Historic Preservation Commission

MADISON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting – December 8, 2020 Meeting conducted remotely through Zoom Attending: Madison Historic Preservation (“HPC”) Chair Janet Foster; Executive Chairs Mary Ellen Lenahan and Dr. Jill Rhodes; Members John Forte, David Luber, Max Hart, John Solu and Carmine Toto; Recording Secretary Laurie Hagerich (joined the meeting at 8:10 pm); Absent: Member, Chris Kellogg and Council Liaison Carmela Vitale. One member of the public was present, Cathy Ferraro. The meeting was called to order by Ms. Foster at 7:38 pm and Ms. Lenahan announced the meeting was called in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. A verbal roll call was taken by Ms. Hagerich. The minutes of the November 10, 2020, Public Meeting were considered and on motion of made, seconded and unanimously approved, the minutes were accepted as written. Sign & Façade Update: - There were no new applications. For Review: 29 Main Street - façade and storefront renovations (Steve Whitehorn owner) Proposed storefront renovations for 29 Main Street, a contributing building (ca. 1911) in the Madison Civic and Commercial Historic District, were presented. Steve Whitehorn, property owner, showed drawings prepared by Jerry Bruno, AIA, along with a historic photo of the building ca. 1920. An existing, ca. 1980 sign will be removed from above the storefront, and a new canopy and sign, copying the design shown in the historic photo, will be created. The HPC understands that upon removal of the current sign, there will need to be some investigation to determine what, if any, original materials remain behind it, and if there are any components that can be restored. A transom window across the façade, currently hidden by the ca. 1980 sign may exist, but it will not be restored unless a tenant also wishes to proceed with removal of the dropped ceiling in the interior of the shop, as the two features interact. At this time, there is no plan to alter the existing plate glass windows and shop door, which appear to be replacements of the original materials, although similar in form and location to what is shown in the photograph. The HPC urged Mr. Whitehorn to return if plans significantly change based on an assessment of conditions after demolition of the modern overlays. The projecting canopy holding letters for the sign extending across the façade will be lighted from above with gooseneck fixtures applied to the façade above the sign. The architect is working on how to recreate the look of the original sign without creating an ideal nesting area for pigeons. Pilasters at the front corners of the building will also be stripped of paint and repaired to reveal the original striped appearance. The proposed renovations are approved by the HPC as being a simple, appropriate improvement of the storefront of the building following The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and based on clear historic documentation. 62 Ridgedale Avenue – renovations and restoration (Jeffrey Friedel owner) Jeffery Friedel, owner of 62 Ridgedale Avenue, presented plans for restoration of this 18th century house in the Bottle Hill Historic District. He was assisted in the presentation by Henry Friedel, architect for the project. The house, an “East Jersey Cottage” type of traditional dwelling in this area, was in the Prentiss family for many generations. It is a small house on a sloped lot, allowing for a walk-out basement. The characteristic story- and-a-half form is retained in this house, as are significant amounts of interior woodwork. A rear addition at basement and first floor level was added in 1958 to contain a kitchen. Mr. Friedel intends to enlarge the house by expanding the rear addition up to add a story, linking it to the existing second floor of the original house. The rear addition will be clad with a board-and-batten siding, distinguishing the newer work from the original part of the house. The original house appears to have original, wide clapboard siding (cedar?) underneath an array of more modern siding materials and the intent is to preserve as much as possible of the original siding material. If it cannot be salvaged, a fiber-cement board with a wide exposure to match the original will be used. There will be no change to the footprint of the existing house, nor to the silhouette of the original house. The proposed changes add two gabled dormers to the front of the house, providing additional light and headroom to rooms on the second floor. Paired dormers were a common addition to East Jersey Cottages over the past centuries for precisely this reason, and their addition here does not compromise the basic integrity of the house type. Examples of dormers were shown using Historic American Buildings Survey drawings of local houses as a design source. A frieze that decorated the façade of the house under the eaves is visible from the interior of the attic and will be revealed in the restoration. The gable roof will be re-shingled using “shake-like” composite roofing. Fireplaces with decorative mantles remain in the house but the original chimneys have been removed over time. Outside, there is a modern chimney that served to exhaust a furnace. There was discussion about replacement or removal of the chimney above the roofline, as this is a visible marker of an early building. Currently, Mr. Friedel intends to simply remove the exterior chimney stack without adding a new, faux chimney. The very careful work being done in preparing the house for restoration, including restoring and re-using all original windows and their glass, and repointing the basement with historically appropriate lime mortar, speak to a great love of history and historic preservation on the part of the owner. The project is approved by the HPC 61 Ridgedale Avenue – renovations (Donald and Bert Marcy owners) Don Marcy, owner, and Janet Siegel, AIA, presented plans for the renovation of 61 Ridgedale Avenue, in the Bottle Hill Historic District. The history of the house is unknown, but it does appear to have started as a single room dwelling with a loft. Later, a rear addition added another room on three levels (basement, first floor, second floor). The house is very simple in design; the only historic feature called out in the Bottle Hill National Register nomination is the bluestone step at the front door. The current plans call for preserving and reusing this stone and we look forward to seeing it when the renovations are complete. Questions and concerns from the HPC were focused on the replacement windows and door on the front of the house. The doorway is to be relocated, and two new square-shape windows installed beside it, along with a square window in the gable end above. The HPC suggested that a strongly vertical orientation to windows on the façade, along with a true sash form rather than a casement, would be more appropriate to the traditional design of the house and the Bottle Hill Historic District. A plain 6-panel door would also be preferred to the more modern paneled door with small windows inset near the top. The architect agreed to study those concerns and will also consider how best to arrange the first-floor façade windows to determine the best window for the gable end. Plans will be sent to the HPC for review and comments at the next meeting. Public Comment: The public was invited to comment after each review but since no comment made, the public portion of the meeting was closed. Reports: Master Plan Update Mr. Luber reported that the Mobility, Land Use, and Historic Preservation elements of the Master Plan have been released to the public for review (on Rosenet), and a public hearing on the Master Plan will be held in conjunction with the Planning Board meeting on December 15, 2020. Individual members and others are urged to attend. Lyons Theater Documentation: Mary Ellen Lenahan reported that she had made additional corrections to the Madison Theater documentation submitted by Barton Ross on behalf of Saxum Development. She will continue to work with it to make sure grammar and spelling are correct. John Solu prepared a memo outlining the items to be removed from the Madison Theater prior to demolition, and suggestions for the proper storage and documentation. This draft memo will be shared with the Borough and the HPC’s attorney for the Madison Theater matter, Jonathan Testa, to make sure it includes all details necessary for the preservation of removed items. Streetscapes: Ms. Foster showed a photograph of 43 Crescent Road and reported that it is likely to be demolished by a new owner. Crescent Road was listed in the 2015 Cultural Resources Inventory as a potentially National Register eligible historic district. Since that time, three of eight historic buildings have been demolished. With the loss of #43 it is likely that the cohesiveness of the district will be lost, along with its district eligibility. Without proper designation, there is nothing the HPC can do to prevent the demolition, but it is a reminder that potential districts and streetscapes listed in the 2015 Cultural Resources Inventory must be well-documented and pushed forward for at least local designation to provide some measure of protection. The Cultural Resources Inventory lists a number of sites as “streetscapes” and these in particular are not well-defined. A National Preservation Institute on-line class on streetscapes has been identified and may be of some interest to members. Ms. Foster can send links, although it is less about defining the architecture of the streetscape than understanding street elements, like paving, light fixtures, signage, etc. Nominating Committee: Dr. Rhodes was asked by Ms.Foster to serve as the head of a Nominating Committee to identify individuals on the HPC to serve in positions identified in our ordinance (and the MLUL), including Chair and Vice-Chair. She will work with the newest HPC member, Max Hart, to talk with members of the Commission and to develop a slate to be voted on at the January meeting. Annual Report: Dr. Rhodes prepared an Annual Report for the HPC last year, and did such an excellent job, she is the natural choice to prepare this again for 2020! Despite a steep learning curve in transferring to all-digital meetings, the HPC has accomplished a lot this year, and should be pleased with it’s participation in the Master Plan, in drafting a new historic preservation ordinance, and in seeking and receiving a grant for Design Guidelines for Madison’s historic districts. Consideration of Goals for 2021: Presentation of a revised ordinance to the Borough Council for approval ranks high in the aspirations of the HPC for the coming year. Other goals will be considered at the January meeting, but due to the lateness of the hour, the discussion was cut short at this meeting. Future Meetings, Adjournment: The next meeting of the Commission will be on Tuesday, January 12, 2020, via Zoom. There being no further business, on motion made, seconded and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 10 p.m. Laurie Hagerich, Recording Secretary