Architectural Review Board urges centering, simpler materials for Riverview house addition
August 26, 2026 | Dublin City Council, Dublin, Franklin County, Ohio
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The Dublin Architectural Review Board on Sept. 1 gave applicants nonbinding guidance to refine an addition and exterior updates at 143 South Riverview Street, a 0.21-acre property in the HDHR historic residential district. Planning staff said the project meets code and setback requirements but recommended adjustments to the front pediment and window proportions to better match the district's character.
"All of the proposed improvements do meet all code and setback requirements," Planning staffer Miss Brubaker told the board, while identifying concerns with the pediment's complexity and the fenestration proportions. Board members repeatedly urged making the pediment more prominent and either centering it over the existing door or enlarging the gable so the doorway reads as the focal point of the façade.
Applicant David Johnson, who gave his address for the record, said the design intent was to update a mid‑century supporting house without moving the existing entry. "We're trying to make sure the door stays in the same location," Johnson said, adding the team would study enlarging the pediment or adjusting window groupings rather than relocating the doorway.
Board members recommended several specific refinements: increase the pediment's overhang to create a stronger shadow line, center the pediment line over the door where practical, and consider changing the fenestration on the front elevation (for example, adding a second window or resizing an opening to improve symmetry). Several members flagged the rendering's current asymmetry — three windows on one side and a single window on the other — as visually distracting.
On the rear addition, staff and board members suggested simplifying materials to avoid a busy composition. The consensus was to keep stone on the original structure and choose a distinct but simpler cladding for the addition (vertical board-and-batten or a single siding color), rather than three different materials.
The board also discussed roofing strategy for the infill hip; the applicant said matching the existing 4:12 pitch would require significant structural change, so the team proposed a slightly lower-pitched infill with standing-seam metal to avoid tearing off the current roof. Staff and board members agreed that keeping the existing roof form where possible and using a compatible metal seam roof on the addition would be acceptable.
The board did not take a formal vote on the case — the review was informal and advisory. The applicant will study the recommended refinements and return for a final minor project review.
"All of the proposed improvements do meet all code and setback requirements," Planning staffer Miss Brubaker told the board, while identifying concerns with the pediment's complexity and the fenestration proportions. Board members repeatedly urged making the pediment more prominent and either centering it over the existing door or enlarging the gable so the doorway reads as the focal point of the façade.
Applicant David Johnson, who gave his address for the record, said the design intent was to update a mid‑century supporting house without moving the existing entry. "We're trying to make sure the door stays in the same location," Johnson said, adding the team would study enlarging the pediment or adjusting window groupings rather than relocating the doorway.
Board members recommended several specific refinements: increase the pediment's overhang to create a stronger shadow line, center the pediment line over the door where practical, and consider changing the fenestration on the front elevation (for example, adding a second window or resizing an opening to improve symmetry). Several members flagged the rendering's current asymmetry — three windows on one side and a single window on the other — as visually distracting.
On the rear addition, staff and board members suggested simplifying materials to avoid a busy composition. The consensus was to keep stone on the original structure and choose a distinct but simpler cladding for the addition (vertical board-and-batten or a single siding color), rather than three different materials.
The board also discussed roofing strategy for the infill hip; the applicant said matching the existing 4:12 pitch would require significant structural change, so the team proposed a slightly lower-pitched infill with standing-seam metal to avoid tearing off the current roof. Staff and board members agreed that keeping the existing roof form where possible and using a compatible metal seam roof on the addition would be acceptable.
The board did not take a formal vote on the case — the review was informal and advisory. The applicant will study the recommended refinements and return for a final minor project review.
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