HPC clears seven projects but records a No vote and two recusals

The commission approved a revised pergola design at 595 Ridgewood Avenue unanimously (7-0) after the applicant, Nirmal Mehta, softened the look with transitional trim and a less bulky top beam at the commission's request. A previously-reviewed two-story addition at 146 Sherman Avenue, now shrunk 30% in width, was approved on a 6-vote motion, but Vice Chair Christine Yewaisis voted No — the only dissenting vote of the evening — with six conditions attached covering the stair tower roofline, window grilles, and bathroom window placement.

Two applications involved member recusals rather than dissent: a porch alteration at 210 Baldwin Street was approved 6-0 with Commissioner Joaquin Stearns recused, and a garage alteration at 92 Hawthorne Avenue was approved 6-0 with Commissioner Dina Deshan recused. A new garage at 3 Laurel Place was approved 7 votes, with Vice Chair Yewaisis abstaining, after commissioners required a lower ceiling, shorter garage doors, wood instead of vinyl siding, and a smaller visible rear deck. Rear additions at 321 Forest Avenue and 73 High Street were both approved unanimously (7-0) with minor design conditions, including a ledger board to visually separate old and new construction at 321 Forest.

An application for a rear porch enclosure at 117 Hillside Avenue was postponed at the applicant's request to the October meeting. The consultants flagged four active enforcement matters — at 332 Ridgewood, 404 Ridgewood, 201 Hillside, and a newly added 259 Ridgewood — with commissioners voicing frustration over the borough's lack of consequences for non-compliance. The commission also voted to update its application checklist to require applicants to contact the Glen Ridge Historical Society for archival photos.

What to watch

• 117 Hillside Avenue rear porch enclosure application to be heard at the October meeting
• Four active enforcement actions (332 Ridgewood, 404 Ridgewood, 201 Hillside, 259 Ridgewood) remain unresolved