Historic Preservation Commission approves additions to Lynen Hill carriage house over neighbor objections

The Richmond Historic Preservation Commission on March 9 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for two rear additions and the installation of solar panels on the garage at 24 South 21st Street, a property historically recorded as a carriage house in the Lynen Hill Conservation District.

The commission voted in favor following a staff recommendation that the proposed additions — located at the rear and described by staff as roughly a 17–20% increase in footprint depending on whether the porch is counted — would be visually compatible with the surrounding fabric on criteria including height, window proportions, materials and roof shape. The motion to approve was made and seconded; the recorded votes in the meeting transcript show Commissioners Tina Ki, Josh Mhof, Kameha Edwards and Roxy Deer voting in favor and the chair declared the motion carried.

Neighbors raised concerns that the…