Palatka board denies after‑the‑fact sliding glass door, approves siding, deck and French‑door alternative at 502 N. 3rd St.

The Palatka Historic Preservation Board on Dec. 4 denied an after‑the‑fact sliding glass door installed at 502 North 3rd Street while approving other repairs to the property, including like‑for‑like siding replacement and a small rear deck.

Chair Elizabeth Van Rensburg presided over the discussion of HPB25‑305, a certificate of appropriateness request for work already completed and proposed at the house, which city staff said dates from about 1892–1897 and sits in the North Historic District. City staffer Miss Brown told the board that photographs in the staff packet show replaced siding, fence sections and a sliding glass door that had replaced a previous window, and that proposed work included exterior painting, a silver roof coating, a wooden back deck, and a concrete slab.

Board members questioned whether silver coating on an existing metal roof should be treated as maintenance; Miss Brown said that roof coating could be reviewed administratively as maintenance. The board also confirmed it does not exercise authority over paint color in every instance.

The most contentious issue was the replacement of a double‑hung window with a sliding glass door on a side elevation visible from Olive Street. Several members said sliding glass doors are not period‑appropriate and that after‑the‑fact installations set precedents. Vice Chair Brianna Pierce said sliding doors are “not historically correct to this period of home,” and other members expressed concern about losing historic fabric through repeated after‑the‑fact alterations.

Owner and applicant Eric Cernick defended the door as an emergency fix. “I put that door in quickly because I had water coming into that portion of my house,” Cernick said, describing a leaking window and an urgent need to stop interior water intrusion.

After discussion, a motion to deny the sliding glass door portion of the application passed. The board then directed staff and the applicant to pursue a period‑appropriate replacement; members specified French doors as an acceptable, more historic alternative. The board subsequently approved a motion to permit the applicant to proceed with French doors as presented.

Separately, Christopher Hollister moved to approve the siding work as a like‑for‑like replacement using southern pine to repair damaged wood; the board approved that motion. The board also approved the applicant’s 4‑by‑7 pressure‑treated wooden deck with a 38‑inch wood railing and a small concrete landing. Miss Brown and the chair said staff can determine whether the applicant must return with additional photographs or details and that coordination should go through staff (Renee).

The board’s decisions were procedural approvals and direction; the applicant was given options to modify the door installation to meet a period‑appropriate appearance and will coordinate with city staff on follow‑up details.