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2019-02-27_MA_Northampton_43 Finn St_Historic Significance (1).pdfFebruary 27th, 2019 * All existing dimensions are approximated using Google Earth. *Existing building lengths & widths are taken from the widest and longest points in each building. The footprint of existing buildings has been estimated from this approximation. Regarding the Historical Significance of the Property at 43 Finn St, Northampton, MA Introduction This document is concerning the property located at 43 Finn St. in Northampton, MA. The lot currently contains a 4-unit residence (per the assessor’s property card), the original construction of which is estimated to be 1884-1885 per the city’s “Form B Historic Inventory” form no. 24D-202, or 1880 per the assessor’s property card, and is contained within a residential neighborhood a short distance from King St / Rte. 5. It is the goal of the persons aggrieved aka. applicant aka. the property owners, to demolish the existing residence and to construct a new single-family residence on the same lot. Historic Data The city of Northampton’s webpage on Historic Districts indicates only (1) historic district: the Elm St. / Round Hill historic district. The property in question is not contained within the Elm St. / Round Hill historic district, per the map on the City of Northampton’s webpage: Historic District. The city of Northampton’s “Form B Historic Inventory” (referred to in the city’s ordinance chapter 161: demolition) indicates that the only theme upon which the building in question is considered by the commission as being significant is “architectural.” No mention of a famous or local (or in fact any) architect has been made on the form; as such, the architect him/herself is not a point of significance in regard to the property in question. Building Mass & Lot Layout in Context Program: The lot is the result of a subdivision as part of a residential development. Currently, the surroundings remain residential, as is the proposed new building; as such, the character of use on the lot and within the neighborhood shall be unchanged. Footprint: The existing building has an approximate footprint of 2,400 s.f. (approximately 30 ft. x 80 ft.). Buildings on adjacent lots have an average footprint of roughly 1,890 s.f. (min 30 ft. x 38 ft., max 45 ft. x 76 ft.). The proposed residence shall have a footprint of 3,306 s.f. (38 ft. x 87 ft.), this including an attached garage. This indicates that the proposed building is similar in length and width as the building it shall replace and as such shall maintain the current character of the lot and streetscape. Height: The existing building is 2 stories in height with a gable roof facing Finn St. The surrounding buildings have 2 stories w/ gable and clipped gable roofs with said gable ends facing the street. The proposed building shall be a 2-story residence with a gable roof oriented to Finn St. This February 27th, 2019 * All existing dimensions are approximated using Google Earth. *Existing building lengths & widths are taken from the widest and longest points in each building. The footprint of existing buildings has been estimated from this approximation. indicates that in height, the proposed building is consistent with the building it shall replace as well as with the surrounding context; as such, on this item, there shall be no change in the character of the lot and streetscape. Relation to Street: Setbacks of the existing building from Finn St. & Warfield Pl. are roughly 20 ft. and 45 ft. consecutively. The surrounding buildings are an average of 17 ft. from both Finn St. and Warfield Place. The proposed residence shall be approximately 17 ft. & 30 ft. setback from Finn St. and Warfield Pl. consecutively. The driveway is and shall be located at the north end of the lot. Entrances to the existing building are on both the Finn St. and Warfield Pl. facades and shall be similarly located at the new residence. The existing building is largely obscured from view by a tree at the street corner of the lot. This tree shall remain, thus contributing to the continuity of the character of the neighborhood. The paragraphs above indicate that at Finn St. (the main street) the proposed building shall be consistent with the character of the existing and surrounding buildings. It also indicates that at the Warfield Pl. (side street) façade, the proposed building is consistent to the surrounding buildings in its relation to the street in terms of both setback and access as well as to the existing building where it comes to access, and which is only to have a minor impact on the spatial quality of the streetscape at Warfield Pl, this remediated by the above mentioned view obscuring tree. Conclusions: The information provided in this section indicates that, in terms of size, mass, access, and views, the proposed building shall be largely consistent to the building it shall replace as well as to the remaining contextual buildings. Style, Materials, Colors, Textures, Arrangement of Elements Style: The assessor’s office lists on the property card that the style is “conventional” and by observation is, within the contextual neighborhood, not unique to this building. As such, this is not considered to be a significant element of the building. Materials, Colors, Textures: Siding: February 27th, 2019 * All existing dimensions are approximated using Google Earth. *Existing building lengths & widths are taken from the widest and longest points in each building. The footprint of existing buildings has been estimated from this approximation. The current siding at the majority of the residence is a pale yellow and is oriented horizontally. A portion of the siding (at the decks) seems to be a vertical wood cladding. The assessor’s office lists the siding as asbestos, which did not yet exist when the house was said to have been built. No reference is made on the city of Northampton’s “Form B Historic Inventory” to what the original siding had been in material, color, or texture. As such, the siding of the building as it currently exists is not significant. The use of multiple sidings, as well as the choice of location for the different siding in relation to the building mass, implies that the existing building may have been altered over time. The surrounding buildings are primarily clad in horizontal siding with an approximate 4” reveal in monochromatic and neutral colors with some expressions of bold colors or shingle style siding. The proposed building shall have white horizontal siding with an approximate 4” reveal. This is not inconsistent with the context and shall not cause a significant change to the character of the lot or streetscape. Roofing: The existing roof is clad with shingles of (2) different types. This, combined with the jogging of the masses, implies not only that the existing building is not entirely clad in the original materials (as supported by the city’s “Form B Historic Inventory”, but that the current building could be the result of one or more additions. The rooves of surrounding buildings are dominantly clad in shingles. The roof of proposed building shall be clad in shingles, which shall be consistent with the current character of the lot and streetscape. Window shutters: The existing building has green shutters at the portion of the building closest to Finn St. This emphasizes the belief that the house has been modified over time. (The northern portion of the building with exterior stairs and different siding (mentioned at siding section above) may be the result of one or more additions.) Some of the surrounding buildings have red or tan/brown or white shutters (contrasting or complimenting the adjacent siding) while other buildings have no shutters at all. February 27th, 2019 * All existing dimensions are approximated using Google Earth. *Existing building lengths & widths are taken from the widest and longest points in each building. The footprint of existing buildings has been estimated from this approximation. The proposed building shall have black shutters at the street facades, this being consistent with the character of the existing and surrounding buildings and maintaining the character of the streetscape. Conclusions: The original materials and colors are not recorded in the city of Northampton’s “Form B Historic Inventory” and as such are not considered to be significant. The proposed building is designed consistently with the character of the existing modified building as well as the current streetscape. Arrangement of building elements: Mass: The short end of the existing building is presented to Finn St. This shall be maintained in the proposed building. Roof: The existing building has a gable roof oriented to Finn St. This shall be maintained in the proposed building. Projections: The existing building has a minor gable roof projection oriented to Warfield Pl. A gable roof projection shall be provided at the proposed building oriented towards Warfield Pl. at the side entrance to the building. Entry: The existing building has entrances at both street facades. The proposed building shall maintain this access configuration. The existing building has arched openings between columns at the Finn St. entrance. The proposed building shall have an arched opening at the above Warfield Pl. entrance. Decorative Elements: The existing building has decorative elements at the attic portion of the gable end façade. The proposed building shall have decorative elements at the attic portion of the gable end facades. Windows: February 27th, 2019 * All existing dimensions are approximated using Google Earth. *Existing building lengths & widths are taken from the widest and longest points in each building. The footprint of existing buildings has been estimated from this approximation. Windows on the existing and surrounding buildings are largely symmetrical in arrangement. Considerable effort has been made to provide symmetrical window configurations at the proposed building. Conclusions: The arrangement of building elements in the proposed building is largely consistent with the existing building and as such the proposed building shall maintain the character of the existing lot and streetscape. Conclusion In terms of building mass, lot layout, materials, textures, colors, and the arrangement of the above mentioned items, the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new single-family residence at 43 Finn St. in Northampton shall not significantly alter the character of either the lot or the streetscape.