Old Saybrook ARB signals approval for Kate Cultural Center addition, asks for lighting and mural clarifications

The Old Saybrook Architectural Review Board reviewed a formal design submission for an addition to the Kate Cultural Center on July 13, 2026, and agreed to forward a favorable recommendation with conditions on lighting and signage. Todd Andrews of Sunproach Architects presented the design and said the project follows the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and has been reviewed by the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office.

The board’s review focused on compatibility with the existing historic building and neighboring town hall, visual impact from Main Street, and operational details. Andrews described the proposed addition as a modest, clearly differentiated volume about 30 feet tall (the existing building is about 43 feet) with a stone‑like precast base, brick matching, limestone trim, and zinc details. The addition would house lower‑level classrooms and a second‑floor multifunctional performance/rehearsal space, served by a freight elevator and a code‑rated egress stair.

Board members pressed on visibility and screening: the design team said a large existing tree along the south/east frontage will remain and will screen much of the new south elevation, which is why architects did not locate windows on that façade. Andrews also showed exterior fixture types (pole lights, up/down wall fixtures, wall‑mounted downlights and bollards) and said all but one fixture are dark‑sky compliant and would be controlled by time clocks to avoid overnight glare.

The chair asked the design team to provide a photometric study and clarified lighting preferences: warm color temperature (3,000 K) and bollard lighting sized for pedestrian safety. The board noted that an east‑facing framed art/mural concept had been introduced as an activation idea but that it could be treated as signage; members asked staff to review whether such a panel would be an art installation or a sign and sign‑count limits if lettering is added.

Parking and circulation were discussed briefly: the addition will remove three parking spaces at the immediate curb, and the team described a reconfigured parking plan and off‑site agreements that, according to their materials, provide additional walkable spaces. Structural and energy code questions were raised and the applicant said structural design is being completed with a local engineering firm and that energy code compliance is factored into the glazing and envelope details.

The board did not take a roll‑call vote on the record in the transcript but directed staff to prepare and send a favorable memo recommending approval with comments on lighting specification and a future conversation about the mural signage.

Todd Andrews, one of the project’s design principals, said, “We have developed our designs in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation,” and the architect noted that the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office has reviewed the approach. The chair noted lighting details on the record: “white lighting will be warm, arranged 3,000 K, and 1,200 lumens” for bollard fixtures.