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Commission approves replacing deteriorated slate with asphalt at 11 View Street to facilitate solar installation
Summary
After debate on repair vs. replacement and the feasibility of rooftop solar on slate, the commission granted a demo‑delay waiver allowing removal of a heavily damaged slate roof and replacement with asphalt shingles to accommodate a solar array.
The Worcester Historical Commission approved a building demo‑delay waiver permitting removal of a heavily damaged slate roof at 11 View Street and replacement with architectural asphalt shingles selected to approximate the slate’s appearance, a change the applicants said is needed to enable rooftop solar installation.
Debali Severino, speaking for property owners, told the commission the slate is brittle, the roof is in poor structural condition and that installing solar on existing slate would be technically difficult and costly. Severino said asphalt shingles would better support mounting and maintenance of solar panels and reduce structural and insurance complications.
Commissioners and members of the public pressed the applicant on alternatives, including repairing slate or using specialty installers that mount solar on slate. Resident commenter Jonathan Austro, with the Save Notre Dame Alliance, noted slate roofs can last well over a century and urged seeking slate repair estimates and experienced contractors; he cited an example of a slate roof with solar installed successfully by the Fall River Housing Authority.
City staff and commission members discussed preservation guidelines and legal standards: staff noted the building is listed in the National Register and said the house appeared highly altered; another staff member referenced state preservation law and local guidelines allowing compatible substitute materials where original materials present demonstrable hardship or inhibit necessary upgrades.
After weighing condition, alteration, structural concerns, and the applicant’s stated desire to proceed with solar, the commission found that replacing the heavily damaged slate with asphalt shingles “would not be detrimental to the historical or architectural resources of the city of Worcester” and approved the demo‑delay waiver.
The applicant said they will continue working with National Grid and contractors to qualify the solar project and will pursue recycling options for removed slates if feasible.
