Commission urges repairs before replacement on several window applications; continues hearings

Multiple applicants sought approval to replace historic or original windows. At 37 Sherman Street (application for 11 second‑floor windows), staff presented an expert evaluation concluding nine of the 11 windows could be repaired rather than replaced. The commission advised the owners to submit a restoration‑focused application rather than a wholesale replacement and continued the matter to Nov. 10 to allow the applicant to consult the preservation planner.

Similarly, the 61 2nd Street application to replace 12 original windows lacked the required window evaluation; the applicant said windows had already been ordered and purchased, but commissioners reiterated the city’s "repair before replace" policy and continued the application until an independent window evaluation is submitted. "We rely on the expert window evaluation to inform our decision whether to allow for a replacement or a repair," the chair said.