Council overturns HARB denial, allows vinyl-replacement windows at 253 W. Philadelphia St.

York City Council voted on June 2 to overturn a Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) determination and grant a certificate of appropriateness for work at 253 West Philadelphia Street.

Property owner Raymond Hecker addressed the council, explaining his decision to select vinyl windows for the second floor because of cost: "the vinyl windows are $4,300 and the cheapest bid to put in a composite window is $6,000," Hecker said. He told council the plan would not change the window openings and that the second-floor windows would be custom-sized to match existing proportions. Council members and neighbors discussed visibility and material consistency; one public commenter said well-made vinyl can be difficult to distinguish from other materials from the street.

Council members weighed HARB's consistency and aesthetic standards against the owner's financial concerns and the reality that some earlier owners had installed different window materials on parts of the building. After the owner and several residents spoke, the council voted to overturn the HARB denial and grant the certificate of appropriateness for the applicant's proposed windows.

Next steps: The owner may proceed under the council'approved certificate of appropriateness and must comply with any building-permit requirements and the terms of the certificate.