Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Historic District Commission approves basement Bilco door and rear covered deck at 526 Fifth Street
Summary
The Ann Arbor Historic District Commission approved an application to build a basement stairwell with Bilco doors and a 222-square-foot covered deck on the nonhistoric rear addition of a contributing Old West Side property, finding the work compatible with the Secretary of the Interior standards and local guidelines.
The Ann Arbor Historic District Commission on April 10 approved work at 526 Fifth Street, a contributing property in the Old West Side Historic District, to add a basement stairwell with Bilco doors and a covered rear covered deck and associated window changes.
Staff told the commission the two-story Italianate house appears in city directories as early as 1894 and that the work under review is confined to the nonhistoric rear addition. "Staff does recommend approval of this application and thinks that, it does meet all of the standards and guidelines and the work is not intrusive to the house or the neighborhood and staff appreciates the window changes especially on the addition," said Ms. Thatcher, HDC staff, during the staff report.
The project as approved calls for a Bilco (basement) door and a stairwell on the south side of the rear addition, a covered lanai off the back of that addition and a modest foundation extending into a window well area. Staff provided dimensions in the application packet: the Bilco door assembly is listed at 56 inches wide by 73 inches deep by 19.5 inches tall, the foundation for the Bilco is about 6 feet by 8 feet, and the proposed lanai deck is 222 square feet (about 18.5 by 12 feet). The packet and presentation showed that the new work is sited on the nonhistoric portion that was added to the rear and that no changes are proposed to the historic front elevation.
The commission's review committee (Commissioners Calderon and Caplan) described the application as straightforward, noting that the Bilco would occupy less than one-third of the alleyway width between properties and that the work is set well back from the street. The applicant, Donald Black of Sarasota, Florida, described family and personal ties to the city and said the intent is to restore and preserve the house while updating the rear addition.
Commissioner Smith moved to approve the application, citing compatibility with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (Standards 2, 9 and 10), the guidance for building sites and entrances, and the Ann Arbor Historic District residential guidelines; Commissioner Fortner seconded. The commission voted by voice; the chair announced, "The motion carries. Your application has been approved." The record included no roll-call tally.
The commission approval includes the following conditions and reminders announced at the meeting: the applicant must obtain all required city permits before beginning work, and the work performed under permits must match what the HDC approved.
Why it matters: The commission framed this decision as an example of work that alters only a nonhistoric addition while preserving the historic character of the principal structure, applying both the federal rehabilitation standards and local district guidelines. That combination of standards is central to future permit reviews in the Old West Side.
The commission closed the public hearing with no public speakers for this application and moved on to other agenda items.
