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Commission approves two-story carriage house and main building in Stock Farm with design conditions
Summary
The commission approved a two-story carriage house and mixed-use main building in Stock Farm after design debate; determinations included that a porch hidden behind a parapet meets UDO intent, aluminum railings are acceptable as an alternate material, and fixed-frame windows are allowable at proposed locations, subject to multiple staffed details.
The Historic Preservation Review Commission approved a two-story carriage house and associated mixed-use main building in the Stock Farm neighborhood, granting several determinations and attaching a set of staff conditions and follow-up reviews.
Staff told the commission the application requires three determinations: whether a porch concealed behind a parapet satisfies the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) porch requirement; whether aluminum railings are an acceptable alternative material for proposed railings; and whether fixed-frame windows are appropriate where this is not yet a retail storefront. Staff also noted a required tree survey, 75% canopy coverage verification, confirmation of a Stock Farm POA approval letter, and an SCDOT encroachment permit for sidewalk extension into May River Road right-of-way.
Applicant James Atkins said the parapet and trellis treatments were designed to integrate a stair and a covered entry and defended the historic precedents for parapet walls, saying "parapet walls are a very traditional southern architecture design element." Commissioners explored alternatives — opening the upper porch, adjusting trellis screening, aligning paneling details across facades, and lowering a right-elevation railing to the mid-landing to improve proportions. The applicant agreed to revise louvers to slope outward, add vertical board detail on courtyard faces, simplify some trellis elements, and supply missing section details.
The commission's motion approved the project and specifically recorded the determinations that: the porch behind the parapet meets the intent of the UDO; powder-coated aluminum handrails are an appropriate alternative material; and fixed-frame windows are acceptable at the proposed locations. The approval included the remaining staff comments and required missing details to be reviewed by staff and a three-member HPRC subcommittee.
The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Staff will confirm the technical items — tree-survey documentation, final window/door schedules, and the SCDOT encroachment permit — before issuance of any construction permits.
