Bangor commission approves porch repairs and paver replacement at 18 West Broadway

The Bangor City Historic Preservation Commission on Aug. 14 granted a certificate of appropriateness to Carl Huntley, owner of 18 West Broadway (the Charles L. Hayward House), to replace a failing concrete walkway with vintage pavers and to repair and replace front porch decking, steps and limited column bases.

The commission found that the proposed work met the city's historic-preservation standards and voted on a series of findings required by the ordinance before issuing the certificate. The motions adopted included specific findings that rehabilitation would not destroy distinguishing features, replacement materials should match the originals when necessary, and that work should be reversible when possible.

Huntley told the commission Mitchell's Landscaping would remove about 41 feet of existing concrete walk and install "vintage Holland Grand Hillbund pavers," saying, "I believe these vintage pavers will add to the historic facade of the home." He described the existing walkway as cracked, uneven and pushed up by tree roots.

On the porch, Huntley said contractor Restorations Unlimited will remove the existing pressure-treated decking, repair rot near two column bases and reinstall six columns after the decking work. He described two options for decking and steps: composite decking or Douglas fir, and said he preferred composite for durability but that Douglas fir would allow an exact color match.

Commission consultant Mike Pullen told the commission the proposed paver scale "is much more in keeping with the historic house than the concrete walk that's failing there now" and read brief architectural context identifying the house as a Queen Anne-style building constructed about 1893.

Commission discussion touched on railing retention and material selection for the porch floor. Commissioners said both composite and Douglas fir would be acceptable and that the applicant could be left to choose between them, provided the material matched the existing appearance and met preservation requirements. The commission also asked that oral items highlighted in the application be entered into the record as part of the written file.

After a series of roll-call votes on the ordinance subsections cited in the application, the commission voted to issue the certificate of appropriateness. Roll-call votes recorded Nathaniel King ' yes; Anne Marie Quinn ' yes; Liam Reardon ' yes; Chair Edmond Suresky ' yes.

The commission's approvals included (1) replacement of the concrete walkway with the pavers described in the application, (2) replacement or repair of porch decking and two front steps, (3) temporary removal and reinstallation of six porch columns to allow decking repairs, (4) replacement of the small metal fascia band and installation of a new EPDM roof above the porch, and (5) allowance for the applicant to select either composite decking or Douglas fir for the porch and steps.

Work must proceed under the normal timeline for approved projects; the commission reiterated that projects must be started within six months of approval and completed within one year, per the local ordinance.

The commission's file for the project includes exhibit materials and samples the applicant provided at the meeting; those materials are entered into the public record.