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BAR defers trim alteration at 214 North Fairfax after preservation concerns
Summary
After public testimony from preservation groups and neighbors raised questions about whether front trim is original, the Board of Architectural Review approved the applicant's request to defer the certificate-of-appropriateness decision so staff can inspect the trim; the case may return in October.
Keith Urban, the owner of 214 North Fairfax Street, asked the Board of Architectural Review on (date not specified) for permission to replace and enlarge window trim on his Greek Revival home, saying parts of the existing trim were rotting and framing hardware was rusted. "We love history," Urban told the board, but said he preferred a slightly thicker trim to match other historic houses on the block and that delays are costly while contractors are paid by the hour.
During the public-comment period, Christine Roberts of the Historic Alexandria Foundation urged the board to preserve the front façade. Using a 1959 survey photograph, she argued the house’s front facade "has been unaltered" and said, "first do no harm," asking the board to avoid changes to a historically intact frontage. Yvonne Wade Callahan, president of the Old Town Civic Association, endorsed Roberts’s remarks and recommended restoring shutters if the evidence supported their historic presence. Rushton Turner, a nearby neighbor, said the current owners have worked diligently to maintain the house and supported the owners’ stewardship.
Board members and staff pressed for factual information about whether the existing trim is original. Staff (Mr. Conkey) said the city had not yet inspected the trim for evidence such as nail patterns and would do so if asked. Several board members said they would be more comfortable approving a visible change only after staff determined whether the trim is original; some suggested that if the trim were original, removing it would be inappropriate, and that returning shutters might be preferable.
Facing that uncertainty, Urban asked for a deferral. Mr. Lyons moved to approve the applicant’s request for a deferral; Ms. Del Nino seconded the motion. The board approved the deferral by voice vote and asked staff to inspect the trim and report back; staff indicated they could visit the property immediately and estimated the case could be redocketed in approximately 30 days (the October docket). The board did not make a final decision on the merits of the proposed trim change at this meeting.
The next procedural step: staff will inspect the trim to determine whether it is original. If staff finds evidence that it is not original, the applicant may refine the proposed trim to be more historically consistent; if staff finds the trim is original, the board indicated that approach would likely favor restoration over replacement. The applicant retains the right to appeal any final decision to City Council within 14 days.
