Iowa City commission approves exception to preserve century-old rear addition at 1025 Woodlawn Avenue

The Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness for work at 1025 Woodlawn Avenue, granting an exception so the new rear addition can reflect the historic canning-shed height rather than strictly meet staff design guidelines.

The commission’s decision lets the owner replace a deteriorated, unfinished rear “canning shed” with a new addition that preserves the low profile of the historic element. Staff recommended raising the addition’s window sills, heads and a freeze board to align with the house’s primary horizontal lines; the commission instead approved the design through a formal exception and required the applicant to submit foundation, window and door product information for final review.

The property sits in the Woodlawn Historic District and is a late-Victorian house built in 1891 with Eastlake detailing, including fish-scale shingles and spindlework on gable ends. Staff described the rear canning shed as an altered, unfinished structure in deteriorated condition that has stood for at least a century. The owner sought to reuse interior historic material salvaged from the house and said moving the new addition up to meet alignment guidelines would prevent that reuse.

During discussion, owner Karen said she had “spent months reconfiguring the addition to provide the spaces that I needed” and asked the commission for an exception so she could preserve interior and exterior elements and reuse original materials. Staff member Jessica (presenting the application) explained that the staff recommendation had been to raise the window sill and head lines and align the freeze board so the addition would visually read with the historic house, but that other details above that band would not be affected.

Commissioners questioned the effect of raising the addition on the owner’s ability to salvage interior materials and noted the long-standing historic form of the canning shed. Commissioner Burford and others said the existing ground slopes and that the new drawings made the case for an exception. Commissioner Cellegrin moved approval of the certificate of appropriateness with conditions including submission of product information; the motion as amended explicitly noted the exception to allow the design to reflect the historic structure and height. The commission then voted in favor.

The commission’s approval requires the applicant to submit final product information for foundation, windows and doors for staff or commission review and to revise the new door opening to match the height or include a transom if paired doors are salvaged. No vote tally by name was recorded in the transcript excerpt.