ILPC approves carport, retaining wall and driveway reconfiguration at 110 Triphammer Road with conditions

The Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 17 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for work at 110 Triphammer Road in the Cornell Heights Historic District authorizing construction of a carport, replacement of a retaining wall and an expanded/reconfigured driveway, with conditions that include a minimum 6‑inch curb, staff approval of retaining‑wall material and required substantial plantings in the interior island.

The commission’s conditions aim to limit the risk that the new turnaround and additional paved area would be used as long‑term front‑yard parking, a repeated concern during the meeting. Commissioners and staff stressed that landscape mitigation and construction details must be submitted for staff review before final permits are issued.

Applicant representatives presented revised plans showing a smaller carport and a reduced driveway width. Designers said the carport posts are specified as 8 by 8, the retaining wall would use a UniLock (river crest) concrete paver stone in a “coastal slate” color, and edging around the drive would use Belgian block. The proposed driveway lane was reduced in places from 15 feet to about 12 feet, and the applicant reintroduced an interior planted island and buffer plantings along the street to screen vehicles.

City staff told the commission that, at the staff level, the proposal complies with zoning calculations for front‑yard coverage and that no new curb cuts are allowed by the city’s engineering department, a factor the commission cited as one reason the proposed turnaround is being considered rather than a circular drive. Commissioners repeatedly said the city’s decision not to permit new curb cuts and safety concerns at the nearby road curve were relevant to their review of the driveway.

Commission members acknowledged the carport and retaining wall as relatively low‑impact elements that can be removed in the future without impairing the historic house’s essential form, but several members said the driveway as drawn “pushes the limit” of acceptable paved area in a front yard within the district. To address that, the motion approving the application included three explicit conditions: (1) a minimum 6‑inch curb (set in concrete) around the interior island; (2) staff approval of the exact retaining‑wall product and finishes; and (3) substantial plantings required in the island so the area reads as green space rather than additional parking.

The commission voted to approve the application by a 4–1 margin. The applicant must return with final details for staff review and to submit construction specifications consistent with the conditions.

Details recorded at the meeting: the retaining wall product was described as a UniLock paver “river crest” system in an irregular pattern; curb/Belgian block edges discussed at 6–8 inches set in concrete; carport posts specified 8x8; driveway lanes reduced in the plan to approximately 12 feet in places. The commission noted that enforcement of future parking use (for a future owner) is a zoning enforcement matter outside the ILPC’s purview.