York City HARB conditionally approves steel-door trim at 50 West King Street

The York City Historical Architectural Review Board conditionally approved modifications to the entrance at 50 West King Street on June 11, requiring final shop drawings and precise molding profiles to be submitted to the board’s consultant for approval.

An applicant who returned to the board said, “since the last time I was here, I’ve been back and forth with my contractor on numerous occasions, and I guess we have landed on trying to do these trim boxes on the steel door,” and added that the police department was “adamant about having steel doors for security.” The applicant confirmed the transom will remain in place and said the proposed treatment is intended to preserve the historic appearance while meeting security needs.

Board members pressed for detailed drawings and for the applied moldings to match existing jambs, styles and rails. A committee member said the drawings on file appeared to be conceptual and stated, “I probably want to see a drawing where it was in proportion before I’d vote for it.” The board discussed the options of face-mounting panels or veneering wood profiles onto the metal door to better match the building’s Georgian Revival details.

The board approved the application as a compromise, provided the applicant supply exact shop drawings and a note that the panel profiles and molding alignment match the existing jambs; final shop drawings must be submitted to the consultant for sign-off. The board’s action leaves the transom and existing woodwork above the transom bar intact and instructs the applicant to supply the consultant with the requested documentation for final approval.

The board did not require additional regulatory citations during the hearing. The staff will communicate the consultant’s conditions and the next administrative steps to the applicant.