Italian Village Commission approves fiberglass window as test case at 29 Summit Street

The Italian Village Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness on May 13 for exterior window work at 29 Summit Street, allowing a fiberglass interior/exterior replacement window to be installed on a secondary elevation as a test case.

Staff described application COA 2500309 as a request to remove an existing 1885-era aluminum replacement window on a south elevation bathroom and replace it with a fiberglass interior/exterior window (a Marvin Essential model) not currently on the commission's approved windows list. Staff noted the exterior profile is similar to an approved Marvin model and recommended approval as a test case if the finished window closely matches the approved appearance.

Applicant Ben Gooden said the house has been owned by the family since 2001 and the requested window would serve a shower/bath condition that makes the Marvin Essential an appealing technical choice; he told the commission the exterior appearance is comparable to approved windows. Commissioners discussed the profile differences and concluded that, because the work is on a secondary elevation and the exterior profile is similar to an approved product, the application could proceed as a trial for similar future situations.

The commission voted to approve COA 2500309 as submitted, with the condition that any final shop drawings and material samples be submitted to Historic Preservation Office staff for review and approval prior to issuance of a certificate of appropriateness.

The decision was framed as a limited test case — not a blanket change to the approved windows list — and commissioners asked staff to document the outcome for future reviews of similar requests.