Radnor Township Historical & Architectural Review Board Meeting – September 2, 2026
Radnor Township Historical & Architectural Review Board Meeting – September 2, 2026
The Historical & Architectural Review Board (HARB) of Radnor Township met on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 6:30 PM per the agenda, though the provided timestamp indicates the meeting occurred at 11:45 UTC. The board reviewed one application and unanimously approved a certificate of appropriateness. The meeting began with the approval of the previous month's minutes.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the meeting minutes from August 6, 2026, by a unanimous voice vote.
Discussion Items
- HARB 2026‑25 – 204 Midland Ave, Wayne, PA (Modification of side elevation openings):
- Applicant represented by architect Gina Ventura of the project team. The house is a 1910 bungalow designed by local architect David Knickerbacker Boyd.
- The proposal: relocate the kitchen from the front to the side elevation, requiring modification of side‑elevation windows. The architect plans to raise a low window and install matching double‑hung windows (one approximately 29 inches wide, repeated or doubled). The front elevation remains unchanged.
- A board member noted that the proposed shutters on a large side window appeared out of scale (decorative shutters would not close properly). The architect acknowledged the front elevation already has similarly proportioned original shutters, but expressed willingness to omit them if the board preferred. No formal objection was raised.
- The architect confirmed the existing Bilco door will be retained, the basement left unfinished, and no exterior color change is planned. The client (homeowner in her late 70s) seeks a first‑floor primary bedroom with accessible features.
- Motion to approve a certificate of appropriateness was made, seconded, and passed unanimously by voice vote (all ayes).
Key Outcomes
- Decision on HARB 2026‑25: Certificate of appropriateness granted for modifications to side elevation openings, subject to the proposed plans (shutters were accepted as presented).
- Next meeting: Scheduled for October 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM; application deadline for that meeting is September 22, 2026.
- Adjournment: Meeting concluded following the vote.
Meeting Transcript
Do I have an a motion to approve? Motion to approve. All right. That's good. Now we only have one application for this this meeting, which is HARB 2026-25. 204 Midland Avenue. Modification of side elevation openings. Come on up and present. Do you guys have the packets? We had the package. Okay, so I'll just I'll just go through them with you. Is that a good one? Sure, that's right. Oh, okay. Oh boy, okay. I haven't been here in a while. Um this is the little bungalow, the little brown bungalow in Midland. Everybody knows uh it was built uh 1910 um from a local architect. Very atypical for him. He usually built uh the close of his work is um actually public work, um churches, pools, and a few of the larger um homes. I guess I've used a mic for the recording. Oh, you're recording, okay. Um I'm Gina Ventura, the architect for this project. Uh it's 204 Midland Avenue, the little brown bungalow that you might know near the middle school. And um we're looking for some modifications to this to the side elevation. Um so David, it was uh David Knickerbocker Boyd. He did the church on um, like in the intersection of Wayne, the main intersection. He did another house on Aberdeen for himself, bigger, he did old uh the old Wayne schools. He was sort of the Horace Trombauer uh generation out of Philly. Um, but this was kind of an un it's an unusual house for Wayne. You yes, if you know it, and it's it was unusual for his portfolio, um, but kind of a cool quirky house. Um so the the story of it was built in 1910. Um the the original front elevation is exactly as it is today, hasn't changed. Um the only thing that's really changed to the house is there was a rear porch that was enclosed. I I don't know when we there were there was no um records of that, so it was a while ago. Um but the house looks literally exactly the same. Next door to the left is actually the new owner's daughter. Um that was built in 1947, uh so a little later than most of the other ones. The house directly um to the right of it uh was also built in 1910, and I believe this was recently approved by HARB to enclose some windows. Um I did notice that. So um, you know, these these houses change over time. This one is directly across the street, um, built in 1908. Um and this is kind of an interesting one. I I believe this was renovated uh probably about 13 years ago. Um does that sound right to you, because the the owner's son was in kindergarten with my son and they just graduated high school. So this was the original um building from 1910, and then uh the next page is actually the renovation that they did to it, which is you know very different, a little more modern, but still I think I think beautiful. I think they did a great job. I don't know if you can tell from here, but they have a really cool hanging light fixture above the front door that's gas and it kind of flickers, um, which is neat. Um so here is our front elevation of Midland. Super super unusual with this um arched window completely smooshed next to the two double hungs with shutters that are totally the wrong size.
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