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A14 miDAYJULY 172015NEWSSam Simpson discovered that the vinyl windows he installed when renovating his house on Washington Street are not appropriate for a building in the historic district.Historic-99There needs to be guidelines for preserving the historic value of homes. There needs to be more evidence somewhere about where the historic district lies and who’s in it.— Sam SimpsonOwner of a house in city’s historic district who says he unknowingly did renovations that do not comply with district guidelinesfrom Page A1rector Tim Youmans is familiar with.Through the years, different issues —from asphalt shingles to color schemes for Victorian houses—have riddled the historic district.For now, windows are the “hot-buttonissue.” City Planner Josh Crump said seven such cases have reached the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) so lar this year, compared to five for all of 2014.Before any exterior changes can made to a property located in the historic district that can be seen from a publicright of way, an owner must get city approval, whether it comes from the BAR or by a staff review. The purpose is to preserve the city’s historic core to the greatest degree possible.Sometimes, for whatever reason, owners do exterior work without first seeking city approval. In Simpson’s case, it was sheer ignorance. But in others, Youmans said, people willfully disregard the proper procedure. Either way, it results in owners asking for forgiveness rather than permission from the BAR“We have had someheart-wrenching cases. If you’re there at the meetings, it’s apparent the board really wrestles with these things,” BAR chairman Tom Rock-wood said last week “But we are charged with protection of the historic district, and we have to apply the guidelines consistently.”He believes that part of the problem is that property owners consider some renovations, such as replacing windows or rebuilding a porch, to be routine maintenance, so they do not give a second thought before starting.Still, it is their responsibility, Rockwood said, to know the applicable zoning.“If you buy into the historic district, it’s a buyer be-ware sort of thing,” Youmans said. “It’s no different than buying into a subdivision with a strict local covenant.”As a part of Simpson’s agreement with the BAR, the panel granted him up to two years to replace the 17 windows.While Simpson appreciates that consideration, he still has a hard time swallowing that he is somehow at Jault.“There needs to be guidelines for preserving the historic value of homes,” he said. “There needs to be more evidence somewhere about where the historic district lies and who’s in it.”If in doubt, Rockwood said, it is not “time-consuming and difficult” to call the city.— Contact Derek Gomes at dgomes@winch esterstar.comSimpson looks out from one of the new vinyl windows at his house. Before any exterior changes can made to a property located in the historic district that can be seen from a public right of way, an owner must get city approval, whether it comes from the BAR or by a staff review. The purpose is to preserve the city's historic core to the greatest degree possible.
Newspaper Details
Winchester Star
Winchester, Virginia, US
Fri, Jul 17, 2015
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Handley R.
VA, USA 25 Oct 2023
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