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Portland board tables decision on porch removal and window changes at 308 Danforth Street
Summary
After public comment and extended deliberation, the Historic Preservation Board voted to table a certificate-of-appropriateness application for 308 Danforth Street so staff can draft findings addressing the porch's significance; the item was rescheduled for further action June 4, 2025.
The Portland Historic Preservation Board on Wednesday moved to table a request from a property owner to remove a side porch and to alter the bay-window muntin pattern at 308 Danforth Street, a contributing building in the West End Historic District.
The application presented a second amendment to an earlier rehabilitation plan. Preservation staff said the porch likely dates from between 1909 and 1924 and that the applicant proposes removing the porch and changing the bay windows'muntin pattern from the existing two-over-two to six-over-six to match other parts of the house. The applicant's representative, Matt Provincal, said the owner favors removing the porch because of its disrepair and to return the façade to what they believe is "the most original design." Provincal said parts of the porch structure are in poor condition and that the project team has found "unforeseen conditions" during construction.
A neighbor who spoke in person, Ian Jacob of 59 State Street, urged the board to deny the porch removal, arguing the porch is an "elegant and detailed addition" that contributes to the house's street presence. Jacob told the board, "The board should deny the request to removal of the side porch." He also urged staff to contact long-term neighborhood residents and related property owners for possible photographic evidence.
Board members spent more than an hour questioning staff and the applicant about the porch's condition, the bay's structural stability and documentary evidence. Several members said the porch is a high-quality addition that has "acquired significance" over time and that the standards governing changes to historic properties call for retaining changes that have gained significance. Other members said the bay window itself is in relatively better condition and raised fewer concerns about changing the muntin pattern.
Following deliberations, board members directed staff to draft findings supporting a denial rather than to grant the amendment. The board voted to table the matter to allow staff to prepare a formal set of findings and to bring those findings back for adoption at the next meeting. The item was tabled to a date certain, June 4, 2025.
Votes at a glance - Motion to table the certificate-of-appropriateness for 308 Danforth Street until June 4, 2025: motion passed by roll call (yes votes recorded for Michael Hutchins; Robert O'Brien; Brian Soseby; Rob Whitting; Brad Miller/Brad Bell). No recorded votes in opposition in the meeting record.
Next steps: staff will draft findings that articulate how the application aligns or conflicts with the board's standards; the board will consider those findings and a formal motion at the June 4 meeting. The applicant may revise materials or present additional documentation before that meeting.
