and weather vanes.
Recommended
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The original shape and materials of the roof should be restored. Particular effort should be made to retain materials such as slate, tile and
other unique materials not commonly found in new construction. Roof covering which is deteriorated beyond repair should be replaced with
new material that matches as closely as possible the original in composition, size, shape, color and texture. Gutters and downspouts are often
a necessary adjunct i n order to prevent deterioration of the structure; they should be maintained whenever possible or replaced with a style
comparable and suitable to the architectural period.
Prohibited
Nothing shall be done to change the essential character of the roof as viewed from a street by adding architectural features or large unsightly
fixtures, or by using materials inappropriate to the style of the house. The roof shall not be stripped of architectural features important to its
character.
Not Recommended
Overhanging eaves, soffit, brackets and gables should not be covered or enclosed when adding siding to a building.
C. WINDOWS AND DOORS
Window and door frames are in most cases wood and vary depending upon the style of the home. Many are double-hung windows with
wood trim and sills. Brick structures have stone sills and brick lintels. In some cases where aluminum siding has been applied, the window
and door trim has been covered. About half of the structures in the district have aluminum storm windows; the other half have wood storm
windows.
Required
Original windows and doors shall be retained including sashes, lintels, sills, shutters, decorative glass, pediments, hoods and hardware.
When deteriorated beyond repair, they shall be replaced with units and trim resembling the original.
Recommended
Wood storm windows and doors painted or finished to match the original should be used but should not damage existing frames. If new
sashes or doors are installed, the existing or original materials, design and hardware should be used. When metal storm doors are used,
they should be painted, anodized or coated to match the existing. When awnings are used, they should be of canvas material.
D. ENTRANCES, PORCHES AND STEPS
Most houses in the district have either an open or enclosed porch across the front. Most porches have either hip or gabled roofs or are
covered by the main roof of the house.
Required
When deteriorated beyond repair, existing or original porches, stoops, patios and steps, including handrails, balusters, columns, brackets, tiles
and roof decorations, shall be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design or by a design more in keeping with the historic period of
the structure.
Porches and additions reflecting later architectural styles and which are important to the building’s historical integrity shall be retained.
Recommended
When enclosing porches for heat conservation or for other reasons, it should be done in a manner that does not alter the architectural or
historical character of the building.
Not Recommended
Original porch details should not be replaced with materials representing a different period or style from the original.
SITE VISIT REPORT:
Inspector Ross Van Overberghe and (then) Specialist Adam Toering visited the property on May 28th, 2020 to
discuss potential projects and assess window conditions. The retrofitted windows exhibited ‘gas’ failure, as the
seals of the windows were failing as the wood expanded and contracted. Some windows exhibited cracked meeting
rails where the locks had not had their screws pre-drilled when installed, leading to the rails breaking/cracking. This
visit followed e-mail correspondence between the property owner and Administrator Elicia Feasel regarding the
application process.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends dividing the project into five components, as outlined in the
above staff report:
COA 2021-1029A-1 – Landscaping: Staff recommends approval.
COA 2021-1029A-2 – Garage Modifications: Staff recommends approval.
COA 2021-1029A-3 – Installation of another door on the side porch: Staff would ask the Commission to request
modifications to this proposal, specifically the use of a salvaged door in lieu of a fiberglass door.
COA 2021-1029A-4 – Addition of Windows to Living Room: Staff makes no recommendation.
COA 2021-1029A-5 – Replacement of Windows: Staff recommends denial.
Prepared by
Adam Toering, Historic Preservation Administrator
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HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
MAP OF THE AREA - Google Maps view of the subject area.
SATELLITE/SANBORN IMAGERY - Sandborn Maps: 1899, 1917, 1945, 1960, imagery from 2016 of property.
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HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
FRONT PICTURE (WEST) - Picture of the front of the building, November 2021.
SIDE PICTURE (Northwest) - Picture of the side of the building, November, 2021
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