Historic commission pushes back on duplex design at 424 NW 27th, asks for lower roof pitches and clearer materials

Acting Chair Sarah Jordan and staff opened discussion of HPCA25-000089, an application for a two‑unit duplex and two‑story garage at 424 Northwest 27th Street in Jefferson Park. Staff recommended a continuance to resolve missing material specifications and to show required parking on the site plan. Holly Hunt, the applicant, said she had raised the finish floor on the front porch and removed a circular driveway in response to prior comments and that the proposed garage parking counts toward the five spaces required.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the design’s symmetry and massing read as an enlarged single‑family house rather than a historic multifamily form typical of the district, increasing the visual bulk along the street. Staff’s findings called out roof pitch and large unarticulated walls as primary drivers of incompatibility.

“We did raise the finish floor of the front structure of the duplex… and we can certainly work with staff on the materials,” applicant Holly Hunt told the commission, describing changes made since the initial review. Staff pressed that the proposal still lacks details on siding, trim and door types and that the site plan does not yet show the final parking layout.

Commissioners recommended several specific revisions: lower the main and porch roof pitches, add consistent window openings on side elevations to break up large blank wall surfaces, simplify materials on the garage (one material rather than three) and show all parking spaces on the site plan. Several members said the current symmetrical entry treatment diminishes the building’s historic compatibility and encouraged the applicant to clarify whether the design intends to replicate a historic multifamily type or to be merely inspired by it.

Outcome and next steps: The commission voted to continue HPCA25-000089 to the April 1 meeting so staff and the applicant can provide clarified materials, a revised site plan showing all parking, and adjusted roof and window designs. The applicant agreed to work with staff on the revisions before returning.