Another Challenge for the HPC

Some of the most difficult projects that come before the Historic Preservation Commission are those that involve new construction in a historic district. Of those, new construction that is an addition to an existing building is the most challenging. There are some useful guidelines available to help the HPC members make such decisions, and some members refer to them conscientiously, while others seem to rely on their own aesthetic sense to determine what is appropriate and what is not.   

A few years ago, in 2012, the owners of 555 Union Street, who find the building too small for their needs, proposed adding a second story to the building.

Although the provenance of the building is not known, the proposed second floor addition obliterated any sense of the building's original design, and HPC denied a certificate of appropriateness.  Recently, on May 13, the owners made a new proposal to the HPC: to add a second story to only the back of the house.

The rendering presented to the HPC makes the design of the addition appear similar to the Edgar Tafel design of the rectory at Christ Church, but the material is not stucco and split timber but rather large sheets of Hardiplank.

The HPC deemed the application incomplete and asked the owners to provide samples of the material to be used and photographs showing it used in the manner they are proposing. The project is expected to come back before the HPC on Friday, May 27. The HPC meets at 10 a.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall.
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