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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20251045 595 N Broadway Demolition & Construction SSPF LetterBoard of Directors C. Christopher Armer President Sheila Sperling Vice President Tiffany Blair Secretary Kira Karbocus Treasurer Molly Brindle Joseph DeLeva Steven Dodds Michele Funiciello James Gold Alex Kammler Stuart Kaufman Vincent LaTerra Nicole Messier-Marino Samantha Nass Michelle Paquette-Deuel Ellen Sheehan Jason Thomas Roger Woody James Kettlewell emeritus Staff Samantha Bosshart Executive Director Dianne Winter Development Director Stephanie Hadley Administrative Assistant Patricia Herrick Bookkeeper January 13, 2026 Ms. Tamie Ehinger, Chair Design Review Board City Hall 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 RE: 595 North Broadway - Demolition and New Construction Dear Tamie, The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation reviewed the application for demolition and new construction at 595 North Broadway. The house that is being proposed to be significantly altered was built in 1921 for Harry E. Pettee, the second mayor of Saratoga Springs who was a major stockholder and chief executive of one of the carbonic gas companies who was later accused of embezzling money. The Colonial Revival residence was designed by prominent architect Alfred Hopkins who was born in Saratoga Springs and educated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He had a successful architecture practice in New York City. He was also responsible for the 1916 Adirondack Trust Company building as well as the significant alterations to the residence at 658 North Broadway. The residence of H. E. Pettee was featured in "Architectural Record" V.60 November 1926, pages 483-484 (see attached), which featured “country houses” from across the country. The changes that were made to the south extension of the building were made in 1970, per the inventory form from April 1976 (see attached). The building is a contributing building to the Broadway Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Per the Porches & Decks Historic District Design Guidelines: • Every effort should be made to preserve an original or historic porch including the original size, design and materials. Demolition of an existing historic porch is to be avoided. • Rear and side porches can be important architectural features of a building, especially for buildings that are located on corner lots; they should be preserved. Per the New Construction Historic District Design Guidelines, Additions • An addition should be smaller in scale than the original building so that it does not overshadow the existing building. It should complement the original building’s roof form, massing, floor heights, proportion and window and door fenestration. • An addition should be located where it is least visible and designed to minimally affect the perception of the original structure. • Additions should not obscure, damage or destroy the character-defining features of the primary building or streetscape. • Additions should be constructed so that, if removed in the future, the historic integrity of the building or its materials would not be irreparably damaged. The two-story porch on the west elevation, featured in the “Architectural Record,” is a significant character-defining feature of the house that is visible from Woodlawn Avenue. Therefore, the Foundation strongly objects to the removal of the original, grand porch as well as the oval window on the west elevation. 112 Spring Street, Suite 203 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 587-5030 www.saratogapreservation.org The proposed three-car garage addition at the rear of the house does not follow any of the above guidelines. The Foundation has significant concerns about the overall scale and mass of the proposed additions, which when combined, appear to be larger than the existing historic house. It recommends that the garage be detached and placed near Wiswall Lane to be in keeping with the historic development of accessory buildings of North Broadway being placed at the rear of the lot to allow access from an alley or a secondary street. Per the Roof Historic District Design Guidelines: Roofs • The original size, shape and pitch of the roof should be maintained. • Altering the roofline should be avoided if it redefines the architectural style of the structure. Details • Roof details, including eaves, cornice, gable-end trim and the entablature, should be maintained and preserved whenever possible as they contribute and define the architectural character of the structure. Dormers • New dormers should be reserved for the rear or less visible sides of the structure and be appropriate in scale and proportion. The Foundation objects to raising the roof and the proposed dormers on the primary façade of the south extension. However, it does not object to the second-story addition to the north extension. However, similar to the south extension, it objects to the proposed dormers. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of this request. Sincerely, C. Christopher Armer Samantha Bosshart President Executive Director Cc: Marc & Melissa Paquin, Owners Michael Albrecht, Balzer & Tuck Architecture, Architect Julia Destino, Planner, Saratoga Spring ARCHriECTVRAL RECORD OtCOND rioog PLAM RESIDENCE OF H. E. PETTEE, ESQ. SARATOGA SPRINGS Alfred Hopkins. Architect 5 I 0 t w A L k. [483] ARCHITECTVRAL RECORD Photo, Foster Disinger November, 1926 RESIDENCE OF H. E. PETTEE, ESQ.. SARATOGA SPRINGS Alfred Hopkins. Arcliitect [484] 595 North Broadway - Saratoga Room, Saratoga Public Library. No primary source provided. Appears to be the same photo of the primary facade and floor plans from the "Architectural Record" V60 November 1926. However, the photograph of the rear facade was not published in that volume. 595 North Broadway, 1934 George S. Bolster Collection Saratoga Springs History Museum