5919 Freret St

District: Uptown - Partial Control

Owner: Class One Services LLC

Rating: Contributing

Applicant: Patrick Melancon

HDLC Guidelines:

Section 12, Pages 23-24 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition states 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. When reviewing demolition applications at properties located within a Historic District or at a Landmark site, the HDLC uses the following criteria in its evaluations:

• The historic or architectural significance of the building or structure as designated by its “rating”: Contributing.

• The importance of the building or structure to the tout ensemble of the area: FEMA survey research indicates the original building was likely constructed between 1920 and 1930. While it doesn't appear on a Sanborn map until 1951, a Times Picayune article confirms it was constructed no later than 1928, within the period of significance for the local historic district. The building also appears to have retained its original scale, style, massing, roof form and footprint to this day.

• The alternatives to relocation that have been explored by the applicant: None are known.

• The special character and aesthetic interest that the building or structure adds to the local Historic District: The 1-1/2-story raised basement type building appears to have retained many of its original Craftsman-style character-defining architectural features such as exposed wood brackets, wood weatherboards, exposed wood rafter tails at the front dormers, jerkinhead roof form with extended side eaves, deep front porch with tapered masonry columns and several 6-over-2 and multi-light wood windows. Most of the buildings window units and openings appear to be original.

• The difficulty or impossibility of reproducing such a building or structure because of its design, texture, material or detail: Based on the size of the building's footprint and minimal exterior architectural elements, it would likely not be more expensive or difficult to reproduce the building today rather than maintaining it in its current form. It is not readily apparent what percentage of original material may be salvaged during a renovation. Using equivalent materials in contemporary construction may be costly, but the overall form and detailing is relatively simple and could be replicated.

• The condition of the building or structure: An exterior visual inspection was conducted from the public right of way on August 31, 2022 and determined the building to be in good condition with some deterioration noted at the roof, particularly on the right side eave extension.

Staff Recommendations:

The applicant is proposing to elevate the existing building foundation by 3'-0" to achieve BFE and is also proposing to increase the existing basement level floor-to-ceiling height from 6'-7" to 9'-0". This proposed scope of work involves the creation of new, habitable square footage at the basement level which complies with the minimum code required head clearance of 7'-6". As such, this request is considered by HDLC to be demolition to grade based on the current definition of demolition. This proposed scope of work will require the removal or replacement of a radical amount of the existing historic building fabric. Additionally, it will fundamentally alter the original building type, its scale, massing and proportions, and negatively impact its visual perception from the public right of way. Based on this, and because the HDLC demolition definition was updated to address these specific types of demolition requests as inappropriate, Staff recommends denial of the elevation request.

• Staff Recommendation: Denial