Historic Preservation Commission approves addition at 2976 North Main Street with fiber‑cement siding requirement

The Kennesaw Historic Preservation Commission on Nov. 21 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for an addition and attached garage at 2976 North Main Street, with a condition that the new exterior use fiber‑cement (Hardie) siding instead of vinyl.

Kristen Thomas, the homeowner and applicant, said she and her husband bought the locally‑registered house in 2016 and proposed a rear addition and an attached garage that will mirror the existing roof pitch and window patterns. "We have been homeowners of this house for 10 years...we love it very much," she said, describing the plans as intended to be cohesive with the original structure.

Commissioners focused on exterior material choices and window types. Commissioner Whipple moved to approve COA 2025‑09A "as submitted with the stipulation that the addition utilize fiber cement siding in lieu of any vinyl siding." The motion was seconded and passed in a roll‑call vote; the transcript records Commissioners Whipple, Blanford, Bramlett, Butler and Nieves voting "Aye." The commission chair then closed public comment, reporting none.

During a detailed exchange, staff and commissioners cited the commission's design standards. A staff member and a commissioner referenced section 7.1 of the standards, noting that "vinyl and aluminum windows are not permitted" under that section; the applicant said the house currently has vinyl siding and vinyl windows on many elevations and asked the commission to consider the existing material when approving the addition. The applicant also confirmed the visual rendering shown during the meeting was an AI image and that the official plans should be used for construction.

The approved COA includes the condition on siding materials; commissioners discussed that if the owners later remove vinyl from the historic portions and replace it with fiber‑cement, the house and the addition would conform to standards. The commission did not require immediate removal of existing vinyl on the original house as a condition of this approval.

The commission's action was procedural and limited to design and material approval; no building permit or demolition authorization was discussed in the transcript. The next procedural step is implementation by the property owners consistent with the approved plans and the fiber‑cement siding stipulation.

The meeting adjourned at 08:25.