2027-2029 N Rampart St.

Staff Recommendations: 

The current owner purchased the property in March 2022. Following this, it appears they completed some exterior work and changes at the building without having an HDLC CofA issued. Overall, these other exterior changes are considered restorative in nature. For example, the previous vinyl siding was removed, revealing more of the original 6-over-9 full-height windows at the front elevation.  Additionally, the roof and ridge tiles were replaced and the building has been painted. 

On April 24, 2025, an application was submitted to request installation of a new roof-mounted solar panels at the rear lean-to roof. Upon review, Staff noted the size of the roof area shown does not appear to match the existing building condition. The applicant then confirmed this was due to some recent changes at the rear lean-to roof that were completed by the owner without approval. 

HDLC Staff completed a site inspection and confirmed that an HVAC mini-split system had been installed with visually prominent conduit lines at the left and right sides. Additionally, the previous rear lean-to walls and roof were altered and expanded in size without HDLC or Safety and Permits review or approval. 

Rear Lean-to:

It appears the overall lean-to footprint was expanded sometime around January 2023, and the new post-supported roof extension was installed later, sometime around February 2025. If this work had been submitted to HDLC for review in advance as required, Staff would have noted the expanded lean-to roof should not be made to match the full width of the building, and should instead be inset at least 6-12" at both sides so it remains as visually subordinate and is more clear that it is a contemporary alteration that is separate and distinct from the primary historic structure. However, the simple form and detailing of the roof extension otherwise appear appropriate. The roof extension is primarily visible at the right-side and is visible from the nearby intersection. Based on these factors, Staff recommends approval of the request for retention of the lean-to wall and roof changes.

HVAC Conduit:

The condenser units appear to be appropriately located at the rear roof where they are not prominently visible from the street. However, the related conduit, particularly that installed on the right-side elevation, is considered visually prominent. As per the HDLC Design Guidelines, although they represent necessities of modern life, the design and location of HVAC equipment and conduit can have a significant negative impact on historic integrity of a building or area. Based on this, Staff recommends approval of the request for retention of the HVAC and conduit installed, with the proviso that all conduit lines must be more thoroughly organized, consolidated and/or reduced, and that a simple/minimal rigid conduit casing be installed to contain the lines and can be painted to match the adjacent wall color to further reduce their overall visibility.