Before conducting business as the Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission, the same group served in its function as the Design and Review Board. Among other considerations the board looked at proposed changes to 7415 Elm Avenue, which is being rehabbed.
The company Beyond Housing is rehabbing the house to flip, and wanted approval for their front porch design — the new one being smaller than the original. The representative of the company said the reasoning was that the residents would use the back door more than the front, so the front porch wasn’t as important.
The board disagreed. Member Dana Valenti said the front porch is important because it connects the residents with the street and neighbors. She said she could imagine the owner spending afternoons there. Board member Sean O’Gorman agreed that he wanted the front of the house to be “part of the street.”
They also agreed that a fabric roof for the porch, which was planned, looked cheap and commercial, though they realized expense was a consideration.
The company had also planned to “white wash” the front of the house, saying it would cover an uneven appearance of the bricks. Members of the board disagreed, saying that painting brick homes is a trend, and advised against it.
Stockade fences are a blight on any neighborhood.
I am thankful the board is calling attention to painting brick as an issue. Besides being trendy and not reversible to the original look, I’ve read that painting can be detrimental to the brick long term, or worse used to hide the condition of deteriorating brick.
St. Louis brick is part of the region’s architectural heritage and distinctive character, and beautiful when properly maintained.
Bravo to the Historic Preservation Commission!
In my opinion, we need to save/rebuild as many of the original front porches as we can. Front porches are the space between the occupants and the street and these are perfect for casual chats and conversations. That’s probably the simplest way to build a sense of community.
“Modern Suburbia” hasn’t lived up to its promise; not by a long shot. It’s time to relegate it to the box of curiosities that no one uses.
Why in the heck did they tear off that porch in the first place? It doesn’t look to be too bad???? I have seen some atrocities happening in our neighborhood as of late, it has to stop. I cannot imagine what a “fabric roof” would look like over this porch. Garbage.