Wendy Caucutt and her husband, George, thought they were being careful stewards of their historic Summit Avenue property when they asked St. Paul’s Heritage Preservation Commission if they could remove their 18 windows.

Caucutt, pregnant with her third child, wanted to replace nine pairs of interior-swinging window casements that had led to high home-heating bills, security concerns and nothing but cuts and bruises for her two young boys, who ran into them as they arced inward with each hard wind.

“The replacement windows would be custom-ordered to be the same size,” said Caucutt, in an Aug. 7, 2014, letter to the city. “We are trying to lead an environmentally-conscious lifestyle.”

The HPC rejected the request, 7-0, calling the proposed new windows a threat to her home’s historic architecture.

She appealed to the St. Paul City Council, which unanimously agreed to reverse the HPC decision with a vote of 6-0 in her favor.

“I didn’t understand that the HPC was going to be so cut and dried,” Caucutt said. “Going before the city council reaffirmed my belief in city government.”

Almost one by one, council members praised her proposal as “artfully done” and a “subtle compromise” that preserved the historic nature of her home while improving energy efficiency.

When it comes to historic preservation, there’s a chasm between the city council and the 12-member board that oversees the city’s historic districts, and it can be summed up in a word: windows.

Time and again, the dozen volunteer members of the Heritage Preservation Commission — all of them appointed by the mayor — have taken a hard line against window replacements, even when they’ve run up against the city’s fire code or faced arguments about insulation, lead paint, security and energy efficiency.

“I think there needs to be some responsible recognition of circumstances,” said council member Dan Bostrom, who represents some of the most low-income corners of the city. “The tremendous cost involved in restoring something to the way it was built in 1883 is unbelievable. Just because you’ve got the authority to order it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right thing. … We shouldn’t be nasty to people who want to invest hard-earned money in our city.”

Michael Justin, chairman of the Heritage Preservation Commission, said the HPC sticks closely to National Park Service guidelines and always recommends repairs as the first option, then replacement when necessary.

“This is not a new approach, but one that has been held by the HPC for a long time,” Justin said. “That said, each historic district in the city of St. Paul has its own set of guidelines when it comes to how to deal with historical elements.”

Justin said members discuss decisions thoroughly.

“And although the commission is loathe to set precedent, there have been times when vinyl or metal windows have replaced wooden windows,” he said. “But this would be rare, and nearly always only on secondary elevations not as visible from the street, or when the window would not be visible. … Replacement windows often have a smaller visual opening that can greatly change the character and appearance of a historic structure.”

BIG CHANGES AHEAD?

If real estate development within historic districts is a battle royale, windows are more than just a minor flash-point. They can be a test case of sorts — a dividing line between the environmentalists and the preservationists, the history buffs and the innovators. Related Articles The case of the $60,000 driveway: Former member fights Heritage Preservation Commission — and loses

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When even a window replacement can mean multiple trips to City Hall and costly expenses for research and appeal costs, housing advocates worry the regulations within historic districts amount to a barrier to entry, or even a public-safety concern, for low-income residents.

According to a staff summary of the city council vote in the Caucutt matter, council member Russ Stark said at the time that “he had some hesitation since it seemed to have been a clear-cut decision for the HPC. He said he felt there should be some more discussion about this issue and similar ones because it seemed the council was disagreeing with the HPC more often than not lately.”

Stark, who now works as an environmental advocate for the mayor’s office, is no longer on the seven-member council.

The commission will host a public hearing May 24 on a proposed ordinance amendment that could add $500 review fees, and expand the commission’s reach by mandating maintenance of historic properties.

A vote before the city council is expected a few weeks later.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR GUIDELINES PREVAIL

Time and again, city staff have recommended that the commission adhere strictly to U.S. Department of the Interior preservation guidelines, rather than treating those guidelines as general guideposts.

In December, the owner of a 1920s-era two-story Tudor Revival in the 1800 block of Summit Avenue asked the Heritage Preservation Commission for permission to replace 31 wood windows with Fibrex, a wood fiber and PVC polymer made by Andersen Windows.

“Nearly all of the top sashes will not meet up with the center rail, prohibiting the window from locking,” the homeowner said in his application.

George Gause, the city’s Heritage Preservation supervisor, said the commission denied the request based on the recommendation of city staff.

“No information was submitted on comparison sizes between the existing and proposed windows,” said Gause. He referred to U.S. Department of the Interior preservation guidelines for wood windows.

According to the staff report at the time, “Materials should, whenever possible, be repaired rather than replaced.”

Realtor John Loban understands that logic.

“Windows do have a visual impact,” said Loban, who restored two historic Victorians on Portland Avenue, and played key roles in the 1980s in launching the Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association and the Summit Avenue West Preservation District. “I think most people spend more time on an area rug than deciding what types of windows to get. There’s many ways to make them more energy-efficient without tearing them up and putting in some vinyl siding.”

Loban said homeowners often just go with what a contractor recommends.

“To me, that’s one thing you should get an expert opinion on,” he said. “You can still see the frame and the opening, but all of a sudden, you’ve got a smaller window in there. It’s kind of a visual blight. It ruins the structure and the balance in many cases.”

On the other hand, said Loban, the Heritage Preservation Commission “can go too far once in a while. I’m of the opinion if something can be reversible — like driveways — and it’s not a major structural change, let the homeowner have their way. The average person is looking at your house, not your driveway.”

Preservation regulations weren’t always so set in stone.

Former city council member Dave Thune has worked to restore his historic home in the Irvine Park district since the early 1970s, when he and his wife had limited money but lots of energy to explore preservation with their own hands. Related Articles Missouri governor, opponent of mandatory masks, has COVID-19

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The rules were less stringent then — which, ironically, allowed him to do more upkeep.

“I’m a huge preservation fan, but I worry that we can do the cause harm when we overreach and (require) things that don’t seem practical,” Thune said in a recent interview. “Right now, we’ve got our hands full just trying to keep our historic properties from being torn down and turned into McMansions. And we can do that by working with people.”