Committee approves demolition at 99 Wharf Lane; new construction plan tabled after design concerns

The Old Kings Highway Committee approved application 25D003 to demolish a 1945 single‑family cottage at 99 Wharf Lane on April 28, and then took up a separate application (25A050) for a new single‑family dwelling at the same address. The committee approved the demolition but tabled the new construction application for additional design work.

CV Builders representatives — Chris Gerard and Maya Hegarty — and owner Richard Shickler presented the requests. The owners said they have used the cottage seasonally since purchasing it in 2008 and that the house’s size and configuration no longer meet their needs. The proposed new house is a shingle‑style design of about 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms and three‑and‑a‑half baths.

Neighbors and committee members acknowledged the area’s changing character: committee members and one nearby resident said Wharf Lane retains only a few antique houses and that many larger, newer homes now surround the property. The committee discussed design details at length, with multiple members focusing on the elevation that faces Wharf Lane. Concerns centered on the left‑side elevation’s plain roofline and a long, ground‑level run of five identical windows facing Wharf Lane; members asked the applicants and architect to present alternatives such as reducing the number of bays, enlarging windows, adding a projecting element or a pergola, or otherwise breaking up the plane.

The applicants provided site details during the hearing: the existing house uses a cinder‑block foundation, the proposed project meets setback and lot‑coverage limits (site coverage estimated at about 19% vs. a 25% maximum), and the owners said they have performed septic testing and will install a new septic system sized for the proposed three bedrooms.

Sarah Jane Porter, the committee’s architect appointee, submitted a written note saying she could not fully assess appropriateness without an overlay plan but the committee agreed the provided perspective renderings were helpful. After extended discussion the committee moved to table application 25A050 to allow the design team to bring alternative treatments for the Wharf Lane elevation and the lower‑level window arrangement. The demolition motion passed earlier that evening; the new construction application was tabled by motion and second.

The committee advised the applicants to work with their architect on specific options (reduce or regroup windows, add a projecting bay or pergola, adjust trim or roof forms) and to return with revised drawings. A neighbor from 100 Wharf Lane spoke in support of the applicants’ investment in the neighborhood.