pic of the day

Apartment bldg across the street

patio nearing completion

I'm ashamed to say it's taken this long to get close to finishing this patio, but I do what I can. The last 6 months have been pretty crazy around here, but I think I'm starting to refocus some attention to the house again. You may recall the last time I touched on this I started by excavating the backyard and demoing a concrete slab. I then got started laying down the beginnings of a new patio.

So this is where I'm at. I'm over 2/3 complete and this backyard is starting to let me know just how huge it is. In fact, it's a double lot so that's probably why there is so much room back here. I love the size of the yard, but it doesn't make it easier trying to maintain and fix it up. Say hello to my beloved weenie dog, Bogie. :)

A big timesuck back here was trying to excavate the slab of concrete around my prized oak tree. This was no easy task as this old school concrete is mixed with chunks of granite and limestone. No jackhammer here -- this is pure sweat and tears with a pickaxe. I still have some more to go, but I figured I'd let the tree get some relax time during the winter. Need those roots to go nuts so I can see some appreciable growth this year.

Back here my plans are to make a small retaining wall that I can put some native plantings in. I also plan to try my hand at being a wannabe mason. This will be in stone like the wall. But first I need to repoint. It's some kind of lime mortar so I'm going to have to research that after finishing the patio.

magoffin park villas

There's been talk about developing several empty lots in the magoffin neighborhood into some mixed use residential space. If you recall, this neighborhood is on the other side of downtown from where my neighborhood is situated (to the sountheast). Sounds like an awesome idea, but it's unclear if they're going for apartments or condos. Overall the design looks pretty cool, but I think brick should be the dominant material used in the facade. Everyone loves to use stucco in newer construction around here, but a brick facade is more appropriate. I can appreciate that the architect was trying to design a building that looks like it was organically built what with the various sub-facades jutting out. I think the roof line should be slightly less uniform so it looks like it's not one big apartment building, but aside from that I could dig it. Technically this part of the neighborhood is included in the downtown plan so that's probably why they're trying to do the mixed use thing. Which is awesome -- wish my neighborhood would get more mixed use development on the fringe of downtown.

So what do you think? Is this design worthy of the neighborhood? The current design is recommended for denial. The application to the HLC is here.

pic of the day

it's a good day

Some of you may remember a while back me going off on the city approving the demolition of a house that had seen better days. In my opinion, the city made good on that mistake the other day. The property owner was applying to build a "private residence" that was so out of character for the neighborhood it wasn't even funny. I wonder if they even tried? The curious can check out the thwarted plans here.

What follows is a statement I had put together to read at the meeting, but was unable to make it out to read in person. Thankfully my opinion didn't need to be heard, but I figure what the heck -- I didn't write it for nothing. Enjoy.

Good day members of the historic landmark commission.

It has come to my attention that a request has been made to build on the lot at 1312 El Paso st. I respectfully ask the commission to consider the architectural integrity of the sunset heights historic district and how the design proposed diminishes that integrity. There once was a time when a home of architectural distinction took up residence at that location and over time was neglected and its integrity diminished by insensitive modifications. Despite the potential for a worthy restoration, the HLC voted to tear it down. I did not agree with this decision then nor do I agree with it now. However, I am not here to criticize past decisions. I speak before you today to carefully consider the decision before you today.

Many an architectural style can be found in this wonderful neighborhood. The likes of this city’s most esteemed architect Henry Trost once called this neighborhood home. And so I take it as a bit of an insult that the design brought forward today is completely devoid of any architectural merit in this historic setting. With respect to the architect and design, I do not consider it appropriate to build the typical Mediterranean style home commonly found in the newer developments on the outer fringes of the city. Such a style is completely inappropriate for this neighborhood. One question I have is what is the purpose of the setbacks on this home? Is this truly designed as residential and not commercial? Meaning the setbacks are to make way for a parking lot? I don’t necessarily have an objection to it’s use in a commercial capacity. There are several converted homes nearby that are in use as doctor’s & lawyer's offices. And yet they did not tear down the original structure to build something that can be shoehorned in. They use an adjacent lot or have access through the alley to the rear of the building.

What I would prefer is a design in any of the prevailing styles found in the neighborhood: Victorian, craftsman, Spanish revival, etc. The setbacks should also be inline with the other homes nearby and parking should be limited to the street or accessible from the rear. If this truly is to be a residential home then that should not be an unreasonable request. If not, then perhaps the owner should have looked elsewhere for a double lot or understood the possibility that they wouldn’t be able to build whatever they wanted. Glass box this is not, but that design does not belong in this neighborhood.

I think a lesson can be learned by the commission’s actions taken over a year ago. I ask that new standards be put into place that demolition be a last resort. Most definitely demolition shouldn’t be approved without plans for what will take its place. When a building is structurally sound, there should be no reason to tear it down. There are many dilapidated homes in this neighborhood -- I would prefer to think their days aren’t numbered if someone who isn’t sympathetic to their historic value takes ownership. We should be striving to make the neighborhood better not worse. If you approve these plans today that is exactly what you will be doing.

Thank you for attention.

what style is this?

After responding to comments from the last post I lazily submit this out of curiosity.

I see a lot of this style of home around here. I'm not really sure what you would call it -- it's (maybe not so) obviously victorian. The interior trim detail is of typical victorian flair. For lack of a better term I sometimes call them victorian foursquares although they're not really foursquare in layout. I've been in a few and they tend to have a long central hallway with a staircase on one side and the parlor, dining, etc on the other.

The upstairs tend to follow the same long pattern with a central hallway -- bedrooms on one side. Utility rooms are towards the rear. They can have full porches on both stories or just on the bottom floor. But the upper floor almost always has a full length window/door on one side of the house with two adjacent windows. Long and narrow with a dormer.

This one is very similar to the house in the last post. It's been converted into apartments, although it's in pretty good shape. So what is it?

sentimental favorite

I'm not sure what it is about this house, but I love it. Yes, the front and back porches are falling apart but overall the home seems to be in halfway decent shape (the exterior at least). Most of the old homes in the neighborhood are constructed of brick so aside from the obligatory centennial repointing they are pretty much built like tanks. I guess that's why even when they're falling apart it's not all bad. I don't like the idea of singling out run-down homes that people live in, which is why I'll mostly concentrate on vacant/condemned buildings for the building of the week. I respect that people who do live in these homes might not have the means to fix them up. Instead, my intention is to inspire a local to see past the appearance of these dilapidated homes and have the will to rediscover the heart of the old neighborhoods. I fell in love with this neighborhood many years ago, how about you?