After extended discussion about building width, garage design and neighborhood context, the Historic Zoning Commission approved a preservation permit for infill at 762 Roycroft Place with a modified condition allowing a wider basement/garage footprint than the street-facing elevation.

Staff recommended reducing the proposed street-facing width from 36 to 34 feet (38 feet overall) to better match historic context where contributing houses ranged 28 to 34 feet wide. The applicant's representative, John Root of Root Architecture, said the existing house footprint and site topography created practical constraints: the existing building reads about 34.5 feet at the street face and the site drops roughly 16 feet from the sidewalk to the alley. Root said the design seeks to "keep the square footage to where we can get a single family home here" while tucking garage space under the house.

Commission discussion centered on whether a 40-foot overall width would produce cramped, side-by-side two-car garages and whether the garage could instead be located at the basement level and buried to preserve the street rhythm. One commissioner said a 40-foot width could be acceptable "if it's buried and it's sort of from the alley," offering a middle ground between staff recommendation and the applicant's design.

The commission adopted a motion to approve staff conditions with an amendment permitting the proposed infill to be 40 feet at the garage/basement level while maintaining the proposed 36-foot width at the street; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Cotton and passed without recorded opposition.

Conditions require the applicant to work with staff on final dimensions and to meet the standard infill requirements for materials, utilities and final approvals. The applicant indicated willingness to coordinate with staff to mitigate the stepped widths between front and rear to address garage functionality and streetscape compatibility.