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Commission gives preliminary support to BAPS plan to adapt noncontributing Hermitage Road building into Hindu house of worship, asks for detail on reversible vs
Summary
On conceptual review the commission generally supported a proposal to adapt a 1969 noncontributing Scottish Rite building at 4204 Hermitage Rd. into a BAPS Hindu house of worship, but asked for more detail about materials and whether ornamental elements would be reversible or permanently applied to the modernist structure.
The commission reviewed a conceptual adaptive‑reuse proposal to convert the former Scottish Rite Temple at 4204 Hermitage Road into a Hindu house of worship for BAPS. Staff noted the building (constructed 1969 with a one‑story addition in the 1990s) is noncontributing to the Hermitage Road Old and Historic District and is visually buffered from nearby residences by landscaping and distance.
Applicants proposed a range of exterior interventions to convey the new use while retaining the building—orm: a freestanding sign at the front, ornamental cresting and canopies, rounded arches at the main entrance (instead of the current pointed arches), and reversible cladding applied to the existing mushroom‑shape columns, with garland details connecting the columns. A rear addition for a gym and worship space was also proposed; it would align with the footprint of the 1990s addition and be largely not visible from Hermitage Road.
Applicant representatives explained the design choices draw on Hindu architectural traditions and said proposed treatments would be compatible in color and subordinate in massing. Staff recommended the brick be left unpainted because it ties the building to the district and suggested final review include details on how new decorative elements would attach to and be reversible from the existing structure.
Commissioners generally signaled support for the reuse and for keeping the building—orm, but gave mixed guidance on reversibility. Some commissioners urged that decorative additions be reversible to allow future owners to restore the modernist building if desired; others said a high‑quality, enduring expression of the new use that reads as intentional and well integrated should not be discounted. Neighbors and the Hermitage Road Historic Association spoke in support of the application.
Because this was conceptual review, no formal vote was required; the commission asked the applicants to return with more detailed drawings, particularly showing attachment details for column cladding, the materiality of the cresting, and a refined approach to signage that better relates to the horizontal banding on the façade.
