Ames preservation commission allows vinyl siding at 722 Burnett, citing high cost to restore wood

The Ames Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to permit new vinyl siding on a contributing property at 722 Burnett Avenue, approving a case‑by‑case exception after hearing staff, the homeowners and the contractor describe the building’s condition and likely costs to restore original wood siding.

Parker Walsh, assistant planner, told the commission the house is classified as a contributing structure (reclassified in 2003) and that the city’s design code generally requires historic materials such as wood unless the commission grants an exception. Staff cannot approve vinyl siding administratively because the code’s substitute‑material criteria must be satisfied by the commission.

Homeowner Nick Keach said he and his wife bought the house in October and were not aware it was in the Old Town historic district. He described finding layers under the existing siding — insulation over what appears to be original wood — and said contractors had removed most siding and installed new vinyl on roughly 20% of the house before a complaint prompted them to stop work. “We found out when I received the email the day that they began constructing,” Keach said.

Kenny, the contractor advising the project, told commissioners that typical early‑20th‑century wood siding on similar houses is often in poor condition and that fully removing the layers, testing for lead and re‑sheathing the house would substantially increase the cost. He said the current contract is “just under 30,000” and estimated that restoring to full wood could run multiple times that amount. One participant summarized the range discussed: “If it’s a $15,000 siding job … to do the kind of work you’re talking about … you’re gonna turn this job into a $60,000 job,” and others cited possible totals in the high five figures to triple‑ or quadruple‑cost ranges.

Commissioners questioned whether allowing vinyl here would set a practical precedent — Parker reported that 32 of 129 contributing structures have aluminum or vinyl on principal structures — and discussed alternatives including tabling the application to collect firm cost data, pursuing a text amendment to the code, or using the code’s replication‑cost exemption. Several commissioners favored preserving flexibility for homeowners and noted the economic burden of requiring full restoration.

Presiding officer Brett (first name used in meeting) moved to approve the application as an exception on the basis of replication cost and current neighborhood conditions; the motion was seconded and carried by unanimous voice vote.

The commission returned the siding samples to the applicant and noted outreach ideas to reduce future surprises for buyers, including an informational flyer for new Old Town homeowners and additional real‑estate outreach. The motion is recorded as a commission exception to allow vinyl siding at 722 Burnett; any appeal of a denial would have gone to City Council, but the commission approved the applicant’s request.

The commission’s decision was procedural: it granted an exception under the existing design‑review criteria rather than changing the list of approved substitute materials. Commissioners discussed adding a future work‑plan item to study whether Chapter 31 should be amended to better address situations where historic materials are covered by later nonconforming materials.

The commission did not record individual named votes beyond the unanimous voice vote and did not set a follow‑up deadline for additional documentation; homeowners were advised of appeal rights and staff noted the option to seek a council text amendment if commissioners decide to change standards.

Next steps: the homeowners may proceed under the approved exception; staff and commissioners discussed developing outreach materials for new homeowners in Old Town to raise awareness of historic‑district requirements.