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Board wrestles with whether a porch would make Britton Barn read as a house
Summary
During deliberations on HRD25-03 board members debated whether adding a porch and awning would alter the barn's historic identity; some members urged smaller awnings or decorative reuse of barn doors while others said conversion to a dwelling justifies porch treatment.
Board members spent significant time debating whether a proposed covered entry and awning would change the visual identity of the Britton Barn from barn to house. One member cautioned that a large awning and porch "makes it look like a house, which changes its identity," and recommended smaller awnings or decorative reuse of original barn doors to preserve barn character.
Other members argued that because the structure would become a habitable dwelling the application could reasonably be treated more like new construction in parts, allowing certain porch and window changes. Associate planner Aaron Goodell noted staff's view that converting a nonhabitable barn to a dwelling allows consideration of a covered entry for weather protection and compliance with applicable code chapters. The board did not conditionally deny the porch but discussed options for less intrusive awning scale and decorative choices to maintain historic character.
The discussion also covered which elevation should be treated as the building 'front' because the property faces multiple streets; some members preferred locating the primary entrance on a less-visible side to retain the barn-like appearance along the most visible frontage.
