Historic district commission approves replacement deck and stairs at 43 Dodge Street

The New Shoreham Historic District Commission on an unspecified meeting date approved an application from Charlene Gobert to replace a rear deck and stairs at 43 Dodge Street (parcel information provided in the application). The commission found the proposed work consistent with the building’s historic appearance and the district’s materials and design standards.

The commission’s decision followed the applicant’s presentation and photographs showing a deck at the rear of the house in the late 1960s and early 1970s. “I provided photos of my property as it looked in ’19 late 19 sixties and the early seventies,” Charlene Gobert said, describing the historic precedent for reinstalling a deck at the second-floor rear entry.

Commission members discussed the proposal’s safety and code implications. A member noted that current building code requires a landing and changes to stair geometry for egress; Gobert said the new door and raised window openings respond to those requirements. The application lists pressure‑treated material for the deck framing and calls for windows to be raised to meet egress standards.

A motion to approve the deck and stair reconstruction carried after the commission made findings of fact that the work is in keeping with the historic district. The commission recorded the decision as an approval with findings that the work is consistent with the district’s materials and design.

The commission did not specify an exact construction start date in the hearing record. Any building-code specifics or permits beyond the commission’s historic‑district approval were discussed only in general terms (commissioners referred to “code” requirements), and the applicant or staff will need to secure applicable building permits before work begins.