Planning Board Upholds Solar Panel Denial at 15 Highland Avenue, Splits Ruling on Pensak Addition at 134 Ridgewood Avenue

The Planning Board's April 20, 2016 meeting addressed two Historic Preservation Commission appeals. Dorothy Isecke of 15 Highland Avenue appealed a Commission denial of her request to install rooftop solar panels facing the side and front yards of her home; her contractor, Jay Abbasi of Solar City, supplied supporting documentation. The board upheld the Commission's denial, finding that more visually compatible alternatives -- "solar slates" and "solar shingles" -- were available and should have been used instead.

Michael Pensak of 134 Ridgewood Avenue, with contractor Ken Amati of Amati Construction, appealed two conditions the Historic Preservation Commission had attached to its approval of his home addition: a requirement to use wood windows and a requirement to use wooden garage doors. Commission members Peter Herrigel and Mark Wright testified the house likely originally had wood windows and that the Commission consistently requires wood windows on approvals, and that the proposed windows would be a prominent feature facing Ridgewood Avenue. The board split its ruling: it approved Pensak's request to use Andersen 400 Series vinyl windows (Mr. Turiano abstaining), reasoning the one-over-one windows would look visually consistent with the existing house, but denied his request to substitute steel for wooden garage doors, given the garage's proximity to the street -- that vote saw Ms. Fields voting against the denial, with Mr. Turiano again abstaining.

The board also formed a subcommittee of Ms. Fields, Mr. Morrow and Mr. Rohal to study potential changes to permitted uses in the C-1 Zone, following a referral from the Mayor and Council. No public comment was offered.