HDC splits review of large Beacon Hill carriage-house conversion; site visit ordered

The Newport Historic District Commission on Sept. 15 approved a partial set of changes to the proposed conversion of a carriage house at 8 Beacon Hill but postponed decisions on the new driveway, garage and main entrance. The applicant presented revised plans and a newly revised site plan; the commission voted to adopt exhibit materials and to split the application so the most contentious elements could be refined and re-reviewed.

Applicant counsel J. Russell Jackson and project architect Mark Rapp described a constrained site with ledge and wetlands that, they said, motivated a new Beacon Hill curb cut and a garage location on the south side of the parcel. Jackson said, “This relates to the fact that there is a proposed, a new proposed driveway directly from Beacon Hill Road.” Commissioners agreed to retain the historic stone wall at the northeast corner and to keep several chimneys in place, and they approved Part 1 of the application covering fenestration changes, gutter replacement with copper, and other façade details.

But commissioners voiced significant reservations about the applicant’s preferred east-facing primary entrance and the garage’s scale and visibility from the public way. Several members proposed making the east-side entry simpler or relocating a modest entry to the south elevation; others said the east entry’s current pediment and sidelights add excessive character to a surface that historically functioned as a working carriage-house wall. Because the driveway, garage and pool affect visibility and approach, the commission continued Part 2 of the application to the Oct. 14 meeting and directed the applicant to provide 3D renderings, a reduced/alternatively scaled entry option and refined garage designs. The commission also scheduled a second site visit to review how the garage and driveway will sit in relation to the carriage house and wetlands.

What’s next: The applicant will return with updated drawings and renderings, and the commission will consider the east-entry, garage and pool together at a future meeting after the site visit. Provenance: topicintro SEG 3896, topfinish SEG 5380.