Preservation vice chair recuses himself, then represents applicant, at 269 Ridgewood Avenue hearing

At the Historic Preservation Commission's June 3 meeting, Vice Chair Joaquin Stearns recused himself from the commission's review of a proposed addition, porch, and walkway repairs at 269 Ridgewood Avenue and instead appeared to present the application on behalf of the property owner. The commission approved the project 5-0-1, with Stearns abstaining, contingent on further subcommittee review of a small historic tower window, revised walkway and step materials, and detailing at the street frontage.

Elsewhere, a second-floor addition proposed for 74 Ridgewood Avenue was approved on a 5-1 vote, with Chair Christine Yewaisis casting the only no vote; the approval requires the applicant to lower the roofline by roughly 2.5 to 3 feet and revise several window openings, subject to subcommittee review. A larger rear-and-side addition at 63 Ridgewood Avenue was approved unanimously, but only after commissioners required the applicant to swap arched garage-door openings for square ones and pull back the south-facing wall by 6 to 8 inches to reduce the addition's visual bulk.

The commission also unanimously approved replacing cedar roof shingles with asphalt on a garage at 74 Douglas Road, a garage addition with dormers at 319 Forest Avenue (pending subcommittee review of the dormer design), and a rear addition at 22 Forest Avenue (pending resolution of siding materials and whether the addition will cantilever or sit on a new foundation). Separately, the commission's consultant reported that a long-running violation case at 332 Ridgewood Avenue, involving unpermitted patio and pergola work, is now before municipal court after the property owners stopped responding to the borough.

What to watch

• Subcommittee review of the revised dormer design at 319 Forest Avenue.
• Subcommittee review of siding and foundation details at 22 Forest Avenue.
• 332 Ridgewood Avenue violation case proceeding through municipal court.