HDC holds study session on rear addition at 2 North River; commissioners weigh design, massing and materials

The commission convened a study session Aug. 12 on a proposed rear addition to a contributing house at 2 North River. The proposal would replace a deteriorated rear porch and change a rear shed roof into a gable configuration that would match, in scale, but not duplicate, the existing house.

The applicant described a plan to match the addition’s width and height to the existing house, use a hyphen (a lower, narrower connector) to differentiate new from old, and to re‑roof the addition to allow re‑shingling with the rest of the house within the next year. Proposed materials included three‑tab gray architectural shingles, staggered cedar shake in a small gable, and painted smooth PVC trim; the applicant said the addition would be under 50 square feet of new roof footprint at the highest pitch change.

Commissioners welcomed the design’s stepped approach, calling the hyphen a useful “knuckle” that helps preserve the original house’s corner and massing. Several commissioners asked for clearer window and elevation drawings to address a visually crowded cluster of windows on the west elevation and to confirm head‑height and ceiling constraints in the addition. The commission also discussed preserving existing historic fabric if it is found beneath later asbestos siding and recommended flagging the foundation treatment (parging vs. replicating historic stone) for future review.

Commissioners suggested the applicant consider keeping the porch roof if it can be removed and reinstalled, or otherwise reusing original materials where appropriate, and encouraged the applicant to present refined materials and a study of window proportions at a future study session or application submittal. No formal vote was taken; staff and commissioners agreed further design work and documentation would be needed before a full application hearing.