Historic Commission Chair Votes No on His Own Board's Approval of Ferncliff Terrace Addition

In an unusual break from his usual role presiding over votes, Chair Herrigel voted no on his own commission's approval of a kitchen and family-room addition sought by Margot and John Baugher at 11 Ferncliff Terrace. The application passed anyway with conditions requiring wood windows on the west side and a more detailed roof plan.

That wasn't the only dissent of the night. Commissioner Wright voted no on Wells Fargo Bank's plan to replace a teller lane with an ATM at 777 Bloomfield Avenue, which was approved anyway. Commissioner Kopec voted no on a rear addition sought by Anthony D'Imperio and Katie Broomfield at 7 Ardsley Road (Herrigel had stepped down from that vote as chair), which also passed. And on a repair-and-door-replacement application from Bettina Wittich at 506 Ridgewood Avenue -- split into a separate garage-only vote and a separate window-changes vote -- commissioner Travia voted no on the garage portion (with Wright and Herrigel both stepping down from that vote), though it passed; the window-changes portion later passed without dissent.

The commission also approved changes to the Glen Ridge Country Club's pool house at 555 Ridgewood Avenue, shifting the exterior cladding to a mix of Hardiplank and NuCedar shingle siding split by elevation. Herrigel recused himself from that vote as chair, and Vice Chair Githens presided over it instead. Separately, under "other business," the commission learned that the Country Club's actual built clubhouse deviates significantly from the plans the commission had previously approved, and voted to require the Country Club to appear before the full commission to seek approval for the discrepancy.

Several other applications passed without dissent: a mud room addition at 276 Ridgewood Avenue, a wood-to-composite deck replacement at 186 Linden Avenue, and window changes to a previously approved project at 164 Forest Avenue (with architect-commissioner Kopec stepping down from that vote).

What to watch

• Whether the Glen Ridge Country Club appears before the full commission to address its as-built clubhouse construction, which deviates significantly from previously approved plans.