The applicant proposes to re-roof several buildings at the Oakland Park Elementary School campus. The original classroom building, auditorium building, gazebo, some connecting walkways, and the main gate are designated as historic and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These buildings were constructed in the late 1920s. As Mediterranean Revival style structures, their exterior walls are finished in stucco and the roofing material consists of red cement barrel tiling. The existing roof was installed around 1990 using concrete Spanish S tile and Barrel tile along with a rolled bitumen on flat sections at the top of the auditorium.
All existing roofing material is to be removed, and the wood decking is to be replaced and/or repaired as needed. A new rolled bitumen roof would be installed on the Auditorium’s flat roof section. New copper flashing and gutters are to be installed, and low-profile interlocking cement pantiles (barrel tiles) are to be installed on all sloping roof sections. The final shade of red is being determined.
Analysis
Barrel tile roofs, also known as pantiles, are a common and defining feature of the Mediterranean Revival style along with stucco walls and arched windows and doors. Although this architectural style is popular in Florida, it is quite rare within the City of Oakland Park. Originally, pantiles were made of clay, but in the early 20th century, cement became a popular material choice for these tiles, and the existing and proposed replacement tiles for Oakland Park Elementary School are made of this material. The proposed replacement tiles would be similar to those historically used on a building of this type.
Applicable Regulations
Sec. 25-101. - Activities requiring certificate.
A certificate of appropriateness issued by the historic preservation board shall be required for any of the following activities:
(1) Any alteration requiring a building permit which may change the exterior appearance of an individually designated historic building or structure.
(2) Demolition of an individual building or structure that has been previously issued a certificate of designation.
(3) The relocation of any building or structure or individually designated historic resource.
(4) Any new construction of principal or accessory buildings, structures, or any addition to any building designated as a historic resource.
Sec. 25-107. - Action by historic preservation board.
At the public hearing provided for in this article, the historic preservation board shall approve, deny or approve with conditions each application based on the appropriate criteria contained in this article after the public hearing, except as otherwise provided for in demolition situations outlined in section 25-111. Copies of the decision shall be mailed to the applicant and property owner within ten (10) days of the decision. Unless appealed, the decision of the board shall be the final administrative decision. After the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness, except for ordinary maintenance, no change may be made in the proposed work without resubmittal of an application.
Sec. 25-108. - Review criteria for proposed exterior work on buildings or structures where a certificate of designation has previously been issued.
In consideration of an application for a certificate of appropriateness for proposed exterior construction, the historic preservation board shall utilize the following guidelines based on the United States Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, 36 CFR 67:
(1) A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
(2) The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of exterior features that characterize a property shall be avoided.
(3) Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
(4) Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
(5) Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.
(6) Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, texture and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical or pictorial evidence.
(7) Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
(8) Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, work shall be monitored by an archaeologist, as appropriate, and mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
(9) New additions, exterior alterations or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
(10) New additions or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.