Title
HR 18-15: Historic Review Board review of a reduction in the size of a landmark property at 16430 Hiram Avenue.
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Staff recommends approval with conditions as listed in the staff report.
BACKGROUND:
The applicant proposes to reduce the size of the Historic Landmark property through a partition. The lot is approximately 15,600 square feet in size. The owner recently renovated the house and built a new detached garage (Files HR 17-03 and HR 17-06). The old garage was approved to be removed through HR 17-03 but has not yet been demolished. For a Landmark size reduction, granting a certificate of appropriateness should be based on the impact of the proposal on the historic home and any nearby historic resources. Impacts could result from new construction on the partitioned portion of the property, or from the loss of landscape or open space surrounding the home and giving it its historic context.
The subject property contains a small home near the front of the lot with a long rear yard. Staff does not find that the large rear yard provides much historic context in this case. The inventory form mentions fruit trees as part of the historic landscape, but only one apple tree remains and its condition has not been assessed by an arborist.
The applicant has not finalized partition plans; no exact lot configuration and resulting lot sizes have been determined. The land division may result in two to four total lots. The existing home and garage are proposed to remain on one lot on the corner of Hiram Ave and Rock St. The remaining lot(s) will face Rock St and will be developed with residential uses permitted in the R-6 zone.
New development on the partitioned lot could have a visual impact on the Landmark if it is tall or built close to the existing home. The historic structure is a compact, single story home that could be overpowered by a new structure behind it that is significantly taller. The minimum required setback from the existing detached garage to a new rear property line is three feet per Oregon City Municipal Code Chapter 17.54. The maximum height permitted in the R-6 zone is 35 feet and the minimum side setback for a new lot could be as little as 5 feet. In order to provide enough space to retain the historic context of the landmark, there should be a minimum of 25 feet between the back of the new garage and any new structures on the partitioned lot(s) that are taller than the existing historic structure. In addition, trees can provide a buffer between the landmark and any new homes built on the land. Staff has recommended conditions of approval for these items.
If approved, further Historic Review will be constrained only to those areas identified as part of the modified boundaries of the Landmark.
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