Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Tuscaloosa Historic Preservation Commission hearing.

Today is January 14th, 2026, and the time is 5 o'clock PM.

My name is Jordan Morris, and I am the Vice Chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, and I would like to ask my fellow commission members to introduce themselves beginning at my left, please.

Cooper Shattock.

Matt McCool.

Wayne Yarbrough.

I would also like to introduce our city staff in attendance with us tonight.

They are Mr.

Hudson Cheshire, Associate City Attorney, Mr.

Josh McKinney, Zoning Administrator, and Ms.

Cynthia DeSantiago, planner.

The purpose of the HPC is that we strive to serve to preserve and protect the building sites and structures of historic significance and interest in Tuscaloosa's historic neighborhoods.

We are governed by Chapter 20, Article 2 of the Code of Tuscaloosa, which includes design guidelines that are posted on the city's website.

Our decisions are based on those design guidelines and do not consider use or occupancy.

We do consider such factors as architectural style, appropriateness of materials, and how the structure relates to other structures in the immediate neighborhood in determining the appropriateness of the application.

Any approval of an application ref requires five affirmative votes.

If the certificate is approved, please be aware that there will be a final inspection by city staff of approved applications to ensure compliance with what was approved by the commission.

This is a public hearing.

It is televised live on local cable, streamed online through Facebook, and is being recorded to be posted on the city's website.

We ask proper decorum, civility, and respect for others at all times.

Prior to this meeting, notice was sent to the adjacent property owners and the public has been notified of the applications to be presented tonight.

This hearing is a chance for the applicant to present his or her case, for the public to make their views known about the project, and for the commission members to gather relevant facts about the application before making its decision.

City staff will introduce the application.

Commissioners will then have an opportunity to ask the applicant questions about the case.

I will then open the hearing for public comment.

At the close of public comment, the commission will then discuss the matter and vote on the application.

A notarized designation of agent form should have been provided to city staff for any representatives of an application that are not the property owner or an immediate family member of the owner prior to tonight's hearing.

Immediate family members, those are defined as a spouse, parent, or child, do not have to provide such written authorization when speaking on behalf of another immediate family member.

We remind applicants to leave the signs in the yard as staff will be out in the next couple of days to pick them up.

The commission members have had a chance to review tonight's agenda items.

Do any of the members have a conflict of interest as defined by section six of the commission bylaws with any of the items?

Hearing none, I would like to ask the staff if proper notification has been provided for each of the agenda items.

It has.

All right.

Move on to the first case.

Good evening, Commission.

This microphone.

Can you all hear me?

I'll project my voice.

So our first case tonight is HPCO 126, where Sean Coller is petitioning for a certificate of appropriateness for a material change to the windows at the property located at 412 17th Avenue in the Pinehurst Historic District, Council District 4.

So here's an aerial view of that property.

And where it's situated in its historic district.

Here's a view of that property from the street.

The adjacent property to the south.

And to the north.

So the petitioner is proposing to replace three windows on the primary structure.

The existing windows are wood and the proposed windows are fiber's.

They're also proposing a change in the light pattern, going from an 8 over 8 to a single pane windows.

Here are those three windows proposing to be changed.

They're at the back of the primary structure.

Here's the spec sheet for the window to the far right.

That middle window and then that left window.

The materials are Fibrex windows.

Here are the applicable design guidelines for windows.

And the materials.

I would like to uh invite the applicant or applicant's representative to come forward.

Please state your name and address for the record, please.

Sean collar, um 3309 Cahava Heights Road.

Is there anything that you would like to add to the staff presentation?

Um I don't think so, not at this time.

Hearing none, uh we may call you back up during discussion uh for any additional questions.

Um are there any questions for the applicant?

Hearing none.

Um would like to open the floor to public comment.

All right, I'll close the floor to public comment.

Um and was there any public comment submitted?

There were not.

Um we'll open this uh up to public or to commission discussion.

Um there's a change in the light pattern.

That's a fairly major major change that we've um had some issues with in the past.

That's the first thing that I kind of see here.

Um, and then there's been the ongoing discussion about Fibrex's material.

Um I'm I can't remember what's the Fibrex material.

Is it similar to something that's that we've approved in the past?

Um so the the fiberx is a vinyl composite type material.

Okay that is mostly it that it's a majority vinyl, is my understanding.

We didn't we discuss fiber X in November as part of and we allowed it so a project because it was basically grandfathered in.

It had already been installed on that structure for the majority of windows, and it was the remaining windows that were approved.

Um I just I don't know what other options beyond what is it called the Anderson Acclaim window.

Maybe I think that's a series, right?

Acclaim, and then it's made with Fibrex.

I don't know what options above that, but it seems to me that the light pattern is an issue.

I think that we have also discussed and not allowed, but I have an issue with Fibrex in that we have not approved it in the past, except for that one example, because it was grandfathered in.

So I think I mean if it's it's file.

It is basically it's not called that on the spec sheet, but I think that is what it is.

And I don't know what other alternatives there may be out there, but um maybe the petitioner can tell us any other comments?

Would you like to come back to the please?

So I guess first thing um we did get an approval.

This is a second phase in October of 2024.

We receive approval for this um for this address.

Um it was a single window that was installed.

They're coming back and doing um the next three.

Um addressing fibrics as a material.

So it is 60% polyvinyl chloride.

Okay, it is 40% wood.

The material, the windows are constructed just like a wood window.

So they are mortison tendon joint jointed, and they do not have welded corners, um bolted corners like a fiberglass window, which is on your approval sheet, or similar to um say your your all seasons, which is a cellular PBC material.

We can split hairs, PVC and vinyl.

Vinyl is PBC, PBC is vinyl.

How much of that is virgin vinyl?

That's what determines you know whether materials PVC or not.

Um I would I do want to seek to get approval as for Fibrex as an accepted material.

We are an accepted material in hundreds of historical commissions across the country, including Birmingham.

Um we have an extensive reach.

I imagine we will continue to be you know before you proposing our case here.

Um if you got if the committee is interested in if the main goal is to retain the wood window look, um I can point again to the all seasons windows which do not look like wood, um which makes it a superior material aesthetically to that choice.

Um I I think as technology continues to progress, there are more and better alternatives to wood because of the obviously the nature of wood nowadays.

Um the I would like for the committee to be open-minded to accepting new materials as you have with the all seasons, the monarch vinyl clad window, the herd vinyl clad window, um that mimics wood.

And if it seems to me that the aesthetics is the most important part to all this, you can correct me if I'm wrong.

Um and again, I I can show you some actual pictures of exactly what the window looks like if you like.

Um I can field any questions you might have as well.

Um what is the position uh related to the light pattern?

Sure.

Um I completely understand that the light pattern would probably need to be modified per you know per the probably the original um design that that was um that's that's shown that they have so which we can do for sure.

Is that an agreement to modify the petition?

So oh yes, certainly, yeah.

Whatever whatever modifications need to be done to that for sure.

The October 24 approval was that for windows as well, or was that for something else?

Yes, sir.

It wasn't correct.

That's that's that is that is all that renewable by Anderson uses.

Um we also received an approval in October.

Well, I think you referenced a case from um not too long ago where there was a previous, it was that original approval came in 2021.

Um those are the two that I can point to.

Um how many other times we've had it approved, I'm not sure.

Um, but I know that there's those two previous occasions.

So I'm I'm understanding that previously in 2024, fiber X windows were installed on this property.

And do we have is that on the application anywhere?

Um our application, I'm not sure.

Not sure.

That case wasn't cited in the pockets, no?

I do have that verification if you if you would, if you wanted it or needed it.

I we've had I mean, I know we that we were able to allow kind of the grandfathering of the other structure.

Um this is one window that has been allowed here.

Um we kind of over the course of the last year or so, we've kind of gotten to the to the position.

And and again, the reason it is a commission with five members present tonight, nine total, is that um everyone has their interpretation of what the guidelines indicate.

So that where that is, um, I'll go on the record specifically saying that this is my least favorite part of the entire set of guidelines as far as clarity.

Um and and for some reason this is the one that we seem to have the most cases related to.

So um anyway, that is um that is mostly an aside.

So um I think that it needs to be left to the discretion of uh the commission member um and and their position as related to whether they feel that fiberx is um is a vinyl material and inappropriate or is in a different category, and it's not for me to stay.

Morris just to get some clarity um the Fibrex window that was approved in 2024 that Fibrex was the material that was specifically approved by this commission on on this house correct any other comments I would my thoughts were since it's already been approved last month and then in October.

I'm okay with the fire breaks, but otherwise the light and if there's any information that you may need from from us in regards to the material moving forward, we'd be more than happy to provide whatever you need to make a decision so that we are included on this list.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

All right.

If it was if it had been approved in 2023, is that what you said?

22?

24.

24.

I mean that certainly makes it comparable to what we voted for in November on the other property.

Um I'm not disputing anybody's word on it, it's just that that was new information.

Um so I assume that that is the case.

Um it would have been great if that had if the applicant had put that on the application so we could reference it.

As far as fiberx and is it final or is it not?

I mean, I'm not a window expert, and I don't I don't want to make a decision tonight that to allow something in that I'm not really sure what all the difference is kind of allude you know point to you because in your profession you you do have more of this specification knowledge I would if I may just say this.

I don't think that's before us.

I don't think it would be proper to be before us to amend the design guidelines right.

So I you know I'm fine voting.

I I'll just say I'm fine approving this based on the fact that they've already had a five window approved before, but I would not read into that that we are changing the guidelines because that's not before us.

Totally agree, and and and I think that's where I'm coming from, except that um it was just announced to us that it's been approved before.

I mean I have no reason to think that somebody's you know pulling the wool over our eyes, and I'm gonna go all over there and see the window and verify that, but you know, I agree the precedent was set in November to allow something to be grandfathered in that was disputed as far as the material itself, and this does open the conversation up.

You know, I've talked about it this week through email exchanges about how do we come up with a even if it's an Excel spreadsheet of all these different windows that we seem to always because it's like every month I feel like I'm having to um become a window expert.

Um so I'd take your position on this case versus change of the design guidelines.

Yeah.

Mr.

Cheshire, because of the agreement related to the um the modification to uh maintain the light pattern.

Do we need to have a separate motion or can we utilize our standing motion to approve?

I think a separate motion would be appropriate and just clarify exactly what's what's before the commission.

I would move to uh approve the uh petition with the amendment that the uh light pattern will reflect that that is on the existing windows.

Um based upon the understanding or the representation that FIBEX has been approved in the past for installation on this house.

Go here a second.

I second it.

We have a motion and a second.

With that, I'll with that I will call for a vote unless there's further discussion.

Um voting beginning on my left, please.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

If anything changes, please let city staff know.

Can I ask one local question?

Um, what would be the process to get on the list?

Would it be just a case by case basis as we come in front of you, or is it a mighty be a separate process?

Please consult city staff related to the process for that.

Okay.

Um thank you guys.

Um that was our um uh so your motion has been granted.

Um any changes?

And uh that concludes the cases to be heard tonight.

Um we have no other business.

Uh I do want to recognize uh Matt McCool as this is his last meeting of his term, and he'll be rolling off the commission.

So thank you for your service.

All right, thank you.

And with that, uh this hearing uh is adjourned.