Historic‑preservation board approves carriage‑house addition at 247 North Broadway with narrowed staff condition

The preservation board voted to approve plans for an addition to the carriage house at 247 North Broadway and a glass connector to the main building, approving the project with conditions after debate over how much of the carriage house's masonry pilasters could be enclosed.

Why it matters: The project affects the rear elevation and defining architectural elements of a 19th‑century carriage house in an H‑1 historic overlay. Board members and staff discussed whether the proposed 12‑foot‑wide glass atrium connector would "encapsulate" pilasters that are integrated into the masonry exterior and whether enclosing those elements would limit future oversight.

Project and debate details: Applicant teams sought approval for a two‑car garage addition on the east side of the outbuilding, a bay window on the west side, and a glass atrium connector between the addition and the carriage house. Staff recommended approval overall but asked that the connector be stepped down and that it not encapsulate the carriage house's rake board and masonry pilasters.

The applicant's attorney told the board the proposed atrium would enclose only two of 16 pilasters and would not remove them; the pilasters are structural masonry elements. The applicant argued the 12‑foot width is less than 10% of the carriage house's 170 linear feet of exterior wall and that narrowing the connector further would create a visually and functionally awkward connection that would undermine the design's circulation and the intended floating‑bridge connection between upper floors.

Board action: After discussion, the board approved the application with staff conditions but struck the first sentence of the staff'recommended first condition that had required the connector to be narrowed so as not to "encapsulate" all masonry elements. The board recorded findings that the proposed connector would still allow the majority of historic architectural elements (the pilasters) to remain visible and that partial enclosure in glass did not violate the design guidelines in this case. The motion passed by voice vote and was recorded as approved.

What the board required: The board kept the staff'recommended step‑down of the vestibule roof line so the addition's profile does not overwhelm the original building and asked staff to review final details. Board members also discussed drafting a restrictive covenant to clarify that pilasters would not be altered in future work; the applicant said they had no objection to such a covenant if the board wished to pursue it.

Context: The carriage house dates from the 1870s and the property has been adapted for residential units in the main house. The board compared this case to prior projects where larger additions obscured rear elevations and noted this proposal obscures a smaller portion of the historic fabric than some previously approved projects.