HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistoric PreservationHistoric Preservation Plan for “The Carriage House”
by Brian O’Kelly, owner of 1123 Pismo St., “The Nuss House”
Municipal Code Chapter 14.01 Historic Preservation Ordinance
14.01.010 Findings and Purpose. A. Findings.
2. The City of San Luis Obispo has been fortunate to have owners who care about the history of their
community and have undertaken the costly and time-consuming task of restoring, maintaining and
enhancing their historic homes and commercial buildings. Their efforts have enhanced the distinctive
character and sense of place of the community.
I would like to say that I am one of those who support the
preservation of historic resources in the City of San Luis
Obispo. My wife and I currently live in The Nuss House
which is on the Master List of Historic Resources. We
bought the house in 2012 and did an extensive restoration
to the house including the interior. All the original doors,
hardware, windows, floors were repaired, restored and
reinstalled makinig for a very beautiful and original
house. A great deal of effort went into the project and
now it’s something the city can be proud of.
The Goal for “The Carriage House”
As part of the rehabilitation of the property we now want to take on the “Carriage House” as it has come
to be called. This is a very basic garage built around 1919. It’s most significant feature is it’s 100 years
old and is board and batten construction. We think it has the potential to be one of the ncer original
buildings in the Pismo-Buchon Alley, the only
public space where it is visible. The
Pismo-Buchon alley has developed into a
close-knit community where people walk, ride
bikes, gather to chat, and for children to play.
This will be a great addition to the alley as other
properties make improvements. We plan to make
the exterior look as original as possible by reusing
the old growth redwood board and batten to
replace the plywood siding in the alley. A
carriage house style door will replace the metal
garage door. We also want to put a sign on the
alley side that says “The Carriage House” , Built
c. 1919, by ???? Our research from the History Center of San Luis Obispo County showed that
Clarence Day lived in the house at this time. He is also responsible for several other upgrades to The
Nuss House including adding electricity, prior to that the house only had gas light and heat.
Improvement History and Current Condition
The Carriage House was built sometime before 1919. For the
time the board and batten construction method was an inexpensive
way to construct an outbuilding. It first appeared on the 1926
Sanborn Insurance Maps. I am surprised, but also glad, that it is
still standing with enough material left to do a restoration.
The original building was 12’ x 30’. In 1948 it was extended 20’
by Permit #BLDG-L00102-1-1948. In 1999 the roof was
sheathed with OSB and the current white 3 tab roof installed
Permit #BLDG-L13712-1999
The building in its current condition is in danger of collapse.
When we purchased the house it was obvious there was a risk of
it falling over since there was no lateral support for a building
with 50’ long walls and had a noticeable lean. I added three
temporary wall buttresses bolted to the concrete floor to support
it.
It has a severely sagging roof that appears to be the result of
when the side wall was knocked off the foundation. The side wall
had been dislodged and has been resting on the dirt since before
1971. This information came from Barney Silva who owned the
house from 1971 to 2012.
Much of the original siding has been replaced with plywood and particle
board. The gable end on the alley has plywood siding. Many of the
redwood batts have been removed or stolen on the alley side. It has an
unappealing white 3 tab shingle roof. It has a 1950s style metal garage
door. At some point it was wired with knob and tube wiring.
The original shingle roof was approximately 70 years old when it was
finally replaced in 1999. Evidence of rot and termite damage is visible in
the structure. From our experience restoring The Nuss House, we found
that termite damage in old wood was usually the result of it getting wet
and soft and the 70 year old roof may be the answer to the damage in this
structure.
The Restoration Plan
Our goal is to restore The Carriage House to as close to original condition as possible as viewed from the
outside. The priority for use of original siding materials will be on the alley side which is in public view.
The footprint, walls, roof pitch and elevations in the alley (public view) will be unchanged. A “Truth
Wall” section will be built inside to demonstrate the wall construction without studs.
We have consulted with our contractor, Sean Bolduan of Pacific Builders, on the feasibility of structurally
restoring this building while maintaining its historic character. Pacific Builders has extensive experience
working on historic properties downtown including the renovation of the Jack House in 2018. We
determined this building can be made structurally sound using basic typical construction methods and is
feasible by the standard listed in the Historic Preservation Ordinance below.
Municipal Code Chapter 14.01 Historic Preservation Ordinance
14.01.020 Definitions.
18. Feasible: Structural feasibility means that a building or other structure can be repaired or
rehabilitated so as to be safe and usable without significant loss of historic fabric. Factors to be
considered when making this determination include the existence of technology that will allow the design
of the work and the ability to repair, supplement or replace loadbearing members and the thermal and
moisture protection systems required for continued use of the structure; and the physical capacity of the
structure to withstand the repair and/or rehabilitation process without the danger of further damage.
The Defining Feature
The building is over 100 years old which is remarkable, the defining features need to be recognized.
Historic Preservation Program Guidelines
9. Character Defining Feature: Board and Batten
Besides being old, the defining feature of this building is the original old growth redwood board and
batten load bearing wall construction.
For this project we anticipate having enough original siding to complete all parts of the building viewable
to the public. For the rest we will use new materials to recreate the same look.
The following sections of the Historic Preservation Ordinance will also apply to this project.
3.5 Reconstruction of Historic Resources
3.5.1 Historic building codes.
Reconstruction of listed historic structures should preserve the original historic character of the historic
resource to the maximum extent possible; use of California Historic Building code is encouraged to
accomplish such preservation.
3.5.2 Consistency with Standards.
Reconstruction shall follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, and shall be based on conclusive
evidence such as architectural plans, photos, as-built drawings and other reliable and accurate
information.
3.5.3 Minor variations.
The Director or the ARC, on recommendation by the CHC, may approve minor variations from the
original design to meet code requirements; provided the overall architectural character is maintained and
character defining features are accurately recreated