Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC: Level II

4-E-24-HZ

Applicant Request

Exterior rehabilitation and new rear addition.

Exterior rehabilitation scopes include removal of existing vinyl siding and installation of new fiber cement siding. Enclosed front porch addition will be removed and new front porch will be reconstructed (application describes "rebuild brick columns, left side columns were removed, remove duplicate left porch post"). Applicant also lists roof replacement, new fascia and soffits, replacement of windows and doors, repair and replacement in patches to the brick foundation, removal of metal awnings, removal of south elevation entrance.

New rear addition: three-story, hipped-roof massing projecting from the rear elevation, with a three-story, side-gable roof massing on the rearmost end. The addition will feature a brick-clad foundation, lap siding, evenly spaced windows, and a secondary entry on the rear elevation.

Site Info

1.5-story frame residence with a side-gable roof and a centered front-gable roof dormer. Enclosed front porch.

1. 316 S. 17th Street is listed as a non-contributing resource to the Fort Sanders NC overlay (written in 2000) but a contributing resource to the NRHP District (from 1980).

2. The application includes the removal of exterior vinyl siding and installation of fiber cement lap and shingle siding, which meets the Fort Sanders design guidelines. The project should incorporate appropriately sized vertical cornerboards and window trim, which are not shown on the drawings. The eave overhangs and Craftsman-style triangular roof brackets should be retained or reconstructed. The elevation drawings show the retention of the exterior brick chimney.

3. Removal of the front porch addition and reconstruction of a front-gable roof porch meets the design guidelines. The application form notes "rebuild brick columns" but the drawings indicate thin square wood posts. The porch supports should be revised to a design more proportionate to the wide porch and appropriate for a Craftsman-style house.

4. Window openings will be shifted on the side elevations and some windows may be enclosed in the upper-level gable fields. Overall, the window placement is evenly spaced and the proportions meet the design guidelines.

5. The roofline drawing only calls out a small rear section as the "new addition," but the three-story, hipped-roof massing is an addition. The applicant should provide a revised roofline drawing showing the specific rear addition. The original roof pitch on the existing house should be retained.

6. While it meets the guidelines for placement, the proposed addition will be taller than the existing house. The Fort Sanders design guidelines do not have specifications for new additions' height, though most design guidelines recommend new additions to be secondary in height to the original house. The Commission should discuss the height and scale of the new addition.

7. The replacement door on the façade should meet the design guidelines ("similar proportions and features to pre-1940 architecture").

8. Final modifications to the site plan will be necessary to meet City Engineering standards for parking. The house and parking area should remain below the 45% impervious surface requirement for the zoning. The final site plan could be approved by staff, provided there are no substantial modifications to the addition's design and placement.