North Ridge Civic Association
An undated historic photo provided by North Ridge Civic Association, which opposes demolishing the historic property at 506 N. Overlook Dr.
...
Update: The North Ridge Civic Association and the owner of the historic property at 506 N. Overlook Drive reportedly will be asking the Alexandria Planning Commission, which has this issue on its March 2 docket, to defer the matter for now. The owner of the home had submitted a request to re-subdivide the property, and if the Planning Commission approved the new lot lines, the home would need to be torn down to make room for two new homes on the new lots.
...
The North Ridge Civic Association is getting history fans involved in a campaign to prevent a 19th century home from being torn down.
The civic association has launched a Change.org petition to stop the new owner of 506 N. Overlook Dr. from tearing down the home and building two new homes in its place.
“The new owner of 506 N. Overlook Drive is proposing to demolish this historic Civil War era house, subdivide the property, and build 2 new houses in its place. This house was built in 1850, owned by a free African American man named Hampshire Fractious in the years immediately after the Civil War, and is said to have been used as a hospital during the war. It is listed as a Documented Historic Site in the 1992 Alexandria Master Plan for Historic Preservation,” according to the petition.
Fractious in the late 1860s was listed as owning a house and lot on Queen Street.
Close to 900 people have signed the petition so far regarding the North Overlook House.
“Please support this petition asking the Alexandria Planning Commission to defer approval of this request, at least until the Office of Historic Alexandria can complete the required evaluation and report on the history of this site. We would like to explore alternate approaches that would preserve this important structure as a symbol of North Ridge and as a key part of Alexandria's history.”
Being listed as a Documented Historic Site does not make it impossible to tear down the property.
The home at 506 North Overlook Drive sold in the summer of 2020 for $1.2 million (see listing photos here). It has three bedrooms and three and one-half baths and sits on two lots that were sold as one that total two-thirds of an acre.
Approval of Subdivision Appears to Require Demolition
The North Ridge Civic Association’s petition will become part of the record before the Alexandria Planning Commission, which has the item on its docket for Tuesday, March 2.
The item before the Planning Commission on March 2 only focuses on permission to subdivide the lot into two reconfigured parcels; it does not directly address the demolishment of the existing historic home.
The city staff report reads, in part, “The applicant states that they intend to demolish the existing dwelling and construct a single-family dwelling on each new lot, subject to the R-8 zone requirements. The demolition of the existing dwelling is not the subject of this subdivision request.”
However, dividing the lot in the manner proposed would necessitate removing the existing home on the property.
Later in the report, city staff wrote: “Staff supports the applicant’s re-subdivision request. The proposed reconfiguration of the lots would also be compatible with neighborhood character in terms of lot size, frontage and width as required by Section 11-1710(B). Proposed Lots 500 and 501 would also comply with the R-8 zone requirements provided that the applicant demolishes the existing dwelling on Proposed Lot 501.”
City officials seems to believe the home was built later than the 1850s — it may have been built as late as 1878.
“A single-family dwelling constructed circa 1878, occupies Existing Lot 13. The subject property is not included on the City’s list of buildings over 100 years old. Properties on this list are subject to Board of Architectural Review for alterations pursuant to Zoning Ordinance section 10-304,” according to a city staff report.
The applicant before the planning commission is JS Investment LLC and is being represented by an attorney. JS Investment is based at 917 Prince St., a private residence. City documents reveal JS Investments is wholly owned by an Alexandria resident named John Schmidt.
