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Commission permits demolition of fire-damaged rear addition at 806 Upson Drive, requires drawings for remaining repairs
Summary
Commission authorized demolition of a fire-damaged rear addition at 806 Upson Drive (Sunset Heights) to remove immediate hazards, and required the applicant to submit elevation drawings, floor plans and a landscape plan and to withhold other permits until property compliance is demonstrated.
The Historic Landmark Commission approved demolition of a fire-damaged rear addition at 806 Upson Drive in the Sunset Heights Historic District but conditioned further permits on the submission of documented drawings and plans to ensure preservation of original historic fabric.
Staff told the commission the 1930 contributing property had extensive unpermitted work and that a previously issued certificate of appropriateness required multiple repairs that were not completed. After an inspection staff recommended allowing the removal of the damaged rear addition for life-safety reasons while insisting that elevation drawings, floor plans and a landscape plan be submitted before additional permits are issued for other work.
Property owner Michael Lightborn attended and said he acquired the property in December 2023 and that the rear lean-to addition had electrical work done without permits; staff said there is no electrical permit on file and that the fire investigator concluded an electrical arc started the fire. Lightborn said his priority is to remove the dangerous rear addition so the property can be cleaned up and then to submit comprehensive plans: "I just wanna get the demo started so we could start from scratch again," he said.
Commissioners and staff stressed the need for documentation showing what original fabric will be preserved. Staff asked for drawings that show the extent of demolition with dimensions and adjacency to original structure. Commissioners discussed allowing an "exploratory" or limited demolition permit for removal of the damaged portion, provided the applicant returns with the required drawings and only structural abatement is performed initially.
A motion was approved directing the applicant to provide accurate elevations and floor plans showing the demolition extent; the motion specified that once demolition is completed the applicant must return to staff with renditions of the expected final outcome, and that staff should not issue new permits until the process is complete. The motion was seconded and carried by the commissioners present.
Next steps: staff advised the owner to provide dimensioned demolition drawings (a site plan or survey with the demolition area highlighted) and to file the formal application at the Historic Preservation Office; the office will coordinate with the one-stop shop for any required demo permits and may require building standards commission involvement if the property is deemed an immediate danger.
