Owners withdraw 107 Clark Street garage plan a second time amid preservation concerns

Owners David Surti and Nina Patel withdrew their application to restore historic porches and replace a deteriorated three-car garage at 107 Clark Street after commissioners questioned the size and placement of the proposed new garage and asked for proof that the existing structure actually needed to be demolished. They were invited to return with a smaller, repositioned garage and cut sheets for the new windows and garage doors.

The commission approved Verizon's application, reviewed under the federal Section 106 historic-review process, to replace an existing rooftop antenna at the Glen Ridge Country Club with a similar unit enclosed in a new canister, with no new cabling. Commissioners also approved a rear sliding door and new stairs at 15 Highland Avenue and a deck-to-porch conversion at 39 Wildwood Terrace, both with minor design conditions for further review.

The commission approved its August, September, and October 2024 meeting minutes with one correction to a header date. In subcommittee updates, the owner at 21 Clinton Road decided to repair rather than replace a storm-damaged slate roof, and 237 Washington Street's slate-roof replacement color was finalized. Officials also said public hearings on proposed updates to the borough's historic-preservation ordinance are being scheduled for 2025.

What to watch

• Public hearings on updated historic-preservation ordinance language expected in 2025.