Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the COA 26 10 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves restoration of auto house at 627 Ripley Street; SHPO post‑Part 3 amendment accepted
Summary
The commission approved a post‑Part 3 amendment and a certificate of appropriateness to restore the auto house at 627 Ripley Street (Lewis P. and Clara L. Krause Best House), allowing reconstructed arches, wood overhead doors, window replacements, wall repairs and relocation of the apartment entrance; the State Historic Preservation Office already approved the amendment.
The Davenport Historic Preservation Commission on Aug. 11 approved a post‑Part 3 amendment and certificate of appropriateness for rehabilitation work on the auto house at 627 Ripley Street, part of the Lewis P. and Clara L. Krause Best House in the Hamburg local landmark historic district. Staff member told the commission the house, built in 1910 in the Spanish Mission style, had earlier been altered, including a 1951 infill that converted the original first‑floor garage into apartment space; the amendment restores the garage function and many historic exterior features.
Staff member summarized the amended scope: reconstruct the rounded garage arches and install wood overhead doors with true divided lights and crossbuck framing; modify west elevation windows to match original 4‑over‑4 configuration; remove two nonhistoric windows on the north elevation and infill with CMU block and stucco; replace an east elevation window with a double‑hung sash sized to historic dimensions; and repair and reconstruct the first‑floor east wall and northeast corner, relocating the apartment entrance to its historic position. Staff member said SHPO had already reviewed and approved the post‑Part 3 amendment and recommended approval for local compliance, asserting the project meets the ordinance standards that the property be recognized as a physical record of its time and that compatible additions/new construction are permissible.
During Q&A, a committee member clarified the commission's jurisdiction was limited to exterior work; staff confirmed interior improvements were part of the tax credit application but that the commission only reviews exterior alterations. Chair praised the owners' investment, saying, "I applaud people with, not only the mindset, but the fiscal capability to do something like this because it's it's fantastic to undo things that were done in the past like that." The commission moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness; commissioners McGivern, Esteti, Kretz, Eaton, Hoth and Adams each voiced approval and the motion carried.
The approved work will proceed under the terms of the SHPO agreement and local ordinance compliance; details such as construction start dates, contractor identity and final interior finishes were not specified at the meeting.
