Nantucket Historic District Commission defers several major designs, approves colors and fence adjustments

The Nantucket Historic District Commission met Dec. 2 and split its docket: commissioners approved several cosmetic and fencing requests but deferred multiple larger design proposals for revisions, citing concerns about visibility from public ways, building scale and site engineering.

The most contested item was a renovation at 5 Orange Street. Applicant Luke described plans to formalize a sunroom, replace and add skylights and to add a modest second‑floor deck set back within the roofline. ‘‘The site plan shows the expansion of the existing historic upper … hedge along the eastern and southern property lines,’’ Luke said as he described the buffer he proposed. But members of the Historic Structures Advisory Group, represented by Mickey Roland, objected: ‘‘We feel that the 2nd Floor deck is not appropriate,’’ Roland said, arguing the deck will be visible from Orange Street and that arborvitae screening may not quickly be effective. After discussion the commission voted to hold the application for revisions, requesting revised drawings and visual simulations showing views from Orange Street and…