HomeMy WebLinkAbout5. 635 South Main Street_COA 2022-0906STAFF REPORT
CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
Date: September 13, 2022
Application Number: 2022-0906
Property Location: 635 South Main Street
Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Renaissance Revival / 1910
Property Owner: Studebaker Center, LLC
Landmark or District Designation Local Landmark, #8267-92
Rating: Significant/Notable
DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/ SITE: Rectangular plan with smooth dressed stone foundation.
Stretcher bond brick walls with two sets flat arcades, quoin pilasters, stone string course, flat arch & round arch,
keystone radiating voussoirs. Flat roof, smooth dressed stone cap. Windows: Reveal, double hung sash flat head, joint
3 and 4th single large sash and side and side fixed sash 1st and 2nd, wood lintel panel. Doors: Metal flat overhang
roof and double leaf panel, glass, glass transom, solid glass side panels. Stairs: Concrete
ALTERATIONS: COA 2010-0622 allowed for Removal of dead trees on Main Street in front of the entrance. City
Forester, Brent Thompson, concurred that the 2 Sugar Maples are dying from girding roots; and that they can be
removed.
APPLICATION ITEMS: “Temporary covering to protect the windows and provide building security as future uses
are developed. PoIycarb material will be installed over all existing window coverings as temporary protection,
substantially in the form as depicted in the rendering attached to the application. Except the North facade windows
will only be covered by po!ycarb as needed In order to be weather tight. Note: In-kind repair of the roof will be
performed at the same time.”
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant has requested approval to:
Temporarily cover the windows with clear polycarbonate material to secure and protect the glass as well as
provide protection against weather.
In kind repair of roof.
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: “GROUP B” Standards
Preservation Standards for local historic landmarks are used by the Historic Preservation Commission whenever exterior changes are proposed
for officially designated structures. Review is required when proposed plans for building and development indicate the architectural character
of the landmark will be changed, i.e., review is required for any project that affects the exterior of the building, site, outbuildings, grounds and
landscaping. These standards are an extension of the present Ordinance #5567-73 and #54A-973 already adopted to implement a comprehensive
program of historic preservation.
The present historic preservation ordinances empower the Commission to issue or deny a Certificate of Appropriateness prior to the
construction, reconstruction, alteration, demolition, or moving of any landmark. The ordinance also gives the Commission the power to
establish reasonable and just standards for the preservation of historic landmarks, including architectural treatment, site development and
maintenance provisions, providing that the standards are in keeping with the intent of the ordinance and that the standards apply only to the
exterior features of the historic landmark. These standards guide the commission in their review of Certificates of Appropriateness.
The two major conditions under which change will occur are maintenance or improvement and the demolition of an existing landmark.
The Historic Preservation Commission has established two levels of preservation standards—Group A and Group B. Group A standards are the
more comprehensive of the two and require that the original character of the building be maintained or restored. Group B (your Standards)
require that the building be maintained as is and, if possible, returned to the original. One of these levels will be selected at the time of
designation. Both require a Certificate of Appropriateness before the construction, reconstruction, alteration, demolition, or moving of any
landmark structure or site.
The property owner is responsible for furnishing the Commission with a complete description of the proposed changes. This information may
be plans, elevations, specifications, photographs, or other means to accurately describe the project. When an application is being reviewed, it
will be the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that the new work is compatible.
DEFINITIONS
Shall—Defined as an expression of something that is mandatory or must be done.
Should—Defined as an expression of obligation, something that ought to be done but that is open to compromise.
Required—Defined as work which shall be done in a restoration or rehabilitation project in order to restore or maintain the original or existing
character of the structure or site.
Recommended—Defined as work which should be done to help restore or maintain the original or existing character of the structure or site.
Prohibited—Defined as work which shall not be permitted in a restoration or rehabilitation project because it may have a negative impact on the
original or existing character of the structure or site.
GROUP B STANDARDS
The Commission has the authority to determine the architectural merits and the extent of any proposed treatment, renovation, or addition to a
historic landmark. The commission will require drawings, plans, specifications, and/or samples where appropriate.
A. Maintenance
The maintenance of any historical structure or site shall in no way involve any direct physical change except for the general cleaning and
upkeep of the landmark. The Commission shall encourage the proper maintenance of all structure or sites (appendix A: Minimum Maintenance
Standards).
B. Treatment
Treatment shall be defined as any change of surface materials that will not alter the style or original form. Such improvements include re-
roofing, glazing, or landscaping lawns and may involve a change that can potentially enhance or detract from the character of the landmark. A
treatment change of any surface whether on the landmark or in its environment may require a Certificate of Appropriateness if it significantly
alters the appearance of the landmark. Although these kinds of changes may not require a Building Permit, a Certificate of Appropriateness
may be necessary. The commission should review the proposed treatment for character and style consistency with the original surfaces.
C. Renovation and Additions
Renovation is the modification of a structure, which does not alter the general massing while an addition, is a change in mass. A modification,
which involves the removal of a part of the landmark, should be considered under demolition (see demolition).
Additions to landmarks should not detract from the original form and unity of the landmark and should not cover singular examples of
architectural detail. Additions to landmarks should be added in a manner that does not disrupt the visible unity of overall appearance of the site.
The proportions, materials and ratios of the existing structures should be carried through in the additions. Care should be taken not to change or
alter the following:
1. Structure—–Necessary structural improvements, where safety demands should be accomplished in such a way as to cause minimal
visual change to the original style and construction.
2. Material—Additions and improvements involving any new material in the landmark should be of the same material as the original.
It should be the same size and texture. An alternative material may be allowed if it duplicates the original.
a. wood—all wood trim should conform with existing trim in shape and size.
b. siding materials—the Commission discourages the covering or alteration of original materials with additional siding. Structures
already sided with incompatible materials should be returned to a siding similar to the original when renovation is considered.
D. Demolition
Historic landmarks shall not be demolished. When a landmark poses a threat to the public safety, and demolition is the only alternative,
documentation by way of photographs, measured drawings, or other descriptive methods should be made of both the exterior and interior of the
landmark. The person or agency responsible for demolition of the landmark shall be responsible for this documentation.
E. Moving
The moving of landmarks is discouraged, however, moving is preferred to demolition. When moving is necessary, the owner of the
landmark must apply to the Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness.
F. Signs
No neon or flashing signs will be permitted unless they are original to the structure. Billboards and super-graphics will also be disallowed.
Only one appropriate identifying sign will be permitted per business.
G. Building Site and Landscaping
(These standards apply to both A and B)
1. Required
Major landscaping items, trees, fencing, walkways, private yard lights, signs (house numbers) and benches which reflect the property’s history
and development shall be retained. Dominant land contours shall be retained. Structures such as: gazebos, patio decks, fixed barbecue pits,
swimming pools, tennis courts, green houses, new walls, fountains, fixed garden furniture, trellises, and other similar structures shall be
compatible to the historic character of the site and neighborhood and inconspicuous when viewed from a public way.
2. Recommended
New site work should be based upon actual knowledge of the past appearance of the property found in photographs, drawings, and newspapers.
Plant materials and trees in close proximity to the building that are causing deterioration to the buildings historic fabric should be removed.
However, trees and plant materials that must be removed should be immediately replaced by suitable flora. Front yard areas should not be
fenced except in cases where historic documentation would indicate such fencing appropriate. Fencing should be in character with the
buildings style, materials, and scale.
3. Prohibited
No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing major landscaping items, trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings, and other
elements before evaluating their importance to the property’s history and development. Front yard areas shall not be transformed into parking
lots nor paved nor blacktopped. The installation of unsightly devices such as TV reception dishes and solar collectors shall not be permitted in
areas where they can be viewed from public thoroughfares.
Appendix A:
Minimum Maintenance Standards
All landmarks and all contributing structures located in an historic district shall be preserved from decay and deterioration, and shall be
maintained in good repair and kept structurally sound. The owner or other person having charge or control of landmarks and property in an
historic district shall not allow or permit deterioration of such property from defects or conditions which in the judgment of the Commission
produce a detrimental effect on the character of the district as a whole or the life and character of the landmark, structure or property in question,
including but not limited to:
a. Deterioration of exterior walls or other vertical supports causing conditions such as splitting, leaning, buckling, crumbling, visible
cracking or similar conditions;
b. Deterioration of roofs or other horizontal members causing conditions such as sagging, splitting, buckling, crumbling, holes, missing
shingles or similar conditions;
c. Deterioration of external chimneys causing such conditions as listing, settling, bulging, crumbling, holes, loose or missing materials or
similar conditions;
d. The deterioration or crumbling of exterior plasters or mortar;
e. The ineffective waterproofing of exterior walls, roof and foundations, including broken windows or doors;
f. The peeling of paint, rotting, holes and other forms of decay;
g. The lack of maintenance of surrounding environments such as fences, gates, sidewalks, steps, signs, accessory structures and
landscaping;
h. The deterioration of any feature so as to create or permit the creation of any hazardous or unsafe condition or conditions.
The Commission shall give notice by certified or registered mail of each specific instance of failure to maintain or repair. The owner or person
in charge of such structure shall have twenty (20) days to respond in writing by identifying specifically the corrective and remedial steps to be
taken. A certificate of appropriates shall not be required for such repair unless such repair results in a conspicuous change in the design, form,
proportion, mass, configuration, building material, texture, color, location. Or external visual appearance of any structure or part thereof. In the
latter circumstance, a certificate of appropriateness shall be required.
SITE VISIT REPORT:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends Approval.
Prepared by
Ross Van Overberghe, Historic Preservation Specialist
SB Hist Pres Commission - App for Cert of Appropriateness.pdf
9/6/22 KB
Rec. #: 704696 $20.00
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: 1917, 1945, 1960, imagery from 2021 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
Picture of the Southwest side of building, March 2020.
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Picture of the Southeast side of building, March 2020.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
Picture of the East side of building, March 2020.
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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
Picture of the East side of building, March 2020.
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Picture of the East side of building, March 2020.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov
Picture of the North side of building, March 2020.
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September 1, 2022
Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend
and St. Joseph County
14th Floor
227 W. Jefferson
South Bend, Indiana 46601
Dear Members of the Commission,
I am writing today to express support and provide information related to the application for window
coverings at the Studebaker Administration building located at 635 S. Main Street in South Bend. Indiana
Landmarks supports the request as submitted.
Indiana Landmarks has reviewed and approved this proposal per our review as required under the Historic
Preservation Covenants we hold on the property. The proposal to temporarily cover the window openings
with a translucent poly carb material will be installed only in the openings and will not damage the masonry or
other historic materials. It is reversible once a long-term strategy for the windows is developed and a final use
is determined. In reviewing this we looked to guidance from the Secretary of the Interior treatments for
mothballing vacant historic structures – Preservation Brief 31.
Practically speaking, there is a need for this temporary solution to maintain a watertight envelope and aid in
stopping broken glass from vandals while renovation plans are prepared. In the future the same coverings will
provide opening closure once work on the windows is approved and commences in the future.
I am pleased to answer any questions that may arise. Thank you for your consideration and approval of this
request.
Sincerely,
Todd Zeiger
Director, Northern Regional Office