96 Sherman Avenue addition withdrawn after HPC calls its massing and old-new distinction unresolved
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The biggest news from Glen Ridge's Historic Preservation Commission's March 6, 2024 meeting was a withdrawal: owners Alissa and Zubin Jelveh pulled their application for a two-story front and side addition at 96 Sherman Avenue after commissioners raised sustained concerns about its size and the lack of any visual distinction between the historic house and the new construction. Commissioner Joaquin Stearns and Chair Geoffrey Darby said the addition essentially got absorbed into the main house with no clear line between old and new, and the commission discussed several possible fixes -- setting the addition back further, lowering its roofline, or breaking up its front massing -- before the owner withdrew rather than commit to a redesign on the spot.
The commission did approve four other applications that evening: a one-story rear addition with a shed roof and new windows at 311 Ridgewood Avenue for Frank and Alex Roda, with conditions to lower and reshape the roof and improve window compatibility; an enclosed porch conversion at 232 Forest Avenue for Rohan Handa and Davina Etwaru; a rear mud-room addition and deck at 4 Hamilton Road for Mary and Leighton Zema; and a substantial renovation at 75 Hawthorne Avenue that restores the front porch, adds a second-floor master suite and rear addition, with numerous conditions including relocating air-conditioning units to the back of the building.
In public comment, architect Dan Kopec thanked the commission for advance sharing of member comments ahead of the 96 Sherman Avenue hearing, which he said gave his clients a useful heads-up, and suggested Glen Ridge consider formally adopting that practice the way Hoboken's preservation commission does. Vice Chair Christine Yewaisis left the meeting before its final application. December 2023 and January 2024 minutes were approved unanimously.
What to watch
- The Planning Board's addition of projection equipment in the Council Chambers is expected to allow HPC meetings to return to in-person format at a future meeting.