HPA No. 2006-007 (In re. the Bowie-Sevier House)

• HPA Number: 2006-007
• Case Name: In Re Application for Subdivision [of the Bowie-Sevier House]
• Location of Property: 1521 32nd Street, N.W.
• Date of Decision: 2/2/06
• Type of Case/Type of Permit Sought: Subdivision to combine two record lots on the site of landmark building within Old Georgetown Historic District
• Disposition: Granted, Unopposed
• Date of Case Summary: 3/14/07

Summary of Decision:

Applicant sought approval of a subdivision that combined two lots on the site of the landmark Bowie-Sevier House into a single lot in order to facilitate the construction of a new, single-family home recommended for approval by the Old Georgetown Board, the Commission on Fine Arts and the Historic Preservation Review Board. The Mayor's Agent concluded that the subdivision was necessary in the public interest as consistent with the purposes of the Act because it would retain and enhance the landmark while adapting the property to current use by facilitating new construction that is compatible with the character of both the landmark and the historic district, completing the development of the western edge of the landmark property that began with the subdivision of the original lot in the late nineteenth century.

Mayor's Agent - Procedural:

Because the proposed subdivision involves the site of a landmark listed in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites, a hearing before the Mayor's Agent is required under D.C. Code § 6-1106(c). The Mayor's Agent noted that a public hearing regarding the subdivision of a lot in an historic district (as opposed to subdivisions involving historic landmarks) is unnecessary if the HPRB advises the Mayor that the subdivision is consistent with the purposes of the Act.

Consistent with the Purposes of the Act:

The subdivision was consistent with the purposes of the Act where it would retain and enhance the landmark, while adapting the property to current use by allowing the construction of a new single-family house that was compatible with both the landmark and the historic district on the new record lot. There were no details discussed regarding why the proposed single-family house was considered compatible.

Compatible:

Subdivision of lot in an historic district was compatible with the character of historic district where the proposed lot was comparable in size and shape to the dimensions and forms of the lots that have historically characterized the landmark property and the historic district.

Related History:

See HPA No. 98-281 order of November 9, 1998 for related history concerning this property.

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