[MassHistPres] Hardiplank In Historic Districts

[slater at alum.rpi.edu]

Here's my perspective from Springfield.

I extend latitude in materials to someone looking to replace
inappropriate siding with a more appropriate design. The SHC has voted
to allow shingle-shaped vinyl siding to replace wide clapboard aluminum
siding on houses that should be shingled, for example, on the theory
that the homeowner is doing the district a favor by eliminating an
inappropriate siding design.

We have allowed Hariplank siding on new construction in our districts,
one that was built in the past 3 years. The siding looks very good,
without tapping it you cannot tell it isn't clapboard. It is paintable
and does not have the seams that vinyl siding has. It also does not need
to have those little "clipped on" corner boards -- it can but up against
other hardi-board side boards.

I would not approve hardiplank for someone simply looking to replace
their original siding. However, I don't think it's a precedent if you
allow someone to go from an inappropriate grandfathered siding to
Hardiplank. You need to figure out how to grant it -- I think
"appropriateness" would be better than hardship, you would set the
guideline that it is appropriate to use Hardiplank when going from
aluminum siding (but not appropriate to use Hardiplank when going from
cedar). If you use hardship, and focus only on the cost angle, that
might be more precedent-setting, where people could claim hardship due
to the $13k price difference.

I looked at their Hardishingle product when I restored my house,
removing asbestos siding. However, in the end, I decided against it
because the product is not tapered, and it would not have looked like
cedar shingles -- the reveal would have been too wide.

Ralph Slate
Springfield, MA

<-----Original Message----->Good Morning Everyone
>The Medford Historical District Commission would like to get everyone's
opinion
>on the following subject. 
>
>We have two homeowners (the house has been divided into condos) who had
the
>desire to take their circa 1890's shingle style house and restore the
exterior
>to the best of their ability. One of the homeowners is the architect,
who
>brought in drawings for the building. He originally proposed to remove
all the
>aluminum siding and reuse the wood underneath which he believed was in
good
>enough condition from his investigation work. We approved his work.
>?
>He has since returned to us with the problem that much of the house's
original
>wood is in poor condition and needs to be replaced due to cracking,
cupping, and
>numerous patching and nail holes from the siding. Because of this the
homeowners
>wish to replace all the siding on the house. The homeowners have priced
>both?wood (which every home in the district?is already) and the
hardiplank
>material. ?The homeowners are claiming a $13,000 price difference
between wood
>and hardiplank material, however, this would be the first house to have
the item
>allowed as a whole construction building material. The commission
worries about
>the allow for one, allow for all rule where if we allow one homeowner
to build
>in this material, we will be setting a precedent for all the other
homes in
>districts city wide for similar substitute materials.
>
>The other issue the commission has is that our bylaw states that
materials
>clearly need to relate to the existing neighborhood, which has been, to
this
>point, wood.
>
>Our questions for you are, have other commissions approved this in
their
>districts? How generally do preservationist feel about this material. I
am a
>purist and feel that preservation is not about a dollar figure but
about
>preserving those structures, places, etc significant to our nations
history. No
>figure can ever be put to that. Your opinions would be appreciated
quickly as
>possible, as we need to make a decision on the subject soon.
>
>Thank you!
>Ryan D. Hayward
>Medford Historical Commission
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