Historic Commission Approves Unusual Front-Facing Garage Over Vice Chair's Objection

At its April 3, 2019 meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission approved Scott Rosenberg and Carolee Bol's plan to replace their garage with a new attached, front-facing garage connected to the house by a hyphen at 70 Woodland Avenue -- but not unanimously. Vice Chair Githens voted no after commission members noted that front-facing garages are not typical within the historic district, though the architect pointed to some precedent elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Two applications were withdrawn at this meeting. Sebastian Voltarelli's request to expand his garage to three bays at 150 Ridgewood Avenue was withdrawn after a motion to approve it with conditions failed to get a second; commissioners had criticized the submission's illegible, undersized drawings and the lack of a site plan. Rush and Elfi Gashi also withdrew their application to reopen an enclosed front porch and add a rear addition at 110 Essex Avenue, after extensive commission concerns about roofline treatment and a lack of windows on one side elevation.

Commissioner Ginny Moriarty recused herself from the vote on a second-floor window change at 49 Clinton Road, which was otherwise approved with conditions, and Commissioner Dan McMahon recused himself from the vote on a new basement entry stair and stone areaway at 34 Snowden Place, which was approved as submitted. Other applications were approved unanimously with routine conditions, including a basement window enlargement at 140 Hillside Avenue, a porch enclosure at 1 Mead Terrace, siding and trim repairs requiring a shingle mock-up at 48 Lincoln Street, a kitchen and bedroom extension at 264 Forest Avenue, and a roofline reconfiguration as part of fire-recovery work at 170 Hawthorne Avenue.

The commission also unanimously adopted its March 6, 2019 meeting minutes with one correction, noting that a High Street project should match mortar used on a related Board of Education project.

What to watch

• 150 Ridgewood Avenue's garage expansion may return with revised drawings at a future meeting after being withdrawn.