Local Historic District Commission Again Denies Vinyl Replacement Siding
The Local Historic District Commission denied a request from the owner to replace existing wood siding and trim with vinyl at this 71 Prospect St. Property. Photo: amherstma.gov
Report on the Meeting of the Local Historic District Commission, July 13, 2026
This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.
Present
Nancy Ratner (Chair), Ben Lynch, Bruce Coldham, Nicole Miller
Staff: Walker Powell (Planner)
Vinyl Siding at 71 Prospect Street Denied
Consistent with previous decisions, the Local Historic District Commission (LHDC) voted unanimously to deny a request to replace the wood siding and trim of the rental property at 71 Prospect Street with vinyl.
Property owner Karen Ching said that the Building Inspector had noted some rotten and missing siding, especially at the rear of the house, and ordered that it be repaired. Ching said that she had been considering fixing the siding, but the inspection added impetus to the plans. She wanted to avoid maintenance costs in the future by replacing the wood siding with four-inch white vinyl siding.
LHDC member Nicole Miller asked if the scalloped design on the second-floor siding would be retained. Ching answered that it would not be, but no alteration was planned for the porch balustrades and railing.
Bruce Coldham stated that one of the aims of the LHDC is to prevent this kind of alteration. He noted that the existing wood siding of the house had “a great deal of interest,” and it would be a shame to cover it over. He said that this was a fairly large house which would involve a substantial commitment to repainting, but he felt strongly that replacing the siding with vinyl would be a “significant diminishment of its historic value.”
Chair Nancy Ratner said that to be consistent with previous decisions, the commission should not allow wood siding to be replaced with vinyl. Although the LHDC has no jurisdiction over the parts of the building that cannot be seen from the road, she thought putting vinyl siding only on the rear would look strange. She recommended repairing and repainting the existing siding. Ben Lynch agreed, and the vote to deny the application for vinyl was unanimous, 4-0.
Ching thanked the commission for making the reasons for its decision clear.