Title
Northeast Residential Historic District. Request to Amend Window Details for an Approved Certificate of Appropriateness (B)
Petition HP-18-39. Amelia Tanner, Straight Line Construction, agent for Richard Pusateri. Request to amend the window details that were part of the work proposed in Petition HP-18-39, that was approved at the May 1, 2018 HPB meeting. Located at 636 NE 7th Street. This building is contributing to the Northeast Residential Historic District.
Explanation
The property is located in the Northeast Residential Historic District and is zoned RSF-3. It sits on the corner of NE 7th Avenue and NE 7th Street, facing NE 7th Avenue with a large side yard on the corner. The c. 1913 house is a one-story wood Queen Anne cottage with simple detailing. The house is raised on brick piers, has wood drop siding, and cross-gabled roof with metal roofing. The original windows are still extant. The house has an L-shaped enclosed porch that wraps around the front and east side of the house. It is unknown if the entire porch was original to the house, but the enclosure is a later modification.
On May 1, 2018, Petition HP-18-39 received a Certificate of Appropriateness when it was approved with conditions by the Historic Preservation Board. One of the conditions was the submission of new window drawings, showing elevations, dimensions, materials and details of the new window sashes and casing, when completed. The original scope of work included custom-made windows to match the existing windows in wood detailing and diamond-pane transom. Staff found at the time that the proposed scope of new custom-made windows was appropriate for new windows, and recommended that the carpenter follow the criteria for compatibility of new windows.
The petitioner has submitted cost estimates for the project comparing the JELD-WEN Siteline Wood Casement windows with the Mi vinyl picture windows and casement windows. The existing approval calls for wood windows to be installed on the north and east side of the house, to replace the plate glass on the porch. The proposed vinyl windows are to have the grids and design to match the design in the plans for the wood windows. The cost estimate of the vinyl windows would be $6,814.04; the cost estimate of the wood windows would be $25,455.26. The petitioners indicate that visually the windows will match the windows that have been approved previously with this petition, and the proposed cost of the wood is approximately four times the cost of the vinyl, which would cause going over budget. They also feel that wood can rot and the vinyl will have a longer maintenance free life span.
The applicants are proposing to replace the windows because of the cost difference between the approved wood windows and the proposed vinyl windows. It is noted in the guidelines that replacement windows for irreparable historic windows should be made of the same materials. Compatible substitute materials may be considered only on a case-by-case basis depending on building use and generally when the replacement window is on a less-visible secondary elevation. The proposed windows to be changed from wood to vinyl are on the north and east elevations of the home, which are the principal facades for this corner lot structure.
Recommendation
Staff recommends the board hear the request for a hardship due to the cost difference between wood windows and vinyl windows.