HPC Denies Solar Panels on Highland Avenue, Approves Additions on Clark and Carteret Streets
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The Glen Ridge Historic Preservation Commission opened its 2016 season with routine reorganization business, reelecting Frank Herrigel as chair and Diane Githens as vice chair, reappointing Debi Henry as secretary, and adopting the year's bylaws and meeting schedule.
Turning to applications, the commission approved several exterior projects without objection: a rear addition to accommodate a kitchen, breakfast area and mudroom at 64 Clark Street (contingent on the new foundation and railings matching existing features); a three-story rear and side addition at 163 Carteret Street; black roof-mounted solar panels at 121 Glen Ridge Avenue, whose front elevation the commission judged set back far enough not to affect the streetscape; and a new two-door garage at 100 Oxford Street to replace one destroyed in a September fire. A proposed dormer addition at 22 Coolidge Avenue was withdrawn after the commission found the design didn't suit the house's style, with a subcommittee review offered before the applicant's next appearance. By contrast, the commission voted to deny a rooftop solar panel installation at 15 Highland Avenue, finding that all of the affected roof planes were visible from the street; the applicant was advised of the Planning Board appeal process.
The bulk of the meeting was devoted to a courtesy review -- advisory only, since the site sits outside the historic district -- of HackensackUMC Mountainside's plan to demolish its 98,000-square-foot former nursing school building at 311 Bay Avenue and replace it with a new three-story, 60,000-square-foot medical office building. Architect Alan Kopelson presented two site-orientation options, one facing Bay Avenue and one facing Walnut Crescent. Several Roswell Terrace residents -- Michael Landi, Genoveva Dunn, Lynn Scott and Brian Cretella -- spoke against the Walnut Crescent-facing option, citing added parking-lot traffic and noise near their homes; Scott also objected that the option hadn't been shown at an earlier presentation. Kopelson said the feedback would be factored into future revisions.
What to watch
- A joint Montclair/Glen Ridge Planning Board meeting on the HackensackUMC Mountainside redevelopment was scheduled for January 25, 2016.
- A subcommittee is reviewing a resubmitted window-change proposal at 5 Mead Terrace and has requested additional information.
- The Coolidge Avenue dormer application may return with a redesigned dormer after subcommittee input.