HDC continues application for 92 Walden Street windows, schedules site visit

The HDC continued its review of a proposal to replace eight windows at 92 Walden Street after hearing applicant testimony and a restoration contractor’s assessment.

Rob Fleming and project manager Bob Moran (Marvin Replacement) described two replacement approaches: an insert fiberglass window that fits inside the existing frame and a full-frame new-construction fiberglass window. Fleming said he consulted with a window-restoration specialist (Clary & Sons), who indicated restoration is possible but would still require storms and would not achieve the energy-efficiency or aesthetic goals Fleming hopes to reach. Fleming said five of the eight windows had been replaced in the past and that three original windows are candidate restoration targets.

Commissioners reiterated the HDC’s usual preference for repair and wood replacement where restoration is not feasible. Given the visual and proportion concerns, the commission voted to continue the application and conduct an on-site visit the morning of Nov. 13 to inspect the eight windows in situ and revisit whether the three original windows can be repaired. The motion to continue carried unanimously.