HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter of IntentBoard of Adjustment
723 West Markham
Little Rock, Arkansas
Greetings,
May 4, 2020
My name is Henry Rice, and as a Little Rock native, I have spent most of my life in the city. I purchased a
house on Monroe Street in 2016 and have been restoring it to the Craftsman style of its construction. To
complete this renovation, I am requesting permission to build a front porch. The reason this request
must come before the Board of Adjustment is because the Midtown neighborhood has 25-foot setback
requirements —yet several houses on my street and adjacent streets are far closer to the street than this
distance. If this request is granted, my house would remain approximately 28 feet off the street (as
shown in the included survey by Edward Lofton) and add so much character to the neighborhood. I have
been using 1940s windows, stained glass, and materials to authentically change what was a vinyl clad
structure to one that offsets the recent inclusion of Popeyes Chicken and McMansions to the street.
I respect the need for setback requirements. No one wants houses built too close to the street. Not only
would my house remain well off the street, it would be much further than many houses in the
neighborhood. A southern style front porch will help offset the recent construction of the Popeyes
Chicken restaurant in 2018, which allows patrons to see easily into my backyard and deck area.
I am confident there will be broad support in the neighborhood, as I am taking perhaps the least
congruent house in the neighborhood and adding to the aesthetic beauty of a major gateway into the
Hillcrest neighborhood. Many neighbors have seen me working countless hours on my home's
restoration. Of course, the permission to proceed relies on your authority. I respectfully ask for a good
vote.
Sincerely,
Henry Rice
Homeowner —118 N. Monroe St.