With Chairman Joe Ferrer unable to attend, Terry Strub took the reins for this month’s Historic District Review Board. On the agenda was another application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the new brew pub at 8 Peach Street – this time for an addition to rear of the building, as well as some façade improvements. The applicant proposes opening the rear wall as a means of expansion by installing a refrigerated cooler room. The addition of the cooler does change the footprint of the structure. The addition is not visible from Peach Street, however it will be somewhat visible from Mason Avenue. Relative to the Guidelines, they state that : New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features of the old work to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired. (Building Element 4, page 21).
The façade improvements include a request by the applicant to install awnings over the front door and windows. The Guidelines sections should be state that awnings “can protect pedestrians from the weather, shield window displays from the sun, conserve energy, highlight specific buildings or businesses, and cover unattractively remodeled transom areas above storefronts. 1. Choose awning types that are appropriate for the Cape Charles historic district. Sloped fabric awnings, whether fixed or retractable, are the traditional awning type and are appropriate for most historic buildings, both residential and commercial.(Building Elements 1 – 4, page 61).
The applicant will also be removing a transom window over the front door and two windows to the right of the front door will be reduced in size.
The applicant stated that they would be using large trees and shrubberies to shield the view of the new cooler, and that they would be building a ‘beer garden’ out back, which will also be surrounded by large trees and landscaped. Given the amount of new landscaping involved in the project, the Board found that the additional footprint of the cooler would be acceptable. The applicant also stated that, from an aesthetic point of view, they would be painting the door and trim on the façade black, as a means to create a ‘firehouse’ look. The board found the color plans, as well as the awning choices acceptable. When asked when the applicant expected to be open for business, the applicant Christy Smith responded, “Hopefully in 2016.” The Board approved the Certificate of Appropriateness.
628 Washington Avenue – New Construction of single-family home
An application has been received for a Certificate of Appropriateness from the property owner for new construction of a single-family home at 628 Washington Avenue. The proposed building is a single family home, built on a conforming size lot. The owner recently vacated the lot line to build the home on a sixty-foot wide parcel. The building footprint meets the setback\prevailing standard requirements of the zoning ordinance. This is a modular home and will have vinyl siding.
The applicants, Steve and Teresa Loomis, who are originally from Cape Charles (Mr. Loomis graduated from the old Cape Charles High School), have purchased the property as a way to ‘come home’ to the town where they grew up. According to the applicant, they chose the design after almost a year of looking at other houses in the historic district, and after taking in the feel of Cape Charles – they settled on a ‘beach cottage’ style cape cod. The only real concern of the board was that, from the side there appeared to be too much roofline. The board suggested that maybe, with the addition of several dormers, it might soften the look. The applicant said he would take that into consideration, but said he had lived in a house with dormers before, and was not looking forward to repeating that experience. The Board approved the Certificate of Appropriateness.
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