HPC Chair Casts Lone No Vote on Clinton Road Stairs, Announces Departure at Year's End

Chair Peter Herrigel and Commissioner Greg Switzer announced at the Historic Preservation Commission's November 3, 2021 meeting that they will leave the commission at the end of December, creating three vacancies. Prospective replacement Joaquin Stearns is expected to be approved by the borough in December or January, and realtor Greg Lane has also expressed interest in joining; the commission will need to select a new chair once Herrigel departs.

At 28 Clinton Road, Maria Guzman and Matthew Semel's application to replace a deteriorated brick stoop and stairs with new wood construction was approved with conditions, but not unanimously -- Chair Herrigel voted no, citing concern about pairing a metal sidewalk railing with a new wood stair handrail. Separately, Matthew Walton and Alecia Hurst withdrew their application to extend a rear deck and add a covered roof at 14 Lincoln Street after the commission found the existing-conditions drawings of the home's prominent front porch too incomplete to evaluate the proposed design.

Other applications were approved unanimously with routine conditions: a rear and side extension with leaded-glass casement windows at 46 Lincoln Street for Lucas and Danielle Dietrich; a wraparound rear porch at 272 Ridgewood Avenue for Paul Giacomini; a rear garage enlargement and new front dormers at 376 Ridgewood Avenue for Sahir and Penelope Azram; and a front window replacement and rear two-story addition at 22 Hamilton Road for Chris and Linella Gavin. The commission also approved its October 6, 2021 meeting minutes, with Commissioner Darby abstaining.

The commission also discussed a county plan to replace traffic signal poles at the Watchung Avenue/Ridgewood Avenue intersection with taller black poles, finding the color acceptable as long as the fixtures also stay black, and continued investigating whether its review authority should extend to fences, along with a report of an unauthorized slate-to-asphalt roof replacement on Woodland Avenue.

What to watch

• Three commission vacancies, including the chair position, are expected to be filled by the borough in December 2021 or January 2022.
• The commission is investigating whether its authority should extend to fences, and following up on the unauthorized Woodland Avenue roof replacement.