Monday, December 14, 2020
ARC Members attending: Christine Hobbs, Ron Ngiam, Stefan Hurray, Phil Eagleburger, Ana Evans, Lois Orr, Danny Ince, Tina Mead, Win Brown, and Anne Weir. Also attending were Rick Nash, President of the Cleveland Park Historical Society and Camilla Carpenter, Executive Director, Cleveland Park Historical Society.
This meeting was held via ZOOM.
3410 Rodman Street, N.W.
Agent: Cal Bowie, Bowie Gridley Architects
Built in 1915 and a contributing structure in the Historic District, 3410 Rodman St. is part of an assemblage of a dozen houses on Rodman and 35th Streets. While some of the houses have added relatively modest side or rear additions in the past, the grouping is largely intact with visibly shared front and rear green space. The proposal for the property includes restoring the front porch by removing the screening, adding a window in the stair well and adding a two-story with basement rear addition. The original house and the addition would be connected by a hyphen. A new screened porch would be added to the rear of the house. The original house would almost double in size with the 20 x 24 ft. addition, 6 ft. hyphen and 10 ft. deep rear screened porch. Two roof options are being considered.
The ARC commends the nuanced design and the attention to detail in the design of the addition to the house but the ARC thinks that the proposed addition is too large given the size and scale of the original house. Also, the addition would intrude into the “shared” green space, a concern expressed by a number of the neighbors, as well. A smaller addition, perhaps with a reduced rear screened in porch, should be explored. And the ARC thinks that the alternative hipped roof is the better alternative.
The motion passed 9-0, with one recusal. (Ms. Carpenter was not present during this discussion.)
3171 Porter Street, N.W.
Agent: Mary-Margaret Stacy, Hill & Hurtt Architects
3171 Porter St. was built in 1925, is a contributing structure in the Historic District and is one of a series of Tudor Revival style duplexes on Porter Street. The proposal includes adding shed dormers on both the north and south sides of the dwelling. On the north side, the dormer would be hidden by the existing mansard roof and on the south side, the dormer would be placed behind the chimney. A front facing vent would be replaced by a window and an additional window would be added in the rear. The neighboring half of the duplex added similar dormers in the past.
The ARC had no objection to the proposal as presented.
The motion passed 10-0.
3512 Lowell Street, N.W.
Agent: Anne Decker, Anne Decker Architect.
This project, which is undergoing extensive renovations, has been presented to the ARC most recently in March and July of 2020. Previous proposals included a new guest house and a new garage, later approved for a rehabilitated garage. Built in 1916, the house is a contributing structure to the Historic District. The current proposal includes a new one-story pool pavilion (24 ft. x 13 ft.) and a pergola (20 ft. x .9.5 ft.) The materials would match the existing house, stucco and green tile roof. Extensive landscaping would shield the structures from the neighbors and the pavilion would not be visible from the street.
The ARC had no objection to the proposal as presented.
The motion passed 10-0.
3310 Ross Place, N.W.
Agent: Mike Patrick, BarnesVanze Architects
3310 Ross Place is one of the original “Sherman cottages” built in 1895 in the then-developing Cleveland Park neighborhood and as such has particular significance in the Historic District. The current proposal includes a second story addition to an existing one-story side/rear addition, the addition of a dormer on the south side, a new window in the basement, and a new rebuilt roof on the rear of the property. Materials would match the existing house.
The ARC thinks that the proposed addition significantly impacts the cottage character of the house. Visible from the street, the proposed addition reads as an almost three-story addition. The ARC suggests a redesign that would read as a one and one-half to two-story addition.
The motion passed 8-0 with one recusal.
3415 Porter Street, N.W.
This property was originally presented to the ARC in 2018. In the past two years, the building was partially demolished, permitted to rebuild to the original siding and issued a stop work order for failing to do so. The owner is appealing to be allowed to keep the siding presently in place. While this request has not been presented to the ARC, the ARC thinks that the owner should comply with the approved plans, supports the stop work order and thinks that the detailing currently on the building is incompatible with the Historic District.
The motion passed 10-0.
