Architectural Review Board approves 33 Plant Avenue addition with conditions

The Webster Groves Architectural Review Board on the evening approved plans for a two-story rear addition, screened porch and deck at 33 Plant Avenue, saying the project may proceed with a set of conditions and optional refinements.

The board approved the project with a required change that “the area below the new deck and porch will be closed off with vertical lattice,” and with optional items the applicant may pursue, including a quatrefoil detail in the half-timbering on the front window, timber (rather than stucco) porch columns, larger or paired diamond-grill windows on the south elevation, and revised half-timber spacing to better match the existing house, according to the motion read aloud by Carol, a board member.

Board members and the project architect, Nathan Farrow of Dynabox Architecture, discussed several aesthetic and detailing items before the vote. The board suggested closing the underside of the new deck to “make it look more finished and more grounded,” and recommended timber columns to better match the house’s half-timber character. The board also left several items as options for the applicant and homeowner to decide rather than mandating changes.

During the public hearing there were no speakers in opposition. The motion to approve, read by Carol, included the required infill under the deck and listed the optional changes; the board voted in favor and the project was approved “as noted.”

The board recorded the approval as a standard project approval with design clarifications; the applicant may submit final construction documents reflecting the mandatory infill and any optional changes the owner chooses to adopt.