Pipe-burst kitchen remodel among renovations approved by Glen Ridge historic panel

At 181 Ridgewood Avenue, owners Elizabeth and Rajeev Prabhaker came before the commission after a burst pipe caused extensive kitchen damage, using the repair as an opportunity to reconfigure the layout. Because the owners had to move out of the house and were working on a tight timeline, their drawings lacked some of the usual detail; the commission approved the application unanimously with several conditions, including matching new wood windows to the existing four-over-one style and providing more detailed elevations for subcommittee review.

The commission also unanimously approved a second-floor master suite reconfiguration at 20 High Street for Noel and Briana Christopher, including new wood windows to replace existing vinyl ones, and a rear dormer addition at 26 Hillcrest Road for Mark O'Sullivan, with the commission's consultant tasked with double-checking that permit drawings match the approved design given limited detail in the submitted plans.

In subcommittee reports, the commission noted several unresolved issues at 30 Hillside Avenue: a request to change the garage door design was not approved, a switch to Hardie board siding was approved, and a request to use aluminum at the soffits was not approved. The commission's consultant also flagged that a stair addition at the side door had been installed but was not shown on the approved drawings, and is working with the owner to bring it into compliance. Separately, responding to a member of the public's complaint that side conversations during the previous meeting made it hard to follow along, commissioners agreed to speak one at a time going forward and to reference specific drawing sheets when discussing details.

What to watch

• The owner of 30 Hillside Avenue is working with the commission's consultant to resolve the unpermitted side-door stair.
• The architect for 60 Lincoln Street is expected to submit additional drawings for subcommittee review.