Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the New Construction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
ARC continues proposed two‑story contemporary/prairie house at 1806 West Bridal for further design and technical detail
Summary
The Architectural Review Commission continued preliminary review of a proposed two-story contemporary prairie-style residence at 1806 West Bridal Avenue, asking the applicant for additional wall sections, massing refinements, porch/wall setback averaging and documentation showing how the project will meet impervious surface limits.
The Architectural Review Commission voted to continue preliminary review of a proposed two-story single-family residence at 1806 West Bridal Avenue to the May 5 public hearing to allow the applicant to supply additional technical drawings and to refine the building's massing and siting.
Staff described the project as a contemporary interpretation of Prairie-style architecture, with a two-story main residence and a connecting breezeway to an existing detached accessory structure. Ron Vila, planner with Historic Preservation, said staff found the proposal generally consistent for preliminary approval but requested additional wall sections and details on how the design meets Hyde Park guidelines and zoning setbacks.
The applicant's agent said the project will include stacked-bond brick, cement stucco base, aluminum-clad (dark finish) windows, composite trim and three-foot overhangs. The proposed site plan shows replacement of large concrete areas with ribbon drive strips and introduction of low retaining walls around portions of the parcel. The agent said mechanical equipment would be tucked between the main house and accessory structure and that the accessory structure itself is not part of the current review.
Commissioners expressed several substantive concerns the applicant must address before final approval: (1) porch and wall setback averaging with adjacent properties (commissioners asked for clearer measurements and the average line used to establish front-yard context), (2) wall sections showing window recesses, materials and the junction between brick and stucco (a consistent datum or water table was requested), (3) massing and perceived second-floor height (some commissioners found the second-floor volume high relative to neighborhood examples), and (4) site coverage and impervious surface treatment (the applicant acknowledged the project would exceed a 50% impervious threshold and said underground retention would be designed by a civil engineer).
The applicants acknowledged flexibility on porch depth, retaining wall heights and some floor elevations; the owners said they favored 10-foot floor-to-floor heights to create generous interior volumes but indicated willingness to adjust. Natural Resources reviewed the site and indicated a large on-site oak (noted in the plan as 45-inch) can be removed; mitigation requirements were discussed.
The commission's motion to continue was seconded and passed unanimously. Staff set the date for the next public hearing and asked the applicant to provide revised drawings for staff review by April 16 so materials can be included in the May 5 packet.
What's next: Applicant to submit the requested wall sections, revised elevations and documentation of setback averaging and proposed stormwater/underground retention by the staff deadline for inclusion in the May 5 agenda packet.
