Board allows compromise door modification at 40 Main Street after post‑installation dispute

The board reviewed an after‑the‑fact modification to the storefront at 40 Main Street. Members said the installed doors differ materially from the garage‑style door originally approved in 2021 and expressed concern about protocol and lack of direct communication to the board during the installation.

The applicant, who said they followed directions given by the mayor and had repeatedly contacted the building department, told the board that replacing the current doors with a garage‑style door would cost about $12,000. Board members disagreed about whether the post‑installation circumstances justified approval without the original certificate; some members pressed for copies of the communications the applicant said were sent to municipal staff.

To resolve the immediate compliance issue, the board voted to approve a compromise: the door installation as modified with a limited change to the swing doors (removing a center mullion element) so the façade more closely reads as a garage entry. The board asked the applicant to forward documentation of prior communications with the mayor and building staff and reminded applicants that the certificate of appropriateness process must be followed in advance of installations.