Neighbors press for design changes, parking solutions on proposed Gladden Street duplex

Design staff presented a request for a certificate of design approval for a new one-story duplex at 1130 Gladden Street in the Melrose Heights Oak Lawn Architectural Conservation District and recommended approval with conditions addressing porch proportions, foundation material and entry configuration.

Staff said the proposed building is approximately 40 feet wide by 75 feet long and recommended narrowing and deepening the full-width front porch (staff recommended at least a 6-foot depth and limiting the porch to a central bay) and changing the foundation from a stucco finish to a brick veneer to better match surrounding historic buildings. Staff also recommended two stairs—one to each front door—to emphasize entries and other materials and details be finalized by staff.

The applicant, Jerome Prezi, said the duplex is designed for young professionals and families and that the project anticipates six on-site parking spaces in a rear parking pad to reduce on-street parking demand. "We're anticipating, you know, maybe 6 parking spaces back there, possibly more," Prezi said. He also said the units are designed with features such as double sinks in master suites to indicate a non-student design intent.

Commissioners and multiple neighborhood speakers raised concerns about the building's length, long street-facing mass on Pickett Street, the number of bedrooms/bathrooms and the potential for increased on-street parking pressure. Neighbors cited the Melrose Heights design guidelines: "New construction should be consistent with existing buildings along the street in terms of height, scale, proportion, rhythm of openings, setbacks, orientation, and spacing," said neighborhood resident Laura Winn during public comment. Several neighbors suggested design alternatives such as breaking the massing by adding dormers, stepping the rear massing inward, relocating storage elements, or exploring the possibility of an accessory dwelling unit to reduce the continuous wall length on the corner lot.

Staff and commissioners discussed whether zoning would permit a detached accessory dwelling on the lot; staff said that the lot is approximately 7,700 square feet and that an accessory detached building may not be allowable under current zoning, but staff offered to consult zoning to explore options. Commissioners suggested a targeted design work session with staff and architects to resolve massing and roof articulation concerns rather than denying the application outright.

Several neighbors also urged reducing the number of potential occupants, noting the floor plans show multiple bathrooms and rooms that could be used as bedrooms. Jane Britton, a long-time Gladden Street resident, said the proposal's "length of 75 feet with each unit at 1,200 square feet and including 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms is an intensity of use that's fundamentally out of scale with surrounding homes."

At the end of the hearing segment included in the record, commissioners asked the applicant to work with staff and neighborhood representatives on design refinements. No final vote on the certificate was recorded in the portion of the transcript provided; staff's recommended conditions and design issues were left for follow-up and possible review sessions.