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It was brought to our attention on 03/09/2016 that 841 Park Ave had new windows being installed and that a new "colonial" architectural detail was also being added. The house has been in progress of repair for the last two years. The owner had been approved for a new porch overhang and had been working on removing and repairing the wood clap board siding. Until recently the front windows had been covered up while the siding work had been on going. It is very evident that these are new windows and not the original wood double hung that are still in place in other areas of the house. I reviewed the file confirming that the COA was only for the porch overhang and nothing more. I called the St. Joseph County Building Department to see what permits had been issued on this property. They confirmed the last permit was for the porch overhang in 2014. The only other permit pulled was an electrical permit dated 2013. The Building Department informed me that they would be sending out an inspector to "red tag" the property as soon as possible. The windows that have been installed look to be compatible with the Jeld-Wen series 2500 aluminum clad wood windows with interior and exterior grids. The same windows were installed at 307 Lamont in February and look very similar. In any event, they are not the same as the wood windows that were there. Please see attached file photographs from March 10, 2016 and those from 2014 to compare what was there to what has been installed. Update 3/17/16 I met with Cole Hay on 3/16/16. He indicated that he would be coming in to apply for the windows and getting renewed RMEs for the siding and porch base rework since the previous RMEs were expired. The project was not red -tagged. I inquired at the Bldg Dept. as to why there was no Stop Work order on the property. The inspector informed the owner that he was doing work without permits and would need to get permits. He never stated "stop work". The other inspector will be going out today to post a "Stop Work" Mr. Hay came in and his application was rejected due to lack of product info of what he is putting in. He said the windows were beyond repair, but made no attempts to document this or to contact us to document the condition prior to performing the work. Guess What? Now we have two brick pillars flanking the property line just inside the municipal sidewalk. This is less than 48 hours old. The cement is not entirely cured. Pictures attached. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: CHAPIN PARK THE ENVIRONMENT B. BUILDING SITE, LANDSCAPING & ACCESSORIES This section focuses on individual properties and amenities. Building sites tend to be irregularly shaped, of varying topography and with different setbacks with regard to plots. Alleys are generally behind houses. Landscape accessories like fences are unique to each structure. Chapin Place presents a unique situation within the district. Applications from properties that have property lines on Chapin Place will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Required Fencing, walkways, outbuildings, private yard lights, signs (i.e. house numbers) and benches (visible from the street) as well as trees located in a yard or tree lawn which reflect the property's history and development shall be retained. A tree located in such areas shall only be removed if the removal is required due to storm damage, disease, threatened damage to a structure or for such other reason acceptable to the Historic Preservation Commission. Storm damaged or diseased trees should then be replaced with an approved species at the same or approximate location wherever possible. Fencing visible from the street in front of the structure shall be open (meaning spaces between the pickets) and consistent with the historic character of a structure enclosed. Recommended New site work should be based upon actual knowledge of the past appearance of the property found in photographs, drawings and newspapers. New site work should also be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type and appearance. Front yard areas should remain open. (See above for information regarding fences.) Trees in close proximity to a building may cause structural damage. Owners are encouraged to remove these trees and replace (or replant) them at a more appropriate location as soon as planting season permits and upon approval of a C of A. Prohibited No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings or other elements before evaluating their importance to the property's history and development. Front yard areas shall not be transformed into parking lots nor paved nor blacktopped, nor enclosed by solid fences, chain link, nor industrial/commercial style fences. The installation of unsightly large devices, such as television satellite dishes, skylights or solar panels, shall not be permitted in areas where they detract from the architecture of a building, are intrusive to the public view of the building or are highly visible from a public street, or ruled inappropriate after Commission review. Utility poles with high-intensity overhead lights should be installed so that they cannot be seen from a street. The Commission will evaluate all installations as well as any potential exceptions resulting from special circumstances, before granting a C of A. II. EXISTING STRUCTURES A. BUILDING MATERIALS Original exterior building materials in the district include brick, stucco, clapboard, wood shingles, and brick or stone masonry. In some instances, vinyl, composite and aluminum siding have been applied over the original material. Required Original exterior building materials shall be retained when possible. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through repair, cleaning and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves shall be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design when deteriorated beyond repair. Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration or to remove stains and shall be done in a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low-pressure water and soft natural bristle brushes. Brick or masonry mortar