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CAR has full slate of renovation and new construction projects this month

The agenda for Tuesday, November 22, 2016 meeting of the Commission of Architectural Review includes a number of local projects:

  • 2220-2222 Jefferson Avenue – Rehabilitate a multi-unit building to include the installation of fiber cement siding, replacement of all windows, enclosure of rear porches, and construction of new decks.
  • 504 N. 29th Street – Rehabilitate an existing structure to include the installation of fiber cement siding, replacement of all windows with vinyl windows, reconstruction of the side porches to include screening the upper porch, the resotation of the historic openings on the first floor of the façade, and construction of a new deck.
  • 804 N. 22nd Street – Install fiber cement siding on an existing concrete block apartment building and replace existing windows with vinyl slider windows.
  • 2209 Venable Street – Rehabilitate the existing structure and replace an existing 2nd story addition with a new 2 story addition.
  • 808 N. 21st Street – Construct an eight unit multifamily structure on a vacant lot.
  • 1903 E. Marshall Street – Modify previously approved plans for a new multi-family dwelling to change proposed window and siding materials.
  • 314 N. 21st Street – Modify plans for previously approved porch reconstruction.
  • 811 1/2 N. 24th Street – Rehabilitate a home with fire damage by installing new windows, fiber cement siding, and porch details. (ABOVE)
  • 2230 Venable Street – Construct two new multifamily structures and rehabilitate an existing structure to include new windows.
  • 2400 E. Franklin Street – Construct a single family dwelling.

12 comments

Eric S. Huffstutler 11/11/2016 at 12:12 PM

For those unfamiliar with the term “fiber cement” siding. It is commonly called HardiPlank siding. HardiPlank is a trademark name like Kleenex, but generically called it the same way. It is heavy, does not rot like wood, and is often colored permanently with pigment so you don’t have to paint. It also adds another layer of insulation and comes in beaded and textured styles.

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Kay9 11/11/2016 at 6:42 PM

Correction- Hardie Siding has basically no insulating value to speak of~ R-.50 (basically, nothing)

Hardie Siding is NOT maintenance free- it does require painting every 10-15 years. It is available in a factory applied acrylic finish (paint). It fades and gets wash-worn over time.

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JulesT 11/13/2016 at 10:12 AM

8 unit apartment building in a block surrounded by single family homes and quads. Way to many 1 br’s
808 N. 21st Street

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urbngrilla 11/16/2016 at 12:14 PM

Prison-style architecture planned for Jessamine Street north of Venable.

Zero-home ownership in this project. 52 rental apartments and 52 parking spaces. And one big 3-story slave-boat of a building along the 800 block of Jessamine.

Folks in Union Hill, go check out the plans on the CAR website. You can help fight this project. Many of your neighbors are already doing so.

Either attend the 11/22/2016 CAR hearing and complain, or send a letter of to CAR via their staff: marianne.pitts@richmondgov.com.

Demand that Better Housing Coallition do better for tenants/families and the community.

Backstory: Neighbors have had several meetings with BHC about this project. Only cosmetic changes have been made to the massive 3 story structure on Jessamine. Neighbors are even willing to support the removal of the parking lot to free up land to build a more appropriate development. But BHC is too un-creative and cheap to start over with the design.

Union Hill should not be collateral damage for BHC’s failure get a Certificate of Appropriateness BEFORE promising the Federal Government it could build this project on this site.

BHC says if they can’t build on this site as planned, they’ll loose all their funding for the various projects around Richmond. All because a senior staff person goofed up and claims they didn’t know that new construction in Old and Historic Districts requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before you apply for a building permit.

The East End of Richmond is being expected to absorb another crappy housing project to cover up a BHC staff person’s big mistake.

Shame on BHC. Shame on their board of directors for dumping on Union Hill/Church Hill/East End.

Low income people deserve decent affordable housing–not a warehouse that will be as environmentally hostile to it’s inhabitants as well as its neighbors.

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John M 11/16/2016 at 12:36 PM

screen-shot-2016-11-16-at-12-33-32-pm

The application and plans for the BHC Venable/Jessamine project is here: https://richmondva.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=4778233&GUID=AB89C55D-3337-4475-AF96-D39DABC6E36C (31MB PDF)

Not sure I get the heated rhetoric on this. A lot of the language honestly seems to be more opposed to the rental nature of the development, cast in concern for architecture.

This is not a low-income housing project. This is affordable housing, of a kind that is being pushed out of the community. One of the failures of the earlier generation of owner-occupied work force housing in the area is that it gets sold after a few years, and with gentrification pushing up prices, the housing is no longer affordable. Good for the first generation of homeowner, not so good for the long-term diversity of the community.

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urbngrilla 11/16/2016 at 1:02 PM

Neighbors ARE NOT opposed to affordable housing in the form of rental. We just want a better building on this site.

We embrace affordable rentals in Union Hill. But why does it have to be in the form of a massive structure with a unnecessary surface parking lot?

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mary 11/23/2016 at 8:26 AM

CAR, November 22, 2016
Meeting Summary (only east end applications)
Business:

Approval of minutes deferred but they will be available, written as well as audio, on the city CAR site, once approved

Presentation of two modernist building nominations for the National Register, one building constructed 1936-37, the other 1954-55. CAR reviews and comments on these nominations but has no decision making authority; and commented favorably on both nominations

Consent Agenda – Approved
22 E. Broad St

Regular Agenda

  • 2423 E. Grace – withdrawn from agenda prior to meeting
  • 2220-2222 Jefferson Ave – partial approval with staff recommendations
  • 504 N. 29th St – partial approval with staff recommendations
  • 804 N. 22nd St – approved with staff recommendations and statement of exception concerning wood-grained cementitious siding
  • 2209 Venable St – approved with staff recommendations
  • 808 N. 21st St – withdrawn from agenda prior to meeting
  • 1903 E. Marshall St – approved with staff recommendations
  • 314 N. 21st St – denied
  • 811 ½ N. 24th St – approved with staff recommendations (note that this structure had been on a demolition list for 1 ½ years-see photo leading into this post)
  • 2230 Venable – denied
  • 2400 E. Franklin St – approved

Note: staff recommendations are part of the staff report for each application and are available before each scheduled meeting

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