Historic Landmark Commission tables request to use alternate metal roof at 506 W. Yandell, asks for renderings and samples

The Historic Landmark Commission voted to table reconsideration of a metal-roof certificate of appropriateness at 506 West Yandell Drive and asked the applicant to provide additional materials before the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Staff introduced the case as a reconsideration of a COA approved three weeks earlier that allowed a metal roofing solution conditioned on the material resembling the building’s original wood shakes. Staff and commissioners said the commission’s intent is to preserve historic fabric and visual character in Sunset Heights, and staff recommended materials that match the look of original roofing rather than a modern metal deck.

Laura Hernandez, the property owner, told the commission she is seeking approval to install a PBR metal profile on top of the existing roof deck to avoid tearing off the original wood decking that lies under asphalt shingles. Hernandez said roofing contractors would not guarantee that a full tear-off would not damage the original deck; she proposed an independent metal roof system that would bypass the existing roof deck and cited national-era catalog examples to show the profile existed historically.

Commissioners questioned whether the v-crimp or PBR profile was ever used in El Paso and whether historic photos show that profile locally; staff said wood shake roofing remains on this structure and that local photographic evidence of v-crimp use is lacking even though similar profiles appear in early Sears catalogs. Commissioners and staff also discussed alternatives — asphalt shingles or stamped metal shingles that more closely resemble wood shakes — and asked for details on structural attachments, warranty conditions and color options.

During technical exchanges the applicant described the proposed product as using roughly 36-inch sheets with ridges at 12-inch centers and said the manufacturer’s installation guidance and warranty influence whether a solid substrate is required; she also said a properly engineered metal overlay would be lighter than additional layers of asphalt. Commissioners asked for clarified drawings and a physical sample to evaluate how the proposed profile and color would appear on the house.

A commissioner moved to table the reconsideration to the next regularly scheduled HLC meeting and attach specific deliverables: higher-fidelity renderings showing how the new roof will sit on the existing house, a physical material sample, and three brown-tone color options (with the previously-proposed green included as an alternative). The motion carried on a voice vote.

The commission did not adopt any change to the prior approval at this meeting; the case will return after the applicant provides the requested renderings and samples.