Easton City Council Supports Historic District Standards

Easton City Council is committed to maintaining the integrity of the Downtown historic district and consistently upholding the recommendations made by the city's Historic District Commission.

That was the main message a majority of members and the city's mayor said they wished to send during two hearings of appeals of recommendations made by the city's Historic District Commission from two city property owners wishing to install replacement vinyl windows in their buildings at their meeting Wednesday evening.

In both cases, the council sent the matters back to the HDC for re-review rather than overturn the commission's recommendations, though one project was provisionally granted approval if other funding for more desirable replacements is not forthcoming in the next 90 days.

The HDC has consistently rejected property improvement applications that include vinyl replacement windows, testified Christine Ussler, consultant for the commission. Wood or aluminum-covered wood are preferred for historical integrity, she said.

“It has been the general determination that...the use of vinyl is inappropriate in a historic district,” she said. The texture and profile is not consistent with the original wood and noticeably changes the look of the building, she said.

Ussler added that in many, if not most cases, restoring the original windows properly is less expensive than replacement, and that the difference in energy efficiency between new replacement windows and properly restored windows was minimal.

“It has been found that restoring the historic window properly nearly approximates the energy efficiency of new windows,” she said.

Matthew DiGirolamo, of 2 Bennett Court said he sought to replace the structure's windows with vinyl replacements, but the HDC refused approval.

Though Bennett Court is a private street, it is visible from the public streets surrounding it, making it within the HDC's scope of authority, city officials said. Only windows within public view from the public street are subject to preservation rules; those that do not face the street may be updated as the property owner chooses. However, the number of windows on the home affected by the recommendation was unclear.

DiGirolamo testified that under those rules only one window would be within commission's scope.

“Thirteen of my 14 windows can't be seen (from the public street),” DiGirolamo said. “I think my home would look ridiculous with 13 vinyl windows and one wood window. Because I'm going to choose vinyl windows,”

Ussler said the fact that Bennett Court is not a public road was not mentioned at the original review and commission members did not have a count of the number of windows affected.

“It was not clear that it was not a designated street,” Ussler said.

Council rejected the appeal and agreed that the commission should re-review the property after a city code officer determines how many windows are under the HDC's purveyance at the property.

“For me, it's still about consistency and fairness,” said Easton Mayor Sal Panto. “If the HDC knew it was 13 of 14 windows, maybe they would have chosen differently.”

He added that he thinks the commission usually makes good recommendations and works with property owners to ensure both they and the city are happy with property improvements.

Vice-mayor El Warner also said consistency is important and that she supports the precedent of city council upholding the commission's recommendations.

“If we're going to start making exceptions, we might as well not have an HDC,” Warner said.

Council members were slightly more lenient towards the Easton Area Neighborhood Center's appeal regarding it's 140 Bushkill Street property, technically overturning the commission's decision with the provision that the organization continue to work with the HDC to attempt to make the project fit the recommendations..

EANC Executive Director Terry Roman testified that the non-profit bought the rejected vinyl replacement windows in June on the advice of an unnamed city code officer and a contractor that had done other work for the organization, unaware the project would need HDC approval and that vinyl windows are considered inappropriate in the historic district. Due to the materials being purchased through grant funding that was due to expire, the organization was pressured for time as well, she said.

Ussler said she wished the non-profit had come forward before the materials were purchased.

“We would have welcomed working with them,” she said.

Still, the eight front windows may yet get preservationist treatment with the help of county funding, said city planner Becky Bradley, who told council she'd received a message indicating such is likely forthcoming for the project.

The building serves as transitional housing for low-income families with children. The current windows, of aluminum-covered wood, are not original to the building, which faces a parking lot. The window renovations will be postponed for up to 90 days, Roman promised, in anticipation of the possible county funding.

In that case, the non-profit would try to sell the extra vinyl windows, possibly on eBay, to try to recoup some of the money and make use of the materials.

These details, particularly that the windows in question are already replacement windows, were factors in the council's final decision, members said.

Ussler said she felt the decision was reasonable.

“Yes, it is visible, but it's not on say, Second Street. It's on a parking lot,” she said.