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Commission asks owner to return with rear‑addition options for 4771 Cumberland after ADA access concerns
Summary
The Historic Landmark Commission declined to approve a side‑addition as proposed for 4771 Cumberland (listed as Cumberland Avenue/Circle in backup), asking the applicant to produce designs that place additions toward the rear or use contrasting materials; the item was postponed to the commission’s next meeting on Aug. 7.
The El Paso Historic Landmark Commission voted to postpone consideration of a proposed addition at 4771 Cumberland (backup documents alternately list Cumberland Avenue and Cumberland Circle) so the applicant can return with revised designs that either place the addition toward the rear or use clearly differentiated, contemporary materials.
Providencia Velasquez of the Historic Preservation Office told commissioners that staff prefers additions be placed at the rear or on non‑character‑defining elevations and that new work should be differentiated from the historic building so it does not create a false sense of history. Commissioners said the addition as proposed would closely mimic the historic façade and therefore would be inconsistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s guidance and local design standards. The property owner, Patricia Beltran, explained she needs an addition primarily to accommodate an accessible washer and dryer and to avoid repeated trips down a basement stairwell; she said utilities and site constraints limit the locations available.
Architect Jorge Limon, representing the owner, asked for guidance and showed examples of additions elsewhere in the district that used different materials. Commissioners recommended two paths: present an option that places the addition at the rear of the house or present multiple options, including a side option pushed further back with contemporary finishes (for example, stucco) so it reads as new construction rather than a historic copy. The commission also clarified a discrepancy in the staff backup that identified the street as Cumberland Avenue while maps and the property diagram show Cumberland Circle.
Commission chair Isaac moved to postpone the item to the commission’s next meeting, and the motion was seconded. The commission approved the postponement by voice vote and asked the applicant to return on Aug. 7 with at least two design options — one rear addition and one side option pushed back with proposed finishes — and any information on utility relocation costs if available.
