Presenter/Contact
Presenter
Caleb Gasparek, Assistant Planner
Contact Info
(830) 221-4086 - cgasparek@nbtexas.org
Subject Header
Subject:
Title
HST20-154 Discuss and consider a request for a Certificate of Alteration to demolish a circa 1930 garage, to construct a new 1-story detached garage, and to construct a detached pergola and fireplace on the property currently addressed as 205 S. Academy Avenue, which is located in the Sophienburg Hill Historic District.
Body
Background:
Case #: HIST20-154
Owner/Applicant: Carol Wheeler
205 S. Academy Ave.
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Historic Context:
The subject property is a corner lot of approximately 6,600 sq. ft. City records indicate the building was built in 1909. The first year that the lot appears in the Sanborn maps is the 1922 edition (Attachment #2). At the time the lot included 3 dwellings and 2 accessory structures. By 1930 the lots had been replatted to their current configuration. Sanborn maps indicate the detached garage was constructed sometime between 1922 and 1930. The building is a good representation of the folk Victorian style that was popular in New Braunfels and much of the US during the early 20th century.
Request:
The applicant is requesting a Certificate of Alteration to demolish the existing garage, construct a new garage, and construct a 10-foot high cedar pergola and exterior stand-alone fireplace over the existing flagstone patio in the side yard. The proposed new garage is one-story with a shingle roof and clad in Hardie sheets on the exterior. It is proposed to be setback 3 feet from each of the side property lines. The siding of the garage adjacent to the side property lines will be clad in double sheet rock.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Alteration to demolish the existing garage, construct a new detached garage in place, and to construct a freestanding pergola. The new garage is of a compatible size and scale with the surrounding buildings and will not adversely impact the Sophienburg Hill Historic District. Furthermore, a stand-alone pergola is easily removable and will not have an adverse effect on the main structure.
However, staff does not recommend approval of the exterior fireplace. The 2018 International Building Code (IBC) requires that fireplaces within 10 feet of a structure must have the chimney extend 3 feet beyond the roof. With the proposed 10-foot high pergola, this would require a minimum 13-foot high fireplace. There is no precedent for exterior fireplaces of this size within the Sophienburg District, and the location of the side yard along the street means the fireplace would be highly visible from the right-of-way.
In considering approval of a Certificate of Alteration, the commission considers the following criteria from Section 66-58 “Criteria for approval of an alteration certificate”
1) Every reasonable effort shall be made to adapt the property in a manner which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, object, or site and its environment. The proposed garage and pergola are detached from the main structure and do not alter the main structure in any way.
2) The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed when possible. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible. While the garage to be demolished is of historic age, the proposed garage is an appropriate replacement in terms of scale, size, and design.
3) All buildings, structures, objects, and sites shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance shall be discouraged. The pergola and proposed garage are compatible with the site in terms of size, scale, and materials used. However, the proposed exterior fireplace is uncharacteristic of the Sophienburg Hill Historic District and uncharacteristic of what is found in late 19th and early 20th century neighborhoods throughout New Braunfels.
4) Changes which may have taken place in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected. N/A
5) Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure, object, or site shall be kept where possible. N/A
6) Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material shall reflect the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historical, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures. N/A
7) The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken. N/A
8) Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archeological resources affected by, or adjacent to, any project. N/A
9) Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural, or cultural material, and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the property, neighborhood, or environment. The proposed garage is of a compatible design with the main structure and provides the homeowner with a usable space to store their vehicle. In its current state the existing garage cannot be used for vehicle storage.
Attachments:
1. Application
2. 1922 Sanborn
3. Proposed Site Plan and Renderings
4. Aerial Map
5. Photographs