5718 St. Charles Ave

District: St. Charles Avenue - Full Control

Owner: Annalisa Lafont

Rating: Significant

Applicant: Brian Gille

HDLC Guidelines:

Section 9, Pages 4-6 and 11-12 of the Guidelines for Porches, Galleries and Balconies state that due to the importance porches, galleries and balconies play in the perception of historic buildings and streetscapes, original materials and details should be preserved. While porch steps can be made of a variety of materials including wood, brick and concrete, in most instances, wood steps, sometimes flanked by plinths or with a railing to match the porch railing, are most appropriate. The HDLC Guidelines discourage the introduction of new materials that were not historically a part of the porch, gallery or balcony. Additionally, the HDLC Guidelines prohibit the replacement of existing wood steps with concrete or brick. A request to install new porch steps with an inappropriate material must be reviewed and approved by the Commission at Significant rated buildings.

Staff Recommendation:

• Stair Modifications: Denial.

Staff Recommendations:

The applicant has noted the request for this change of material at the front entry stairs is primarily driven by the depth of the top stair tread being more shallow than the other steps due to an approximate 2.5" overhang of the porch floor deck boards. To remedy this condition, the applicant is proposing to remove the existing wood stairs and replace them with new brick stairs to meet current building code. This work will also include the modification and replacement of the existing decorative wood handrails and newel posts to accommodate the new stair slope and 34" minimum height. However, the HDLC Guidelines discourage introducing new materials not originally part of the porch design and prohibits the replacement of existing wood stairs with brick. Based on this, and due to the Significant rating of the building and the high visibility of the steps from St. Charles Avenue, Staff recommends denial of the request to replace the stairs with brick. However, if the Commission agrees it is appropriate to replace the stairs with new code-compliant wood stairs, Staff recommends the Commission include a proviso that the proposed handrail modifications will not be approved until after receiving a recommendation for conceptual approval from the Architectural Review Committee.