HomeMy Public PortalAbout20190207 - Hopkinton Historic District Commission - Meeting MinutesTOWN OF HOPKINTON
HOPKINTON HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
Thursday, February 7 at 7:00 PM
Town Hall (Lower Level), 18 Main St, Hopkinton, MA
MEETING MINUTES
Committee Members Present: Amy Ritterbusch, Mike Auen, Jeanette Thomson, Melanie Smith, Beth
Watson, Maryanne Chambers
Committee Members Absent: Beth Kelly
Also Present: Chuck Joseph, Mary Arnaut, Anne Mattina
7:01 PM - Amy Ritterbusch called the meeting to order.
Public Hearing - 25-35 Main Street - Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a modified parking
area “Hopkinton Village Center”
●Application received on 1/3/19. Preliminary Site Plan Attached
●The HHDC determined on 1/10/19 that the application included some exterior architectural features
that fall under its jurisdiction and scheduled a public hearing.
●After the public hearing (and within 60 days of the original application) we need to make a decision on
the Application, so the decision is due by 3/3/19.
●Amy explained the options for voting tonight which she received from Elaine Lazarus.
●Chuck Joseph introduced the project, and mentioned some changes from the last meeting.
○He has pulled the parking back so no spots are in front of buildings. Plans to eliminate two spots
in the center of the building (nearest the street)
○He is open to landscape ideas for trees to camouflage the parking area.
○30-32 municipal parking spots
○Side parking for the businesses, may be made available to the public off hours, but that is not
final yet.
○Melanie Smith - Asked about the existing trees on site.
■Chuck Joseph: The current landscaping is “volunteer” maples (swamp maples), which
are large, but not significant.
○Maryanne Chambers - Asked about removing the asphalt walkway at 25 Main Street, to replace
with brick or brick-look walkway to match 35 Main Street.
■Chuck Joseph: That was not up to him, but he could bring this up to the own of 25 Main
Street.
○Chuck is considering low light bollards to light the walkway from the center of the buildings to
the street.
○Mike Auen - Noted that there was no screening shown on the East side of 25 Main St and asked
if there could be some added.
○Jeanette Thomson - asked about removing two front spots to the east of 25 Main St so that all
parking will be behind the facades of the buildings.
■Chuck stated that there will be no parking in front of the building facades.
○Mike Auen - Will there be a crosswalk at the street at the front to get to the restaurants?
■Chuck Joseph - Crosswalks are up to the downtown corridor project. He says library
patrons parking at his business, will not have to cross to get to the library since it is on
the same side of the street, which is an advantage over the Bill’s parking lot across from
the library.
○Amy Ritterbusch - asked is stamped concrete an alternative would be an alternative to a
concrete walkway.
○Chuck Joseph - Stated that flat concrete is the easiest to maintain, easiest for seniors, most
stable
○Chuck Joseph: Noted that there are some granite posts on site, which they will try to reuse on
site if possible. However the walkway in the center would not really be framed with granite, and
he apologized if that was misleading in the rendering.
○Mary Arnaut - asked about building ownership. Chuck Joseph said that he does not own the
front buildings. However there will be permanent right of ways for condo owners to access their
property in the back.
○Mary Arnaut - Are the other owners on board with the municipal parking? Chuck Joseph says
yes, and it has been a long time in discussions.
○Jeanette Thomson recommends some deciduous trees, not just arborvitae, in the center.
○Mary Arnaut asked about rear access at Church St and where does the Historic District end?
HDC members showed Mary the line on the map. Mary Arnaut asked about whether the front
buildings were protected? Amy explained that the front buildings were fully protected and any
changes to the two Historic Buildings on the site would have to go before the Historic District
Commission.
○Chuck Joseph says he is hoping to go to Annual Town Meeting 2019 for the parking lot article.
○Chuck Joseph offered to do a presentation on Hopkinton History for the HDC and the public at
some point in the future. He is a former HS teacher and has a slide show of Hopkinton History.
●The board discussed and came to a general agreement to approve the application with conditions.
●A motion was made by Melanie Smith and seconded by Beth Watson to Approve the Certificate of
Appropriateness with the following Conditions: VOTE: 6-0-0
●There shall not be any exterior changes to the two historic buildings:
○25 Main Street - Dr. Jefferson and Harriet J. Pratt House
○35 Main Street - Erastus and Catherine Thompson House
●There shall not be any parking spaces that extend beyond the front facades of the two historic
buildings.
●The onsite granite curbing shall not be disturbed.
●The lighting and bollards shall mimic as closely as possible the style used on the Common, and
in the historic portions of the Downtown Corridor project.
●The parking area shall be shielded from view by vegetation forming an effective year-round
screen, such as a mix of deciduous and evergreen species, and/or joined and clustered to avoid
adverse visual impacts. Existing trees on the site shall be maintained wherever feasible.
●The public pedestrian walkway between the two buildings shall mimic the sidewalk design in the
Downtown Corridor project, and shall be safe and accessible.
●For a more cohesive design, the HHDC recommends that the applicant make the two walkways
in front of the historic buildings match in style and design, replacing the asphalt walkway in
front of 25 Main St with a brick walkway to match the one in front of 35 Main St.
●Prior to beginning construction, the applicant will submit the following for review and approval
by the HHDC:
○Full landscape plan
○Parking design plan
○Lighting plan
○Walkway design plan
○A list of specific materials, and samples or photographs of materials to be used.
Other topics that may be discussed at any time during the meeting:
●2018 Annual Town Report Narrative from HHDC - Vote Needed -
○The group reviewed Annual Report draft and a motion to approve was made by Maryanne
Chambers and seconded Mike Auen VOTE: 6-0-0
●2019 Annual Town Meeting - Discuss Articles Submitted by Hopkinton Historical Commission (HHC)
& consider voting to support
○Beth Watson said that there has been a lot of support for these articles from the public at HHC
meetings. The bylaw wording has changed slightly since originally proposed. HHC approved
money to do a study for this property. Beth Watson says that the developer is very upset with
this plan. She stated that residents wishing to support, could write letters to the HHC. It would
also be helpful to gather information on properties in Hopkinton (outside of the Historic
Districts) that have already been lost to demolition.
○Melanie Smith - has researched the property and stated that it was the Aaron Claflin Inn in the
1790’s, with additions added in the 1800’s. She stated that it was the headquarters of Hopkinton
militia, and that it is the second oldest building in the center of Hopkinton on Main Street. (The
Morris House is the oldest.)
○1st HHC Town Meeting Article - Extending the Demolition Delay to 18 Months - There was
a general consensus among HDC members that the current 6-month demolition delay is not
adequate time to preserve a historically significant property. Some members wavered between
whether 12-months or 18-months would be ideal, however a motion to support the HHC efforts
and town meeting article was made by Melanie Smith and seconded Jeanette Thomson. VOTE:
6-0-0
○2nd HHC Town Meeting Article - Creation of a Single-Property Historic District for 76 Main
St - A motion to support the HHC efforts to preserve 76 Main Street and the town meeting
article was made by Maryanne Chambers and seconded by Melanie Smith. VOTE: 6-0-0
●Roberta “Bobbi” Gibb Statue - this was mentioned in a recent news article, and the HHC was not sure if
it was intended to go in the Historic District or somewhere else downtown - Mike Auen stated that he
spoke to Tim Kilduff and that he doesn’t know where it will go yet, but Tim knows he will have to come
before the HDC for a Certificate of Appropriateness if it is to go on the Common or anywhere else in the
district.
●Tree Planting on the Common (update, Beth Kelly) - Beth Kelly was not at the meeting, but Mary
Arnaut said that money was approved for this by the Commissioners of Trust Funds in the past. She
suggested that the HDC ask Muriel Kramer about it to find out if funds were given already and were
they used?
●Drafting of Historic District Design Guidelines (update, Beth Watson) - Beth has been too busy with
HHC, and is not quite done yet, but has done some work. She hopes to have an update by the next
meeting.
●Claflin Fountain - Rusting, Fence Construction (update, if any) - Amy reports Parks & Rec did not
receive CPC funding for a fountain filtration system. HDC members wondered if there is money in the
Claflin Fund instead? HDC will check with the Commissioners of Trust Funds.
●Master Plan - Implementation Item #NCO19 “Expansion of the Center Historic District” - It was noted
that the neighbors near 76 Main Street seem interested in being in a Historic District, and that we
should consider meeting with them to see if they would like to get more information and to proceed for
Town Meeting 2020 with a Main Street Historic District. Notes from the consultants who did the 2016
Hopkinton Survey Plan: “The 1989 consultants recommended the establishment of a second local
historic district at Hopkinton Center, the Main Street Historic District. This proposed district would
protect seventeen properties along Main Street from roughly Pleasant Street east to the Fire and Police
Stations on both sides of the street. We agree with this recommendation. Creating or updating
individual building forms for these properties would cost about $3,800.”
●Drafting of Potential Bylaw Changes affecting the District - see above.
●Downtown Corridor Project (update, if any) - None since last time.
●Library Expansion & Renovation - Remedies to discrepancies in approved plan (update, if any, on open
items) - No updates.
○Front wheelchair /stroller ramp - Open item
○Church emergency access door railing - Open item
●Identify future agenda items
○Amy has been chair since 2016 and thinks it is time for someone else to take the reins for
2019-20. Amy would be happy to take the Vice Chair role or Secretary role only, but feels,
especially with her Planning Board duties, that she cannot continue as both HDC Chair and
Secretary. She would like the board to consider reorganizing for 2019-20 and wanted everyone
to start thinking about it now. Maryanne expressed that she could maybe consider taking the
Secretary role, she and Amy will discuss further.
●Decide on next meeting dates
○Event - Saturday, March 30th from 10 am - 2 pm. - Hopkinton 101 at the Library - not a
meeting unless a quorum intends to attend.
○Thurs 3/14/19 at 7:00pm - Location TBD
●Approve meeting Minutes from 01-10-19 Motion made by Jeanette Thomson and seconded by
Maryanne Chambers. VOTE: 6-0-0
8:33 PM Adjournment - Motion to Adjourn made by Beth Watson and seconded by Melanie Smith. VOTE:
6-0-0
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Ritterbusch, Chair
Approved on Date: 04-11-2019