By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – The town has decided to go with vinyl replacement windows on the Senior Center over the objections of the Historical Commission, which advocated for something closer to the original wooden window frames used on the former elementary school building.
Named after a local Civil War hero, the H.M. Warren School was built around 1896 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Town Council voted in 2024 to spend ARPA funds on renovations at the 30 Converse St. building. At their meeting last week, they voted to go with the vinyl replacement windows.
Town Council chairman Michael McLane said that the town had asked the Massachusetts Historical Commission to weigh in on replacing the windows, but they declined jurisdiction. The Town
Council also asked the Wakefield Historical Commission for their input. Historical Commission chair Nancy Bertrand joined last week’s meeting via zoom.
Bertrand told the Town Council that the Historical Commission felt that wooden windows would be more historically appropriate especially in the front of the building. If vinyl needed to be used at all, the Commission favored using it for the windows in the back of the building.
Bertrand noted that when the windows of the old West Ward School building (now the Wakefield History Museum) were replaced, exact replicas of the originals were used.
Town Councilor Robert Vincent wondered if the town should hold off on replacing the front windows and consult with a preservation expert first. Bertrand said that the Historical Commission would want to be part of selecting such a restoration expert.
Town Councilor Jonathan Chines said that the town needed to balance the historical element with the fact that the building is being actively used. He said that the historic elements should be respected while at the same time making sure that the building can be used and maintained properly in the future. He said that the examples of composite replacement windows that he saw looked acceptable.
A memorandum in the meeting materials from the town’s Buildings Manager Christoper Pierce noted that wood windows would cost four times as much as vinyl and would not look the same as the original windows. On the other hand, vinyl windows would be an almost exact match to the existing windows and would be easier to maintain.
Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio noted that vinyl is more energy efficient. In addition, he said that vinyl windows come with a warranty, whereas the wood option would not.
Councilor John Carney made the motion to go with the vinyl windows.
Bertrand said, “It’s a shame that you seem to have made up your minds to go with vinyl.”
The Town Council voted 4-2 for the vinyl replacement widows. In favor were Carney, Mehreen Butt, Douglas Butler and Jonathan Chines. Vincent and McLane were opposed. Councilor Edward Dombroski was not present.