Commission approves 134 Pleasant Street redevelopment, requires on-site masonry mockups

The Portsmouth Historic District Commission voted Jan. 7 to approve a two-building redevelopment at 134 Pleasant Street, including recladding an existing mid-century building and constructing a new Pleasant Street-facing building, but conditioned approval on on-site masonry mockups and further review of certain exterior materials.

Architect Tracy Kak presented revisions that lowered roof pitches, introduced an arcade of elliptical arches at the new building’s entrance, added a copper-toned hipped penthouse, and proposed a paler glazed brick and white granite base for portions of the project. The team said the project would include ground-floor commercial space and residential units above, with an underground parking level the applicants described as having 91 spaces.

Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about the proposed glazed “apricot” brick’s reflectivity, uniformity and how that finish would read alongside traditional red-brick neighbors and the courthouse massing. Several commissioners recommended that the applicant build on-site mockups comparing glazed apricot brick, red clay brick and an intermediate clay option, and provide a white-granite panel mockup showing jointing and finish. The applicant agreed to return with those samples.

Public commenter Elizabeth Brader also questioned whether the project’s rooftop penthouse met setback criteria and asked the commission to confirm any zoning/technical approvals; staff said setbacks and zoning technicalities would be reviewed by planning and technical-advisor boards as needed. The commission approved the application with a condition requiring the masonry and granite mockups and additional review of jointing technique before finalizing exterior cladding selections.

The approval allows the project to move forward in design review but directs the applicant to provide the agreed mockups for commission review before final material sign-off.