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HomeMy WebLinkAbout006 Project Narrative1 P.O. Box 6216, Bozeman, MT 59771 * minge@frogrockdesign.com * (406) 581 0527 R E S I D E N T I A L A R C H I T E C T U R E March 18, 2022 Miller Residence-302 S. 6th Avenue, Bozeman Montana (Park Addition, SE 1/4 OF S12, T02 S, R05 E, BLOCK 17, LOT 23,24 & N HALF OF LOT 22) Project Narrative: Project Summary: This project involves building a new architecturally designed home and detached garage with an ADU above. The primary goals for the house are to create a new home that is well constructed and that fits well within the historical character of the property and surrounding neighborhood per Section 38.340.010 C of the UDC. A second major goal is to build a house that will last the next 100+years through use of quality and durable materials and applying Passive House Standards to achieve sustainability from an energy use standpoint. Due to the condition of the existing house these goals would require the demolition of the existing house which has been divided into three apartments and is structurally degraded in many areas to the point of meeting Section 38.340.050 C2. This is detailed in the Structural and Building Systems Section of this document. Historical Summary: The house was inventoried during the 1984 survey of the area. It is listed on the City’s historical architecture inventory map as contributing. There is no inventory sheet in the City’s historic resource inventory and only one photo of the house taken in 1984. This shows the house already converted to a 3-unit apartment with all added dormers and current front porch. There is no documentation of the original house prior to the additions of the three upper dormers, front porch (which is not original) or side doors and porches (which are not original). Due to the missing report, there is no documentation as to why the house was classified as contributing. At the request of the City of Bozeman Historical Preservation Officer and per Sec. 38.340.040 of the UDC, the current Owner hired Metcalf Archaeological Consultants to prepare a historical property record. See document New Historic Property Record Form. This new record classifies the existing structure as NRHP eligible as contributing to a historic district, but states the FROG ROCK D e s i g n 2 P.O. Box 6216, Bozeman, MT 59771 * minge@frogrockdesign.com * (406) 581 0527 structure is not recommended for individual eligibility for inclusion in the NRHP. During a lengthy conversation between the Owners, Frog Rock Design and Metcalf, Metcalf indicated the existing house’s classification in the original 1984 survey as a contributing element to the historic district, strongly influenced Metcalf’s conclusion in the new property record that the house is a contributing element within the Cooper Park historic district. In fact, Metcalf indicated that the 1984 identification of the house as contributing effectively prevented Metcalf from doing anything but confirming the original classification. During that conversation and as reflected in the property record, Metcalf agreed that the existing house has been “substantially” modified and that its integrity has been negatively impacted in various ways. We would point out that many houses that are modified to this level no longer qualify as NRHP eligible as contributing to a historic district. Per the new historical report, the existing house does not have any historical significance. This meets Sec. 38.340.090.C for demolition of a historical structure. The report states “the site has been evaluated for eligibility against the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Criteria. It is found to lack association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of our history under Criterion A. Research found no association with historically significant persons under Criterion B. The site does not represent significant characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction under Criterion C, and is unlikely to yield important information in reference to research questions under Criterion D. Metcalf recommends the site not individually eligible for inclusion in the NRHP.” Existing House Summary: The existing home is estimated to have been built c.1900 and was converted to a multi-family unit prior to 1984 per photo documentation. The existing house is located in the Cooper Park Historical district on a corner lot at S 6th Ave. and Curtiss Street and is within the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District. The structure is listed as NRHP eligible as contributing to a historic district, but does not qualify individually for NRHP eligibility. The property is zoned R-2 and is shown as Urban Neighborhood on the Community Plan Future Use map. The existing house and garage have been evaluated by a local licensed architect, local builder and local structural engineer to evaluate the potential re-use and rehabilitation of the existing house and garage per Section 38.340.010C stating an emphasis is “given to the preservation of existing buildings.” In early design sessions the team looked at scenarios for rehabilitating all or part of the existing house and incorporating it into a new structure. During this assessment the team determined that the integrity of the existing house to be used as a single-family residence was lost when the house was substantially altered to turn it into three apartments. This alteration included the removal of the original interior stair, original kitchen and parlor and a reconfiguration of the floor plan to the point that it no longer has any elements related to a single-family floor plan layout. There is not a “front” of the house piece to be re-used as part of a new home when evaluating the existing floor plan. This is also true from an exterior building form perspective as the house is one big rectangle not a series of building forms as was often the case of historical homes that are built on over time. To re-use the existing house, almost 3 P.O. Box 6216, Bozeman, MT 59771 * minge@frogrockdesign.com * (406) 581 0527 the entire existing footprint would need to be renovated/re-built. Additionally, all the dormers are additions that were likely added when the house was turned into a 3-unit apartment along with exterior stairs and added entrances to the house. The front north side gable, along with the exterior stair, would need to be removed to return it to a single-family residence. This would require replacement of a large portion of existing roof. The existing front porch is not welcoming to the neighborhood, is too small to be a sitting porch and does not sit on a structural foundation. Therefore, the porch would want to be replaced by an element that is structurally sound, more useful to the residents and welcoming to the neighbors, as proposed on the new design. The existing siding would need to be removed to apply both insulation and to meet current code shear-wall requirements. The windows would need to be replaced to meet current energy code as well. The cost of this rehabilitation would meet the standards set by Section 38.340.050 C2-Whether the structure has no viable economic life remaining. "No viable economic life remaining" means the costs of repair and/or rehabilitation to bring the structure to a habitable condition as established by the applicable technical codes in article 10.02, exceed the costs of demolition and redevelopment to minimum standards with a building of the same type and scale. See documentation Construction Cost Comparison. The existing house’s integrity and soundness to be used as a three-apartment rental has also been degraded by years of neglect and the units have been unoccupied for some time prior to the sale of the house to the current owners. The existing house has serious structural and other code related problems that would need to be resolved for safety reasons for the house to be used further as a three-apartment rental. These are beyond what market rates would support for the investment of a rental property. See documentation Existing Conditions Photos. Conclusion: Due to the assessment of the extent of the changes to the existing structure required to return it to a single-family residence and our assessment that efforts to do so would not result in a better aesthetic and character integration outcome for the property, it is the team’s recommendation that the existing house be demolished and a new home be built in its place. See documentation Structural Report and Construction Cost Comparison. Existing Outbuilding Summary: The existing 5 bay narrow outbuilding does not meet any current structural or building code requirements for garages. It does not meet size, form or location requirement from the UDC or local building code requirements for its re-use at its current size and location as a garage. Structurally it cannot be rehabilitated for any use. See structural report attached. We propose to demolish this structure and replace it with a new detached garage and ADU above. Existing House Structural and Building Systems Summary: Structural Summary: 4 P.O. Box 6216, Bozeman, MT 59771 * minge@frogrockdesign.com * (406) 581 0527 To re-use/rehabilitate the house structurally it will require extensive reinforcement and replacement of structural elements both on the exterior building envelope and in the interior of the building. To turn the house back into a single-family residence the house will have to be lifted for replacement of the foundation. The floor system will have to be shored up and likely many areas re-built since there has been a lot of cutting of floor joists to put in mechanical. At least 500 square feet of floor area would need to be altered and structurally supported to put in new stairs located inside the house to connect the upper and lower areas. The exterior stair and related gable on the north side would need to be removed since an exterior stair to the upper level would no longer be needed. The side-by-side double gable configuration on the north elevation causes serious ice damming and a death-cicle condition that has contributed to the deterioration of the foundation in this location and is a potential safety hazard. We don’t know the extent of the work needed to bring the current 2x4 roof structure up to code. The engineer states “that it is expected that all the roofing members would need to be re-enforced or replaced to bring the roof up to current code.” The current porch sits on cinder blocks and is deteriorating. It would need to be re-built on a concrete foundation. Energy Efficiency of the Existing House: Per visual inspection, the existing house has zero wall or foundation insulation. It has a few batts in the attic that may be R 10 at this point. The entire house would need new insulation and air sealing that meets current code requirements to turn it back into a single-family residence. The current windows do not meet the current energy code. With the extent of the work needing to be done to turn it back into a single-family residence the City Building Department would require that the windows be replaced. Mechanical and Electrical and Other Interior: Per visual inspection the existing house would need new mechanical equipment to turn it back into a single-family residence. The duct-work would need to be re-routed or replaced to work with a single-family floor plan layout. Retrofitting the ductwork with the existing floor structure will be more costly than new construction. With the extent of the work needing to be done to turn it back into a single-family residence the City Building Department would likely require an extensive overhaul of the electrical wiring. Retrofitting the electrical will be more costly than new construction. The interior plaster walls are cracked badly in all rooms. Once the foundation is replaced the entire house would need to have the existing plaster removed and replaced with either new plaster or drywall and paint. See Existing Condition Photos. Existing Utilities: The existing house is serviced by 2 gas meters, 3 water meters, and three electric meters. 5 P.O. Box 6216, Bozeman, MT 59771 * minge@frogrockdesign.com * (406) 581 0527 Existing Three-Apartment Rental: Due to the level of degradation, if someone was to use the house as a three-apartment rental, it would require a similar structural, energy efficiency, mechanical, electrical and interior restoration effort as turning the house into a single-family residence. This is not the current Owner’s intended use for the property. Proposed New House: The current Owners propose to use the property as a single-family residence with an ADU as a potential rental. The design of the proposed new house will use materials, roof forms and building massing that fit with the historical character with a few modern accents. The use and character of the proposed new single-family residence would meet requirements from Section 38.340.010C “further provided the design of such new space enhances and contributes to the aesthetic character and function of the property and the surrounding neighborhood or area.” Though we looked for and would have liked to have had details and design elements from the original structure to work from, there is no ornamentation or original aesthetic details on the house that we were able to utilize to incorporate into a new design. The proposed new single-family residence and ADU also meet future planned use for this property as Urban Neighborhood and the current use in the neighborhood of primarily single- family residences with ADUs. Proposed New House Style, Scale and Proportion per NCOD: The proposed new home will be built in a simple modern Victorian farmhouse style (Metcalf classified the existing house as Folk Victorian). The proposed new house will blend in with the existing homes on the street in scale, massing, proportions, directional expression and materials per Sec. 38.340.050. - Standards for certificates of appropriateness. See documentation Streetscape Drawing showing that the building massing and form blends with the other homes on the block and neighboring blocks. Aligning with the historical precedence that the corner lots in this district usually had larger homes, the tallest two-story roof element is pushed to the north across the street from two other taller houses that are on the other corners. The roof then steps down to one story on the south side which is next the smallest house on the block. The house also steps down to the east rear. This stepping down at the rear provides lowering of the building massing and proportion along the north side of the property pedestrian sidewalk. The wrap around porch, stone wall elements and wood shed roof awnings also add to creating smaller scale elements and interesting architectural articulation along this facade. The proposed house will have one primary narrow roof line that is two-stories with the upper story being shorter than typical modern homes with 7’ side walls to help keep the overall massing lower. It will be one story along the south side yard and east rear yard. The front of the house will have a wraparound front porch which is appropriate for a corner lot providing pedestrian scale to both front yards of the property. The proposed detached garage with an ADU above will have similar roof lines to the main house so the two building forms relate to 6 P.O. Box 6216, Bozeman, MT 59771 * minge@frogrockdesign.com *(406) 581 0527 each other in massing, scale, proportion and materials. The roof overhangs are small on the steeper pitched roofs and larger over the shallower roofs similar to the historical Victorians in the neighborhood. House Program: The proposed house will have three bedrooms, two on the upper floor and one in the basement with a bathroom on each level. The main level will have the living room, kitchen, dining and den. The basement will be finished with the exception of the mechanical and storage areas. Energy Efficiency: The proposed new house would include energy efficiency standards that would potentially meet net-zero and Passive-House thermal requirements. This includes 10-12” thick double wall construction, super insulated roofs and foundations, and triple pane high efficiency windows. We propose to use solar panels and heat pump technology for energy usage. This would allow for a house that will exceed current code energy standards and the Owner’s sustainability goals. Exterior Materials: We propose the primary siding material to be natural wood horizontal lap siding which will relate both in scale and pattern to most of the existing houses in the neighborhood. There will be a couple of stone elements for interest and to break up the north façade. We plan to use real stone for this north wall element and the window wells. The porches will have wood columns stained natural to match the siding and vertical metal railings that are similar in proportion and height to many of the historic porch railings in the neighborhood. We propose a standing seam metal roof that is in a vintage metal color and dark colored window frames with divided-lites. There will be some wood framed shed roof awnings to add smaller architectural features for scale and massing. There will be a few modern accents such as a steel awning over the south side-yard windows, a small flat roof at the rear porch entry with metal as fascia and a couple upper-level metal screens for privacy. Per Section 38.340.050 C. Contemporary, non-period and innovative design of new structures and additions to existing structures is encouraged when such new construction or additions do not destroy significant historical, cultural or architectural structures or their components and when such design is compatible with the foregoing elements of the structure and surrounding structures. And Section 38.340.010C Contemporary design will be encouraged, provided it is in keeping with the above-stated criteria, as an acknowledged fact of the continuing developmental pattern of a dynamic, changing community.