HDC approves hotel window replacements after asbestos finding; staff to refine final window spec

KHP Capital Partners sought HDC approval on Aug. 12 to replace all windows and exterior doors in the main historic block at 1 Bellevue Avenue. The project became contentious after environmental testing showed some glazing putty and related materials contained asbestos, prompting a discussion about replacement versus repair and safe abatement.

Jeff Moniz, representing the owner, said environmental testing identified asbestos in window glazing putty. The firm submitted laboratory results and an abatement plan that the Rhode Island Department of Health had received and the applicant said had been accepted for review. Jeff D'Arrigo, an environmental consultant, explained to commissioners how inspectors group similar materials and why finding asbestos in sampled glazing requires treating similar glazing as potentially asbestos-containing.

Commissioners weighed preservation priorities against health-and-safety and code constraints. Several commissioners said they would prefer to retain and repair original sashes when feasible. After extended discussion about glazing, manufacturer options, and the building-code requirement for impact-rated glass, the commission set a path forward rather than a straight denial. The HDC approved the application on the condition that the owner replace windows in the historic block with all-wood, true divided-light sashes that match existing muntin patterns, and that the final window specification be reviewed and confirmed in partnership with preservation staff and the building official. The HDC also asked the applicant to continue consulting staff about whether impact-rated laminated glazing (required for hurricane/impact code in commercial buildings) can be integrated into a wood, true-divided-light sash without defeating the historic appearance.

The commission's conditional approval recognizes the public-health finding (asbestos in glazing putty), the practical complexities of abatement during a hotel renovation (work sequencing, containment, tagged disposal), and preservation concerns about the loss of nuanced visual qualities that original true divided-light sashes provide.

Why it matters: The decision balances a sitewide public-health/abatement imperative against the HDC's core preservation duty. The commission asked the applicant and staff to pursue the least-damaging path that satisfies building-code requirements and abatement safety, and to return to HDC if staff and applicant cannot agree on a final, historically compatible window product.