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Commission denies West Wesatch renovation request after unpermitted exterior work; orders restoration
Summary
The HDRC denied Clinton Popham’s request to alter siding and windows at a West Wesatch Avenue property, finding exterior work done without a certificate of appropriateness after a Jan. 4 stop‑work order; the commission directed restoration to historic siding and windows per staff recommendations.
The Historic and Design Review Commission Compliance and Technical Advisory Board voted Feb. 20, 2026, to deny an applicant’s request to change siding and windows at a West Wesatch Avenue property and recommended restoration to historic profiles after staff found exterior work had been done without a certificate of appropriateness.
Staff recommended denial of four requests: remove existing waterfall siding and replace with a different siding profile on the front facade; modify fenestration at the southwest corner; replace historic windows; and enclose existing gable vents. "Essentially, that all the work that was done without a certificate of appropriateness is restored," the staff member (Caitlin) told the commission, listing staff’s four restoration recommendations.
Applicant Clinton Popham, who introduced himself to the commission, said he purchased the house to renovate and sell and that the building had previously been covered in aluminum siding and earlier window replacements. "When we purchased the house to flip, it had aluminum siding covering up rotten waterfall," Popham said, describing prior alterations and the decision to stabilize the structure. He said he did not consult the Monticello Historic District association before beginning exterior work and acknowledged that several windows had been removed and replaced: when asked whether he continued exterior work after receiving the violation, Popham answered in the affirmative.
Staff told the commission that a stop‑work order was issued on Jan. 4, the COA application was received Jan. 6, and the strike team visited Jan. 7. Staff reported that three historic windows on the southwest facade had been removed and replaced with nonconforming windows, and that other exterior work had been undertaken without permits.
Commissioners questioned why exterior work proceeded after the stop‑work notice, pressed for clarity on what had been altered, and urged the applicant to consult the Monticello Historic District association and the Office of Historic Preservation as the next steps. One commissioner declined to support the request, saying the project presented an opportunity to restore historic features rather than replace them with nonhistoric profiles.
The commission voted to support staff’s denial and the four restoration recommendations (roll call: Davis, Garcia, Regard, Spiller, Fullerton, Vasquez, Sepulveda — all aye). The commission directed the applicant to work with the Office of Historic Preservation and the neighborhood historic association on restoration and next steps.
