The Historic Preservation Commission recommended approval Thursday of a Certificate of Appropriateness for a house on Iona Avenue after commissioners were told the property's front dormer was enlarged and framed forward during construction without prior authorization. The commission attached conditions requiring updated porch design drawings, railing and material specifications, and shop drawings before the case goes to the borough council next week.

Commissioners said the dormer was pushed 4 feet, 4 inches forward from its original footprint during framing; that change, coupled with the owners' decision to unenclose the front porch, altered how the front setback is measured. Kevin, the borough zoning officer who inspected the work, said an exception in the zoning rules for detached houses allows second-story dormers to encroach up to 6 feet into the front setback. "There's an exception under the detached house building types that allows second story dormers to encroach no more than 6 feet into the front yard setback," he said. Commissioners also noted on-site measurements and plan discrepancies that suggest the dormer may extent beyond the allowable projection by roughly 1 to 2 feet unless revised plans or a zoning waiver are obtained.

The owners' representatives told the commission they had asked the contractor to lower window sills but did not intend the dormer extension and apologized for not obtaining prior reviews. The dormer is already framed and roofed. The commission discussed whether the dormer's larger massing changes the historic character of the façade, and whether reopening the porch (removing the existing enclosed walls) both improves the streetscape and affects the setback measurement.

Commission members pressed for mitigation to reduce the visual impact of the dormer and to improve the porch treatment. The applicant agreed to submit revised drawings showing porch balustrades and railings that match rear porches, to provide cut sheets for the windows that have been ordered (and to explore removing applied grids if they are not true divided lights), and to provide shop drawings for proposed powder-coated steel or wood railings. The commission also requested a clarified plan set that matches as-built conditions.

By the commission's count the vote to recommend the COA to council was 4 in favor and 2 opposed. Commissioners who voted against said they were concerned about the precedent of contractors or framers altering historic facades without returning to the commission for review; supporters said the unenclosed porch and other proposed finish materials reduce the adverse effect. The recommendation is advisory; final approval of a COA is subject to borough council action next Thursday. If the dormer is ultimately found to exceed the zoning encroachment allowance, the property will need a zoning variance or must be altered to comply.

Procedural directions recorded during the meeting require the applicant to deliver updated porch-design drawings, railing details and shop drawings to staff within the timeline needed for the council packet; staff and the applicant agreed to coordinate language for a conditional approval that council can consider at its upcoming meeting.

The commission noted this case illustrates two recurring issues in the borough's historic review process: (1) how unenclosing or enclosing front porches changes what counts as the front façade for setback measurement, and (2) how sizable additions or dormer changes can alter perceived historic character even when materials or window sizes remain consistent with the house. Commissioners said they will continue to press for clearer plan submittals early in construction so that work that changes facades does not proceed without review.

What happens next: staff will place the conditional COA recommendation in the council packet for next Thursday; council will make the final determination. If the dormer exceeds the 6-foot dormer encroachment allowance in the zoning code, the owner will need either a zoning hearing board variance or to modify the dormer to meet the setback.