Title
Heritage Review Committee- French Door Installation (Permit 26-5119)
Recommended Action
Move to recommend approval of the french door installation proposal with amendments to the design for building permit 26-5119.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the proposed window replacement as depicted in permit 26-5119, or to propose modifications to the proposal based on investigation and observations made on the site visit to the structure.
Staff Contact:
Brittany Gillia, Historic Preservation Officer, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.75.8427
Presenter(s):
Amy Kovacs, Fix It Friend LLC
Background and Analysis:
The subject property is located at 321 17th Ave SE and is individually listed on the Olympia Heritage Register as the Vance House (OHR-91-2). The English-revival styled structure was built in 1925 for Thomas and Gertrude Vance, who arrived in Olympia in 1896. Thomas Vance was an attorney who practiced with Frank Christensen (Christensen House). The home is a one and a half story side gable house with a rear full wide dormer. The steep front gable projects from the house and has an arched louvered vent on the end. The entry is a multipaned glass door, and there are paired two over two sash windows. There are also several non-historic additions listed in the staff report, including a front façade bubble skylight and window boxes.
As per OMC18.12.090 alterations to historic features and materials must go through heritage review as part of the building permit process. The review is to ensure that proposed work on the historic home will preserve the historic context and merit of the structure.
The applicant is proposing to convert a rear-facing, multi-paned floor-to-ceiling window opening into a white divided-light French door of approximately the same size and color. The applicant has mentioned that the rear of the home may be a non-historic addition and the windows being replaced are not original, however appropriate documentation was not submitted, therefore additional investigation may be appropriate on site to confirm that claim. This could include observation and comparison of the condition of the windows on different areas of the structure, observation of the materials on the structure to note if there are significant changes from one portion of the home to another, performing paint analysis to document the condition and amount of layers of paint on various parts of the structure, or other methods as appropriate.
If the materials are found to be non-original and not historic, staff finds the proposal to replace the fixed windows with operable doors to be acceptable due to the placement of the work facing the rear yard, as well as the fact that there would be no original materials removed from the structure, however, consideration on the door design itself and handling of the structure must be taken.
Staff recommends that a discussion on the style and materials for the proposed new door to be discussed to go over the preferred alternatives to vinyl- wood, fiberglass, composite, aluminum-clad wood as well as to see if there are alternative door products that have styles and rails (the outer frame of the door itself that holds in the glass and rails) with smaller profiles. It is also mentioned in the submittal materials that there would be exposed areas of framing resulting from a different size of window/door opening that would need to be filled and staff recommends that the new siding materials must match the existing historic siding in materials, color, and profile.
Climate Analysis:
Following the NPS guidelines encourages repair of historic material as much as possible, which reduces the introduction of more waste to landfills. If repair is not feasible, use of historic, often natural, locally sourced materials, is then encouraged, which reduces environmental impacts of the work. Replacing and renovating windows would provide an opportunity for the homes to be more energy efficient, while still maintaining the quality of design and the historic nature of the structures.
Equity Analysis:
The Olympia Heritage Commission is dedicated to improving the education and outreach opportunities to underrepresented communities. Every listing to the Olympia Heritage Register, Special Property Tax Valuation application, and design review project, is an opportunity for education and outreach.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
South Capitol Historic District
Options:
1. Recommend design concurrence with amendments to the design and/or recommended materials to the Building Official.
2. Recommend design concurrence to the Building Official as proposed.
3. Do not recommend design concurrence. Continue discussion and reconvene when a new concept or proposal is submitted.
Financial Impact:
N/A
Attachments:
Construction Plans
Proposal Narrative
SOI Standards for Window Preservation
OHR 91-02 Vance House Staff Report