HomeMy WebLinkAbout20251045 595 N Broadway Demolition & Construction SSPF Letter 2.10.2026Board 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
February 10, 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 most recent submission for
595 North Broadway.
Per the Roof Historic District Design Guidelines (underline added for emphasis):
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 raising of the roof of the south extension and the addition of dormers to that extension
does not follow four of the Roof Historic District Design Guidelines. The Foundation
continues to strongly object 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.
As stated in the letter dated January 28, 2026, 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. The Foundation
is also pleased that the mass and scale of the proposed garage has been reduced, removing
the third garage bay; the hyphen between the proposed rear addition to the main structure
and the garage has been extended; and the proposed covered porch was removed.
However, the Foundation remains concerned about the garage impinging upon 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 situated closer to Long Alley to be in keeping with the historic development of accessory
buildings of North Broadway. The Foundation does not support the shed roof dormers on
the proposed garage rather than shed roof dormers to be more in keeping with the style of
the house.
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