Council upholds denial of certificate of appropriateness for Turner Street property with amendment to aid compliance

Allentown City Council on April 2 upheld a recommendation to deny a certificate of appropriateness for work at 927 Turner Street, but adopted an amendment intended to reduce the hardship on the property owner and to encourage a workable path to compliance.

At committee, city staff and the Historical Architectural Review Board recommended denial. The amendment instructs the applicant to work with city historic-preservation staff on a flexible timetable for replacing windows and to evaluate whether windows stored by a local developer can be used to meet Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) standards.

Council and staff explained the denial is intended to resolve an existing violation: if the owner replaces nonconforming windows according to HARB requirements, the violation would be resolved and no further action would be required. Staff said there are up to 12 windows involved; if some rear windows are not visible from the street they might not require replacement. City staff said they will help measure and evaluate existing stored windows for suitability, and the owner would likely be responsible for installation costs.

Councilmembers discussed broader concerns about buyers of historic properties not obtaining or reviewing presale inspection reports and the need for better public education about purchasing in historic districts. Committee members said the city will pursue outreach and educational efforts about historic-district requirements.

The amendment passed, and the council then voted to deny the certificate of appropriateness consistent with the committee's recommendation; staff said the denial will be revisited if the owner makes the required changes.