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Hinsdale trustees report success for new design review team advising Robins Park demolition proposals
Summary
Trustee Braden updated trustees that the village's design review team — formed after a rewrite of Title 14 — has advised multiple homeowners and architects before Historic Preservation Commission review, producing at least one successful redesign now under construction that is more traditional and consistent with the streetscape.
Trustee Braden briefed the board on May 13 about a new design review team created after a rewrite of Title 14, the village’s preservation ordinance. The advisory team, which includes one trustee, two Historic Preservation Commission members and community architects and builders, reviews proposed exterior designs for homes in the Robins Park Historic District before those proposals go to the commission.
Braden said the team is advisory and is intended to provide expert early feedback to architects, builders and homeowners to improve projects before they reach the Historic Preservation Commission. The trustee reported the team has met with roughly half a dozen applicants so far and that one early case adopted the group’s feedback and moved to a design more in keeping with the streetscape; that project is now permitted and under construction.
Staff member Bethany (identified in comments) has coordinated meetings among applicants, preservation commissioners and outside practitioners. Braden said the initiative is intended to “get ahead of the game” by offering design feedback in advance of formal HPC consideration; she noted applicants have a limited time to incorporate advisory feedback before the formal HPC review.
No formal board action was required or taken; trustees received the update and thanked staff for the coordination work. Trustee Braden and staff characterized the pilot process as successful to date and said it would continue as an advisory step in the demolition/design-review workflow for the Robins Park Historic District.
