Leesburg BAR approves pebble-dash replacement, authorizes rebuilding after carriage-house collapse at 210–212 S. King St.

The Leesburg Board of Architectural Review on Sept. 3 approved replacing the failing stucco on 212 South King Street with new pebble-dash stucco and authorized rebuilding the carriage house that formerly stood at 210 South King Street on the same parcel. The board approved the application with conditions and a 5–1–1 vote after a lengthy discussion about whether the fronting house’s pebble-dash finish can be replicated and about circumstances in which the carriage house came down while renovation work was underway.

Staff said the structures at 210–212 S. King are on a single parcel and presented an application (TLHPBR20250050210) seeking retroactive approval for demolition at 210 and replacement of failing stucco at 212. Lauren Murphy, preservation staff with the town’s planning, zoning and preservation division, said repair is preferred by the guidelines but staff concluded the pebble-dash stucco is failing in large sheets, has trapped moisture behind it and that much of the historic wood siding underneath shows rot; staff recommended replacement in kind with new pebble-dash rather than a smoother modern stucco finish.

Applicant Kevin Ash and contractor Dylan McGreevey told the board they found extensive rot after removing later cladding and that a drainage barrier was missing behind the pebble-dash, creating trapped moisture. They said they sought subcontractors who could replicate traditional pebble-dash and supplied a textured stucco sample as a possible match; they also said they had to progress construction on schedule and that while removing siding and roofing elements the small rear carriage structure either collapsed or otherwise became structurally unsafe on Aug. 27. The applicant said the foundation remains and that the intent is to rebuild on the same footprint and to reuse salvageable material where feasible.

A nearby resident, Suzanne Larkins, told the board she and neighbors witnessed heavy equipment lift the carriage-house roof and then knock down the structure on the morning of Aug. 27 and submitted signed witness statements and photographs to the BAR. The applicant and his team said an on-site structural engineer and architect had been engaged and that the removal of exterior sheathing exposed a multi-layer “pony-wall” condition that lost its shear strength, producing an abrupt structural failure while crews were working to remove cladding and adjust the roof as previously approved.

Board members pressed the applicant about whether external shoring or different mitigation could have been used before removing siding. Members also discussed whether pebble-dash can be reproduced by local contractors; some members said they had recently seen full pebble-dash reapplications in the area done by specialists and urged staff and the applicant to pursue additional contractors and preservation resources. Several BAR members said a full replacement in-kind with pebble-dash would generally be the preferred outcome for the King Street rhythm; others said if a true pebble-dash cannot be sourced the board should revisit wood siding as a secondary option.

Staff and board members noted additional technical conditions that may affect reconstruction: rebuilding the carriage house removes certain grandfathering that might have applied while the original structure existed; the town’s engineering division may require floodproofing or other engineering changes because of the parcel’s relation to local floodplain rules; and any changes in footprint, height, attachments or materials required by engineering, zoning or building review would require a revised certificate of appropriateness. The BAR also required the applicant provide a written addendum describing the process by which the carriage house fell or was demolished, to add to the property file, and requested additional photographs and documentation of the original building.

Motion language read into the record required replacement of the stucco at 212 “with new pebble dash stucco to match the existing as closely as possible,” rebuilding 210 in the same footprint subject to zoning and building-review requirements, adherence to any DCSM/FEMA floodproofing requirements that may apply, and an effort to reuse salvaged materials. The record shows the motion passed 5–1–1; the transcript does not record individual roll-call votes by name.

The BAR left the public hearing open during discussion and then closed it before the motion. Staff said the applicant may need to return with a revised COA if engineering or permitting reviews change the approved details. The board also asked staff to pursue the identity of local contractors able to perform traditional pebble-dash stucco work before finalization of replacement details.

The applicant told the board he plans to move forward with reconstruction and the approved exterior design while he investigates pebble-dash vendors and coordinates required engineering reviews.