Historic Preservation Commission Approves Two Renovations, Grapples With Unauthorized Retaining Wall at 480 Ridgewood Avenue

Glen Ridge's Historic Preservation Commission spent much of its August 5, 2026 meeting on an unauthorized change to an ongoing project at 480 Ridgewood Avenue, where a retaining wall was built with two courses of stone instead of the three that had been approved. The commission is planning a field visit with a subcommittee to inspect the site, and members debated how to handle cases where applicants alter HPC-regulated details without getting sign-off first, including whether the Building Department is adequately verifying that construction matches approved plans. During public comment on the issue, the discussion became tense when a member of the public grew defensive and used inappropriate language, prompting commissioners to raise concerns about whether the borough's current penalty system is strong enough to enforce compliance.

The commission unanimously approved two renovation applications. At 73 Oxford Street, owner Ben Krecidlo received a historic renovation permit to replace iron porch supports with painted columns and repair the brick stoop. At 29 Lincoln Street, owners Seth and Sara Robby received a similar permit, contingent on further subcommittee review, to rebuild their front porch using preserved wood and cedar siding where needed, plus move a proposed Andersen A-Series casement window one foot toward the rear of the house. A third application, a request by Jason McKenzie to revise a previously approved rear garage/accessory structure at 63 Hawthorne Avenue with a 2-foot height increase, was withdrawn by the applicant without a vote after commissioners questioned whether the added height -- originally presented as "minor refinements" -- was justified by structural needs alone, given the project's earlier denial over height concerns.

In other business, the commission's consultants reported ongoing violation cases, including a compliance investigation into non-Andersen vinyl windows installed at 378 Forest Avenue and pending court dates for violations at 332 Ridgewood Road and 560 Ridgewood Avenue. The commission also discussed a possible expansion of its role to include final inspections of larger projects before the Building Department issues a Certificate of Occupancy, the document that allows a building to be legally occupied. The commission held a closed executive session from 9:15 to 9:29 p.m. before adjourning.

What to watch

• A subcommittee field visit to 480 Ridgewood Avenue to assess the unauthorized retaining-wall change
• Revised drawings expected from 63 Hawthorne Avenue for subcommittee review
• Discussions with the Building Department on possible HPC involvement in final inspections before Certificate of Occupancy issuance