Explanation
The name of this property is the Metts / Perkins House. The existing single-family dwelling is a two-story Queen Anne style wood frame balloon house, with three large brick columns on the partially enclosed veranda which may have been added to update the style when bungalows were popular. The front door has applied carving and marginal flashed glass. There is a cross gable roof with asbestos composition shingles and a secondary shed roof structure for the porch. There are two brick chimneys, a continuous foundation of brick and brick piers, wood novelty siding with cornerboards, and 2/2 wood windows as well as metal awning windows. The porch on the east side has a one story veranda that wraps around a bay, with large brick columns. The north part of the veranda is enclosed. There is a balcony on the second floor above the porch. The house is a contributing structure that was built in 1891 according to the Alachua County Property Appraiser; a Florida Master Site File indicates the home was built circa 1905-1909. The first Sanborn map to show this location is the 1909 edition. The 1913 Sanborn map shows that the front porch was enlarged and a second story bay and porch were added, in addition to a rear porch. The property is zoned RC and is approximately 0.36 acres in size. The house is approximately 3,021 square feet in total area, 2,736 square feet in heated area. The house contributes in scale and character to the Fifth Avenue neighborhood. The applicant indicates that this house was the first bed and breakfast establishment in Gainesville.
The existing roof has asbestos and cannot be insured. The proposal would replace about 40 squares of asbestos roofing with 5V-Crimp metal roofing which the applicant feels is appropriate for the neighborhood. The proposed 5V-Crimp roofing material is Gulf Coast Supply and Manufacturing, and will have a mill finish. A variety of metal roof types are evident in the Pleasant Street neighborhood including rib style roofs, standing seam roofs, and 3-V Crimp style roofs. In addition the windows on the house are to be repaired and the broken glass replaced, as well as repair of termite damage and painting. The staff recommendation is that the roof finish for the proposed metal roof be Galvalume or a medium to light gray paint finish, which is consistent with the finish/color recommendation adopted by the Historic Preservation Board on April 2, 2013.
Section 25-61 et seq of the City Code of Ordinances authorizes ad valorem tax exemptions for historic properties. As part of its review, the Historic Preservation Board must determine whether “the proposed improvement is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and is therefore an eligible improvement.”
Recommendation
Staff to the Historic Preservation Board - Approve Petition HP-20-90 with the condition that the finish be Galvalume or a light to medium gray paint finish and make the finding that the property is an eligible property because it is a contributing structure and the proposed improvements are eligible improvements.