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Hinsdale historic commission says revised design for 223 East Eighth is an improvement but takes no formal action
Summary
At its June 4 meeting the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission discussed revised plans for 223 East Eighth Street, endorsed the design changes informally and asked staff to forward a summary to the Village Board; the commission did not vote and the May 19 denial remains in effect.
At its June 4 meeting the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission discussed revised plans for 223 East Eighth Street and provided nonbinding feedback to the Village Board, but the commission did not take a formal vote and a May 19 denial remains in place.
Bethany, a staff member, told commissioners, “So there won't be a vote tonight by the HPC. The denial that from the last meeting at that public hearing will still stand,” and said staff would include a summary of the commission's discussion in the village board packet for the June 10 meeting.
The discussion focused on design changes the applicants submitted after the commission's May hearing. Design team representatives described the largest revision as removal of a panel between the garage upper and lower windows and replacing that element with brick. The design team also showed updated illustrations breaking up two large window openings — one in a courtyard and one on the front (south) façade — by adding brick between the first and second stories to reduce the scale of the glazing.
Patrick, a design team representative, said the team “re illustrated it for him, sent over before and after” and that the property owners “liked it.” Commissioners repeatedly praised the willingness of the owners and the design team to revise the plans and said the packet's before-and-after visuals were helpful for evaluation.
The commission identified a discrepancy between a photo-style rendering and the south elevation drawing: the rendering showed a taller double-hung window to the right of the garage, but the architectural drawings indicate a smaller window. Commissioners asked staff and the design team to note in the board packet that the rendering is incorrect and that the south elevation drawing shows the accurate window size.
Commissioners also discussed the large sliding-glass unit in the center fenestration and options for the dormer above it. The design team said they had explored multiple dormer forms — gable, flat, split and shed — and had considered breaking the large opening into multiple units; they also said the owners proposed planting trees in the courtyard to screen the large glass from the street.
Although several commissioners described the revised design as a “significant improvement” and said they “look very favorably upon the changes,” the commission reiterated that because this item was agendized as a discussion (not a hearing) there was no vote and no change to the prior denial. Bethany said staff will work with the village attorney to clarify code language and the post-hearing review process in a forthcoming text amendment so future plan changes after hearings are handled consistently.
The matter will be forwarded to the Village Board for consideration at its packet for the June 10 meeting; staff said a later July 15 meeting was a possible next hearing date if needed. The owners are required to attend the Village Board hearing.
