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Historic Preservation Commission refers controversial Liberty Hill expansion to ARC, continues hearing to March
Summary
After hours of public comment about excavation depth, massing and neighborhood impact for a proposed expansion at 3751–3753 20th Street, the Commission referred the project to the Architectural Review Committee for design advice and continued the case to the March 4 full hearing.
The Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to refer the proposed Certificate of Appropriateness for 3751–3753 20th Street to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and to continue the full commission hearing to March 4, 2015.
Department staff described the project as a substantial expansion to a contributing property in the Liberty Hill Landmark District: a new three‑car garage, a multi‑level rear addition and facade alterations that would increase the residence from roughly 2,300 to about 7,100 square feet. The project sponsor and architect said most of the new volume would be concealed below grade and that design moves were intended to respect the street‑facing appearance and preserve neighbors’ light and air.
Neighbors, including homeowners and an attorney representing an adjacent neighbor, urged caution and opposed the scale and the proposed deep excavation. Concerns included retaining wall stability on a hill, loss of light for adjacent windows, the apparent creation of a deep “pit” or terraced retaining walls, and the potential precedent of large subterranean excavation in the district. Commissioners raised substantial jurisdictional and policy questions about backyard excavation, view impacts and whether the proposed lower‑level unit would trigger exposure/other variances.
Outcome and next steps: the Commission asked staff to refer the case to ARC for informal design review on Feb. 18 and continued the item to the full commission on March 4 so the applicant can return with additional renderings, alternatives to the excavation scheme and any ARC recommendations.
