Newport Historic District Commission Meeting – March 10, 2026
Newport Historic District Commission Meeting – March 10, 2026
The Historic District Commission (HDC) held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 11:30 AM. The commission addressed several applications for historic properties, including approvals, continuations, and split decisions. Key actions included approving a redesigned carriage house on Green Isle Place, a front door replacement on Franklin Street, window replacements on Bellevue Avenue, and a new garage on Cottage Street, while continuing discussion on dormers, window relocations, and a pool.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of the February 10, 2026 HDC meeting as presented.
- Accepted all staff findings of fact as the commission’s findings.
- Granted summary approval for 18 Barney Court (3 & 4 Barney Court) – permission to alter as presented, citing Newport Standard 17 TAC 80 060 A1-5,7.
- Granted abbreviated summary for 27 K Street – permission to infill a bathroom window with a ghost profile, conditional on the rear window being infilled with a ghost profile, citing the same standards.
- Redirected application C2 (97 Harrison Av unit PL) to the preservation planner.
Discussion Items
6 Green Isle Place (Carriage House) – Applicant Kiko Sanchez presented a revised plan to demolish a shed roof addition and construct a one-and-a-half-story addition, rotate the carriage house, install carriage-style doors, and replace the roof. The commission unanimously approved the application as presented, citing Newport Standard 17 TAC 80 060 A1-7.
27½ Franklin Street – Applicant Shane Cooper and Brian Shoel proposed a rear shed dormer, front door replacement, window changes, and had withdrawn HVAC and sign requests. The commission split the application:
- Approved the front door replacement (unanimous).
- Approved restoration of existing windows as detailed in the window inventory.
- Continued the dormer and any window relocations to the April 14, 2026 HDC meeting, as the dormer lacked support (5-2 against as presented) and window relocation remained unresolved.
364 Bellevue Avenue (Unit 301S) – Applicant Ronald Polito sought to replace 12 windows and one round window. The commission approved the application with a condition that the two original round windows be restored (vote: 6 in favor, 1 opposed – Commissioner Bala dissented citing standards A1 and A4).
6 Sunshine Court – Applicant Brian Shoel proposed replacing front entry stairs, vinyl windows with Pella SDL wood windows, and skylights. Approved with a condition that the new post caps be updated to a spherical design matching historic photos (unanimous).
38 Pelham Street (Rear Addition) – Applicant Jay Russell Jackson and Chris Fagan requested permission to demolish and rebuild structurally unsound rear additions. The commission split the application:
- Approved the east elevation reconstruction as presented (unanimous).
- Continued the west elevation (L-shaped addition) to April 14, 2026, with a potential site visit to assess salvageable portions.
1 Cottage Street – Applicant Jay Russell Jackson and Chris Fagan proposed a garage, pool, and chimney removal. The commission split the application:
- Approved the garage and chimney removal/reconstruction, conditional on using a carriage-style garage door (unanimous).
- Continued the in-ground pool to April 14, 2026, with a request for 3D renderings to assess visibility from Cottage Street.
Key Outcomes
- Approved applications: 6 Green Isle Place, front door at 27½ Franklin Street, 364 Bellevue Avenue (with condition), 6 Sunshine Court (with condition), east elevation at 38 Pelham Street, and garage/chimney at 1 Cottage Street (with condition).
- Continued applications (to April 14, 2026): 5 Sunshine Court (N1), 719 Bellevue Avenue (N8), C330 Poplar Street, dormer and window relocations at 27½ Franklin Street, west elevation at 38 Pelham Street, and pool at 1 Cottage Street.
- Recommendations for design review: The 27½ Franklin Street dormer and window issues were noted as suitable for a design review committee to refine the proposal.
- Site visit planned: Preservation planner and possibly the commission will visit 38 Pelham Street to evaluate the L-shaped addition before the next hearing.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everyone. Historic District Commission meeting for Tuesday, March tenth, two thousand and twenty-six, and ask our secretary to call the roll. Thank you, Madam Chair. Deanna Amarillo. Here. Kelly Morin is present. Jim Madsen. Frank Bala. Here. Ray Goddard. Bill Finley. Here. And Brooke Richter. Here. I confirm that we have a quorum for this evening's meeting. I will ask Commissioner Bill Finley to affirm for the record that you reviewed all materials for the continued applications and watched the Tuesday, February tenth, two thousand and twenty-six HDC meeting and are prepared to be a voting commissioner this evening on those applications. That is correct. Okay, thank you. Commission members, are there any additions or corrections to those minutes? No. No. I request a motion to accept the minutes for Tuesday, February tenth, two thousand and twenty-six as presented. So moved. Okay. All those in favor. All those opposed. All of the applications in this meeting have a published staff report, which includes the confirmed location of each property within a Newport Historic District record as a contributing or non-contributing building, construction date of the property, and character defining features. As we begin the meeting this evening, I request a motion to accept all staff findings of fact as our findings of fact. So moved. All those in favor. The commission convened earlier in our standard pre-meeting immediately prior. We have no resequencing this evening. Just to state some of these details were published on the agenda. I'll just go through them. We did have one application that had been withdrawn by the applicant. That was the application C473 Catherine Street. If there's anyone here from the public for that application, that was withdrawn. We similarly have three continuations. That was C330 Poplar Street. But two additional applications were brought before the commission as continued after it was published. So the first of those is N1 for 5 Sunshine Court and N8, 719 Bellevue Avenue. Those will be continued to the next regularly scheduled HDC meeting on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. So if we have anyone here for those three applications, they will not be heard this evening. That is the application of C2 97 Harrison Av unit PL. I will request a motion to redirect that application to the preservation planner this evening. So moved. Second. All those in favor. Aye. All those opposed.
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