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HAHC approves restoration and rear addition at 404 Avondale with revised front-door plan
Summary
The commission approved staff’s recommendation to restore the enclosed front porch and construct a rear two-story addition at 404 Avondale in Avondale West, with a motion to keep the historic front-door opening.
The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness for restoration and a rear addition at 404 Avondale, with a condition about the front door.
Taylor Valley, staff, presented the project in the Avondale West Historic District: the proposal calls for reopening and restoring an enclosed front porch, removing non-original metal siding to expose original brick, relocating a window and building a two-story rear addition that staff said would be hidden behind the original structure and would not exceed the existing ridge height. Valley described siding, roof pitch and porch-rail details in the staff recommendation.
No members of the public signed up to oppose the staff recommendation, though staff indicated the applicant briefly stepped out and later returned. Commissioner Stava had pulled the item from the consent agenda to verify whether the front door that is currently behind the enclosed porch is the original door and to recommend that the historically appropriate door be retained. The applicant confirmed the original door in the enclosed porch will be used as the front door when the enclosure is removed, and staff said the door is acceptable as shown in the proposal.
Commissioner Estava moved to approve the staff recommendation with an explicit instruction to use the existing historical door that is currently set back behind the enclosure and to relocate the non-original front door to the rear if feasible; Commissioner McNeil seconded. The motion passed.
Staff said the addition will be 287 sq ft on the first floor with a 163 sq ft porch and 482 sq ft on the second floor and will use cementitious siding and composition shingles; staff said the addition will be inset and not exceed the existing ridge height.
