SPRINGFIELD — The owner of a fire ravaged home in the Forest Park Heights Historic District was told to fix his mistakes after he renovated the building without the approval of the Historical Commission or the proper permits.
The two-and-a-half-story home, which sustained heavy fire damage from the first floor through to the roof in 2022, was purchased by AAD, LLC the following year. Any exterior work on homes in the city’s historic districts must be approved by the Historical Commission, and it authorized the replacement of the building’s siding in 2023. Instead, the owners replaced the siding, windows and front door, and refinished the cracked foundation. The chimney was also not replaced when the roof was fixed, which changes the look of the home.
Because the repair work has been completed, the commission had a choice. If the work was up to historical standards, they could approve it after the fact. Otherwise, they could instruct the owner to do it again the right way. The commission took the fire into account as a “hardship.”
Nick Dipon of AAD, LLC appeared before the commission and brought his nephew, Pavlo Yesenko, to translate, as English is not his first language. Commissioner Judith Crowell said the previous owner had come before the commission after the fire to undertake the same projects. She asked Dipon if he had permits for all the projects, but he said he only had one for the roof.
The commission took each item in turn, beginning with the chimney. Community Planning Director Andrew Strniste said the chimney had mostly collapsed along with much of the roof during the fire. Commission Chair Alfonso Nardi asked Dipon who had given permission for the chimney to be eliminated during roof repairs. Yesenko said he was “pretty sure” Strniste’s predecessor Alvin Allen “said it was okay.” Commissioner Vincent Walsh said Allen would not have had the authority to approve it.
When asked by Nardi, Dipon explained that the chimney had been attached to an unworking gas furnace, rather than a fireplace. Walsh told his colleagues that it would not be the first time the commission approved a homeowner not replacing a collapsed chimney. As it was a public hearing, Harry Seymour, chair of the Forest Park Civic Association Historic Committee, said he approved of the building without the chimney. Based on all the information, the commission approved the chimney elimination.
The building’s original foundation was made of brick, but photos from just after the fire showed it had been given a “mortar rub finish,” Nardi said. After fixing cracks to the foundation, Dipon had applied a mesh and covered it with concrete stamped to look like stone, with a darker color between the “stones.” Neighbor Ellen Gallagher said the foundation stands out from the rest of the neighborhood and can be seen from the street. Two other neighbors agreed.
Walsh said he would not have approved it, but said he wanted to consider the hardship factor. Nardi agreed and said grinding off the finish could damage the bricks beneath it. He floated the idea of having the Dipon apply a new mortar rub finish over the concrete, but Walsh suggested having the owner paint the concrete a single color instead. Many historic homes have painted foundations, he said. The other commissioners agreed, as did Dipon.
The front door and windows were different stories. The 38 wood-framed windows throughout the house were replaced with vinyl windows that lacked any of the historic characteristics the commission was looking for. Walsh said that even diamond grid that had been applied to the top floor windows to mimic the originals looked wrong. The paneled wood door had been damaged by fire and water, with the large glass pane shattered and damage to one of the bottom panels. It was replaced with an old door of a different style that Dipon had purchased used. The trim around the door had been made larger, making the door seem smaller than the previous one. Commissioner Kevin Coffee said it was not “like for like.”
Neighbors again expressed disapproval. “We all own houses in the historical society,” said Christy Young. She said everyone who purchases a home in a historic district receives a letter explaining that they are required to have changes to the exterior approved, and added, “They didn’t follow the rules.” Seymour and Tom Gallagher agreed.
The commission ruled that Dipon had one month to return to the commission with a proposed replacement for the door. Once the commission approves it, he must have it installed withing three months. The windows were also deemed unacceptable, and Dipon was given similar instructions to return with an appropriate option for replacement.
