Historic commission approves replacement of 25 windows at West Oak Street house

The Denton Historic Landmark Commission on an evening meeting approved a certificate of appropriateness to allow replacement of 25 exterior windows at 1011 West Oak Street in the Oak Hickory Historic District.

The commission’s staff presented the application, citing section 2.92 of the Denton development code and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and recommended approval as submitted. Staff told commissioners the existing windows are single-pane, many have been painted or caulked shut and some sash weights are broken; the owners proposed bronze, double-pane, double-hung fiberglass windows to restore operability and improve thermal performance.

A property representative told the commission the household has lived in the house for decades and that only about three of the existing windows are operable. "We lived there for about 41 years," the speaker said, describing long-term maintenance problems and the owners’ desire to improve the home’s energy efficiency and usability. The application packet included photos and window specifications; staff said the proposed color and profile are intended to match the current exterior appearance where possible and that comparable double-hung windows of various materials already exist along West Oak Street.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about materials and precedent. One commissioner said she struggled with adding fiberglass where many nearby houses have wood, vinyl, or aluminum windows; staff answered that the National Park Service guidance and local practice allow rehabilitation approaches when original materials are no longer available, and noted fiberglass is increasingly used because it is stable and can be painted. The applicants told the commission they had considered vinyl to reduce cost but chose a fiberglass product they said more closely resembles historic wood and can be painted; they stated a vinyl option would have reduced the project by about $30,000 but that they selected higher-cost units priced, the applicants said, between $2,000 and $4,000 per window.

Commissioner McAdams moved approval; Commissioner Tree seconded. The chair called for a hand vote. "All in favor, raise your hand," the chair said; the motion carried.

Clarifying details from the hearing: the application is for replacement of 25 exterior windows at 1011 West Oak Street; staff reviewed the proposal under the Secretary of the Interior’s rehabilitation standards and Denton development code section 2.92; the existing storm windows are aluminum; applicants said the new windows are double-pane fiberglass and that many existing windows have been nonfunctional for decades. The owners listed in the application are Thomas and Therese Judd.

The commission approved the certificate of appropriateness; staff and the applicants said the new windows will remove the need for the existing storm windows and will restore operability to many sashes that had been fixed in place for decades.