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Historic District board approves revised addition at 515 Paseo De Peralta with corner and height conditions
Summary
The Santa Fe Historic District Review Board approved an addition at 515 Paseo De Peralta after architects revised massing and materials; the board granted exceptions for an addition equal to 81% of the historic footprint and allowed a discretionary one-foot height relief while requiring a modest bullnose (about 1½–2 inches) on corners.
The Santa Fe Historic District Review Board on May 26 approved a redesigned addition to a significant historic house at 515 Paseo De Peralta, granting exceptions to the city's footprint limit while imposing conditions on appearance and corner treatment.
The applicant team said the project "has always been about preservation of a significant historic building," and explained the approach was to keep the historic house prominent while placing a lightly connected new mass 12 feet behind it. The application asks the board to treat the connector and addition as part of a single structure; the proposed addition is 81% of the historic footprint compared with a code limit of 50%.
Why it matters: the board must balance protecting the architectural integrity of a designated historic structure with owners' goals to make the house functional for long-term occupancy. Staff and the applicants told the board they worked with a subcommittee and revised the design to reduce perceived massing and clarify materials.
Architects described several changes after subcommittee review: the garage was stepped back and lowered; the upper level was set back five feet; the lower parapet was lowered two feet and replaced with a more translucent wood railing; divided-light windows were added to the addition's south facade; and the stucco color was darkened to differentiate new from old. One architect said the design choices were intended "to background it and to ensure that the historic house retains its prominence on-site." (Devendra, applicant representative)
Board members and residents focused on massing, style and a single detail that would make the new work read as new rather than a duplicate of the old: corner treatment. Some members argued for stronger differentiation; others favored a closer visual relationship. After discussion, the applicant said it would use a standard bullnose stucco bead in roughly a 1.5- to 2-inch radius at key corners to provide a softened edge rather than a sharp, contemporary corner.
Motion and conditions: a board member moved to adopt the staff findings, accept the exceptions (including an addition that exceeds 50% of the historic footprint), and grant discretionary height relief consistent with staff's report. The motion specified acceptance of the applicant's representation that corners would be rounded in the 1.5- to 2-inch range. The board then approved the motion by roll call; the motion passed.
What the board recorded: staff noted a slope-based height calculation can allow relief on a sloped site and the board found the extra foot of height acceptable under its discretion. The approval also reflected the subcommittee's influence on massing changes and the architects' commitment to a material palette that makes the addition distinguishable from the original historic fabric.
Next steps: the project proceeds subject to the board's findings and any building permits and inspections required by city planning and building departments.
