Historic Commission Chair Casts Rare No Vote as Ridgewood Avenue Porch Column Design Splits the Board

Chair Herrigel voted against his own commission's decision at 150 Ridgewood Avenue, where owner Sebastian Voltarelli returned with two porch-column options after a prior application. A motion to approve the wider, based "Option A" columns died for lack of a second; the commission then voted to approve the plainer "Option B" columns instead, with every other member voting yes and Herrigel alone voting no. The application passed despite the chair's dissent.

The commission also split a contested application at 38 Clinton Road into three separate decisions after learning that a kitchen renovation there had been built with unpermitted vinyl siding and altered window openings. The commission rejected a new north-side window as ill-proportioned, denied the vinyl siding installation without prejudice -- telling the owners a final decision would wait until the commission could discuss the material with their contractor at a future meeting -- and separately approved elimination of a window under a bumpout. Commissioners were clear that vinyl siding is not an acceptable replacement material in the historic district. Vande Stouwe recused herself from the entire application.

Other applications drew no dissent: a rear addition and window replacements at 182 Ridgewood Avenue were approved unanimously; a storm-damaged front porch rebuild at 47 Lincoln Street was approved with a condition on final window selection; a kitchen-area addition at 1 Roswell Terrace was approved with several drawing conditions, with McMahon recusing himself from that vote; and a porch extension at 23 Douglas Road was approved with conditions on drawings and roof detailing. Separately, the commission adopted its October 3 minutes with Switzer recusing himself from that vote, and its consultant reported that four previously approved projects -- at 78 Essex Avenue, 175 Hawthorne Avenue, 442 Ridgewood Avenue, and 16 Oakwood -- still have not moved forward.

What to watch

• Whether the vinyl siding installed at 38 Clinton Road wins approval or must be redone, after the commission tabled that question pending a discussion with the owners' contractor at the next meeting.