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Evanston commission grants three certificates of appropriateness, including rooftop solar approval
Summary
The Evanston Preservation Commission approved Certificates of Appropriateness for a south‑side addition and new three‑car garage at 1120 Asbury Ave, a 10‑panel rooftop solar array at 1133 Judson Ave, and a shed dormer at 1319 Church St; the commission also heard an informational presentation on a proposed stair/elevator tower at 1800 Sheridan.
The Evanston Preservation Commission on Thursday approved three certificates of appropriateness for residential projects in the Ridge and Lakeshore historic districts, and took public comment and technical presentations before adjourning.
Stuart Cohen of Cohen and Hacker Architects described the work at 1120 Asbury Avenue as a modest, ground‑floor addition and a replacement of a two‑car garage with a three‑car detached garage meant to provide a future bedroom and accessible bathroom for the homeowners, Esther and Ron Franklin. "We're asking for a COA for a small one‑story addition to the south side of their house," Cohen told the commission, and said the addition adds about 226 square feet while matching window proportions and trim from an earlier John Eiffler one‑story addition.
Commissioners praised the architect's attention to window proportions and materials. After deliberation, the commission voted to approve case 26 PRS 0044 for 1120 Asbury Avenue under the cited alteration and construction standards; the motion passed with two commissioners recused and the remaining voting members approving the certificate.
On Judson Avenue, Amy Downey of Certasun and her colleague Paul spoke for homeowner Janet Rosenbomb about a 10‑panel, black, flush‑mounted rooftop solar installation on the south roof plane of 1133 Judson Avenue. Downey said the panels sit within six inches of the roof, will not alter historic roofing fabric because asphalt shingles are not considered a historic feature in this case, and that conduit will be routed through the attic to keep wiring out of public view. Commissioners asked about alternate layouts and production loss; Downey said trimming the array to seven panels in the rectangular configuration would reduce production by roughly 30 percent. The commission approved the certificate for case 26 PRS 0041 unanimously.
The commission also approved a shed‑dormer addition at 1319 Church Street after architect Kira Mirrenev described options and explained the chosen consolidated dormer provides more headroom and light while matching existing window dimensions and materials. The approval for case 26 PRS 0045 was made contingent on staff approval of the specific window model and materials.
Votes at a glance - 26 PRS 0044 (1120 Asbury Ave): Certificate of Appropriateness approved; two commissioners recused; exact tallies not specified. - 26 PRS 0041 (1133 Judson Ave): Certificate of Appropriateness approved for a 10‑panel rooftop solar array; unanimous among voting members (tally not specified). - 26 PRS 0045 (1319 Church St): Certificate of Appropriateness approved for shed dormer; approval conditioned on staff sign‑off of specific window model.
The commission also accepted minutes and asked that a letter previously sent to city council regarding the Emerson project be included in the record before taking a brief recess and hearing an informational project presentation later in the meeting. The session closed with a recognition of outgoing Commissioner Bose Carlson.
