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Leesburg BAR approves rear addition, demolition and siding changes at 227 South Street SE
Summary
The Board of Architectural Review approved TLHPBR2024-0058 to build a rear addition, remove an accessory shed and a deteriorated chimney, and replace asbestos siding at 227 South Street SE, with conditions including a one-foot lowering of the new floor/ceiling assembly and options for siding material.
The Leesburg Board of Architectural Review on Feb. 19 approved application TLHPBR2024-0058 for a rear addition and related demolition at 227 South Street Southeast, finding the revised design subordinate and compatible with the historic house.
Preservation staff said the applicant returned the roof form to a gable pitch and lowered the overall height, and that the latest designs make the addition “subordinate and compatible with the house.” Staff also recommended removal of an accessory plywood shed and supported removal of a deteriorated chimney, noting the chimney would require essentially complete reconstruction to meet safety and appearance standards.
The approval is subject to conditions in the motion approved by the board, including: submission of a revised Certificate of Appropriateness if site-plan, zoning or building-permit review results in alterations to footprint, height, attachment, scale or materials; permitting the asbestos siding to be replaced with 10-3/4-inch cement-fiber siding as shown in the drawings or with a previously approved GAF composite product that replicates the historic asbestos profile; or, alternatively, the applicant may install wood siding with a narrower reveal provided final details are coordinated with the preservation staff prior to installation. The board also required lowering the new addition’s floor and ceiling by 1 foot.
Michelle Lando Verde, representing owner Joel Kelly, confirmed a preference for the smaller reduction in height: “It would be the 1 foot just 1 foot drop, not 1 foot 6,” she said during the meeting.
The motion to approve was made by JP Andrews and seconded by Helen Aikman. The board recorded the vote as 5-0 with two members absent.
Staff materials noted that replacement of asbestos siding with cement-fiber material has been approved previously in the district, and that the addition will remain visually separated from the historic house by a hyphen connection. The board’s approval included a standard condition that any material changes discovered during permit review must return to the BAR for reassessment.
