HRC clears modern infill at 1218 Mississippi Street after ARC-led revisions; one commissioner objects

The Historic Resources Commission on Sept. 18 approved a package of findings and a certificate of approval for new construction at 1218 Mississippi Street, a vacant infill parcel at the edge of the Hancock Historic District and in the Oread Neighborhood design overlay. The project’s revised drawings — submitted after Architectural Review Committee input and again the morning of the meeting — reduced material variety, adjusted window groupings, and simplified columns and rail details to improve compatibility with surrounding properties.

Lynn Braddock Zollner, the historic resources administrator, summarized the changes and the design rationale: the applicant reduced the number of materials to a small set (rough stone at the base, a smooth stone on a vertical stair/elevator element, and horizontal lap siding elsewhere), adjusted window sizes to restore a vertical rhythm, and altered porch/balcony treatments while retaining roof decks the owner wanted as an amenity. Zollner told commissioners staff and the ARC believe the…