At the June 19 meeting of the Historic District Commission, commissioners approved a plan that should bring an end to the contention surrounding a two-story shed built at the junction of Hillside Ave. and N. Main St.
The settlement of a lawsuit required the removal of the second story. The property owner, Becky Gillette, was allowed to keep the first floor of the building, which is set into the hillside. The settlement allowed her to put a roof over the structure, but did not specify the details. Gillette had hoped to cover the building with a concrete deck, but the HDC rejected that proposal on May 1.
Last week, she returned with a plan to re-use the existing blue metal roof. She said the roof would have a slope similar to the existing roof. The roof would protrude above the ground, about 18 inches on the side of the Round House, and 42 inches on the high side. Gillette asked for permission to add a 42-inch wooden railing, to keep someone from walking onto the roof from the direction of Hillside.
Commissioner Marty Cogan questioned the need for the handrail. She said the location already has a retaining wall. Gillette explained that the wall, about a foot high, is intended to stop cars, and someone could easily step over it. She pointed out that the railing will match an existing railing, and landscape plantings will soon cover the railing from view.
City Historic Preservation Officer Glenna Booth said codes require a handrail to protect people from a fall of more than five feet. The 42-inch height is standard in the commercial zone.
The commission approved the project, with commissioner John Nuckolls opposed.
Gate approved despite no pictorial proof
At 8 Summit St., Michelle Taylor received permission to add a railing to her front porch. The house has a railing on the upper story, and Taylor brought drawings to show that the railing on the front porch would match the upper level.
The house was built in 1909, but the only picture available dates to 1980. That picture showed the house without a railing on the lower level, but Taylor had sent pictures showing indications of railings between the porch posts. She said the railing would add to the house aesthetically, and would also provide safety and security benefits.
Commissioners agreed that the house would almost certainly have had a railing on the porch originally. Commissioner Judy Holden objected to the gate, suggesting that a house would typically have a gate at the street instead. Taylor said the gate will disappear when closed, and the front of the house will have the same continuous railing as the upper level.
Small houses fit well on small lots
Commissioners had taken a site visit to Breeding Street earlier in the evening to consider a request for a 480-sq.-ft. house. Chris Bradley, representing owner David Zimmermann, brought samples of the exterior materials. He said the house will be built in a style similar to adjacent houses, and the project received unanimous approval. The property does not yet have a street address.
Susie Allen owns a house at 10 Alamo St., and would like to build a small house on an adjacent lot. When she came to the microphone, Allen explained that after getting her project on the agenda, she discovered that she would have to vacate an unnamed alley between the two lots.
Allen said letters were mailed to neighbors, and none of them attended the meeting to object to the construction. Chairman Steve Holifield read aloud the city’s guidelines for how new construction should fit in with “the rhythm and harmony” of a neighborhood. The commissioners did not want to venture too far into a hypothetical discussion, and Allen promised to return after adjudicating the alley. She will bring drawings and a list of materials.
The HDC will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3. Commissioners checked to see if the holiday would interfere with a quorum, but they did not anticipate any problems.