Pats Amendola Under Fire From Neighbors

A metal carport erected behind a house on Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island in December has angered neighbors for being out place the historic district.

The tenant of the house? New England Patriots’ wide receiver Danny Amendola.

A contractor working on a property next to the house said Monday that the carport “probably shouldn’t be there,” but that he heard it was “coming down in February” — which neighbors confirmed in an email chain obtained by GoLocal.

He said that he spoke briefly with Amendola Monday morning on his way out of the house. The contractor declined to be named for the article.

The College Hill Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1970, and the local historic district was established in 1960. Properties within the local historic district are regulated by the city's historic district zoning ordinance, and cannot be altered without approval from the Providence Historic District Commission.

Neighbors Battle City Hall

The issue of the carport first came to light when it appeared in December behind the property on Benefit Street, and neighbors began complaining about how it got there.

“We are affronted by the structure daily and can't wait for March to end! We like our neighbor, but wish this had not happened as we believe a good snow service would have solved the possible snow problem and saved a lot of money and aggravation. We sincerely hope the zoning regulations change in regard to temporary structures,” said one set of neighbors in a group email on December 28.

Toby Ayers wrote to the group on January 3 regarding the outcome of neighborhood action — and communications — with the city over the out-of-place carport.

"City Historic Zoning Officer (Jason) indicates the tenant plans to remove this carport before the end of February. Jason indicates similar temporary carports will not be approved in future. Apparently their office got so many complaint calls on this issue that not everyone got a call-back. Resident action made a difference," wrote Ayers.

“I understand that for 'temporary' structures there may be some 'give' in the regulations,” Ayers told GoLocal. “And what I think is that people need to be vigilant because there will always be somebody trying to get away with stuff they know they should not be doing. It's [the] Historic District Commission and City’s role to make sure they live by the letter and the spirit of the law.”

PPS Weighs In

Brent Runyon with the Providence Preservation Society said that he had expressed concerns about what transpired to permit a non-historic structure to be allowed in the district.

"My participation was similar to several homeowners," said Runyon. "I called the historic preservation planner to get the facts. I corresponded with some homeowners along Benefit Street. Also, I sent a letter to the tenants of the house with the carport, to welcome them to the neighborhood and to help them gain an understanding of how important the historic character is. I have not received a reply, but that was sent just before Christmas vacation."

“If these type structures are indeed allowed in a highly visible location in local historic districts under current city zoning code, then there is a problem. We believe that the city needs to close whatever loophole allows 'temporary' structures but would not allow a similar 'permanent' structure,” said Runyon. “Such non-historic structures are often allowed on secondary facades, although I am not an expert on Providence's codes, so that may or may not be the case here. Since this house is on a corner, there is no secondary facade.”

“If people are expected to undergo design review for exterior changes to their homes, then a structure as large and out of character as a temporary garage should certainly be subject to design review, or disallowed entirely,” continued Runyon. “No other option is acceptable.”

The Patriots are now entering playoffs; the season would not go past February 7, the date of the Super Bowl.

Article originally published on Tuesday, January 5

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