Historic panel approves school exterior repairs; PSE&G drops above-ground transformer plan

The Historic Preservation Commission approved two Board of Education exterior-renovation applications for Glen Ridge school buildings. At 5 High Street, project manager Frank Bowlby of DRG Architects presented plans to remove a transaction window installed by a previous tenant, replace it with matching brick, and restore a historic-style door opening on Bloomfield Avenue using textured fiberglass doors designed to resemble wood. Commissioners focused on matching the brick and mortar and required a mock-up review; the application was approved unanimously with that condition (members Herrigel and Grisafi were absent for the vote).

At Ridgewood Avenue School (235 Ridgewood Avenue), the commission unanimously approved new exterior grilles and louvers designed to match the building's existing facade. A related plan to install a surface-mounted electrical pad and transformers along High Street to power new HVAC equipment drew extensive pushback: commissioners urged the district to have PSE&G bury the equipment in a second underground vault rather than install it above ground. Based on that discussion, the district withdrew the electrical-upgrade portion of the project, meaning it will have to come back to the commission separately.

Separately, the commission unanimously approved Luke Franklin's plan to replace an existing deck and eliminate a carport at 51 High Street, with conditions on lattice, railing, and material details to be worked out with a subcommittee.

In other business, the commission agreed that removal of aluminum or asbestos siding and repair of the underlying original siding at a property can now be reviewed and approved at the staff level by commission consultant Margaret Hickey rather than requiring a full hearing. Subcommittees continued reviewing a garage door design at 30 Hillside Avenue and site wall material at the former Medical Office Building at One Bay Avenue.

What to watch

• The owner at 30 Hillside Avenue is expected to submit a new garage door design for subcommittee review.
• The Board of Education is expected to return with a revised plan for the Ridgewood Avenue School electrical upgrade, potentially burying the new transformers.