Commission approves bay window and rooftop addition at 628 Carlton with conditions to reduce rooftop massing

The Commission approved proposed alterations at 628 Carlton Avenue including a new two‑story bay window and a modest rooftop vertical addition, while asking the applicant to revisit the rooftop massing and some material choices.

Project presenters explained that the property is an end‑of‑row Anglo‑Italianate building where a sensitively set‑back rooftop addition and a contextual bay would be appropriate. Patty Hagen of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council opposed the rooftop addition as proposed and requested its disapproval, noting visibility from Prospect Place; other local groups such as the Victorian Society and HDC offered qualified support for the bay and rooftop additions when detailed carefully. Commissioners generally supported the bay and other street‑level improvements but asked the applicant to reduce rooftop massing, increase setback from front and rear cornices or lower the height, and study alternate sidewall materials instead of stucco. The Commission approved the application with those modifications and instructed the applicant to work with staff on final materials and visibility reductions; the motion passed 8–0.