Preservation Commission Splits 4-3 Over Enclosed Porch, Chair Casts Rare Dissenting Vote on Separate Project

In the closest vote of a marathon meeting that heard fifteen applications, the commission approved Marian and Jessica Neagoe's plan to enclose their front porch and rebuild the steps and landing at 471 Belleville Avenue by a narrow 4-3 margin, over commissioners' stated concern that the new structure and steps might extend too far toward the street and could require a zoning variance. Githens, Herrigel, McMahon and Travia voted yes; Kopec, Wright and Vande Stouwe voted no. The approval requires the owners to submit a full site plan and dimensions before the project can proceed.

Herrigel cast an unusual dissenting vote of his own on a separate application: a porch floor and iron handrail renovation for Matt and Nina Marino at 150 Hawthorne Avenue, which the rest of the commission approved 5-1. Commissioner Wright also recorded an abstention, rather than a yes-or-no vote, on a side-porch repair for James and Hannah Vendetti at 50 Douglas Road, which was otherwise approved unanimously on condition that a window molding be corrected to look straight rather than "cornered up."

The commission approved a long list of other renovation and addition projects unanimously among voting members, including a garage-to-sitting-room conversion for Zachary and Tova Narrett at 101 Hillside Avenue; a front addition for the Agarwals at 162 Ridgewood Avenue; a porch and column replacement at 97 Ridgewood Avenue for Roland Wunderlich and Sherry Wu; new third-floor dormers for Andrea and Brian Cretella at 3 Roswell Terrace; an addition for Margot and Hugh MacDonnell at 84 Ridgewood Avenue; window changes for Brian McCabe at 205 Baldwin Street; a mudroom addition for Amy and Brian Keane at 2 Inness Place; a family and mudroom addition using synthetic-slate roofing for Brigitte Van Note at 518 Ridgewood Avenue; a new roughly 3,400-to-3,800-square-foot house for 97 Sherman Avenue Association LLC; window changes for Betsy Ginsberg at 109 Hillside Avenue; and a kitchen and box-bay addition for Peter and Katie Dancy at 46 Highland Avenue. On several of these, individual commissioners -- most often Wright, Kopec, McMahon or Herrigel -- stepped aside and did not vote on a single application apiece; the minutes don't always explain why, though in Wright's case it was sometimes because he was representing the applicant as their architect.

Separately, Glen Ridge ReDevelopers presented material samples for its planned Baldwin Street building and, at commissioner Wright's suggestion, agreed to bring a facade model to a future meeting; no vote was taken.

What to watch

• Glen Ridge ReDevelopers is expected to bring a facade model of its Baldwin Street project to a future commission meeting.