The preservation commission approved the Millers' plan to build the porch using wooden columns, and work began sometime after they received a permit in April 2006. But the Millers' builder and architect said fiberglass would be a suitable alternative because the wood would rot easily and the fiberglass would be nearly indistinguishable to the naked eye, they say. The Millers did not go back to the commission for approval, which they acknowledge was a mistake.
The couple received notice from the commission of the violation and submitted letters supporting their stance.
Among them was one from Daniel Sams of the Office of Preservation Services at the Maryland Historic Trust. He noted the Secretary of the Interior's standards: "In the absence of extant historic materials, the objective in reconstruction is to re-create the appearance of the historic building for interpretive purposes. While the use of traditional materials and finishes is always preferred, in some instances, substitute materials may be used if they are able to convey the same visual appearance."
The Millers say the commission needs to take a more flexible approach toward nonauthentic materials in some instances of construction.
"We would never consider replacing original fabric," Valerie Miller said. "If that porch had been there falling apart, we would have used original materials. The city wanted so many changes that it's not a reproduction."
William Schmickle, past chairman of the commission and author of the book The Politics of Historic Districts, said the commission's ruling against the columns was not "whimsical or unpredictable," but that the larger issue of whether nontraditional materials should be introduced into the district should be debated.
"My basic decision is, if we are going to introduce alternative materials, we ought to do it thoughtfully and not in response to situations like this," Schmickle said.
Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, who called for a summit in November to discuss what some preservationists said was a plethora of plastic planters and windows in the district, took a more hard-line stance.
"I don't think it's a matter of taste; it's a matter of what the law says," Moyer said. "He was approved for wooden columns, so really, what gives him the right to not use what he was approved for? National historic trust laws and the state and city laws don't leave any wiggle room."
