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Commission approves amended carriage-house elevation at 3613 Old Town Bluffton with design conditions
Summary
The commission approved an amended certificate of appropriateness for a two-story carriage house at 3613 Old Town Bluffton, requiring changes to the eyebrow roof, adjustments to bracket proportions (including a 4x6 top post), and documentation proving at least 75% tree canopy coverage at maturity.
The Beaufort County Historic Preservation Commission approved an amended certificate of appropriateness on Nov. 5 for a new two-story carriage house of about 1,200 square feet at 3613 Old Town Bluffton, subject to design conditions recommended by staff and modified on the floor.
Staff explained the application had previously been reviewed Oct. 1 with conditions; the amended submittal changes only the front elevation by adding an "eyebrow" roof above the garage. Staff said several required items remained outstanding in the submittal — a door and window schedule, material identification and documentation that the property will meet 75% tree canopy coverage at maturity — and recommended approval conditioned on supplying those details and proportionally revising the eyebrow roof and brackets.
Commissioners focused on proportionality and balance: several asked that the horizontal band above the windows be raised so the eyebrow roof ties in more proportionally, that the bracket beam be moved 6 inches toward the wall and that the diagonal brace be shortened, and that the top portion of the bracket be specified as 4 by 6. One commissioner said lifting the band improved the overall composition; another said the amended roof made the elevation appear vertically heavy and suggested the proportional fixes noted above.
The commission moved to approve the amended application with staff recommendations plus the specific bracket and band adjustments; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Conditions recorded include: raise the horizontal band above the eyebrow roof to just above the bracketed roof, move the bracket beam 6 inches toward the wall and shorten the diagonal brace accordingly, specify a 4x6 member for the top of the bracket, and submit the missing materials and tree-canopy documentation. Staff asked the applicant to supply the detailed sections and material callouts for final administrative verification.
The commission also required the applicant to show how the site will retain 75% tree canopy coverage at maturity and to provide a window/door schedule and labeled section details for the bracket elements before final permits are issued.
