A nearly year-long dispute between Bangor officials and a resident over whether he should be allowed to replace his slate roof could lead the city to change its rules on how historic buildings are maintained.
The Bangor Historic Preservation Commission will hold a special meeting on Oct. 29 to review the city’s guidelines for how historic buildings should be preserved and potentially make recommendations to city councilors, according to Commission Chairperson Edmund Chernesky.
The group plans to “fine tune and clarify the language on process, criteria and the allowances for economic hardship,” said Anne Krieg, Bangor’s economic development director.
That meeting will come a few weeks after the commission voted on Oct. 9 to give resident Steven Farren retroactive permission to keep the asphalt roof he put on his home, which sits in the city’s Broadway Historic District, after two Bangor boards denied his request.
The months-long stalemate between Farren and city officials highlighted how expensive and arduous it can be for some homeowners to maintain their properties with historically accurate materials. The debate also raised questions about whether the city’s rules are too restrictive and should be relaxed to allow the use of modern tools.
Residents who own property in one of the city’s nine historic districts need the body’s approval before making any home improvements that could change the appearance of their buildings.
Bangor’s Historic Preservation Commission, made up of appointed volunteers, makes decisions based on the rules laid out in the city’s historic preservation ordinance, which was created in the 1970s and last amended in 2019.
Only the Bangor City Council has the power to change local ordinances.
If exterior elements on property in a historic district need to be updated, the city code says it “should be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible.” If something is unsalvageable and must be replaced, the policy states “the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, texture and finish.”
That policy largely aligns with national guidance handed down by the Department of the Interior on how to best preserve historic buildings.
Bangor City Councilor Susan Deane said she believes the commission members follow the city code as closely as they can “and their intentions are noble.”
However, the code has become “outdated” and the city needs to find options for property owners that are cost-effective while still being aesthetically pleasing, Deane said.
Bangor City Councilor Michael Beck said he has previously advocated for the city to loosen its rules so modern substitutes can be used on historic properties. That change, he said, could draw more people to Bangor and make owning a historic home more attractive and economically feasible.
“In my opinion, aesthetic congruity is more important than material,” Beck said. “If you have to get a ladder and look to find out something isn’t real slate, then I don’t have a problem with someone using asphalt.”
Farren, who is also one of nine candidates running for Bangor City Council, said he hopes his battle sets a precedent for the commission to allow other historic homeowners to use more modern materials in the future. That, he said, will ensure the homes as a whole remain standing and maintain their historic charm.
“Looking at my roof now, I think it looks better than slate because slate roofs are old and deteriorated, which makes the rest of the home look deteriorated,” Farren said. “Any step we can take to use modern materials that, to me, enhances the value of historic homes. There are still details to the houses that make them beautiful and those will always still be there.”
Throughout the debate, Farren and other historic homeowners wanted “fairness” in the commission’s decisions and assurance that if something gets approved for one property, another home will be allowed the same.
That mentality, however, goes against how the commission approaches applications, as each request must be considered on its own merits and past rulings aren’t taken into account when deciding on an application, Chernesky explained during the group’s Oct. 9 meeting.
This difference in approach has sparked frustration among residents who want reassurance that they’ll receive their desired outcome if they request a previously approved change.
“Why not base decisions on what has been approved before if it works and looks good?” said Carl Huntley, who owns a home in one of Bangor’s historic districts.
