HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Consider the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) request for a variance for a detached garage for the subject property located at 422 E. Franklin Avenue - COA 19-29
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Gabrielle Mattingly
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Submitted for Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) review.
BACKGROUND:
COA 19-29 is a request for the subject property located at 422 E. Franklin. The subject property is an approximately 3, 520 square foot parcel located on the south side of Franklin Avenue, just east of Loomis Street Alley. It is zoned R2 (Single-family and Low Density Multiple-Family Residence District) and is currently improved with a two story single-family home and detached garage. The City does not have any records of COA’s for this property.
DISCUSSION:
COA Requirements
The owners and petitioners, Bruce and Linda Chvalovsky, have requested approval of COA 19-29 in order to demolish the current detached garage at subject property and construct a 2 car, 480 square foot detached garage in its place. The requested detached garage requires a variance to the City of Naperville Municipal Code. Per Section 6-11-5:3 (Applicability of Zoning Provisions: Conditional Uses; Variances; Amendment to Zoning Title) of the Municipal Code, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is required to review any variances that affect properties within the historic district. The HPC must review the application to determine the effect which the proposed variance has on the historic character of the historic district, and then make a recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC). However, per Section 6-11-7: 3 of the Municipal Code, a COA is not required for a detached garage. Therefore, the HPC will be making a recommendation on the requested variances, but will not be making a recommendation on the style of the proposed detached garage.
Current COA Request
The proposed detached garage will be 13’ 8” in height and 480 square feet in size. It will be located 5’ from the west property line and 2’ from the south property line. According to Section 6-2-10:1 (Accessory Buildings, Structures, and Uses of Land: Location) of the Naperville Municipal Code, accessory structures are required to be located 5’ from the interior and rear property lines. Therefore, the variance request is to reduce the required five foot (5’) rear yard setback from the southern property line to allow the garage to be placed at a setback of 2’ from the rear property line.
Review of COA applications are conducted based on the compatibility with the Factors for Consideration of a Certificate of Appropriateness Application (Section 6-11-8:5; Certificate of Appropriateness Required). Based on the factors and analysis below, staff recommends approval of the variance to the setback from the rear property line.
Factors for Consideration of a Certificate of Appropriateness Application:
5.1. Compatibility With District Character: The Commission and Zoning Administrator shall consider the compatibility of the proposed improvement with the character of the historic district in terms of scale, style, exterior features, building placement and site access, as related to the primary facade(s), in rendering a decision to grant or deny a certificate of appropriateness.
Analysis: Staff finds the proposed detached garage maintains compatibility with the historic district given that a detached garage currently exists in the proposed location and several detached garages exist along the alleyway. In addition, the accessory structure complies with all other requirements including height, bulk and setback from the west property line. Therefore, staff finds the request to be reasonable.
5.2. Compatibility With Architectural Style: The Commission and Zoning Administrator shall consider the compatibility of the proposed improvement with the historic architectural style of the building or structure to be modified by the certificate of appropriateness request.
Analysis: A COA review is not required for a detached garage per Section 6-11-7:3. Therefore, no recommendation on the architectural style is made.
5.3. Economic Reasonableness: The Commission and the Zoning Administrator shall consider the economic reasonableness of any recommended changes determined to be necessary to bring the application into conformity with the character of the historic district.
Analysis: The proposed garage is 20’ by 24’ which is an economically reasonable sized 2-car garage.
5.4. Energy Conservation Effect: In making its determinations, the Commission and Zoning Administrator shall consider the effect that any recommended changes may have on energy conservation.
Analysis: The proposed detached garage will not result in any adverse impact on energy conservation at the Subject Property.
5.5. Application Of Regulations: The Commission and Zoning Administrator shall not impose specific regulations, limitations, or restrictions as to the height and bulk of buildings, or the area of yards or setbacks, or other open spaces, density of population, land use, or location of buildings designed for conditional uses except as applicable for compliance with the underlying zoning district.
5.5.1. The Commission however, may consider the height and bulk of buildings and area of yards or setbacks within the context of existing neighborhoods in making its determinations. The Commission shall be permitted to deny a certificate of appropriateness on the basis of height and bulk of buildings and the area of yards or setbacks only upon finding that the approval of such a request would be detrimental to the existing or historical character of its surrounding neighborhood. The Commission may adopt procedural rules concerning the type of information that it considers necessary to make such a finding.
5.5.2. The Commission's consideration of height and bulk of buildings and area of yards or setbacks shall not exempt the applicant from compliance with the provisions of this Title 6 <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE> (Zoning Regulations).
Analysis: Approval of the COA request would not be detrimental to the historical character of the home or surrounding neighborhood given that the garage is detached so it will not impact the architectural style of the home. In addition, approval of the detached garage will provide compliance with the minimum of 2 parking spaces, one of which must be enclosed, for residential homes (Section 6-9-2:4.2.1).
5.6. The City's Historic Building Design and Resource Manual may be used as a resource in consideration of the above.
Analysis: The City’s Historic Building Design and Resource Manual encourages newly constructed garages to be detached.
PZC and City Council Review
Once the HPC has provided a recommendation on the request, the variance will be forwarded to the PZC for review. Variance requests are reviewed by the PZC and then forwarded to the City Council for final determination per the requirements in Section 6-3-6 (Variances) of the Naperville Municipal Code.
Key Takeaways
• The petitioner is requesting approval of COA #19-29 in order to construct a detached garage at 422 E. Franklin Avenue.
• Staff supports and recommends approval the variance from Section 6-2-10 (Accessory Buildings, Structures, and Uses of Land) of the Naperville Municipal Code to allow the proposed detached garage to be located 2’ from the south property line.