Historic Commission Approves Linden Avenue Windows and Garage Rebuild, Can't Agree on Porch Bracing Design

The Historic Preservation Commission spent much of its July 5, 2023 meeting on 300 Linden Avenue, where owners Bob and Kelly Lyons and architect Ann Sears sought approval for several pieces of an ongoing renovation. The commission unanimously approved adding two new windows to the front of the house and approved revised wood bracket detailing at the roofline needed to fix an as-built discrepancy from the originally approved design. However, the owners withdrew the portion of the application dealing with two second-floor windows on the west side that didn't match the approved drawings (the interior stairs had been relocated, throwing off the intended window placement), after the commission offered two possible fixes. The commission also could not reach agreement on the owners' proposal to add cross-bracing to the west end of the existing porch to visually match the house's gable end; members raised several different concerns about the design and said they could not act without seeing a graphic representation of a revised approach, so no vote was taken and the item remains open.

Elsewhere, Elizabeth and Rajeev Prabhakar received unanimous approval for a rear deck extension at 181 Ridgewood Avenue matching existing railing and skirt-board detailing, conditioned on matching baluster spacing, adding transition posts, and adding wood lattice on the north side. Jeff and Heather Blee also received unanimous approval to replace a garage that had been destroyed in a storm with a new two-car garage at 12 Tuxedo Road, on the condition that the gable-end window be lowered slightly, cut sheets be provided for doors and windows, and shutters at the gable end be removed.

The commission also confirmed that borough officials are looking to bring historic preservation ordinance changes to a vote in the fall of 2023.

What to watch

• Borough officials are aiming to bring historic preservation ordinance changes up for approval in fall 2023.
• The 300 Linden Avenue porch cross-bracing design needs a graphic representation before the commission will revisit it.