City of Gainesville - File #: 200380.

• File #: 200380.
• Version: 1
• Type: Resolution
• Status: To Be Introduced
• File created: 10/2/2020
• In control: Historic Preservation Board
• On agenda: 10/6/2020
• Title: Reroof a single-family dwelling with asphalt shingles and remove 3 chimney stacks (B) Petition HP-20-61. Florence Illovsky, owner. Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to remove a metal roof and replace with asphalt shingles and remove three chimneys on a single-family dwelling. Located at 720 NW 2nd Avenue. This building is a contributing structure to the University Heights Historic District - North.

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
10/6/2020	1	Historic Preservation Board

Project Description

The contributing building was built in 1914 according to the Florida Master Site File.  The property is zoned Urban 6 and is approximately 0.11 acres in size.  The house is approximately 1,462 square feet in total area.  It is a one story bungalow style house that was one of the first in the Florida Court subdivision.  The house has a wood frame balloon structural system, wood novelty siding with cornerboards, a pier foundation, a screened-in porch with wainscot, two brick chimney stacks and one metal chimney stack on the roof, a gable roof with a hip roof porch, and a sheet metal roof surface.

The applicant is requesting the removal of the 100 year old metal roof system and replacement with Atlas fiberglass, reinforced asphalt shingles.  Additionally, there are two brick chimney stacks and one metal chimney stack on the roof that the applicant wants to remove.  The chimneys no longer work and they do not have working interior applications.  The chimney stacks above the roof line would be removed so that the roof would have a uniform surface, reducing areas of leakage.  The chimney sections below the roof line will remain.

Roofs are a highly visible component of historic buildings and are an integral part of a building’s overall design and architectural style.  Asphalt shingles are a common style of roofing material that is evident in the surrounding neighborhood and throughout the city.  Shingles are also one of the most common original roofing materials in the historic districts.  Noting the mix of roof types in this section of the University Heights Historic District - North, the proposed shingles are compatible with the neighborhood. 

As indicated in the guidelines, removal of existing chimneys is discouraged. Removal of historic or architectural roofing features should be avoided, if possible.  Interior photos of the house indicate that there are no appliances attached to any of the fireplace and chimney structures.  The living room fireplace has been completely shut off from the inside of the home and there is no access to the chimney.  The kitchen has an old vent leading to an exterior chimney with no associated appliance attached to it and another old ceiling vent is in the living room leading to an exterior chimney with no interior appliance attached to it.  The neighborhood in this area of NW 7^th Street, NW 7^th Terrace and NW 2^nd Avenue has several homes with prominent chimney stacks above and below the roofline.  The applicants are concerned about the reroof and plugging the leaks around the chimneys if they were to remain.  The feeling is that without the chimneys the roof will have one relatively uniform surface making the roofing easier and eliminating having to roof around the stacks.

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of the reroof from metal to shingle and that the board hear the request for the removal of the chimneys in the application.