Design Review Board denies James Hardie siding replacement at 219 Regent Street

The Saratoga Springs Design Review Board on Jan. 29 voted to deny an application to replace exterior clapboard at 219 Regent Street with James Hardie fiber‑cement siding, citing the city's historic preservation guidelines.

Owner Brendan Kelley told the board he wanted to replace badly deteriorated clapboard on the west side of the house and had priced wood replacement as well as fiber‑cement alternatives. Board members and Preservation Foundation speakers told the applicant that the city's historic guidelines require preserving or restoring original wood cladding where possible and that wholesale replacement with simulated materials is inappropriate in the city's historic districts.

Samantha Bossart of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation urged adherence to guidelines that emphasize repair and in‑kind replacement. Several board members, including Rob Romer and Christopher Bennett, stressed that wood siding can be made to last with appropriate back‑priming, end‑priming and regular painting, and that wood replacement can be procured and installed by experienced contractors.

After discussion the board voted to deny the application on the grounds that simulated materials and a change of siding configuration were inappropriate for this historic house. The board instructed that deteriorated boards may be replaced in kind with wood and that any configuration changes (for example switching to board‑and‑batten) would not be considered “in kind” unless historic documentation supported that treatment.

(Ending) The owner has been advised to submit documentation showing which boards are deteriorated and to pursue in‑kind wood replacement. The denial does not prevent targeted wood repairs in accordance with the guidelines, the board said.