3615 St Charles Ave.

District: St. Charles - Full Control

Owner: Craig H. Tolbert

Rating: Non-Contributing

Applicant: Rolando J. Hernandez

Description: Retention of roof demolition and new roof built with a change in slope, in deviation of CofA on a Non-Contributing, single-story, multi-family building

HDLC Guidelines:

Section 12, Pages 23-24 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition, state that the demolition of all or portions of historic resources within a local Historic District or Landmark site are considered drastic actions, since they alter the character of the area. Once historic resources or buildings that contribute to the heritage of the community are destroyed, it is generally impossible to reproduce their design, texture, materials, details and their special character and interest in the neighborhood. As a result, the HDLC rarely considers the demolition of Significant or Contributing buildings or structures within a local Historic District or on a Landmark site to be an appropriate option.
Section 5, Page 2 of the Guidelines for Roofing.

Retention Items:

Retention of demolition of previous roof and fine between $1,000-$10,000
Retention of new roof set at steeper pitch, done in deviation of CofA

ARC Recommendations: ARC Recommendations:

The ARC feels that, while the roof is inappropriate for the mid-century modern aesthetic, considering the Non-Contributing nature of the building, they appreciate the necessity for a pitched roof to aid in water shedding.

ARC Recommendation: No Objection

Staff Recommendations: The masonry-clad frame building was estimated by FEMA surveyers as having been constructed between 1965 and 1975. Staff agrees with the ARC that a pitched roof is inappropriate for the style of building, but as the change to a pitched roof was done in 2010, the alteration of the building's historic character occurred previous to current violations. Staff recommends retention of the roof at the new pitch and strongly urges the applicant to be diligent about applying for permits in the future when doing any exterior work on the building.

Case History:

2009/2010: Original flat roof is covered by a low-pitched roof, sans permit (same owner)
8/26/21: Hurricane Ida causes damage to roof (portion of roof is blown off)
2022: Previous contractor begins work without a permit, work that includes new roof pitch and hips begins at this time
9/30/22: Stop Work Order is issued at property
10/11/22: Previous contractor applies for a non-structural permit that is never issued
12/21/22: New contractor, Mr. Hernandez, applies for new permit
12/27/22: HDLC Staff requests verification that the new roof pitch matches existing, Mr. Hernandez confirms that previous roof was a 4/12 pitch and that the new roof would also be 4/12
12/27/22: HDLC CofA issued based on information provided; for roof repairs but not full replacement or pitch change, all repair/replace to match existing
12/28/22: It comes to light that previous contractor had begun work already. Mr. Hernandez estimated that 90% of old roof had already been removed and that 30% of the new rafters had been installed
12/29/22: Safety and Permits alerts us that the pitch and roofline have been changed, exceeding current CofA and past permits on record
12/29/22: HDLC confirms through Google maps that the previous pitched roof was not hipped and that roof pitch is visibly steeper
1/4/23: HDLC Inspector issues Stop Work Order at property
1/5/23: Mr. Hernandez confirms that roof pitch has changed from 3/12 to 4/12