ARB approves replacement garage/carport at 820 North Balen with conditional roof revision

The Pensacola Architectural Review Board on March 20 approved final review for a replacement accessory garage and carport at 820 North Balen Street in the North Hill Preservation District, subject to a required change to the carport roof.

Adrianne Walker introduced the project as the replacement of an existing garage with a carport and an accessory structure containing a first‑floor kitchen/bath and a second‑floor office. The applicants, Jared and Paula Willetts, told the board the new structure would match the existing home using brick to match the primary house, matching shingles, 5‑v panel awnings, and permeable pavers.

Board members praised the completeness of the packet but expressed concern that the proposed hip roof on the carport did not reflect the gable profile of the main house. A board member recommended replacing the hip with a gable or a substantial dormer to carry the primary house’s roof character into the accessory structure; another asked that the gable have matching eave returns to the main house. The applicant agreed that the carport height needed to stay low to avoid interference with the main house’s rear entry; the board accepted that constraint and asked for the roof form change.

A motion to approve as submitted but requiring the carport roof be changed from hip to gable and submitted for abbreviated review was made and seconded; the motion was amended to require the gable to include returns consistent with the main dwelling. The board approved the amended motion by voice vote. Staff recorded that the carport roof revision must be submitted for abbreviated review.