The Kennesaw Historic Preservation Commission on May 16 approved amended dormer designs for 2981 North Main Street, contingent on engineered drawings and required documentation being submitted to the City of Kennesaw for review and approval.

The amendment to a previously issued certificate of appropriateness was driven by building-inspection requirements for habitable space. Daryl [last name not provided], historic preservation staff, said building inspectors identified changes necessary for the project to meet building-permit requirements and recommended the applicant return to the commission so the commission could consider the revised design.

Orlando Orcheno, the applicant, said the originally approved dormers did not meet the egress ceiling-height requirement. "We had built the dormers approved, but failed with the egress ceiling height code requirement," Orcheno said, and added that the revised design raises the dormer walls enough to meet the height requirement while keeping exterior materials unchanged.

Scott Banks, the city building official, told the commission he had not yet received the engineer's plan but said the elevation drawings presented appear to address the structural loads: "From the elevation, this looks correct. Now I need a plan from an engineer. So I have not seen the submittal yet. I'm assuming this will work." Banks also noted the windows originally proposed were the wrong size and that egress windows may be required if the space is used as a bedroom.

Commission discussion focused on whether the revised dormer rooflines and ridge height would remain consistent with the previously approved appearance, the need to preserve and brace existing chimneys, and the distinction between habitable (bedroom) and nonhabitable uses for upstairs space — bedrooms require egress windows, some other uses do not. Daryl told the commission the exterior materials would remain as previously approved and that the design changes were intended to maintain chimneys while meeting code.

A motion to approve the proposed alterations to the previously approved certificate of appropriateness, contingent upon engineered drawings and required documentation being submitted to the City of Kennesaw for review and approval, passed on a voice vote with Commissioners Whipple, Blandford and Bramlett voting in favor. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Blandford. The commission’s approval is explicitly conditioned on the city’s review of engineering and permit documentation; no building permit approval was reported at the meeting.

The commission treated the item as an amendment to an existing COA rather than a new COA; staff will track submittal of the engineer’s plans and any permit sign-off required by building services.