Hinsdale preservation panel approves demolition and new home at 418 East 6th Street

The Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously Feb. 4 to approve demolition of the single‑family house at 418 East 6th Street and to grant a certificate of appropriateness for a new single‑family home in the Robins Park Historic District.

The applicant’s representative, Patrick Fortalka, said the owners, Stephanie and Andrew Little, had allowed the commission to tour the property and that the house had “fallen into disrepair” with water intrusion, making renovation impractical. Fortalka said the proposed new design blends English Arts and Crafts elements with Americana touches, and includes white double‑hung windows, a slate roof, stone veneer and zinc‑coated copper trim. “I thought it was a brick Tudor,” Fortalka said of his first impression of the existing house, adding that up‑close inspection showed a shingle house with applied Tudor half‑timbers.

Fortalka described massing choices intended to reduce the building’s street presence, noting the second floor sits roughly 15–20 feet back from the front facade and the roof line is elongated to avoid the double gable common on that block. He also said the stone veneer is a textured blend similar in tone to the local "basswood gray" stones, that a mock‑up is on view at Jay Jordan’s office, and that the stone would come from Wisconsin. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about a small courtyard window and material provenance; Fortalka confirmed there is one small window on the garage/courtyard side and that the stone is natural, quarried in Wisconsin.

After the applicant’s presentation and commissioner questions, the commission closed the public hearing and took two formal votes. A motion to approve the certificate of appropriateness to demolish the existing single‑family home at 418 East 6th Street carried on a unanimous roll‑call vote. A second motion to approve the certificate of appropriateness for construction of a new single‑family home in the Robins Park Historic District likewise passed unanimously (Commissioners Weinberger, Gonzales, Harlow, Elder and the Chair voting aye).

The commission’s approval follows a design‑review process in which commissioners and an ad hoc committee discussed lighting, window selection and other facade details; Fortalka said the team revised coach lights and window choices after earlier feedback. The approval includes the design elements discussed at the hearing; no conditions or modifications were read into the record at the time of the vote.

The applicant was thanked by the commission after the vote and told the project was cleared to proceed through any remaining permitting steps. The record shows no public commenters spoke in opposition during the hearing.

What happens next: demolition and building permits and any required town permitting or contractor filings remain to be completed before work begins. The commission did not specify a demolition timeline at the meeting.