? would the HPO reject attempts to replace brick front steps with metal front steps (if Bloomingdale were historically designated, that is) ??

I posted a message to the Historic Washington list at Yahoogroups regarding the current trend in Bloomingdale by some developers of replacing brick front steps with metal front steps.

You can see the response from Dupont Circle resident Lance Salonia.

First, my post to the Historic Washington list:

Developers are coming into non-designated Bloomingdale, zoned R-4, and renovating rowhouses -- and converting them to multiple dwelling units.

In many cases, the basements are being renovated as par of the lower unit condominium.    Some existing brick front steps leading up to the house's front door are being converted into metal front steps.

It would appear that the intention is to allow more natural light to enter the basement door area and make it more inviting.  The brick front steps are closed and make the space between the front steps and the basement door area dark.

I have two posts at the Bloomingdale Neighborhood blog with two examples of brick-to-metal front steps conversions for you to look at.

I assume that, in general, such conversions would not * be * permitted in DC's designated neighborhoods?  Your feedback is solicited.

Example #1

Example #2

And here is Lance Salonia's response:

I'd suspect that were Bloomingdale a historic district that HPO would require that the historic existing stone stairs to a contributing structure remain on the structure.  I.e., Provided that the stone stairs were original to the structure, their removal would only be allowed under exceptional circumstances.  That said, personally I think the metal stairs are a vast improvement over the stone stairs, especially if their use is to make the basement units more amenable for their current day use.  Additionally, the new metal stairs remind me of the beautiful cast iron stairs we have down in many parts of my Dupont neighborhood which IS designated a historic neighborhood.  Incidentally, in researching my own cast iron stairs I learned that the manufacturer of my stairs was most probably not yet in business when my home was built circa 1880, as he had worked in his father's cast iron shop and didn't establish his own shop until sometime around 1905.  So did my house have an older version of cast iron stairs before these were installed?  (2 of the orginal 6 in my 'row' have an older version of cast iron stairs which research tells me 'might' have been available around in 1880.)  Or did my house maybe have wooden stairs when orginally constructed?  (why would someone need to replace a cast iron staircase barely a quarter century old?)  Maybe all 6 had wooden (or even maybe brick) stairs when first built?

But no, if Bloomingdale were a historic district, it's doubtful HPO would allow the removal of the stone stairs.

Lance Salonia