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STAFF REPORT <br />CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A <br />CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS <br /> <br />Date: September 14, 2022 <br />Application Number: 2022-0906B <br />Property Location: 1240 West Thomas Street <br />Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Period Revival/1920/Firehouse #4 <br />Property Owner: Eric A. Boyd <br />Landmark or District Designation Local Landmark, #49037-99 <br />Rating: Outstanding <br /> <br />DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/ SITE: Firehouse 44 is a 2-story rectangular brick building. It had <br />a flat roof with limestone parapet coping, metal parapet scupper/cornice with brick brackets underneath <br />and ornate limestone detailing at the ends. The windows are 1/1 double -hung with limestone sills. There <br />is a brick side chimney, and a roof penthouse with hip roof. <br /> <br />ALTERATIONS: Most of the windows in this former firehouse have been boarded up prior to a 2007 fire. RME <br />2011-1110 approved replacement of metal roof to secure the building and protect it from the elements, although there <br />is no evidence it was ever installed. COA 2016-0809 to construct shed roof over part of building, and second floor <br />addition atop one-story brick portion at rear of building with vinyl siding and replacement windows was denied. <br />COA 2017-0602 allowed for the (retroactive) construction of a two-story vinyl-sided addition at the rear of the <br />structure (requests for window replacement were included in the approval). COA 2017-0602A (DENIED by the <br />Commission but APPEALED/OVERTURNED by the Common Council of South Bend) allowed for the installation <br />of a half-gabled roof over the western portion of the structure, as well as an open courtyard in the eastern portion. <br />COA 2017-1205A allowed for the addition of wood trim (to simulate double hung windows) to the boarded-up <br />windows on the east and west sides of the building, as well as the addition of shutters to the boarded-up windows. AA <br />2021-0405 allowed for the removal of the half-gabled roof and the installation of a flat roof, reroofing of the hose <br />house, the installation of new downspouts, and repair/rehabilitation of exterior walls (masonry). AA 2022-0812A re- <br />renewed AA 2021-0405 for the installation of the flat roof. COA 2022-0960B-1 allowed conditional approval (with <br />additional information to be furnished to staff) regarding the reconstruction of the hose tower. <br /> <br />APPLICATION ITEMS: <br /> <br />“Replace Hose Tower with stick built tower woodwork. Wood siding / shingles roof 2 windows south / north <br />structural engineer requested demo tower, no support.” <br /> <br />“Cover window openings w/ siding Brown Tower woodwork. In color with white trim / privacy needs of <br />funeral home 1st floor. Autumn red vinyl siding. 5x12” <br /> <br />“Replace wood west side overheads door w/3 glass woodwork doorsthat also fold open for car/garage use. <br />These are use for car dealership floors. East by fold remain behind now framed 3-doors.” <br /> <br />DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant has requested approval for the following project: <br /> <br />COA 2022-0906B-3 - Replace wood overhead doors with metal glass doors. Staff recommends denial. <br /> <br />Applicant proposes to install salvaged metal and glass ‘accordion’ doors in front of the existing garage doors. The <br />applicant is in the process of bidding on/purchasing doors that will be salvaged from a structure in the Chicagoland <br />area. Proposed doors are accordion doors that allow for automobiles to pass through the door opening. Pictures <br />reveal that transom windows are present in the current installation on the to-be-deconstructed structure. Proposed <br />salvaged doors are sufficiently tall enough to fit in the openings but will require additional material/framing to fill the <br />width of the existing openings. The proposed doors would be installed ‘in front of’ the existing carriage doors, which <br />will remain in-place behind the new doors. The existing carriage doors will be partially visible. It is unknown if the