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HARB denies Hardie-siding request at 66 Sanford Street; recommends wood siding repair in kind
Summary
HARB denied an applicant’s request to replace damaged historic wood siding at 66 Sanford Street with Hardie (faux-grain) panels, directing the owner to pursue in-kind wood repair or a smooth-finish siding alternative that better matches original reveal and thickness.
On June 18 the Historic Architectural Review Board denied an application to replace the existing historic wood siding at 66 Sanford Street with fiber-cement (Hardie) siding that used a faux wood grain. Staff and board members concluded the Hardie product’s reveal and thickness would materially change the building’s exterior character.
Key findings: Staff had noted an active building permit for in-kind replacement with 1x6 wood lap siding, and presented a contractor mock-up that showed a closer visual match. HARB members said the historic longleaf/yellow-pine siding visible on the building is a high‑value material and is dimensionally different from the proposed Hardie panels (Hardie is much thinner and its faux grain differs from historic texture). The board recommended the owner pursue wood in-kind replacement or a smooth-finish fiber-cement if wood cannot be sourced, but rejected the faux-grained Hardie option.
Vote: The board voted unanimously to deny the Hardie-siding request, and staff will proceed with the previously permitted in-kind wood siding path or require revised proposals for acceptable alternatives.
Practical effect: The decision reinforces HARB’s general preference for authentic wood siding on contributing vernacular buildings; the owner may return with a revised application or pursue staff-level approval for an approved wood or smooth-finish alternative.
