Monday, September 14, 2020
ARC Members attending: Christine Hobbs, Ron Ngiam, Stefan Hurray (present for presentations), Phil Eagleburger, Ana Evans, Lois Orr, Anne Weir, Danny Ince, and David Kay. 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.
3063 Ordway Street, N.W.
Agent: Steve Fotiu, Fotiu Architects
3063 Ordway was built in 1938 and this colonial-style house is a contributing structure to the Cleveland Park Historic District. The house has a twin to the west, sharing both a driveway and a garage with this neighbor. The proposal includes a new rear addition and a front portico. The rear addition extends 12’ 9” into the rear yard, is set in 3.5” and there is a 10’ deep deck. Due to the 9’ drop in grade from the front of the property to the rear, the deck is one story off the ground. In addition to the proposed construction in the rear, it is anticipated that the windows in the original house will be replaced and that a window well will be added on the west side. The rear shed dormer will be expanded. A side door on the west will be replaced by a window and fiber cement panel. Materials include fiber cement siding and casement windows. The addition of the front portico will replicate one that had been added to the neighboring house.
The ARC has the following comments:
- The replacement windows in the original house should be in strict compliance with HPRB Guidelines for windows: DC Historic Preservation Review Board Window Standards, DCMR-10-C , Chapter 23 and HPRB’s Preservation and Design Guidelines for Window Repair and Replacement (2018).
- The east and west sides of the house, facing the neighbors, need more detail and texture. Sash windows would add more interest and consideration should be given to aligning the windows on the east side.
The motion passed 8-0.
Washington International School, Tregaron Campus
Agent: Shalom Baranes Associates & Perkins+Will
The Washington International School (WIS), Tregaron Campus, is located between Macomb Street and Klingle Road in the middle of what is now the Tregaron Conservancy and what was once part of a larger estate. A Georgian Revival mansion is the center piece of the school and of the property. In order to create additional class room space and other facilities, WIS is proposing the construction of a new addition. This proposal has been reviewed by the ARC in November, 2019, January, 2020, and June, 2020. There have been substantial changes and improvements to the project as it has moved through the process.
Three remaining issues were reviewed at the September meeting: the relocation of the Dacha, the NE corner of the addition as it faces the Mansion and the construction of a guard house at the Macomb Street entrance.
The proposal reviewed shows the Dacha set to the northeast of the Mansion in a more wooded location, making it less visible from the Mansion. The addition and in particular the corner near the Mansion has been set back allowing for a view of the greenhouse as approaching the Mansion. The proposed guardhouse is a 4.5’ x 7.5’ structure with materials similar to those proposed for the new addition and is set 100’ in from Macomb Street.
The ARC had the following comments:
- The ARC had no objection to the proposed location for the Dacha.
- The ARC had no objection to the proposed redesign of the addition.
- The ARC finds the design and the location of the guardhouse problematic. The design of the guard house is incompatible with the Historic District and the other structures on the site. The location at the bottom of the hill at the Macomb Street entrance needs to be reconsidered.
The motion passed 8-0.
3616 Ordway Street, N.W.
Agent: Seth Ballard, Ballard+Mensua Architects
3616 Ordway, a Spanish-revival style bungalow with a red tile roof, was built in 1923. The one and half story house has the second floor fitted into the dormers and is a contributing structure to the Cleveland Park Historic District. The proposal includes a rear two-story addition, an expanded basement and the conversion of the existing garage to an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). The existing rear one-story addition would be removed, replaced by a two-story, approximately 18’ deep rear addition with a deck on the west side. The addition would step back from the original house by approximately 1’. The existing tile roof would remain .Proposed materials for the addition include a copper standing seam roof, hardie plank siding and casement windows. The proposed ADU is one-story structure with dormers on all four sides, hardie plank siding and a red tile roof. The height of the proposed ADU is greater than the existing garage that it is replacing. The lot coverage is approximately 40%.
The ARC has the following comments:
- The size of the proposed addition and of the ADU appears to overwhelm the lot.
- The layered exterior design of the addition presents as a 3- story structure, whereas the original house is a one-story bungalow with dormers. The proposed addition is not complementary or deferential to the original structure.
- The size of the addition should be reduced, particularly on the second floor. Bringing the second floor back to the depth of the existing addition, while retaining the proposed depth on the first floor would significantly decrease the impact of the addition on the house to the east of the property.
- The ARC finds that the proposed ADU structure’s size and massing competes with, and negatively impacts the existing main house. The height of the proposed ADU should be reduced to be the same height as the existing garage. The number of dormers should also be reduced by eliminating the ones on the south and west sides.
- There should be greater differentiation between the existing roof and the roof on the proposed addition which extrudes from the roof line of the original house. Structural changes should be made to the proposed roof of the addition so that the existing roof line is not obscured.
- The ARC would like to review this project following design changes.
The motion passed 8-0.