Commission approves revised design at 1220 Rosa Parks Boulevard but requires three-foot setback from adjacent historic house

The Historic Zoning Commission approved a revised design for a corner development at 1220 Rosa Parks Boulevard, imposing a new condition that the applicant provide at least a three-foot setback from the property line adjoining an adjacent historic residence.

Staff said the site comprises four parcels that must be combined into a single parcel before a preservation permit can be issued and described the revised design as a stronger transition from the historic Monroe Street neighborhood to the larger-scale Rosa Parks corridor. "Overall, staff finds that the proposed height, scale, orientation, setbacks, and the overall design meets the design guidelines," the staff presentation said, while flagging disagreement with the applicant over the proposed tan/white-washed brick color for the corner massing.

Applicant architect Ethan Warren (Remick Architecture) told commissioners the proposed brick was similar to other existing institutional and commercial buildings in Germantown and that the brick is produced with a baked finish rather than simply painted. "There are several buildings within the Germantown neighborhood that have this white bridal, such as Butchart Town Hall," Warren said, offering that the chosen brick was intended to break up massing and provide visual separation between the Monroe Street and Rosa Parks forms.

Commissioners raised constructability and code concerns about a 0-foot lot-line wall adjacent to the historic residence: how footings, maintenance access and future repairs would be accomplished where the new structure effectively sat on the property line. To address those concerns, a motion passed that approved staff recommendations with an added condition requiring a minimum 3-foot setback on the side that abuts the historic building. The motion was seconded and passed with no recorded opposition.

Other conditions included the standard preservation and material approvals and the requirement that the four parcels be combined into a single parcel number before construction permits are issued. Commissioners also asked the applicant to refine brick size, mortar and detailing to achieve appropriate context within Germantown; staff and commissioners noted that Germantown design guidelines prefer traditional brick colors ranging from orange-red to dark red, and that painted or nontraditional brick colors require careful justification.