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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03--Project Narrative 411 TRACY ROWHOUSES 411 TRACY AVE. BOZEMAN MT, 59715 MAY, 15, 2024 PROJECT NARRATIVE Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 2 PROJECT SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... 3 SITE CONTEXT......................................................................................................................................................... 4 EXISTING RESIDENCE AND CASE FOR DEMOLITION ................................................................................................. 4 DESIGN................................................................................................................................................................... 9 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................................ 10 Project Summary Introduction We are excited to propose the 411 Tracy Rowhouses, a new two-unit dwelling nestled in the heart of the N. Tracy Historic District. This new two-unit building will replace the existing two-unit historic structure in disrepair on the site and has been carefully designed to not detract from the neighborhood’s historic character. The new building will utilize real wood siding and other materials that complement the historic nature, unlike the modifications to the existing historic structure. The new development will contain front porches, front entries to an unfinished basement that could either be turned into a home office or ADU later, and a detached garage building off the alley. Site Context Location The project is located at 411 N. Tracy Avenue. Please see the site below in red. 1. The site is approximately 56’-0” wide with alley and street access. 2. The property is located in the North Tracy Historic District. Existing Residence and Case for Demolition 411 N Tracy Avenue is a two story, two dwelling unit I shaped house with Fold Victorian stylistic Elements. It was bult around 1902 and has undergone expansions and the addition of the apartment unit after 1943. There are no known significant historic events, persons or information found for this property. Because the house serves as one of the few remaining I- shaped houses in the area it is classified as a contributing element to the historic district. It is important to note that the windows and siding are not original and have been replaced with non-historic materials making it stand out in a negative manner from the other historic properties. In fact these recent materials replaced after 1982 are not even allowed in the NCOA and Historic districts per the Bozeman UDC. *Please reference “06--AERForm_411 N Tracy Ave” for updated AER form. PROPERTY CONDITION On May 06,2024 Chris Yeley NCARB with Local Element Architects, and Catherine Woods (owner) met on site to verify and record the condition of the property and review the home inspection report to existing conditions and coordinated with our contractor, Carter Kunz Construction. Below is a summary of our findings. *Please reference “07--Site Report 2024.05.06 / 08--Residential_Inspection_Report” for photo documentation and documentation of the current condition. SITE: The site is unmaintained with old sidewalks, weeds, and dead vegetation including old tree stumps. There is settling of the sidewalk which will need to be demolished and replaced. The site will require lawn care, installation of new sidewalks and removal of old and dead vegetation to meet normal standards for habitation in the downtown core. EXTERIOR AND THERMAL ENVELOPE: The exterior condition of the property is somewhat unknown due to the non-conforming vinyl siding and windows. Under previous ownership the property the property was renovated to function as a rental property. These fixes were cosmetic fixes with non- historic materials and did not solve any of the issues with the structure. The vinyl siding and new WRB was applied was applied directly over the original wood channel siding. Any water damage, rot or deterioration of the existing siding is mostly encapsulated and the condition is largely unkown. The vinyl siding has missing flashing, loose elements, and damage and will need to be removed and disposed of. We were able to survey some isolated section of the original horizontal channel wood siding and it appears to be in rough shape and would need replacement or refinishing. Replacement is typically cheaper than refinishing. The windows were replaced after the 1984 historical inventory. While the openings maintained their original dimensions, they were replaced with non-confirming vinyl builder grade windows and they did not replicate the original historic window patterns. These will need to be replaced with an early 1900s style window to meet historic standards. They also will need to be replaced due to structural upgrades, flashing and mold remediation. The roof has been recently replaced and were not able to observe moisture damage coming from the roof. Overall the roof appears to be in good condition and we will not know more without starting demo. Exposed wood elements such as the SouthWest Patio have undergone severe deterioration and will need to be documented and demolished. The whole patio and other exposed elements will have to be re-built with new elements to match the existing demolished element. There is evidence of mold and water intrusion in some areas of the house. These areas will need to undergo mold remediation, which will require demolition to the studs, sanding and cleaning and kill-staining the affected areas. STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS: Foundation settlement has contributed to a wide array of structural issues. We surveyed floor slopes exceeding 5% in some areas and most rooms have floor slopes in excess if 2%. In the attached property inspection foundation shift and movement has been documented as well as structural issues in the floor, wall and roof framing. The foundation is a shallow depth stone and mortar with a concrete band on the exterior. This type of foundation is known to be problematic with soil conditions in the downtown area. Mortar weakens and fails over time and the foundation is not set below frost depth which allows frost heave and movement. We believe the concrete band may have been added later but without it extending past frost depth it does not fix or stop differential settlement. As it is, there are loose stones along the north wall of the main/original structure. Floors throughout both levels of the home are not level. Some areas have considerable slope. The main level floor structure, visible from the crawlspace, has multiple issues. There are improperly cut and rotted floor joists. Some main level floor joists are no longer bearing on added support or girders as intended. Multiple columns supporting girders and joists are bearing directly on soil, no piers, which is causing rot. One column is completely rotted at the base and no longer bearing on any base support. Many structural member connections are made with nails only that have rust occurring. The north addition floor is supported by precast post bases but do not include footings, which makes the floor susceptible to settling. The south retaining wall of the crawlspace access is bulging inward and encroaching on the stairs creating a life and safety hazard of soil collapse. Due to the year it was constructed, improper frost depth, soil conditions and settlement, the foundation will need stabilized or replaced. We are currently working on a similar condition in the Bon-Ton district with DCI Engineers. After much exploration we have determined the most effective way to rectify this is to lift the house clear from the foundation utilizing a custom built steel frame and hydraulic jacks, demolish the existing foundation, excavate under the structure, apply structural fill and install a new 48” frost wall foundation. The additions that were installed in the past were not completed to current codes and do not contain a 48” frost depth nor an adequate crawlspace. In one addition the floor framing is contacting soil inside the foundations creating moisture and dirt penetration into the structure. There is no way to fix this issue short of foundation demolition and reinstallation. This intensive structural work will fall under a Level III alteration as classified in the 2021 IECC. All work on this project will have to comply with the current codes listed by the AHJ. Every structural element will need to be upgraded to comply with current seismic codes. INTERIOR ELEMENTS The interior of the house has been painted regularly because of its use as a rental property. Most of the interior trim will need refinished or replaced to remove lead paint and damage throughout the years. Because of the structural issues above we will have to expose all framing so all interior elements and finishes will have to be demolished regardless of condition to rectify the safety issues within the structure. There is also evidence of asbestos tiles that will need remediated or disposed of safely. Summary Please reference file “07--Site Report 2024.05.06 / 08--Residential_Inspection_Report” to see all additional miscellaneous items that will need fixed as well. While most if this is minor and could be fixed surgically, the structural issues present cannot. To remediate these issues to be safe for the occupants we will need to demolish the interior of the house to the studs, perform structural seismic upgrades, level, plumb and align floors and wall, and re-install a new foundation under the building. This will need to be done in every room of the house. With this level III alteration and extensive demo scope we will need to replace almost all the components of the house and survey the any components that we can leave such as some plumbing to make sure they are up to code. There is no way to document and know of every item that we will need to remedy until demolition is complete so the attached estimates and reports only reference what we can observe. CASE FOR RESTORATION Please see “Exhibit 1” and “Exhibit 2” for our renovation estimates provided by Jackson Kunz with Carter Kunz Construction. To bring this property to habitable condition the property will need to be completely gutted, remediated, lifted from the foundations, and then selectively re-built. Due to the extensive restoration needed to address health and life safety there is no economic case for restoration. CASE FOR DEMOLITION Section 38.340.090 of the Bozeman UDC states the criteria for demolition or movement of a historic structure within the UDC. A. Certificate of appropriateness (COA) for demolition and subsequent development. Approval of the proposed subsequent development is required for all historic structures proposed for demolition and for the proposed movement of any structure or site. Please see this NCOA submittal for subsequent development plans. B. Public notice. Proposals for demolition of historic properties within the city limits require public notice. Notice of application(s) must be provided in accordance with division 38.220 of this chapter. Public notice is part of this NCOA application. C. Criteria. The review authority must consider the following factors in evaluating applications for demolition or movement of a historic structure or site and subsequent redevelopment: 1. The property's historic significance. Please see “09--AERForm_411 N Tracy Ave” for historical significance. There are no known significant historic events, persons or information found for this property. Because the house serves as one of the few remaining I-shaped houses in the area it is classified as a contributing element to the historic district. 2. 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. Please see “10--Exhibit A – Rehabilitation Estimate” and “11--Exhibit B – New Structure Estimate” for rehabilitation and new build costs. Both estimates utilize the same level of finishes. The structural upgrades and differential settlement account for the differences between bid numbers. $853,615.80 (Rehabilitation costs) > $602,012.50 (new build) clearly showing the property has no economic life remaining. 3. Whether the subsequent development complies with section 38.340.050. Please reference this NCOA application. 4. Whether the subsequent development includes construction of new building(s) unless the existing character of the area does not include buildings. Please reference this NCOA application. 5. Subsequent development requires a building permit and does not include proposals which leave the site without building(s) or structure(s). Please reference this NCOA application. 9 of 10 Design 411 Tracy Townhomes consists of 2 Rowhouse units per the definition in the UDC that will be classified as a duplex with an accessory garage building along the alley. We did our best to distinguish the design of this project from the historic properties around it while still paying homage to their design, scale, materials and massing. Architecture The design consists of a prominent single gable with a 9:12 roof slope commonly found in the neighborhood. There are two covered porches with shed entries and the window/door casing and gable detailing is representative of the time period of the original structure. The accessory garage is small and set back 20’-0” from the alley so that it will fit in with the other accessory sheds along the alley and not close it in. Mass and Scale 411 Tracy Rowhouse stands 30’-10” tall fitting well within the 40’-0” height requirement per the Bozeman UDC, and utilizes 90% of the allowed lot coverage. The existing structure is 24 feet above grade and the neighboring properties are approximately 24-26 feet above grade. The proposed rowhouses sit at 30’-10” above the natural grade sitting only 4 to 5 feet taller than neighboring structures. The site sits between an existing historic house and a new house with bright colors and modern elements on the lot to the North. It was extremely important that we designed a structure that accommodates modern scale desirable in the marketplace that still fits within the context of a historic neighborhood and does not dwarf the adjacent historic properties. Building Quality The proposed development utilizes two shades of natural wood siding as its primary element. The lighter natural wood consists of 6” horizontal channel or lap siding and vertical shiplap siding. The darker wood siding will be an 8” horizontal shiplap siding. Exposed wood posts and details will be rough sawn Douglas Fir and the trim on the house will be a dark slate color. The front patios will have standing seam roofs and copper gutters that will patina over time. All lighting will be traditional style sconces that are dark sky compliant. 10 of 10 Windows will consist of Anderson 400 series or better. Anderson 400 series windows are a traditional style wood clad window that bridges the classic wood frame with mullion style from the early 1900s with modern day performance. Site Design The site is 8,543 SF in area. We have created two primary areas for outdoor recreation, one patio along the street front to support and encourage community engagement and a private courtyard in the back with adequate lawn space. We have also created basement access off the front of the house to provide flexibility for the end buyer. We have the remaining lot area and parking for an ADU to be permitted at a later date if they so choose. They could also make it a home office. Parking and Vehicle Access Please see Parking Standards on Sheet A1.1 Utilities Electric, telephone and gas come in from the Alley. Electric is currently overhead and will be relocated underground during redevelopment. Water and sewer appear to come in off N. Tracy Ave. Building Design Building design complies with UDC. Conclusion Local Element Architects is excited to present the proposed development for your review. By listening to and following recent developments in the community and through extensive site research we are confident this proposed development will be an example of quality infill that reinforces Downtown Bozeman’s amazing culture.