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Commission splits ruling on Rodney House correction: some exterior work deferred, hyphen connection rejected, hardscape approved with conditions
Summary
Baltimore County’s Landmarks Preservation Commission split its decision on correction work at the Rodney House properties: it deferred formal approval for blacksmith shop exterior restorations pending detailed drawings, rejected the existing hyphen connection to the garage, and approved limited hardscape changes conditioned on restoring grass and matching stone materials.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission addressed a complex correction notice at the Rodney House properties (14941–14945 York Road) and issued mixed determinations: it deferred full approval of exterior restoration work for the blacksmith shop pending clearer before/after drawings; it did not approve the hyphen connecting the main house to the garage and requested a substantial redesign; and it approved landscape and hardscape work on the properties subject to restoring green space and matching materials.
Staff presented a multi‑part packet. For 14941 (the former blacksmith shop), staff reported vinyl siding and vinyl window replacements had been installed without LPC review; staff recommended returning windows to true‑divided or simulated‑divided wood sash in the original configurations, reopening certain historic openings, and replacing incompatible doors with historically appropriate wood doors. Commissioners asked the applicant to submit separate “before” and “after” drawings showing exact historic dimensions and restoration specifications rather than combined sketches; the commission voted to have the applicant return with those detailed drawings before a final decision on the blacksmith shop elements.
For the primary dwelling (14943), staff described a recently constructed 18‑foot hyphen connecting the house to the garage and other ex post facto alterations. Commissioners said the hyphen appears out of scale and incongruous with the stone house and advised the owner to consider removing the connector or redesigning it so the garage reads as a separate or compatible accessory building; the commission voted not to approve the hyphen/garage connection as presented.
For landscape and hardscape (14941/14943/14945), the commission approved removal of excess asphalt and installation of a bluestone walkway and repairs to the existing dry‑stack stone retaining wall, provided the paving be reduced to restore a greater amount of grass and that stonework be rebuilt in kind. Commissioners also reiterated earlier concerns about building stabilization (missing metal roof panels) and asked the owner to address urgent maintenance to avoid demolition by neglect. Staff will provide a detailed list of required drawings and specifications to the applicant.
Votes: commission voted to defer/require resubmission for the blacksmith shop details; voted to reject the hyphen/garage as proposed; and approved the landscape/hardscape plan conditioned on restoring green space and matching stone work.
