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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC_2026 03 05N DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 723 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1 334 Phone: (501) 371-4790 Fax:(501) 399-3435 www.littlerock.gov LITTLE ROCK HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION MINUTE RECORD Thursday, March 5, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Board Room, Little Rock City Hall, 500 W. Markham I. Roll Call IV V Members Present: Christina Aleman, Chair Amber Jones, Vice Chair Tom Fennell Scott Green Chase Waters Diane Thomas -Holladay Members Absent: Dr. Thomas DeGraff III Staff Present: Sarah Spakes Hannah Ratzlaff Raeanne Gardner Finding a Quorum A quorum was present being six (6) in number. Citizen Communication No citizen chose to speak at this time. Minutes February 5, 2026 Minutes National Register Nominations None 1 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission 'l. iL.rreI IaTeI GJJv11 �.JJ N_ VInIC VII. New Certificates of Appropriateness 1 HDC2026-001 Michelle Lynray 1304 Cumberland Street Exterior alterations 2 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission N NAME: 1304 Cumberland St. - Certificate of Appropriateness LOCATION: 1304 Cumberland St., Little Rock, AR 72202 CCHRE LLC 1302 Cumberland St. Little Rock, AR Michelle Lynray (agent) 1302 Cumberland St. Little Rock, AR Figure 1: 1_.'04 Cumherland Slreel, 2020. 3 Bradley Baker (Architect) 600 Main St. North Little Rock, AR Marchi i J, L'JL' Historic District r'-OmmEsslon AREA:0.21, acres NUMBER OF LOTS' 1 F-1IJ I!JMI 11 LJIJI nII dcH.!!_I!uI P_ aIK'-I i s l u.II C tJ!J lI Il;L HI,DRLG ST.A.TUS: Non -Contributing WARD: 1 The application proposes exterior alterations on the north, west, and east elevations, including enclosing the garage door opening with siding and a new entrance, altering stairs and porch features, installing shakes on the gable ends, installing new windows, installing brackets under the gable- ; end returns on the porches, replacing wide horizontal boards t' Q ■ ��� 1�, along the gable ends with new °"! � la $ o siding, and raising the porch floor. P� t❑ o F M ? Architectural plans propose three !�aIICy 4 �' *i 0 o progressive options. The staff reportClem i focuses on the most extensive alteration options, recognizing that y 91 the options are scalable. r L� �g � L B. BACKOROUN_D Location The subject property is located at 1304 Cumberland Street. The property's legal description is "The North 41.67 feet of Lot 10 and the South 'h of Lot 1, Block 21, Original City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas." Context The subject property is the site of a one -and -a -half story, frame construction residence the !� 41IIJ C7 Plain/Traditional supported by a Figure 2. 1304 Cumberland St., located in MacArthur Park Historic District. continuous brick foundation. Built in 1998, this structure is considered new construction and is non-contributing to the El March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission MacArthur Park Historic District. The most recentArkansas Architectural Resource From (PU9944, 1998) is provided as Attachment A. The applicant attended a Pre -Application Meetingwith the Design Review Committee on January21, 2026. The Design Review Committee comments are provided as Attachment C. Development History The subject structure was built in 1998 in the Neotraditional style, with architectural features inspired bytraditional historic forms and has been used as office space since it was built in 1998. The subject structure was built as an accessory building to the Bein House at 1302 Cumberland Street, which also is used as office space. By 1998, the address was changed to 1304 Cumberland Street. The building's primary entrance faces the alley between Cumberland Street and Scott Street, and a secondary entrance faces north towards the Bein House. The subject structure is in the Capitol Zoning District, which was created in 1978. In 1970, the lot was vacant. Previous to 1970, the lot was occupied by two-storyframe house according to 1960 aerials, and the 1897, 1913, and 1939 Sanborn Maps. Sa.n.bo..rn.Maps and Aerials 5 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission 1n Figure 3- 1304 (lormerlr 1306) Cumberland St., Sanborn Figure 4: 1304 (lormerly 1306) Cumberland St., Sanborn 'Lfaps, 1897, Vohmne 1. Sheet 20. Vaps. 1913. Volume 2, Sheet 192. Art' w r, 4 Figure 6: 1304 (/ormerly 1306) Cumberland Sr.. Aerial View. 1960. Figure 5: 1304 (fbonerh 1306) Cumberland St., Sanborn Maps, 1939, Volume 1. Sheel 37. March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission rti r Figure• 7:: 1304 Crmhurlaud St:. Aerial f "iuir, 1 Figure 8, 1304 Cumherlaud St- Aerial View. 1998. H isto.rical_ P h otaF,fra phs; Figure 9: 1)04 Ctnnherlaud St., east elentliou, photo Figure /0 1304 Cunrherlemd St„ ,YouUntiest elevation. COI OI Arkansas Architectural Resources Form, 1998_ photo courtesy! o/'Arkan•ccts .Architectural Resources Form, 1998. Previous Action On December 4, 1997, a COA (HDC1997-015) was issued to Jerry McKinnis to build the structure at 1304 Cumberland St. as an accessory structure to the building at 1302 Cumberland St., as approved with conditions by the Historic District Commission and Capitol Zoning District Commission joint public hearing. On October 2, 1967, the Planning Commission withheld a rezoning case (Z-2136) from "D" Apartment to "E" Apartment, which included the subject lot and the lots directly north and south, at the request of the Housing Authority. No previous actions were found on this site. 7 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission C. EXISTING CONDITIONS: See site photos (Attachment n) and appi_ir_.ation packet (Attachment o). The application packet includes a cover letter, application, current site photographs, materials list, legal description, architectural plans, survey, and site plan. Architectural plans involve three progressive options. The staff report focuses on the most extensive alteration option recognizing that the options are scalable. onk,14fez 1:1010 Cole] RX091 a I =1 1"q At the time of distribution, there were no comments regarding this application. All owners of properties located within 200 feet of the site and all neighborhood associations registered with the City of Little Rock that surround the site were notified of the public hearing. C. ANALYSf2 Sec. 23-120(c) of the Little Rock Municipal Code states: "When evaluating the general compatibility of alterations to the exterior of any building in the Historic District, the commission shall consider, but not be limited to, the following factors within the building's area of influence: (1) Siting. (2) Height. (3) Proportion. (4) Rhythm. (5) Roof area. (6) Entrance area. (7) Wall areas. (8) Detailing. (9) Facade. (10) Scale. (11) Massing." Siting The application proposes the construction of a new wrap -around front porch, facing Cumberland Street. The Capitol Zoning District Commission will address zoning setbacks. The proposed orientation towards Cumberland Street is more compatible due to the wraparound porch and proposed new entrance. Height The application does not include a change in height. Proportion The application proposes to install three windows on the north elevation. The three windows would each measure approximately 3 feet by 5 feet, include faux transoms and aprons, and be placed so that the tops of the transoms align with the top of the existing window on the elevation. 0 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission It is staff's understanding that the new windows, excluding the aprons and transoms, are the same size as the existing window. The application proposes the removal of the garage door on the west elevation and enclosure of the openingwith double doors. The door system will be 1.5 feet narrower than the garage opening and the remaining wall space will be enclosed with horizontal wood siding. The proposed double doors feature a transom window and a shed awning with brackets. On the east elevation, the application proposes to remove an existing window and replace the opening with a front door, constructing a wraparound front porch, approximately 42 feet long, with a gabled and hipped combination roof across the east elevation, connecting to the existing porch on the north elevation. Staff finds the proportions of proposed project to be consistent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.3. Proposed openings and the ratio of wall surface to windows are compatible with the district. Rhythm The proposed alterations to the facades create patterns, spacing, and proportion that are compatible with the architectural rhythm to the design of the building and to the area of influence. See Proportion and Entrance Area sections. Staff finds the proposed project's rhythm to be consistent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.4. Scale and Massing The application proposes to install an approximately 7-foot-wide wraparound porch to the east and north elevations. The application proposes to cover the porch with a hipped roof. Staff finds the installation of a covered, wrap -around porch to be consistent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.5. Entrance Areas The application proposes to remove the garage door in the west elevation, which faces the alley between Cumberland and Scott Streets, and to replace it with a double door that is covered by a shed roof. All new doors are proposed to have transom windows installed to be consistent with existing doors. On the west and north elevations, the application proposes to remove the inside columns supporting the gabled porch entrance, to remove the porch handrails and lattices, 9 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission to widen the wood steps to equal porch widths, to add brackets under the gable ii,e porch iloo to IJc with the iiireshcAd. The %ati uValLso i"vScS tG r c iace ti le door urlUef the west elevation gabled -Nr✓�N N F� g__ porch with a half glass one (1) panel door on the west elevation. Building codes may require railing to be retained or installed along the porches and handrails along the steps. l )n The Past PIPS. afiC)1.n' +nw appiicatio i proposes the options to instaii a half glass one (1) panel door, which faces Cumberland Street, and to construct a wrap -around porch described in the Proportion section of this report using treated wood deck boards and cedar handrails and spindles. The proposal includes the option to cover the new porch with a hipped roof using pine rafters, plywood decking, and asphalt architectural shingles. Staff finds proposed alterations to be consistent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.6. The design, location, and materials of the entrance areas proposed are compatible with the historic district. Though the structure is considered accessory to the Bein House, entrances facing Cumberland, the interior of the lot, and the rear alley incorporate the functionality of the structure as an office space and improve the compatibility of the existing structure by addressing Cumberland Street. Wall Areas The application proposes to remove the garage door on the west elevation and replace it with double doors. It is staff's understanding that the existing garage frame will remain. Faux transom windows are proposed over the three new windows and all the doors. There are no faux transoms along existing windows. The application proposes to remove the horizontal panels on the east and west facades and install matching horizontal siding. The application proposes to install wood pine shakes on the east and west elevations in the gable tops above the two windows and to the gabled porches on the west, north, and east elevations. Staff finds the wall area alterations to be consistent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.7. The proposed wall areas reflect the architectural context of the historic district by incorporating historic architectural elements made of traditional materials that are simpler in design to differentiate from more ornate elements on buildings in the area of influence, including the Bein House. RoofAreas 10 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission The proposal does not replace the existing roof form or materials. The application proposes the option to add a covered porch on the east and north elevations using pine rafters, plywood decking, and asphalt architectural shingles. The proposed new porch roofs are gabled and hipped. Staff finds the addition of a covered porch to the east and west elevations to be eosis'tent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guidelines 7.8. Fagade The application proposes to use traditional quality materials —such as wood double -hung windows, pine lap siding and shakes, cedar porch handrails and spindles, pine and fir soffit and fascia, and wood doors —and contemporary materials —such as asphalt architectural shingles and treated wood porch decking. The owner intends to paint the structure in the same color palette as the Bein House. Staff finds the materials for the proposed facades to be consistent with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.9. Detailing The application proposes installing three new wood double -hung windows with a one -over -one configuration on the north elevation. The application proposes faux transom windows and apron elements on the three new windows. The application proposes to repair and install fascia and soffit on current and existing porch roofs. Brackets are proposed to be installed beneath the gable end returns. The proposed brackets are simpler in design, compared to those at the Bein House. The application proposes removing the existing porch railing and installing new railing and spindles. The proposed spindles are simpler in design, compared to those at the Bein House. Staff finds the detailing to be mostly consis-ten with the Design Guidelines, specifically Guideline 7.10. Staff recommends that transom windows be excluded from the windows, new windows be aligned to existing window, and new windows have external dividers if the sashes are inoperable. Staff recommends that the fascia and soffit include horizontal boards, rather than perpendicular strips. 11 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission Fences and Walls Fii-'Jl.%JGJ iv i-ciiiUVB iiiC CXIJllilg Ier-ICc c1nC1 t0 instak 8 new 4-foot- tall wood picket fence so that it is in line with the front porch of the east elevation. Staff finds the proposal to replace the existing fence to be mostly consistent with ;he i PSigii viJideiiiiej, Speciticaliy VUIClcllne a_ 1`A. Staff recommends that the new woofi picket 1Pnce be pai^red �^ m + i ;,4eIi n nk6 �, ecL vuiucunc a. i ��o�. Historic Site Features No historic site features —including monuments, markers; sidewalks, signs, or stone curbs —exist on the site. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation Staff finds the proposed exterior alterations and fence relocation to be consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, specifically Standard 9—"New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment." F. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the approval of the application, as submitted, with the following conditions: 1. New windows will exclude transoms, be aligned with existing windows, and incorporate external dividers if sashes are inoperable. 2. Soffit and fascia shall be horizontal boards, rather than perpendicular strips. 3. Wood picket fencing shall be painted. 4. Final architectural drawings, sign designs, material specifications, and site plan shall be submitted to staff for final review and approval, inclusive of conditions. rH1E OU1R • -(M arph 5M2026) Staff presented the item to the commission. Staff announced that the applicant desired to bring into record an additional submittal document —a two -page letter responding to staff's recommendations. Ms. Michelle Lynray, owner of the property and applicant, addressed the commission. Ms. Lynray said that she was amenable to staff's recommendations, but she described that if the new windows were relocated up to be aligned with the top of the existing window along that elevation, they would cause a functional issue on the interior. 12 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission There was discussion regarding the windows on the north elevation. There was also discussion about missing existing details on the elevation drawings, such as the existing gable rakes. Commissioner Fennell made a motion to approve the application, as submitted and with staff recommendations and with the following amendments: new windows will exclude transoms and must incorporate external dividers if sashes are in operable, new windows along the north elevation can be aligned lower than the other windows to accommodate the garage interior, and gable rakes will be retained and added to all the gables. Commissioner Thomas -Holladay seconded the motion. The motion passed with a vote of 6 ayes, 0 noes, and 1 absent. 13 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission Viiti. ether r­latters C;LG Grant Updates Ms. Spakes updated the Commission on the 2025-2026 CLG Grant. The Hillcrest Phase V resurvey project is in the survey drafting phase. Ms. Spakes updated the Commission on the 2026-2027 (,! 0 C;rant. ! he grants being reviewed by the City Attorneys Office as a contract, and they snuu'Lu be returning that to staff in no earlier than 30 days. Ms. Spakes reminded the commissioners to read her email about FORUM 2026 attendance and to let her know their decisions. Ms. Spakes informed the commission that she will be attending a Bob Yapp wood window workshop in August in Hannibal, MO. 2. 2009 Historic Preservation Plan Assessment Ms. Ratzlaff informed the commission that ascertaining accurate data, including which projects were completed, who completed them, how they were funded, and other details, was currently being updated. However, it is taking longer than anticipated due to different archiving and data entry techniques. Staff are also updating their data as they do this project to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Staff plans on updating the commission at the next meeting. 3. Enforcement Issues Lot 9, Block 45 City of Little Rock—unpermitted installation of fencing Deputy City Attorney Gardner updated the commission about the upcoming due date forthe plaintiff's briefing as the court date approaches. There were no other updates. 524 E. 6th Street— rear alterations (primary) and building code violations (accessory) Ms. Spakes informed the commission that the owner's agent applied for a COA the previous day (March 4). Staff requested either elevation drawings or material specifications to determine at which level the projects will be approved. Ms. Ratzlaff clarified that if there are no visual or material changes to the non -historic structures or materials, then it could be reviewed by staff. However, staff requests these details because staff defers to the commission. 14 March 5, 2026 Historic District Commission 4. Certificates of Compliance None IX. Adjournment There being no further business for the commission, the meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m. Chair Secretary 15 q "7 Date Date