The Historic Preservation Review Board met to consider items on June 26 and July 10, 2014. Copies of staff reports related to cases may be requested by email.
Video archives of the hearing are accessible on the office website.
JUNE 26 MEETING
The Historic Preservation Review Board met on June 26 and considered the following items. Present were: Gretchen Pfaehler (Chair), Rauzia Ally, Andrew Aurbach, Maria Casarella, Graham Davidson, Nancy Metzger, Robert Sonderman and Joseph Taylor. Absent: Graham Davidson and Charles Wilson.
HISTORIC DESIGNATION HEARINGS
Park View Christian Church (Trinity A.M.E. Zion Church), 625 Park Road NW, Case 14-08.
The Board designated Park View Christian Church, known more recently as Trinity A.M.E. Zion Church, a historic landmark to be entered into the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites. The Board requested that the State Historic Preservation Officer forward the nomination to list the property in the National Register of Historic Places as of local significance, with a period of significance of 1905 to 1983. Vote: 7-0.
District Pound and Stable, 820 South Capitol Street SW, Case 13-18.
The Board designated the District Pound and Stable a landmark to be entered into the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites. The Board requested that the State Historic Preservation Officer forward the nomination to list the property in the National Register of Historic Places as of local significance, with a period of significance of 1912 to 1966, the era of the building’s use as an animal impoundment facility. Vote: 7-0.
Standard Material Company/Gyro Motor Company, 770-774 Girard Street NW, Case 14-07
The Board designated the Standard Material Company/Gyro Motor Company a landmark to be entered into the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites. The Board requested that the State Historic Preservation Officer forward the nomination to list the property in the National Register of Historic Places as of local significance with a period of significance from 1902 to 1926. Vote: 7-0.
SAINT ELIZABETHS CAMPUS HISTORIC DISTRICT
2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue/1100 Alabama Avenue SE, HPA 14-084/10-166, construction of public water tower and site work.
The Board found the project to be sufficiently consistent with that approved by the order and decision of the Mayor’s Agent in 2010. The Board approved the concept of the plain tower and recommended clearance of a permit for its construction, with further review delegated to staff. The Board did not receive any comments from the community, but asked that D.C. Water consult further with the surrounding community on the subject of mitigation within the National Historic Landmark district. The Board requested that there be some agreement, at least on the process for resolving the issue of mitigation, within six months. As for the character of the mitigation, the Board emphasized preservation work on the campus, but is also open to other design work on the tower itself or its environs that would ameliorate its impacts, or to other amenities. Regarding landscape around the tower, the Board recommended that it be designed so that it is not distinct and isolated, but knits together with the adjacent portions of the campus. The Board also expressed an interest in finishes on the tower that are low-maintenance and have low reflectivity. Vote: 6-0 (Casarella recused).
SHAW HISTORIC DISTRICT
901 L Street NW, revised concept/alteration, addition for a twelve-story hotel and residential buildings
911 L Street, NW, HPA 14- 460, raze, and 913 L Street, NW, HPA 14-461, raze
901 L Street, NW: The HPRB found the revised concept for alteration and additions to be incompatible with the character of the historic district. The Board encouraged the applicants to: 1) develop a preservation plan for the historic buildings; 2) develop the base of the new construction to improve the pedestrian experience and make it more consistent with the character of the historic district; 3) design the hotel and apartment buildings to be entirely distinct from each other to break down the scale of the project and to be more compatible with the organic quality of development in the Shaw HD; 4) address the sheerness of the 9th Street elevation rising directly behind the historic buildings to break down the scale of that vertical plane; 5) continue to study the top of the corner tower element; 6) reduce the size of canopies on both buildings; 7) continue developing and enhancing the residential character of the apartment building. Vote: 5-1
911 and 913 L Street, NW: The HPRB recommended to the Mayor’s Agent that demolition of these two contributing buildings is inconsistent with the purposes of the preservation act. Vote: 6-0.
TAKOMA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT
6914-16 4th Street NW, HPA 14-298, concept/roof addition.
The Board found the concept compatible with the character of the historic district and consistent with the purposes of the preservation act and delegated final approval to staff. Vote: 5-1.
CAPITOL HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT
1220 Potomac Avenue SE, HPA 13-566, concept/demolition, construction of a three-story apartment building.
The Board approved the concept for the building with the condition the applicant work with staff on the window wells, landscape, lead walk, and masonry details. The Board found the proposed curb cut on I Street or the retention of the curb cut and street facing garage on Potomac Avenue to be incompatible with the character of the historic district. Vote: 6-0.
1329 Constitution Avenue NE, HPA 14-043, revised concept/additions. The Board approved the revised concept with the condition that the applicant work with HPO to ensure that any third story/roof structures are not visible, set back the roof deck to ensure deck furniture including umbrellas is not visible, and redesign the stair to the third story to remove the bump-out on the roof plan. A flag test is required to test for visibility. Vote: 6-0.
1001 South Carolina Avenue SE, HPA 14-359, concept/rear accessory structure.
The Board found the construction of a secondary storage building of this footprint and at this location to be compatible with the Capitol Hill historic district and consistent with the preservation act with the condition that the applicant works with HPO to finalize details including windows, doors, and finishes, ensure that it will not be prominently visible from public space, include a site plan to clarify location, and work with staff to examine reducing the height to the minimum required. Vote: 4-2.
JULY 10 MEETING
The Historic Preservation Review Board met on July 10 and considered the following items. Present were: Gretchen Pfaehler (Chair), Rauzia Ally, Andrew Aurbach, Maria Casarella, and Joseph Taylor. Absent: Graham Davidson, Nancy Metzger, Robert Sonderman, and Charles Wilson.
HISTORIC DESIGNATION HEARING
Capitol Park Towers, 301 G Street SW, Case 13-05.
The Board designated Capitol Park Towers, 301 G Street SW, a landmark. Vote: 4-1.
HISTORIC LANDMARKS
First African New Church, 2101 10th Street NW, HPA 14-125, revised concept.
The Board approved the revised concept as compatible with the character of the landmark and delegated final approval to staff. Vote: 5-0.
14TH STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
1738 14th Street, NW, HPA 14-445, concept/rehabilitation of three-story row building and five-story rear addition.
The Board approved removal of the two rear wings of the building and asked the applicants to work with staff to clarify the condition and extent of removal of the rear portion of the building’s main block, and approved the general concept for a four-story (plus loft) rear addition but asked that the form be simplified, the exterior materials be masonry, and the detailing continue to be coordinated with staff. Vote: 5-0.
KALORAMA TRIANGLE HISTORIC DISTRICT
2322 19th Street NW, HPA 14-444, roof deck.
The Board found the proposed concept for a deck on the roof of a two-story rear wing to be compatible with the character of the historic district and consistent with the purposes of the preservation act with the requirement that the deck be pulled back three feet from the rear wall and the planter boxes at the roof edges be eliminated, and that final approval of the permit plans be delegated to staff. Vote: 3-1-1.
MOUNT PLEASANT HISTORIC DISTRICT
1620 Newton Street NW, HPA 14-451, construction of a two-story house.
The Board approved the concept for the house, but with the condition that the applicant return to the Board with design development to address the following recommended revisions: (A) that the house’s front porch and façade align with the front porches and facades of the row immediately to the east; (B) that the side elevation of the house be brick to match that of the façade, although the rear elevation may be a different, yet compatible, material; (C) that side windows be mainly vertically oriented and of roughly the same proportions of those of the façade; (D) that no vinyl be used in the construction or cladding of the porch; (E) that the front porch be mostly surrounded by an apron of lattice, brick, or another compatible apron; (F) that the front porch have a wood balustrade and not have steel or wrought-iron rails above or below the deck, except as stair handrails; (G) there be no electric meters installed on the front, or in front of, the house; (H) that the portion of the house that extends rearward of 1618 Newton Street be set back on both floors from the east side property line to relieve the relative bulk; (I) that new elevation drawings be provided showing the façade of the proposed house relative to that of 1618 Newton or the latter’s whole row; and (J) that the site plan be revised to depict clearly all of the features proposed for the rear yards, including porches, decks, stairs, fences, and paving for parking or circulation; and the Board encouraged the applicant to (K) contact his neighbors, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and Historic Mount Pleasant and meet with them as necessary. Vote: 5-0.
1821 Newton Street NW, HPA 14-449, concept/addition, demolition.
The Board approved the concept, with a delegation to staff of further review, with the conditions that: the applicant (A) reduce the amount of structural demolition, (B) re-compose the rear addition so that it appears more subordinate to the original main block, (C) not use fiber-cement panels as a siding material, and (D) re-open the front porch. Vote: 5-0.
1770 Park Road NW, HPA 14-475, permit/replace roof in-kind.
The Board recommended approval of the permit application to replace the asphalt shingle roof in-kind, and designated final product approval to staff. Vote: 5-0.
CONSENT CALENDAR JUNE 26
The Board approved the following items on the consent calendar on June 26 by a vote of 7-0.
ANACOSTIA HISTORIC DISTRICT
2006 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, HPA 14-249, revised concept/third-story addition, with conditions.
CAPITOL HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT
1301 North Carolina Avenue SE, HPA 14-545, rooftop antennas.
CLEVELAND PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT
3070 Porter Street NW, HPA 14-294, concept/new construction, three-story house.
MOUNT VERNON TRIANGLE HISTORIC DISTRICT
924 5th Street NW, HPA 14-439, permit/demo, rear and fourth-floor addition.
DUPONT CIRCLE HISTORIC DISTRICT
1820-22 Jefferson Place NW, HPA 14-383, revised concept, rear six-story addition to townhouse.
MOUNT VERNON SQUARE HISTORIC DISTRICT
304 M Street NW, HPA 14-372, concept/new construction of three-story rowhouse.
U STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
1838 11th Street NW, HPA 14-369, concept/roof and four two-story bay additions.
DENIAL CALENDAR
The Board approved the denial of the following items by a vote of 7-0 on June 26.
CAPITOL HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT
706 North Carolina Avenue SE, HPA 14-355, concept/front yard shed.
MOUNT PLEASANT HISTORIC DISTRICT
1682 Irving Street NW, HPA 14-436, alteration/addition at rear, demolition.
MOUNT VERNON SQUARE HISTORIC DISTRICT
302 M Street NW, HPA 14-371, concept/rear addition and roof deck.
CONSENT CALENDAR JULY 10
HISTORIC LANDMARKS
Standard Materials Company/Gyro Motor Company, 770-774 Girard Street NW, HPA 14-459, concept/additions (to be considered on July 10 if designated on June 26) This case is deferred to July 24, 2014.
