Title
HPC11-28, 505 South Atlanta St., Cliff Christiansen/ Embassy National Bank, Land Lot: 383
Body
Item Summary:
The applicant's proposal is for the addition of a concrete parking area at the northeast corner of the historic house located on the property. This area will be designated for the handicapped accessible van parking space. A retaining wall, four feet in height or less, will support the paver area. A handicap lift will be installed which will allow access from the parking space to the second floor of the building. This will require that an an existing second story window be replaced with a door. The door specification submitted shows a 36" wood door with twelve true divided lights.
Staff Report:
Background
The historic structure located at 505 Atlanta Street was constructed in 1910 according to the Fulton County Tax Digest and is an example of a Gabled Ell Cottage.
Currently, six of the original townhome units, approved in 2003, are finished and some are occupied. A slab for the first nine unit flat building exists on site and the shell of the second set of approved townhomes has been constructed.
On Thursday, October 13, 2011, the Architecture Subcommittee (Tony Landers, Richard Hallberg and Alex Paulson) and staff (Cherith Marshall) met with the applicant on site to discuss the project. The applicant's initial proposal was for the addition of a parking area in front of the building between the structure and Atlanta Street. The applicant was advised that according to the Design Guidelines, parking lots should not be located in the front yard (Mill Village and South Atlanta Street Design Guidelines, page 33). A new parking pad, located to the side of the building, along with a handicap lift was deemed a possible alternative solution and the applicant was directed to bring the matter to the full Commission for approval. This solution would also eliminate the need for an additional curb cut on State Route 9.
The applicant presented the proposal at the November 9, 2011, HPC meeting. The Commission requested that the applicant bring back revised elevations which depicted the entire scope of work, including stairs, the handrail around the parking area and wall material. The application was deferred until the January meeting as the applicant was out of the country during the month of December.
Proposal
The applicant's proposal is for the addition of a concrete parking area at the northeast corner of the historic house located on the property. This area will be designated for the handicapped accessible van parking space. A brick retaining wall, approximately six feet in height or less, will support the paver area. A handicap lift will be installed which will allow access from the parking space to the second floor of the building. This will require that an existing second story window be replaced with a door. The door specification submitted shows a 36" wood door with twelve true divided lights. The revised elevations include a new wood stair case to the second floor of the structure and a wire mesh fence to serve as the handrail for the parking area. The mesh fence was chosen to compliment the yard enclosures of the townhome units to the rear. The revised drawings also show the replacement of a door with a window on the north façade.
Zoning
The property is zoned Historic Roswell / C-2 (Neighborhood Commercial District)
North: H-R (Historic Roswell) / C-3c (Highway Commercial District)
South: H-R (Historic Roswell) / C-2 (Neighborhood Commercial District)
East: H-R/ R-4 (Multi-Family Residential)
West: H-R/ H-R (Historic Roswell)
Department Comments (Comments made on November submittal)
Landscape Architect
1. There are no comments at this time.
Building
1. There are no comments at this time.
Engineering
1. Recommend that the driver of the vehicle be able to back up in an area on the site and pull forward to exit the parking space without backing into the flow of traffic entering from Atlanta Street (Hwy 9).
2. Must be ADA compliant.
3. If disturbed area exceeds 1/10 of an acre a land disturbance permit will be necessary.
4. Walls 8 feet and higher require an engineering permit which will need a wall design and construction certification by a licensed engineer.
Fire
1. There are no comments at this time.
Public Works/Environmental
1. There are no comments at this time.
Transportation
1. There are no comments at this time.
Design Guidelines - Mill Village and South Atlanta Street
Paving Materials (page 32)
Walkways and drives should be of gravel, brick or concrete.
The applicant intends to pave the parking area with concrete.
Retaining Walls
Historic stone retaining walls should be preserved and maintained. New retaining walls should be of stone. The use of poured concrete, concrete block, wood timbers, or cross ties is not appropriate.
The Guidelines state that new retaining walls should use similar construction and materials as historic retaining walls and new walls should be constructed of stone. The applicant has proposed constructing the retaining wall of brick. An existing unfinished retaining wall exists on the site and brick is present on the townhome units behind the historic house.
Parking
Parking lots should be screened from public view.
The ADA parking space will be located behind and to the side of the building. Additional parking exists to the rear of the structure but is located on the adjacent parcel.
Doors
The replacement door should match the historic door in size, shape materials and panel patterns.
A wood door is proposed to replace an existing window opening. The door will be 36" with 6" trim. The door will feature twelve true divided lights.
Staff Recommendation
The staff recommends approval with the following conditions:
1. The lift chosen should be as unobtrusive as possible and painted to blend in with the structure.
2. The brick wall should match the brick which exists at the townhome units.
3. The accessible van parking space shall be at least eleven feet wide with a minimum five-foot-wide access aisle.
4. The appropriate access and construction easements will be required prior to the issuance of any permits for this work since the parking pad will be located in part on the adjacent parcel.
5. The applicant must show compliance with Article 17 (Access, Parking and Loading) of the Zoning Ordinance before any business may open in this location. An off-site parking arrangement may be used to meet minimum parking space requirements but must comply with Chapter 17.4.1. Chapter 17.4.1, states that off-site parking shall not exceed fifty percent of the required parking for a building or buildings.
Presented by:
Cherith Marshall, Planner II