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Norristown HARB approves porch-shingle repairs at 1230 Linwood but bars exterior gutters; applicant to appeal
Summary
The Norristown Historical Architecture Review Board recommended a Certificate of Appropriateness for porch shingle replacement and structural repairs at 1230 Linwood Avenue but denied the applicant's request to replace historic box gutters with exterior gutters; the applicant said he will appeal the board's decision to municipal council.
The Norristown Historical Architecture Review Board recommended a Certificate of Appropriateness on the exterior work at 1230 Linwood Avenue while denying the owner's request to replace the building's box gutters with an exterior gutter system.
Applicant Nicholas Durante asked to replace the front porch's asphalt shingles and to remove built-in (box) gutters in favor of exterior gutters. Durante described recurring leaks in the box gutters and said his contractor proposed installing a fully adhered EPDM lining and exterior gutters if permitted. "The building gutters have been a thorn in my side for 30 years," Durante told the board, saying he had repaired them multiple times without success.
Board members discussed material and preservation trade-offs at length. A board member noted differences in thermal expansion among common metals and urged caution: aluminum expands faster than copper or steel and long uninterrupted metal runs can buckle without expansion joints. Several members said box gutters are a character-defining feature in the borough's historic district and expressed reluctance to allow exterior gutters on a street where the original box-gutter appearance remains consistent.
After debate the board voted on a motion that (as finally adopted) approves replacing the porch's asphalt shingles and requires repair of deteriorated box-gutter wood, installation of expansion breaks where needed, and use of round exterior gutters for the visible porch area rather than the exterior system the applicant had requested. The board chair confirmed the decision will be sent to municipal council for final action. During the hearing Durante said he would appeal the board's decision to council and would delay roof work until council rules on the gutter question.
The board's determination includes technical conditions intended to limit visible changes to the historic streetscape while addressing the applicant's water-infiltration concerns. The applicant was advised he has the right to appeal the board's decision to municipal council and acknowledged he intends to do so.
The board advised the applicant to coordinate the approved roof replacement with any council outcome because removing or altering the box gutter could require additional roof work. No permit to begin construction is final until council review and the building department has issued required permits.
