By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — After reviewing plans to renovate the historic Inn at Longshore for a third time, the Architectural Review Board on Tuesday approved the latest tweaks to the proposal.

The latest revisions to remodeling plans “will take the building back to exactly the way it is today, except for the porte cochere,” a wide, covered entrance, said Michael Ryan, managing partner of Longshore Hospitality Group, which leases the property in Longshore Club Park from the town.

A series of revisions to the original renovation proposal, which was poorly received, have brought  the lessees back to the ARB and the Planning and Zoning Commission several times in an attempt to address concerns and complaints from the boards and the public.

On Tuesday, the ARB supported the most recent changes to the plan, including removing a proposed gable that would have provided extra rooms for lodging.

But board members still had two concerns — the lack of an elevator and the architectural design of columns on the inn’s rear porch.

“I don’t mind the elimination of the gable, but I do mind the elimination of the elevator,” said board member David Halpern. “You’re going to be excluding a number of people by excluding it.”

Costs of the renovation are higher than expected, Ryan said, and the elevator was eliminated because of rising expenses.

“It does seem like a very ambitious project to not have an elevator,” said board member Jon Halper, “but I understand the financial constraints.”

ARB members also disliked roll-down screens planned for the rear porch, which they felt would not coordinate well with the historic columns at the rear of the building. Board member Jake Watkins asked that the inn’s application be put on hold until more details about the screens could be submitted.

But Ward French, board chairman, said, “We could request that they come back, but we don’t want to hold up the project.”

After Ryan agreed to provide the requested details to board members within a few days, the ARB voted unanimously to accept the updated renovation plans.

Only approval of a Coastal Area Management application remains for the project to move forward, Ryan said.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.