Heritage commission adds multiple house plans to Lebanon pattern book, including Barrow Street and ADU options

Lebanon’s Heritage Commission on July 22 voted to add several finalized house plans to the city’s pattern/plan book, including the Barrow Street plan (with a mirror-image option), a Cedar Ridge townhouse/fourplex design, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) over-garage option, and Chatham/Cape plans with dormers to ease later finishing.

Deputy City Manager David Brooks told commissioners the Barrow Street plan is the version the city intends to build and that PBS (Preferred Building Systems) will produce the building “box” with on-site finishing; Brooks said he and PBS discussed offering mirrored versions so unit orientations place more windows on street-facing façades. He also told the commission PBS is the initial vendor for the five houses the city purchased, while other builders remain eligible to propose plan-book builds in the future.

Commissioners repeatedly focused on fenestration and porch details. One member asked whether the plan could be flipped so the wall with more windows faces the street; Brooks said units 1, 2 and 4 would be mirrored so outward-facing facades show the larger window arrays. For the Chatham (Cape) plan members asked that dormers be included to make future upstairs finishing easier; staff confirmed dormers will be included in the plan-book version.

The commission moved, seconded and approved each plan addition by voice vote; members recorded the approvals as unanimous. Several members emphasized the need for flexibility — mirrored options and potential on-site porch work — while noting that any final on-site adjustments will be coordinated with builders and city staff.

Staff said the plan book will show exterior images and architectural drawings online; full construction (stamped) plans will be retained and not released publicly. The commission also discussed potential nominal fees to flip plan orientations and that PBS’s proprietary construction drawings must be requested through the vendor process.

Next steps include adding the approved plan sets to the official plan book, confirming mirrored options with the architect and PBS, and returning any vendor or mirrored-fee clarifications to a future meeting.