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Fredericksburg ARB approves revised addition and roof changes at 1314 Sophia Street, 7-0
Summary
The Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board unanimously approved COA 2412-0087, permitting a revised two-story rear addition and related roof and window changes to a circa-1922 Colonial Revival house at 1314 Sophia Street.
The Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board unanimously approved Certificate of Appropriateness COA 2412-0087 for 1314 Sophia Street, allowing a revised two-story rear addition, a new gable connecting to the existing roofline, conversion of some roofing to dimensional asphalt shingles, and modest reductions in window height.
The approval matters because the house is a contributing resource in the Fredericksburg Historic District and the board found the proposed changes consistent with the district’s design guidelines. City staff recommended approval and the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation supported the revisions.
City preservation staff opened the public hearing by summarizing the proposal and previous approvals. Staff said the property, a Colonial Revival dwelling built circa 1922, previously received a COA on March 11, 2024, for a two-story rear addition (COA 2401-0023). The current request, COA 2412-0087, seeks minor modifications to that approved design: adding a gable to extend toward the existing roofline to accommodate mechanical equipment rather than raising the addition’s pitch; using dimensional asphalt shingles in place of standing-seam metal on portions of the new work; and shortening certain double-hung windows by about four inches to maintain appropriate clearances from finished floors. Staff recommended approval as consistent with the Historic District guidelines.
The applicant’s representative, James McGee, told the board that updated site measurements showed floors dropped about 1.5 inches toward the rear and that the gable solution was chosen to accommodate HVAC chases and mechanical equipment. He said the revisions were driven by site conditions and cost and clarified that the existing standing-seam metal roof on the original house would remain unchanged.
Danae Petler, speaking for the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, said the foundation appreciated the sensitivity of the revised design and concurred with staff’s recommendation. Petler noted the simplified gabled connection and the change in roofing material as contextually appropriate.
Board members asked for clarifications about roof forms and drainage, including a visible flat roof area on the addition that would use a membrane not visible from the street, and about consolidating runoff into a single downspout hidden from view. Several members said they preferred the simplified roofline and found the revisions compatible with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and the city guidelines.
After discussion, a motion to approve COA 2412-0087 as submitted carried unanimously, recorded as 7-0.
The ARB’s approval permits the applicant to proceed with the revised rear addition and related exterior changes as presented to the board. Additional permitting through the city’s building and trades processes will still be required before construction begins.
