Commission refers proposed row‑house infill at 700 New Hampshire to architectural review after neighbors object to scale

The Lawrence Historic Resources Commission voted 4‑0 to refer a new‑construction proposal for row houses at 700 New Hampshire Street to the Architectural Review Committee for design refinement after extensive public comment and commissioner concern about scale and context.

Historic Resources Administrator Lynn Braddock Zollner told commissioners the project site sits in the downtown urban conservation overlay and in the context area of the McAllister House at 724 Rhode Island Street. The applicant’s plan proposes a string of townhouses fronting Rhode Island Street with garages accessed from the Borders (western) parking lot; staff recommended ARC review to resolve where the design did and did not meet chapter 22 standards and the downtown design guidelines.

Applicant Tiffany Asher, of Paul Werner Architects, said the project would return a vacant parking lot to residential use without incentives from the city, that the design team had met neighbors, and that the team is willing to work with ARC to refine materials, fenestration and the clarity of entries. Developer Adam (on the record) said the row‑house phase is intended to be the first phase of a larger multi‑phase redevelopment that could help fund eventual work on the adjacent Borders building and its deteriorated masonry wall; he said he does not anticipate structural collapse but acknowledged the wall needs repairs.

Neighbors urged changes. Tim Donnan, who lives at 714 Rhode Island, said the proposed building “is going to feel imposing” because of its height and proximity to the sidewalk. Tony Pearson, owner of the McAllister House, said the proposed mass would not fit “the scale of the street or the neighborhood.” KT Walsh, another nearby resident, praised the project’s parking approach but suggested the building be set back farther from the sidewalk and incorporate more references to the historic houses across the street.

Commissioners and staff discussed tradeoffs between retaining parking in the Borders lot and setting the new building back from Rhode Island Street. The applicant said each townhouse would include an indoor one‑car garage and that occupants with a second vehicle could use the Borders lot; the applicant said reducing the unit count or inserting additional public walkways is possible but would affect project economics.

Several commissioners said they were concerned about height, massing, lack of differentiation along the long façade, and the need for north/south elevation detailing and additional fenestration variety. Commissioner Cunningham and others asked the ARC to consider shorter building sections, more variety in form, public walkways or otherwise breaking up the continuous mass, and additional references to the adjacent historic houses.

The HRC appointed Jay Holly (former HRC architect who agreed to serve on ARC for this project) as an available reviewer and referred the project to ARC with direction to study fenestration, mass, north/south façade details, porch and entry clarity, and historical references. The motion to refer was moved and seconded during the meeting and passed 4‑0. The project will return to the HRC after ARC review for further consideration.

The commission’s record includes public comments and two neighborhood meetings reported by the applicant; staff noted the lot historically held single‑family dwellings in Sanborn maps and confirmed the property is zoned downtown commercial, where taller commercial construction is permitted. The applicant said there are financial constraints tied to delivering market‑rate townhouses without public subsidy.