HDRC refers 500-sq.-ft. rear-addition proposal to Design Review Committee for roof revisions

The Historic and Design Review Commission referred a proposal for a roughly 500-square-foot rear addition to the Design Review Committee (DRC) for additional review of roof form and how the new work will read against the historic primary building.

Applicant Chris Coker presented the project and said he was prepared to follow staff materials and window-stipulation guidance. Staff recommended extending a historic gabled roof form to the rear, eliminating a dormer and installing a vertical trim to separate old and new work; the King William Association submitted a letter supporting staff stipulations.

Commissioners and the applicant debated whether the addition should be inset to distinguish it from the original house or have the gable sit slightly below the original roofline so the original volume remains readable. Commissioner comments focused on achieving visual legibility over time and avoiding an amalgam of roof forms that could obscure the historic profile.

A motion to refer the application to the next available DRC passed; staff said an affirmative DRC recommendation could place the case on the consent agenda for the next HDRC meeting. The applicant agreed to staff stipulations and to pursue the DRC meeting as scheduled.

The DRC will meet to resolve the roof geometry and return a recommendation to HDRC; final approval remains contingent on that outcome and any required building permits.