Title
HPC11-13, 605 - 635 Elm St., East Elm Street HOA, Stephen Harrell, HOA President, Land Lot 415
Body
Item Summary:
The applicant is requesting a Certification of Appropriateness for the purpose of erecting a wooden privacy fence along the south side of the complex's concrete drive. The fence will run parallel to the north property line of parcel 12.
Staff Report:
Background
The "Elm Street Cottages" project was reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission at several meetings from July 2001 through August 2002. The application was ultimately denied by the Historic Preservation Commission on August 14, 2002, based on the size and scale of the project. The applicant appealed the decision of the HPC to the Mayor and City Council on October 14, 2002. The Mayor and City Council affirmed the decision of HPC at this meeting.
The applicant filed suit against the City of Roswell in the Fulton County Superior Court over the matter and was heard on March 28, 2003. The final order issued by the Court was for the City to issue a certificate of appropriateness to the petitioners.
The present fence proposal was filed as a minor application in May 2011, but was denied by the HPC Chairman and staff with the determination that the privacy fence proposed is inconsistent with the Design Guidelines. The design guideline related to fencing states that "new fencing in yards fronting a street should use historic wooden picket, cast iron, or wrought iron designs appropriate to the style of the house." The guideline also states that traditionally fences maintained a transparent aspect and were of low height and that new fencing should follow these patterns.
The HPC Chairman and staff felt that additional landscaping could achieve the screening effect desired by the community and be more compatible than a privacy fence. The option to add plants such as the Oakleaf Hydrangea and Savannah Holly to buffer the view of the neighbor's back yard was dis...
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