ARB continues request to use cedar shake siding on Arundel Place garage; applicants told to provide materials

Property owners Clarissa and Chris Hayward and their architect, Tom McGraw, asked the Clayton ARB on May 5 for approval to use cedar shake siding on a new detached garage at 263 Arundel Place. Staff said cedar shake is uncommon in the immediate area but is not a prohibited material like vinyl; because the garage is rear-located with limited street visibility, staff recommended approval.

Clarissa Hayward told the board the original plan to retain two brick walls was abandoned after contractors found the existing brick structurally unsound. She said cedar shake is a higher-cost, natural product and that nearby garages include artificial wood siding; she added the homeowners’ lot includes a cedar fence and a heavily planted yard that she believes will help the shake blend into the alley setting.

Architect Tom McGraw said cedar shake is common on Northeast coastal buildings but expressed concern that the material does not fit the immediate brick context of the neighborhood. Board members asked whether brick veneer could be used as an alternative and pressed for visual materials. Commissioners noted plans lacked context photos, unit colors, and a clear presentation of materials, and several asked to see brick and cedar samples and the proposed garage door color before acting.

The ARB voted to continue the application to the board's May 19 meeting and requested the applicants bring both cedar-shake and brick-veneer options, sample materials, color/garage-door options and context photos showing neighboring garages. The applicants said an earlier homeowners association review had approved cedar shake. The board advised the applicants to include a per-plan showing how the proposed materials relate to adjacent structures and to provide paint/finish samples.