Development News for Andover, Massachusetts

10 Chester Street Project Approved with Recommendation for Simplified Porch Entrance

The commission opened a public hearing for a project at 10 Chester Street. The applicant presented a redesigned project due to cost, which includes repairs to the existing home, a new sunroom extension, and rebuilding/demolishing the existing garage. The renovation of the existing home involves restoring corbels and trim along the roofline, stripping and repairing wood, and replacing siding with LP Smart Side. Some corbels on the one-story back of the house will be removed. Window trim sizes will be maintained, and siding will be replaced with LP Smart Side. A non-historic screen door will be replaced with an Anderson screen door. Front posts will be wrapped to enlarge their size to the original dimensions, and arched corbels will be restored. The back porch will have posts and corbels added to match the front porch. Gutters will be installed on the new garage's roofline. A new sunroom extension will mirror the existing side, and a new garage will be constructed. The proposed project includes 349 square feet of new living space and a two-car garage. The commission discussed the design of the new connector, with some members finding the curved brackets on the columns to be too historic for the addition and preferring a more modern aesthetic. There was also discussion regarding the necessity of posts for structural support and the potential for water pooling issues without proper gutters. The commission ultimately voted to issue a COA with the recommendation that the porch entrance be simplified by removing the column and arched trim if possible. The applicant expressed gratitude for the smooth process.