HomeMy WebLinkAbout715 Leland Avenue_AA 2023-0724Sarah Andrews,
President
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
COMMISSION
OF
SOUTH BEND
AND
ST. JOSEPH
COUNTY
CERTIFICATE
OF
APPROPRIATENESS
The Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St.
Joseph County has approved the following work:
1) Tree Removal, tree trimming,
2) Removal of legacy concrete flatwork throughout site,
steps/stairs from Leland,
3) Re-grading landscape,
4) Erection of block retaining wall ( 50' on Leland, 170' on
Pierce),
5) Installation of four (4) stone benches
TBD, Contractor
for the following location:
715 LELAND AVE
South Bend, IN, 46616
Application No. 2023-0724
in the County of St. Joseph; State of Indiana; which is:
Located in a Local Historic District
A Local Historic Landmark
and found this application to be appropriate according to the Standards
pertaining to Local Historic Landmarks and/or Local Historic Districts.
Regulations pertaining to the Historic Preservation Commission are
found in Chapter 21 (Zoning), South Bend Municipal Code and Chapter
26 of the St. Joseph County Code.
The issuance of this certificate does NOT in any manner, release
the recipient from the responsibility of complying with the requirements
of the zoning ordinances, building codes, safety codes, ADA or other
requirements of the City of South Bend, the County of St. Joseph, the
State of Indiana, or the United States Federal Government.
This certificate is good for one year from the date of issuance and
is effective from the date entered herein. Plans are on file and open for
public inspection at the office of the Historic Preservation Commission of
South Bend and St. Joseph County, 227 West Jefferson Blvd., Suite 1400
S, South Bend, Indiana, during normal business hours.
THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE
NAME OF APPLICANT:St. Paul Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY:
Adam Toering
Historic Preservation Administrator
POST IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE ON THE STREET SIDE
OF THE PROJECT UNTIL COMPLETION OF ALL WORK.
Phone: (574) 235-9371
E-mail: SBSJCHPC@southbendin.gov
ADAM TOERING
Historic Preservation
Administrator
7/24/2023DATE CERTIFICATE
TAKES FORCE:7/24/2024DATE CERTIFICATE
EXPIRES:
Ord No. 9575-05
ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL
**Description of Proposed Work
The proposed work for this site includes the removal of some trees and concrete
elements on the property,the construction of a retaining wall,and installation of a perimeter
fence and benches.Dead trees require removal and trees with dead or decaying limbs require
pruning to improve the health of the trees and reduce risk of any injuries due to falling trees or
limbs.Concrete elements around the property include a concrete ring,pad,and set of broken
stairs that will be excavated and removed to reduce any safety hazards they present as a
playground site for children.To remediate slope creep into the sidewalk,the area will be
excavated and a stone block retaining wall will be built to prevent further creep.
Stone benches will be installed around the property to provide seating for parents to
supervise their children.
A more detailed description of all proposed work can be found in the project overview.
A Note about Communication
Please include the contractor,Kathy Schuth,in all communications regarding the COA.
While the St.Paul Bethel Missionary Baptist Church is the owner of the physical property,they
are not in on the day-to-day activities.The church has outsourced all work on the property to the
Near Northwest Neighborhood Association.
Existing Condition
The property currently has several dead and dying trees that need to be removed,as
identified in consultations with certified arborists Nick Simons and Tommy Erxleben.The slope
from the sidewalk up to the property is currently creeping into the sidewalk and requires
remediation to clear the sidewalk,as confirmed by Jim Boyles of Selge Construction.The
property is covered in brush,plants,and piles of dirt making the surface uneven and sloped,as
evaluated by CoSB’s Project Inspector Dan Jones.A set of old stairs on Leland Avenue lead up
to the property,but they are overgrown with plants and a tree stump has grown through them.
There are additional concrete elements such as a concrete ring and a concrete pad in the
ground.The previous chain link fence was removed so there is currently no fence on the
property.All playground equipment was also removed so there is no equipment on the property.
Overview of Project -Materials,scale,dimensions,construction methods
The project will consist of removing dead trees,remediating the slope and building a
retaining wall,installing a black chain link fence to protect the property,and installing stone
benches with further improvements to come later.
Tree Removal
A total of eight trees need to be removed from the property with some additional pruning
taking place for some of the other trees.A map of all the trees on the property is shown below in
Figure 1.The trees that need to be removed are shown below in yellow and remaining trees are
shown in brown.Table 1 shows a full summary of the work being done to each tree on the
property and why.
Figure 1.Aerial view of trees
Since the property is going to be used as a playground,the majority of work being done
on the trees pertains to the safety hazards of dead trees or limbs falling.Additionally,there are
some trees that require work because they are low-hanging and will interfere with the
functioning of and access to playground equipment and child safety.Finally,one tree (tree #8)
presents an environmental hazard.This tree was identified as a tree of heaven,an invasive
species that is also the main food for the spotted lanternfly,an invasive insect.Nick Simons,the
contractor for this project and a certified arborist warned us that this tree would present a threat
of attracting these insects in upcoming years as they are forecast to spread into northern
Indiana.
Table 1.Reasons for tree work
Tree stumps for two of the eight trees being removed will have stump grinding.These
stumps would be located on the inside of the fence and present a potential safety hazard to
children in the park.
All work will be done by Nick Simons,owner and operator of HartWood Tree Care.He is
an ISA Certified Arborist (Certification ID:IN-3678A),making him capable to deem the state of
tree health and find the best solution for tree care with minimum removal.
Slope Remediation/Retaining Wall
As the edges of the property on Leland Avenue and Pierce Street are currently creeping
onto the sidewalk,the plan is to excavate the slope and build a retaining wall (very similar to
Figure 2 below)to prevent further slope creep.In this process,Jim Boyles of Selge Construction
will use an excavator claw to remove a foot of dirt back from the sidewalk to build the retaining
wall and insert backfill for drainage.The remaining slope above the wall will be excavated to
ensure that the dirt level does not exceed the height of the wall.
Our retaining wall will extend 50 feet across on Leland Avenue and 170 feet across on
Pierce Street (see Figure 3 below).In accordance with zoning regulations,the retaining wall will
be under 3 feet,at a height of 19.375 inches.The wall will be 2 blocks high with a cap block
attached to the top with landscaping block adhesive (see Figure 4).A total of 300 blocks and
150 caps will be used:116 stretching across the 170 foot Pierce Street side in one layer and 34
stretching across the 50 foot Leland Ave side in one layer.There will be infilled crushed
aggregate stones in each block as well the previously mentioned backfill.
Figure 2.Retaining Wall Example
Figure 3.Aerial View of Wall
Figure 4.Plan of Wall
Concrete Removal
There are several concrete elements spread around the park that interfere with the
playground capabilities of the property.As shown below in Figure 4,there is a concrete ring and
concrete pad that will both interfere with site work and present a safety hazard to children once
the park is completed.Therefore,these elements will be excavated in order to have a smooth,
level play surface with no obstructions or safety hazards.For more detail,images of these
elements are shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 5.Aerial view of concrete elements
Figure 6.Concrete ring
Figure 7.Concrete pad
Additionally,a pair of old stairs on Leland Avenue leading up to the property are very old
and crooked with a tree and several plants growing through cracks that cannot be repaired.Due
to the aesthetic and property access issue,the old steps will be removed to be replaced later
during property development.Figure 8 shows the stairs and their level of disrepair.
Figure 8.Image of stairs
All of these elements will be excavated and removed by Jim Boyles,Vice President of
Selge Construction.
Stone Benches
ZStone Creations has offered to provide up to four stone benches for the play area.An
example of what these benches may look like can be seen below in Figure 13.Each bench will
be approximately 4’L X 2’W X 2’H,demonstrated below in Figure 14.The benches will be
secured on-site by ZStone with cement under each supporting pillar.Three benches will be
located along the Pierce Street fence line and the fourth will be located opposite the other three
along the shared property line with 711 Leland Avenue,demonstrated in Figure 15.
Figure 13.Existing Similar Example of Bench from ZStone
Figure 14.Dimensions of Bench
Figure 15.Aerial view of bench locations,shown in gray
Photographs -Full front from street view,each side affected by project,close-up detail of
project areas
Photo 1.North side of property
Photo 2.East side of property
Photo 3.West side of property
Photo 4.Retaining wall region on north side
Photo 5.Retaining wall region on east side
Photo 6.Plan view of all work,fence in red,trees for removal in pink,slope in stripes with
retaining wall around border
Photo 7.Tree 2 for removal
Photo 8.Tree 6 for removal
Photo 9.Trees 7 (right)and 8 (left)for removal
Photo 10.Tree 11 for removal
Photo 11.Tree 15 for removal
Photo 12.Trees 16 (left)and 17 (right)for removal
Specification of material -Manufacture brochure or link to product
Block Retaining Wall Material -
https://www.brickworkssupply.com/hardscapes/concrete-walls-and-accessories/allan-block/ab-c
ollection/
ZStone Creations -
https://zstonecreations.com/
Tree Removal Process -
https://www.hartwood.biz/