2705 Royal St.

Staff Recommendations: 

In 2017, a CofA was issued to a previous owner to replace exterior windows and to repair siding, shutters, and exterior wood trim. When HDLC completed a final inspection in 2019, it was failed due to the removal of the wood Greek-key door trim and replacement of wood door, window, and building trim with inappropriate Hardie trim at the front elevation. A violation was opened, and this remained on the property until it was acquired by a new owner in 2021. In that year, the new owner submitted an application to construct a new rear addition. When HDLC completed a final inspection of the addition in 2022, it was failed due to several deviations, such as removal of ridge tiles from the rear roof slope, installation of visible HVAC equipment, inappropriate fencing, and for the previously removed wood façade trim.

HDLC Staff discussed these violation items with the previous owner, and they agreed the ridge tiles were removed as part of their recently completed addition. They also confirmed they would inform future potential buyers of these violation items through the standard disclosure process and a personal letter. However, this does not appear to have happened as the current owner purchased the property in April 2023 and has noted they were unaware of the violation they inherited from the previous owner. 

Since being notified of these items, the current owner has worked closely with HDLC Staff to determine a corrective plan of action to address them moving forward. They have agreed to correct all of the other items, including the reinstallation of appropriate wood Greek-key door trim and wood window/building trim at the front elevation, but are requesting retention approval for the removal of the rear ridge tiles. 

While the HDLC Design Guidelines recommend that roof ridge tiles be retained, the tiles removed from this roof were previously only partially visible at the rear from Port Street, and the tiles on the main building ridge (visible from Royal Street) were all maintained and remain in place. Additionally, most of the rear ridge where tiles appear to be missing are located over the new rear addition roof which was recently extended back. Based on these factors, Staff has no objection to the request for retention of their removal from the rear roof.