The Saratoga Springs Design Review Board on Oct. 29 approved only the roof replacement portion of a proposal at 167 Spring St. to convert a two‑car garage and to replace a modern corrugated roof with a standing‑seam copper roof. The board declined to decide that evening on replacing the existing garage doors with glazed panels, deferring that element pending a site visit to assess whether the doors are historic and can be repaired.

Architect Matthew Herr described the project as a reversible conversion of the garage with new glazed and wood infill panels, replacement of the roof with copper standing‑seam roofing, and minimal structural changes. Board members and the Preservation Foundation had differing views on the doors: some said the existing door slabs appeared to be mid‑century plywood and deteriorated beyond repair while others said the doors are character‑defining and should be retained or repaired.

Because the board could not reach consensus on the doors from photographs and testimony alone, it voted to approve the roof replacement only and to schedule a site visit so members could inspect the garage doors in person and then revisit the door proposal at a future meeting. The board instructed staff to coordinate the site visit and to have the applicant provide options that preserve historic fabric where feasible.

The decision preserves the applicant’s ability to proceed with the roof work while leaving final determination about the garage doors to a later meeting after an in‑person assessment.