WINDOW & OPENING STRATEGY MEMO
Current as of Aug 23 night: Live packet numbers are on the one-page board and the filled City form. Working priced exterior $84,680.59 including handicap entrance $5,000. Downtown HURD / BID is parked — not this filing. Basement is not a use. This file is lineage; do not file from it if it disagrees with the board.
1316 Bozeman Avenue — Before locking products or spending TIF-matched dollars
Audience: Stephen Banker, Diane Anders, City Community Development / HPO, Building Division
Purpose: Settle panes vs whole units, concreted openings, basement/wells/egress — in writing.
1. Field inventory (Diane Anders, Aug 7, 2026 — verified against repair spreadsheet)
| Item | Count | Location / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Double windows (glass + panes) | 2 | Front along Bozeman |
| Office windows (glass + panes) | 7 | Three sides of office |
| Window wells | 3+ | Front along warehouse; 1 well between this building and state building |
| Concreted windows (remove concrete, restore) | 8 | 3 front / left when facing building; 5 rear |
| Man doors | 3 | Office, accessible entrance, loading dock |
| Double / barn doors | 2 | Rear |
| Concreted door (restore) | 1 | Rear |
| ADA ramp | 1 | Office entrance |
| Overhead / rolling door | 1 | Replacement |
| Basement windows | TBD | Separate line — occupancy decides path |
| Masonry / repointing | — | Front and back |
| Gutters | — | Rear roof — protect stone |
| Paint | — | Front and back openings |
2. Quotes already in hand (PROVISIONAL — do not treat as final historic solution)
Custom Glass & Windows (Helena) — portal estimates for Joshua Tree Cabinetry:
| Estimate | Scope | Product | Total | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #26416 | Office — 6 single-hung + 1 smaller | Milgard V300 Trinsic (vinyl), grids, Low-E/argon | $5,560 | Thu Aug 27, 2026 |
| #26433 | Front shipping — 6 casements | Milgard V300 Trinsic (vinyl), grids | $4,746 | Sat Sep 5, 2026 |
Shop drawings exist for both. These quotes cover new vinyl units, not wood repair-in-kind, and do not yet price: concreted reopenings, wells, barn doors, masonry, gutters, ADA, overhead door, or basement egress upgrades.
3. Governing rules (verified)
City of Helena
- Adopts 2021 International Building Code (IBC) and 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) as adopted by Montana (Helena City Code Title 3, Ch. 2).
- Historic Preservation staff / Helena–Lewis & Clark Heritage Preservation Commission use Secretary of the Interior’s Standards + local design guidelines when reviewing character work.
- RURD TIF priority #5 Historic Façade & Site Improvement scores projects that restore/rehabilitate historic buildings.
Secretary of the Interior — windows (Rehabilitation treatment, plain English)
- Repair historic windows first when fabric remains.
- Replace only what is deteriorated beyond repair — match historic design (material, light pattern, profiles) when replacement is necessary.
- Missing features may be restored from documentary / physical evidence (Sanborn, historic photos, surviving siblings on the same elevation).
- New windows on secondary elevations for a new use can be acceptable if compatible — still not a free pass for character-erasing vinyl on primary street façades.
Egress / basement (IBC family — confirm with Building Division for this occupancy)
- “Egress windows” (emergency escape & rescue openings) are driven by occupancy and use, not by aesthetics.
- If basement becomes habitable / occupied work area with sleeping or certain R occupancies, EERO sizing and area wells may be required.
- If basement remains storage / non-habitable, full residential-style egress windows may not be required — but wells must still be safe, drained, and any reopened openings must meet structural/weather and IEBC rules.
- Decision gate: Stephen must declare intended basement use in writing before final opening designs.
4. Recommended decision path (do this order)
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A | Number every opening on elevation photos (O-01…) | Packet + bids speak the same language |
| B | Eligibility call with Community Development + ask HPO into the conversation | Required for TIF; sets character expectations |
| C | Building Division: basement use + which openings need EERO | Avoid rework |
| D | Two bid tracks for primary façades: (1) wood repair / wood replace-in-kind · (2) modern vinyl (current quotes) | Board can see cost of doing it right |
| E | Price concreted reopenings + wells as separate lines | Diane’s counts are the heart of “bring the light back” |
| F | Only after A–E: lock products and TIF budget lines | Protects match eligibility |
5. Plain answers to the questions already asked
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can he replace only panes? | Often yes if sash/frame are sound — preferred for historic scoring. Needs opening-by-opening condition survey. |
| Can he replace whole windows? | Yes, when repair is not feasible — but for TIF/historic credit, match character. Vinyl on primary elevations is the riskiest path for scoring. |
| What about concreted windows? | Plan to reopen and restore (8 windows + 1 door per Diane) — this is the project’s strongest visual and historic argument. |
| Basement / wells / egress? | Wells must be repaired regardless. Full egress-sized assemblies depend on basement occupancy. Get Building Division on record. |
| Should he pay Custom Glass now? | Quotes yes. Paying for TIF-matched work before City approval risks losing the match. Form language is explicit. |
6. Packet language (use this tone)
“Window and opening restoration will follow a repair-first approach consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Where assemblies are beyond repair or historically filled with concrete, openings will be restored with units compatible with the building’s industrial character, subject to Building Division and Historic Preservation guidance. Provisional modern window quotes are included for schedule and budget planning and will be refined after staff consultation.”
Memo for decision — not a permit. City staff confirmation required before construction.