Two HPC Applications Left Undecided as Commission Focuses on Massing Concerns; Porch Enclosure Passes With One Abstention

The Glen Ridge Historic Preservation Commission's April 2 virtual meeting produced no formal vote on two of its four applications. At 92 Hawthorne Avenue, architect Jonathan Perlstein presented a two-story rear-and-side addition to a Dutch Colonial home for owner Tom Deshan; commissioners spent much of the meeting arguing that the second- and third-floor massing was too large and not sufficiently subordinate to the historic house, and that the roofline was too complex. They asked for smaller, simpler overhangs, painted wood rather than vinyl replacement windows, and cedar siding instead of Hardie plank on the front facade -- but no motion was made, leaving the application pending. Separately, at 207 Hillside Avenue, owner Cathy Miller proposed replacing an existing bluestone sidewalk with concrete, citing problems with a neighbor's tree roots; the commission again reached no formal decision, though its feedback favored keeping or matching the historic bluestone rather than switching to concrete. In an unrelated item at the same address, the commission did formally approve a permit closeout for a garage that had been demolished back in 2012, an administrative matter for owners Cathy Miller and Ottavio Zuccarello -- a different matter entirely from the 79 Glenridge Avenue addition discussed later in the meeting.

The commission did take action on two other applications. A rear-porch enclosure at 235 Forest Avenue for Rebecca and Ben Shpigel, converting the porch into a four-season room, was approved subject to subcommittee review and revised drawings, passing 6-0 with one abstention from Commissioner Link. A third-floor addition at 79 Glenridge Avenue for Kelvin Robinson and Carine Williams was approved unanimously, with conditions including removing third-floor shutters, updating the roofline with purlin rafters, installing cedar shingles with a 1x6 fascia board, and using a smaller, code-compliant casement window.

In other business, the commission's consultant noted that March's meeting minutes had mistakenly listed a building-code enforcement matter as being at "359 Ridgewood Avenue" when the correct address is 259 Ridgewood Avenue. The commission also learned that a separate appeal involving 311 Ridgewood Avenue was rejected by the Planning Board, and that commissioners attended a March 18 public hearing on proposed zoning ordinance changes.

What to watch

• The 92 Hawthorne Avenue addition and the 207 Hillside Avenue sidewalk-material question both remain undecided and are expected to return in revised form at a future meeting.
• 332 Ridgewood Avenue's enforcement matter is likely to appear on the May agenda.