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BAR discusses window-replacement standards, CLG status and use of alternative materials on primary elevations
Summary
Board members discussed standards for window replacements on front elevations, referencing National Trust rehabilitation standards and local CLG (Certified Local Government) obligations; no formal action was taken but a future agenda item was proposed.
Members of the Winchester Board of Architectural Review discussed whether certain replacement products, notably Renewal by Andersen, are appropriate for front (primary) elevations and how that standard interacts with the board’s Certified Local Government (CLG) status and Department of Historic Resources (DHR) guidance.
Staff told the board that the city’s guidelines are based on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s standards for rehabilitation and that altering those guidelines significantly could risk the city’s CLG status with the state. “If we were to amend our guidelines to be significantly different than the trust standards for rehabilitation, there's potential that we could lose our CLG status with the state,” a staff member said.
Board members discussed prior guideline changes around 2017–2019 that allowed alternative materials on low-visibility side elevations while retaining historic materials on primary elevations. Staff reiterated that front elevations “should generally remain a historic material” and that aluminum-clad or fiberglass-clad products are not permitted as replacements for wood windows on front facades under current guidelines.
The board did not take a formal vote to change the policy. A board member offered to place the issue on a future agenda for additional discussion and possible clarification of guidelines and applications (insert vs. full replacement).
