Design Review Board denies siding-replacement at 119 Van Damme, requires proof of deterioration

The Saratoga Design Review Board voted on March 11 to deny an application to remove existing aluminum siding and replace it with cement board or LP Smart siding at 119 Van Damme Street, finding the applicant had not demonstrated that existing wood siding was deteriorated beyond repair.

Applicant Dennis Gosier told the board he had previously received approval for a roughly 600-square-foot rear addition and sought to bring the front siding to match the rear. "We're seeking approval to take the aluminum siding off the front and use cement board siding so my front of my home will match the rear addition," Gosier said. He described blown-in insulation, drill holes and some rot exposed when the rear was opened and said he wanted material continuity between front and rear.

Board members broadly praised the applicant’s intent to remove aluminum but repeatedly said they could not authorize wholesale replacement without first seeing conditions beneath the siding. "The applicant has not shown sufficient evidence of deterioration of the existing wood siding to be replaced with the proposed siding," the chair read when stating the board’s findings; the board concluded the evidence required to approve replacement was not provided and the application was denied.

Several board members, including Leslie and Chris, suggested an orderly next step: remove the aluminum, photograph and document the underlying material, and return with evidence showing the siding is beyond repair or secure a determination from the building inspector on whether replacement in kind is permitted. The board also discussed the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) exemption for ordinary maintenance and said interpretations by the building department could affect what replacement is allowed.

Gosier and other residents raised related concerns about truck traffic and city enforcement of a previously passed 5-ton weight restriction on Van Damme Street, but the board said truck routing and enforcement were outside the DRB’s purview and recommended taking those concerns to city council and the building department. The denial motion carried with no recorded opposition on the floor.

Next steps: the applicant may remove siding and return with photographic documentation and/or a building-inspector determination about ordinary repair vs. wholesale replacement; the board suggested alternative materials (cedar or LP Smart siding) could be considered but said it would not approve cement board without evidence the original siding cannot be repaired.