DAVID HOWE 1325 Emory Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 Phone: 404-391-4319 E-Mail: davelh206@gmail.com

January 4, 2019 Dekalb County Historic Preservation Commission Dekalb County Department of Planning and Sustainability Clark Harrison Building 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave Decatur, GA 30030 Dear Members of the Dekalb County Historic Preservation Commission: We respectfully request informal comments on possible demolition of the existing home and construction of a new home in advance of submitting a formal request for a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Property Description:

The home sits facing Emory Road at street level (Appendix 1), with the right side of the home (viewed from street) that expands to Briarcliff Road. The land that expands to Briarcliff is thick with trees and existing home is not viewable from Briarcliff. Home was built in 1947 and looks like it may have been a duplex. There are two front entrance doors. The right door entrance has exterior brick wall inside the entrance with two outside doors. Looks like it may have shared the kitchen between the sections. (Site Plan: Existing Site)

Reasons for Demolition:

1. The existing structure has decayed beyond the economic utility of renovating it.

2. There is a small cellar below the front entrance section of the house in the basement. There is one step to enter the small room. The walls do not appear to be thicker above ground level. The walls however show signs of long-time significant water entry even after extensive parging and water proofing. There is a crack at front entrance at street level in plaster above arch from settlement.

3. Rainwater rushes down driveway into garage. Some of the water goes out a drain hole in back of

garage underneath fireplace. Continuous water throughout the years has made the foundation weaker around the fireplace and caused the fireplace to slant which in turn has caused the roof to leak. Retaining walls on either side of driveway are unreinforced and failing. (Appendix 2,3,4)

4. Hydrostatic pressure forces water into basement even after parging and waterproofing. (Appendix 5,6)

5. Large Cracks and leaks in foundation walls even after extensive parging waterproofing. (Appendix 7)

6. Large sized settlement cracks in basement floor. (Appendix 8,9)

7. Unreinforced Block foundation. (Appendix 10,11)

8. Needs updated electrical and plumbing and HVAC systems. a. Plumbing: Evidence of failure of metal piping system is evident from erosion, corrosion or a

combination of the two. b. Electrical: Cracked, missing, or damaged wire insulation, exposing the metal part of the

wire. No Grounding and fabric insulation throughout property. c. HVAC: 1947 Heating and Air Unit and duct work that is inefficient and needs replacement.

9. Basement and Attic ceiling height is under 8 feet making it unsuitable for usable living space.

Access to both is provided with extremely narrow staircases.

10. Kitchen and bathrooms are original to home and need major updating.

11. Windows are inefficient and some unusable (especially in basement)

12. Black mold under bathroom in basement and in garage. Mold and decaying floor system in garage. (Appendix 12, 13, 14)

13. Cracks in drywall/plaster

14. No Insulation in exterior walls.

Proposal of New Construction:

The functional and technical obsolescence of existing property is why we would like to demolish the existing home. The home’s overall configuration and layout, floor plans are unable to satisfy basic functional needs. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing perform poorly, are energy-inefficient, and may be unreliable and unsafe. The exterior, basement, roofing and other construction materials are deteriorating. Annual maintenance, repair and replacement costs are accelerating and increasingly unaffordable.

The strategy and intention are to achieve a balance between differentiation and compatibility but weighted in favor of the later. We have taken into consideration all aspects of Section 7.2 in the Druid Hills Design Manual in Recognizing the Prevailing Character of Existing Development. The proposed new construction will be appropriate for the neighborhood by using existing front and side setbacks, using colors and materials appropriate to existing houses. Our hopes are to build a new home that captures the rhythm of the preservation process and increase the economic viability and appeal of our beautiful historic district. Thank you in advance for your expertise, guidance and support. We look forward to your informal comments on the conceptual plans included.

1. Site Plan: Existing Site 2. Conceptual Site Plan Lot 13 3. Conceptual Floor Plan: Terrace Level 4. Conceptual Floor Plan: Main Level 5. Conceptual Floor Plan: Upper Level 6. Lot 13 Conceptual Front Elevation 7. Appendix 15 (1313 Harvard Rd) 8. Appendix 16 ( 1325 Emory Rd located directly Across Street)

Sincerely,

Dave Howe

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