5500 Dauphine St

District: Holy Cross- Full Control

Owner: Chih K Sung

Rating: Contributing

Applicant: Ashley Shuler

HDLC Guidelines:

Section 5, Page 10 of the Guidelines for Roofing, the City of New Orleans encourages solar collectors for space heating, hot water and electricity. However, in historic districts, property owners are encouraged to locate solar collectors where they are minimally visible or hidden from public view. Solar collectors shall be located as far back from the front of the building wall as possible, and a minimum of 10’-0” from the front building wall. When visible, the HDLC recommends using products and installation methods that allow the panels to blend with their surroundings. Examples include the use of black panels on black mounts, rectangular array configurations and thin film panels installed on standing seam metal roofs. The HDLC requires that solar collectors must be:

• Minimum 10’ from street facing wall

• Minimum 12” from roof eave and ridge

• Rectangular and contiguous arrangement

• Low profile racking system

• Rails do not extend more than 3” past panel

• Minimally visible conduit

• Black racking and frame, low contrast panels

Staff Recommendations:

The applicant is requesting to install new roof mounted solar collectors on the right, non-street facing side of the gable roof. However, due to the setback formed by the wide side yard and adjacent building's driveway, the proposed location is visually prominent from Flood Street. As such, the Commission must vote to approve the installation based on the Contributing rating of the building. The applicant has also noted that attic access from the interior of the building is not available and so they are requesting exposed visible conduit be permitted on the exterior roof and wall surfaces to service the panels. However, the Guidelines do not permit visually prominent conduit to be visible from the public right of way. Because the proposed updated panel layout diagram is consistent with the HDLC Guidelines for solar panels, Staff recommends approval of the application with the proviso that all visible conduit already installed on the building is removed and relocated to the interior of the building such that none is visually prominent from the street.

• Staff Recommendation: Approval (with proviso that all visible conduit already installed on the building is removed and relocated to the interior of the building such that none is visually prominent from the street)