Applicant Ram Dwyer to revise carport design after commission feedback

Ram Dwyer, a property owner, presented two design options for a carport and said he can make either option work for his house but that cost differences influenced his choices. Commissioners said one of the submitted designs would not be acceptable within the historic district and asked staff to work with the applicant on a revised design that better matches the house’s historic roofline.

Dwyer told the commission, “A couple of years ago I came, I requested, approval to build a carport,” and said he brought two photographs and that “Either one would be acceptable to me.” He said he had originally tried to mimic his house’s unusual bell‑shaped, Dutch‑style roof but that more elaborate detailing increased bids substantially.

A commissioner said the first photograph submitted was “not acceptable, really, within the district,” and asked whether the design could be softened to match the rounded upper profile of Dwyer’s roof. Dwyer said he would consult with the truss designer about rounding the small peak but warned that rounding the roof increased cost “exponentially.”

Commission members asked staff members Mr. Fargo and Grama McFar (as named in the meeting) to research revised truss and roof options and to return to the commission with an assessment so the commission could take final action at the next meeting. Dwyer said he would work with his contractor on simpler designs and get back to staff.

The commission recorded a direction to staff to review design adjustments and to provide guidance before a formal vote on the minutes of the carport application.