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Home My WebLink About5. 508 West Washington Street PACKETHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574.235.9371 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: September 9, 2026 Application Number: 2026-0528 Property Location: 508 West Washington Street Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Second Empire / 1872 Property Owner: Safe and Amanda Brewer Landmark or District Designation: Deed of Easement; West Washington NR Historic District Rating: Outstanding DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE: This is a two story, irregular plan building. The main sturcture features a mansard roof of patterned slate tile, decorated fieze ad barckets and round headed dormer windows with decorative trim. Walls are running bond red brick with limestone band at foundation top and first floor level. Front facade has a very fine front entry door made of double leaf wood with applied decoration, flat head-round fan light over, moulded wood liner and transom bar. The front doors won first prize for design at the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893. Windows 1/1 double hung throughout with cut stone sills moulded jams and head liners, seg- mental brock arch over second floor sash, flat with round corners on 1st floor, decorated lintels on main facade. Cut stone steps to front porch from Washintogn Street. Interior flues project out of the mansard as chimneys with fine brick detail. The house is surrounded by excellent elaborate iron fence. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant has requested approval to: 1) Demolish and rebuild front porch and stairs resusing salvaged brick. Repour new steps facing Washington Street to include bullnose detail on steps. Administratively Approved but not completed to the details specified in COA. Property owner is requesting approval of front stair as currently finished. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: Porches: Pages 17-18. SITE VISIT REPORT: N/A STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The original cut stone steps facing Washington street had a bullnose profile. Concrete was proposed for the new steps, Administrative apporval was given under the condition that the steps be made to look like the historic steps being demolished including the bullnose profile. The Standards and guidelines state that when rebuilding a porch: 1) Use remaining elements of the porch as a guide to rebuild; 2) If new alter- nate materials are proposed, then the new components must match dimensions, profiles, detailing and finish of the historic components. The steps were poured in concrete with a 3 inch flat face nose. Staff notified the contractor and property owner that the steps would need to be fixed to include the bullnose profile. Options for creating the appropriate bullnose profile were given to the contractor. The steps nosing was then cut and ground to a slimmer 2 inch flat nose profile. This is the current state of the steps that the proptery owner is requesting approval .Based on all the information available prior to this public hearing, Staff make an UNFAVORABLE RECOMMENDA - TION. Prepared by Ross Van Overberghe, Historic Preservation Administrator HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY MAP OF THE AREA — Google Maps view of the subject area. Phone: 574.235.9371 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov SATELLITE IMAGERY — Imagery from early 2025. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov IMAGES — Front facade facing Washington Street IMAGES — Current Condition of Steps HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov IMAGES — Front facade facing Washington Street IMAGES — Front facade facing Washington Street HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov IMAGES — Detail of Original profile IMAGES — Steps before reconstuction. HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574/235.9371 Fax: 574/235.9021 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov IMAGES — Example of concrete steps of porch rebuilt in 2024 IMAGES — Example of concrete steps of porch rebuilt in 2024 Thursday, May 28, 2026 Application for Cer tificate of Appropriateness Important Information Regarding this Request REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION AND SITE PLANS The Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County cannot process an Application without required documentation. Comprehensive documentation provides a complete understanding of the project. Problems often occur during a project review or during the execution of the project when the property owner, staff or commissioners are unclear as to project specifics. Applications will NOT be processed without required documentation. Photographs may be submitted in digital format or in photographic print. When a project involves blueprints and/or site plans, one (1) set shall be submitted with the Application. Any documentation submitted to this office cannot be returned to the applicant. APPLICATION FEE The application processing fee for any Application for a Certificate Of Appropriateness is $20 Payment must accompany the application at the time of submission. For an electronically submitted application, payment must reach the HPC office within 48 hours following transmission. Payment can be made by credit card by contacting Business License Administrator Michelle Adams at (574) 235-5912; by cash in person in the Department of Community Investment on the 14th floor of the County City Building; or by check made out to City of South Bend. Applications will NOT be processed without the required fee. MEETING ATTENDANCE When an Application has been scheduled for any meeting, the owner, architect or contractor(s) retained for the project shall attend the meeting where their project will be reviewed and a decision rendered. Failure by the owner, architect, or contractor to attend such meetings may result in denial of the Application due to insufficient representation. CERTIFICATE ISSUANCE Certificates of Appropriateness will be filed with the Building Department of South Bend and St. Joseph County. A copy of the Certificate will be emailed directly to the owner and/or contractor(s) listed on the application. INSPECTION AUTHORITY All projects will be inspected during and following execution for compliance with the decision(s) rendered by the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County. 1 Owner acknowledges that while the Historic Preservation Commission only considers Certificates of Appropriateness for exterior features, under certain circumstances it may be necessary for the Commission Staff to have access to the interior of the building in order to accurately assess the condition of the exterior feature and that the lack of access to the interior may prevent the Commission Staff from making a favorable recommendation. Any work performed on a historic landmark or in an historic district which does not conform to the Certificate of Appropriateness certificate shall be immediately halted by the Historic Preservation Commission and the Building Department of South Bend and St. Joseph County. Fines may be levied for projects not in compliance. I read and understand the information above:Yes, Continue Date Thursday, May 28, 2026 2 Property Information Property Address for Proposed Work:508 West Washington Street Property City South Bend Property Zip Code 46601 Property Owner Information:Safe Brewer Owner Email Proposed Work and Project Information All projects must comply with applicable building and zoning codes. South Bend Zoning Ordinance St. Joseph County Zoning Ordinance Does your project involve any of the following? (Check all that apply):New Construction, Additions Contractor Information Reliable Roofing and Construction General Construction Maddy Weber Contractor Phone Number (574) 302-7977 Contractor Email maddy@reliableroofingonline.com Description of Proposed Work: Reliable Roofing & Construction will complete a full exterior masonry restoration on the historic brick structure. The project will begin with a detailed power washing of all brick surfaces to remove dirt, debris, and mildew buildup, with special attention given to the east elevation. All deteriorated and failing mortar joints will then be carefully ground out and professionally tuckpointed to restore structural integrity while matching the existing mortar profiles as closely as possible. Following the restoration work, a final cleaning will be performed to properly prepare the surface before applying a professional-grade masonry sealer to all brick surfaces for long-term protection against moisture intrusion and weather-related deterioration. This scope also includes light brick replacement in areas where existing bricks are determined to be beyond repair, with replacement materials matched as closely as possible to preserve the building’s historic appearance. All labor, materials, equipment, and debris disposal are included in this labor-intensive project, which is estimated to take approximately two (2) weeks to complete. File Upload Site Plans, Aerial Views, and/or Blueprints: One (1) set shall be submitted with the Application. Uploaded documentation must show existing property lines, buildings, structures, and proposed project location(s). Hand Drawn Plans/Elevations are ok Photographs to include: each area affected by project, close up detail of project areas. Windows, Siding, and/or Door projects must include photographs of each window/door/siding affected by the project and detailed close up of condition 3 Applications will not be processed if the required photographs and/or documentation are not included. Any documentation submitted to this office cannot be returned to the applicant. Project Type - List:New Construction, Additions Site Plan or Aerial View of Proposed Project Location(s): 1.54 MB 4 Structural Drawings/Architectural Drawings: 1.54 MB Photographs: 1.66 MB 4.35 MB 5 4.02 MB 1.63 MB 1.77 MB 4.67 MB 6 1.54 MB Payment Invoice ID # INV-000250 Payment Method Pay via Card or PayPal 7 Sarah 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) Demolish and rebuild the north porch facing Washington street including both stairs. Porch to be rebuilt with salvaged bricks to match existing footprint. Stairs to be rebuilt from concrete including bull nose on north facing stair. 2) Clean and re-point all exterior masonry on house. Railings to be applied for in separate COA. RELIABLE ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION, Contractor for the following location: 508 WASHINGTON ST SOUTH BEND, IN, 46601 Application No. 2026-0528 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:Safe Brewer CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY: Ross Van Overberghe 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 ROSS VAN OVERBERGHE Historic Preservation Administrator 6/17/2026DATE CERTIFICATE TAKES FORCE:6/17/2027DATE CERTIFICATE EXPIRES: ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL