Darby presides over final HPC meeting with mixed votes and a January return

In what was announced as Chair Geoffrey Darby's last meeting after 15 years of service, the commission acted on six applications. A window reconfiguration at 28 Highland Avenue and a rear addition at 37 Douglas Road were each approved by the members present, and a porch reconstruction at 46-48 Edgewood Road was approved 6-0, with the commission accepting Trex composite decking for the porch floor but insisting on wood, not composite, for the railing. A rear addition at 238 Baldwin Street, which drew extended discussion over the bulk of the addition's west façade, was approved with Commissioner Dina Deshan abstaining. A rear pergola removal tied to a violation at 259 Ridgewood Avenue was approved 6-0, with the owner agreeing to complete remaining work, including painting a stonewall white, by April.

A rear addition at 79 Forest Avenue — motivated, the architect said, by a recent home invasion — was withdrawn after commissioners objected to an oversized porch and stone chimney that clashed with the historic house; the applicant agreed to bring back a revised design in January. Approval of November's minutes also saw Commissioner Deshan abstain.

The meeting closed out an era for the commission: with Darby stepping down, elections for a new chair are set for January, and commissioners were asked to review the HPC bylaws and send feedback beforehand. Violations enforcement remains active at three properties now before the Borough's Administrative Court, and 242 Forest Avenue is expected to come up at the January 7 meeting. A brief executive session was also held before adjournment.

What to watch

• 79 Forest Avenue applicant to return with a revised addition design in January
• New HPC Chair elections scheduled for the January meeting following Darby's departure
• Commissioners to review HPC bylaws and submit comments before the January meeting
• 242 Forest Avenue violation expected to be addressed at the January 7 meeting