A city building inspector determined that repair work on the porch balustrade at 13 Garfield Place was ordinary maintenance and did not require Historic District and Landmark Preservation Commission review, the commission was told Thursday.

The finding matters because it resolves whether the HDLPC must review the project. The building department issued a stop‑work order after a complaint about work done without a permit on July 24, 2025, and the property owner applied for a building permit and Certificate of Appropriateness on July 31 for restoration of a front‑porch balustrade.

Richard Vistel, city planner, said the building inspector concluded “the restoration involved use was use of, salvageable components of the balustrade and replacement in kind of those 2 rotted to be utilized. As the work proposed is ordinary maintenance and repair, not involving any change in design, material, color or outward appearance, building inspector has determined that pursuant to the provisions of nineteen‑5.12A, of the zoning code, that HCLPC approval is not required.”

Commissioners asked for clarity about the timeline and whether the work observed in the field predated the owner’s permit application; staff confirmed the stop‑work order was issued July 24 and a building permit application followed July 31. Commissioners also discussed the process that maintenance‑in‑kind applications are reviewed first by the building department and only brought to the HDLPC when a change in design or materials is proposed.

The HDLPC did not take any formal vote about 13 Garfield Place during the meeting; the record notes the building department’s determination that the repair was in‑kind and therefore outside the commission’s approval requirement.

Less critical details: the commission said it will continue to post staff maintenance reviews on meeting agendas so neighbors and commissioners can see that work observed in the field has been vetted by the building department.