HomeMy WebLinkAbout20251045 595 N Broadway Demo & Construction SSPF Letter #2Board 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 recent submission for 595
North Broadway.
As previously noted in the letter dated January 13, 2026, the Colonial Revival residence
was designed by prominent architect Alfred Hopkins, who was a successful, published
architect who designed houses, farm complexes, and prisons throughout the United States.
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 Foundation is pleased that the significant, historic rear two-story porch will not be
removed and that the proposed addition between the main structure and the proposed
garage has been reduced to one-story.
However, the Foundation remains concerned about the mass and scale of the proposed
combined additions. The garage should not obstruct the view of the rear porch from
Wiswall Lane and Woodlawn Avenue, as it was intentionally designed to be a significant
viewshed. The Foundation continues to recommend that the garage be detached to allow
the original historic form of the house to be preserved. The garage should be sited closer
to Long Alley to be in keeping with the historic development of accessory buildings of
North Broadway. The Foundation also suggests gable dormers on the proposed garage
rather than shed roof dormers to be more in keeping with the style of the house.
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 strongly objects to raising the roof and the proposed dormers on the
primary façade of the south extension. As much of the original design by Alfred Hopkins
should be preserved as possible, which includes retaining the existing roof line and the
appearance of the primary façade of the south extension.
Although the Foundation does not object to the second-story addition to the north extension
understanding that it should be the same height as the existing south extension and not
feature dormers on the primary facade.
The Foundation encourages the owner to restore as much of the character-defining features
that were previously removed, such as the front porch, the solid panel balustrades of the
north and south extensions, and the small windows on the north and east elevations as seen
in the 1926 "Architectural Record.”
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