Board approves COA for unpermitted addition at 115 Penmoken Park with conditions

The Lexington Board of Architecture Review on April 16 approved a certificate of appropriateness (COA) for a recently constructed rear addition at 115 Penmoken Park, contingent on a set of conditions intended to bring the work closer to the city’s H‑1 historic‑district design guidelines.

Board action followed staff testimony that the 12‑by‑20‑foot addition had been erected without prior permits or a COA and that the structure’s form and roofline did not meet guidance requiring additions to be stepped back from the principal building. Staff recommended denial, but the board voted to approve the application after hearing a range of explanations and proposals for mitigation.

The board’s action matters because the project was constructed before historic review and contains elements—long continuous rooflines and flush exterior walls—that normally would not be approved. Members said they were persuaded to exercise discretion in…