The rowhouse at 630 D Street, NE is a two and one-half story building with Flemish bond coursing, a two-bay porch, and mansard roof with two gable dormers. The project has a number of excellent features, including careful restoration the front exterior of a brick rowhouse that is now in poor condition. However, the project as currently proposed would alter this rowhouse’s front retaining wall and two other important character-defining attributes in order to make a wheelchair-accessible entrance into the front basement. However, a feasible alteration of the plans would preserve the character-defining attributes while allowing construction of a wheelchair entrance to the house in the rear, accessible through an alley behind the house.

The complete text of the letter to HPRB: CHRS630DstNEHPRB14-448comments072014ep