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Owners of South Street house brief BAR; board requests site visit before demolition decision
Summary
New owners of a deteriorated house on South Street presented structural concerns to the Board of Architectural Review and were told the BAR will conduct a site visit before any formal demolition or replacement application is considered.
New owners of a property on South Street asked the Leesburg Board of Architectural Review for guidance on Aug. 6 after structural inspections showed extensive foundation and framing problems. The owners said the building is currently vinyl-sided, has failing footings, unconnected utilities and interior structural collapse that may require moving the structure, rebuilding footers and replacing floor trusses.
The owners identified themselves in the meeting as Luke and Katie and described initial contractor findings. “To renovate the home, we pretty much have to move the structure and rebuild footers and rebuild foundation and rebuild floor trusses,” one of the owners said during the presentation. They said their initial intention was rehabilitation to accommodate family care needs, but inspections revealed potentially irreversible structural problems.
Staff and BAR members recommended a site visit prior to a formal application for demolition or major alteration. Preservation staff said the board’s normal workflow is to open a public hearing and then do a site visit; in this instance staff recommended doing the site visit first to allow the BAR to see interior and exterior conditions before deliberation. The BAR asked the owners to provide structural reporting by a licensed professional (architect or structural engineer), photographs, measurements and the property survey for the board’s packet.
Board members noted the case may amount to a demonstration of demolition by neglect and asked the owners to document existing materials and to be present during the site visit for a guided walkthrough. The BAR also suggested the owners consider professionals with construction licensure for structural reports; staff said architects or structural engineers have been accepted previously for these reports.
No formal vote was taken. The BAR agreed to schedule a site visit prior to the September 17 business meeting and requested the owners provide additional documentation in advance; staff indicated a likely formal hearing date in September or, if necessary, the Oct. 8 work session.
