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Commissioners urge design changes — rotate stairs, reduce dormer, use plinth to lower perceived massing
Summary
Commissioners recommended multiple design strategies — flipping or moving the stair, pushing the dormer back, and using a stucco plinth and articulation — to reduce the height and setback variances for 105 Wildemar Street.
During deliberations the three commissioners provided technical design feedback intended to minimize the amount of variance the applicant ultimately would need to request. Commissioners recommended prioritizing the least intrusive height variance and reducing encroachment into side and front setbacks.
Suggestions offered included rotating or flipping the stair so the stair volume could move north by a foot or two (reducing intrusion into the southwest corner), pushing the dormer so the stair volume sits within the gable rather than protruding, and breaking up the massing using a stucco plinth and darker upper siding to make the addition appear visually lower. Commissioners also advised considering modest reframing of some existing roof elements if that reduces the necessary variance while producing a more elegant design.
Commissioner Schrengel summarized that several modest changes could allow the stair to fit within a smaller volume and that the commission would be willing to support a narrower variance if the resubmitted plans reflect the recommended changes.
