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Commission conditionally approves second-floor addition at 1 Head of Tide
Summary
The commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for a second-floor addition and partial porch enclosure at 1 Head of Tide in Old Town Bluffton, with conditions requiring a letter of agency, updated square footage, material specifications, and review of rough-sawn soffits.
The Beaufort County Historic Preservation Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) on May 7 for a proposed second-floor addition and related alterations at 1 Head of Tide in the Old Town Bluffton Historic District, but approved it with multiple staff conditions and required additional detailing before final sign-off.
Staff described the proposal as a mostly-in-roof second-floor addition to create a second master bedroom, a partial enclosure of a rear porch (to become a laundry room), replacement of a second-floor vent with an egress window, and the addition of a side-yard stoop. Staff told the commission the application generally meets the four review criteria but identified missing items staff needs before final plan sign-off: a letter of agency from the property owner authorizing the applicant to act, updated second-floor square footage on the plans, confirmation of roof materials, detailed stoop materials and window/door finish information, a corrected address on the plans, a shown and possibly expanded service-yard location with screening details, and wall sections for the porch addition.
Applicant Robert L. Graves III (who also used the name Trey Graves) told the commission he intended to match existing materials and keep the additions congruent with surrounding structures. "The goal here is to make it blend into the existing surrounding structures," he said. Commissioners questioned technical details (window proportions, railing and stoop detailing, and whether a new compressor would be added to the service yard). Staff clarified that rough-sawn wood soffits are not a permitted material on the plans but the commission could determine acceptability as a condition. The chair moved to approve the application with staff recommendations 1–10 and with the condition that HPRC members also review the required additional detailing; the motion passed by voice vote and the project was approved with conditions.
Next steps: staff will require the missing documentation and details listed in its conditions before issuing final sign-off, and the HPRC members will be given an opportunity to review the additional detailing as part of the staff review.
