September 1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND and ST. JOSEPH COUNTY September 3, 1998 PROJECT NARRATIVE OF PROPOSED SHORT-TERM and LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS TO 202 SOUTH JACOB STREET NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS Since taking ownership of the property last August 1997, we have been diligently working on completing a prioritized schedule of necessary improvements. The house and the site had been poorly maintained over the last decade and were in desperate need of attention. Inspections revealed that the electrical, plumbing and roof systems would . not pass requirements and that the house was infested with insects. The property was so badly overgrown with volunteer trees and vines that visual inspection of the .exterior was nearly impossible (see attached photograph).,' AEP had disfigured all of the trees along the east/west electrical easement while clearing growth from their unsightly overhead lines and then leaving the "pruned" limbs along the property's edge. LANDSCAPEIMPROVEMENTS We first began our exterior site improvements by removing all the tree overgrowth in the front yard, with the exception of a large (36 in. dia.) Sweet Gum, and select trees in the rear yard, with the exception of three Dogwoods. All trees removed were less than the indicated sizes outlined in the Preservation Guidelines. The new landscape plantings will include three (3) Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) and two (2) Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) ,to be located on the north side of the front lawn to both balance the vertical landscape (note existing Sweet gum on the south side) and create a screen for vehicles parked in front of the Garage. Twelve (12) Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) will be symmetrically placed on either side of the front sidewalk at the front entry. English ivy and seasonal plantings will be planted in the mulched beds. The rear yard was once a part of -the original "green belt" of the . Whitcomb & -Keller Sunnymede Addition, and we are in the process of clearing and preserving the evergreen trees, ivy and Nelsonville brick paver walkway. HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS The main upper roof shingles will be completely removed, re -decked' and replaced with heavy -weight premium asphalt shingles. The lower flat roof of the south facing Sunroom is sagging and retains water.. We will hip frame the roof at a 2-1/2 to 12 slope and install the same new asphalt shingles. This hipped roof design is very important to our long-term