By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Revised plans to renovate the Inn at Longshore, reflecting more of the 100-year-old building’s historic character — and restoring a replica of its distinctive dome — were approved unanimously Tuesday by the Architectural Review Board.

The ARB did not support an earlier redesign for the inn presented in April. Panel members faulted features that included an enlarged front entrance, or porte-cochere, added balconies, and removal of both the dome and a large tree in front, saying the renovations lacked focus and diminished the building’s historic value.

Board members were more positive about the renovations this time after the construction and design team worked closely with them to make the specific changes requested earlier.

“It’s a good improvement over the last plan,” said board member Jon Halper. “You really picked up on almost all our comments.” 

Several ARB members had met with the design team on the site to go over their concerns about the previous plan. They shared old photographs of the building “which contained a lot of historical information you should pick up on,” Halper said he had told the team — and the new plans do.

The revised plan eliminated features the ARB said were were not in keeping with the inn’s character, such as a third-floor balcony and railings on the second floor. The entrance to the restaurant was moved to the side, with original columns brought back and a red roof restored to the building.

The new design also includes an outside bar overlooking the water.

And a dome — a symbol of the inn to many Westporters — was restored at the rear of the renovated structure, where it would serve as a focal point for photos at weddings hosted by inn, architect Kenneth Nadler said.

Saving the large tree in front of the inn, which was slated for removal in the previous plan, had been a major concern of member David Halpern.

The tree would be saved in the revised plan, and its roots will be protected during construction, Peter Romano,  principal of the Westport engineering firm Landtech, told the ARB. Landtech’s arborist visited the site and a plan was developed to ensure the tree would not be harmed during construction, he said.

The inn has stopped taking reservations for weddings past December of this year, and will close in January 2025 for the remodeling project, according to Michael Ryan, managing partner of Longshore Hospitality Group, which leases the property from the town.

The next step will be estimating when the remodeled inn will reopen, and weddings and other future events can be booked. he said.

Renovation of La Plage restaurant, particularly its 20-year-old kitchen, will be completed in Phase 2 of the project, requiring the restaurant to be closed over the winter of 2025 or possibly in winter 2026, Ryan said.

Romano said the applicants would like to get proposal renovations approved by town boards first, then present the Planning and Zoning Commission with a plan to clearly delineate the different phases of the work and the project timeline.

The redesigned porte-cochere, a new entrance to the restaurant facing the shore and other revisions contribute to a much improved proposal, ARB member Jake Watkins said. 

“It really is nicely done,” he said of changes to the plan. 

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.