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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20160126 - Historical Commission - Meeting MinutesHHC Minutes 1/26/2016 Public Hearing January 26, 2016 7:30 PM Attending: Nancy Stevenson, Claire Wright, Shannon Reilly, Mike Roughan, Ron Yankee, and Austin Stang Absent: Dianna Doucette Also Attending: Brian Gasset, developer, 36Grove Street Chuck Joseph, realtor for Brian Gasset Jonathon Phelps, Metrowest Daily News DISCUSSION ON PROPERTIES THAT NEED HELP Nancy explained about identifying properties that are in distress. Ron-Do the welfare roles list people in town who needs help? There maybe historic houses. Mike-The first thing that we need to do is to establish that the house has value. Claire-We looked into a whole list of properties. Mike-Mass list serve is a good place to query this type of thing. He will send out an email. Mike-We have 10k to use as a proactive study on historic structures and update the book. Possibly engage Jen Dougherty to do this. Mike intends to ask us to apply next year for a grant. 36 GROVE STREET PUBLIC HEARING For the purpose of determining if 36 Grove Street is considered "Historically Significant." If it is determined by this commission that is is historically significant, we apply the demo delay. Claire-In the fact that this is a public hearing, the applicant should make the public presentation and we go from here. Brian-Due to the severe water damage, my intention is to tear down the existing structure and construct a 2 family apt bldg or make 2 condos. It will be a good-sized bldg compared to the houses around it. Prelim plan- 2300sq ft per unit. Existing place is less. The new structure will be similar to what was there, but sit higher, as a 2 story vs the original 1 story. I am told that as long as this meets all set backs, I can put this on this property. The center of town is really busy and everyone wants more open floor plan and high ceilings, and 2 car garages. The width of the lot makes it so I have to do something longer. Not going to use more than what was originally there, including the original barn. I have to provide setback for a second house. Claire-We went out into the back yard and there is a deep yard. Brian would have to deal with con com for the setback requirements. Ron-Is there a way to leave the frontage and modify the back end? Brian-By the time I take everything off I would just have a frame. Claire-I know it is always easier to begin with a clean slate, but some of this I said at the previous meeting, we are looking closely at this property to maintain what is the historic part of the streetscape and also meet your needs. Hopkinton's historic survey indicates this is part of the longest continuous streetscape of Hopkinton. Claire-Received an email from Michael Danahy, who lived in this house until he was 18. He lives in Mississippi. Describes the house. He explained some of the history of the house. Has significance to our town. According to the MHC it is dated 30 years earlier. Unique historic and architectural interest. Original house on the street, the Carrigans were the owners. The land around it was pasture? The remaining land around it ended up as mill houses in the 1930s. Claire-The house has meaning to our town and to the streetscape. In spite of its deteriorated condition, I would like to see it either saved or something erected in its place that looks like it. Shannon-It seems to me with the fairness issue, it is unsafe, unsanitary, unhealthy, and although it has some historical value, requesting it be preserved would be totally unfair. Mr Gasset is a long time resident. Mike-Our only jurisdiction is whether we invoke a demo delay. We cannot ask anyone to come back to us later when we let a property go. Shannon-Holding up the demo of this house is unfair to Mr. Gasset. Claire-We all went through the house, but "preservation" could be reconstruction of the front and side, then the streetscape would be preserved. Six months hopefully will help us to find something that will work for everyone concerned. Brian-I owned a house on Hayden Rowe that I wanted to tear down and build a new place. A demo delay was enacted and there were two guys who purchased it from me to fix up. They put a lot into it. Mike-My concern is over scaling the streetscape. You can debate the current condition. I've walked through the house. The sills didn't look soft. Didn't see anything sagging. To Claire's point, I would like to see the retention of the front facade. As a member of the HHC I am concerned about the frontage and the streetscape is significant. Mike-Let's take a few more comments from the board and then open it up to the public. Brian-I am trying to get the width to get twin condos both with two garages. Shannon-Could you put the garages behind them? Claire-We have yet to go to the Conservation Commission. A couple of years ago, we added a bylaw that would make the boards communicate with each other. Maybe we can work together. Brian-I will put a few things together. Brian showed a drawing of his idea of house. Claire-Its a very nice looking house but it has nothing to do with the house that is there. Mike-We only have one decision to make, whether we challenge the demo or not. I'm just suggesting that what we are trying to do is to preserve the integrity of the streetscape. Claire-The delay can be lifted at any time. What about a one family? Brian-I would rather get out of it a two family. Chuck Joseph-You may not be aware that with the house having this much damage, Brian can't possibly assure that the house is safe when he sells it to someone else. Mike-You willfully chose to aquire that property. It may not be easy to profit from simply because you want to. We value the historic value of this town more than we value your financial success. Shannon-I am naive but it will be a quality appropriate structure. Mike-The two applicants that are here may not be the applicants before us in a year. If we establish a president that allows a house to be demolished without what we are doing, we could tie our own hands in the future. We are the only commission that has jurisdiction over this property. Linda-I am here because of Michael Danahy. It is true that the Carrigans donated the field. Just wanted to find out what is happening to it. It will be sad to see it go. Bill Shaw-I have driven by that house often. It was on the guided tour. A student asked me about the original house. There was a period when people glorified their homes, when this structure was elaborated upon. Mike-Maybe it is more the proportions, more than the bay's. Consistent roofline and eve line going down the street. I see more of the mass of the house in proportion. Claire-There is a house in Essex that was added on to and added onto and still has its intrinsic value. Mike-I move that we close the Public Hearing. Ron- Seconded. Unanimous approval. Claire-Motioned to find 36 Grove Street subject to a Demo Delay. Ron seconded. Claire, Nancy, Mike, Austin, and Ron voted to enact the demo delay. Shannon voted against it. STONE BRIDGE Mike-Met with CPC. They will fund the entire bridge for Hopkinton and Southboro, but they want Southboro to fund the railings. The chair of the Southboro CPC has pics. Ron-The bars that are on the bridge (some of which are in the water) probably go into wood. Granite bases with wood above. CPC Attorney for the town confirmed if we use volunteer labor, we don't have to pay them union wages. For the McFarland Sanger house, the students doing the work will be doing this for course credit. We need to enter into a contract with them for more than what a bid would be. They are allowed to circumvent the process of having to get three bids. Mike wants this to be housing for a town employee with the stipulation that the historic commission char is kept in the loop. Nancy-The biggest problem that I see is the sewerage issue. The house was connected to Deerfield Estates before it was decided that the town would acquire it, so, since it was already hooked up to Deerfield Estates, they allowed minimal water usage, but not enough to to support a home. This, coupled with no extra land around the house as part of the property (to accommodate sewerage requirements) is a problem. 128 HAYWARD STREET Request for demolition. Mike-I don't believe it has any hist significant at all. Tiny plain little 1930's cottage. The board discussed it and Ron motioned that we not put a delay. Nancy seconded the motion. Unanimous approval. CPC SIGN FOR McFARLAND SANGER HOUSE Mike-Next action will be for Jennifer to have the sign produced. We had the bulkhead replaced. Mike needs to get Dave Deltorio to paint it. Mike and Dave need to meet with the roofer. Town won't let any volunteers in bldg until until aesbestos and lead is removed. BYLAW CHANGES Claire-After we had the discussion with Waterfresh farms, with this bylaw which was supposed to be in context of a development, the owner of Waterfresh Farms wanted to circumvent the process and use this bylaw himself. Elaine and Jennifer saw that changing a word and a comma would prevent this from happening in the future. ZAC was discussing it. Everyone got confused in the meeting, so the upshot was back and forth and the whole thing is tabled. This bylaw does indicate that if a builder uses the advantage offered to him of saving an old house and ultimately having an extra property through zoning relief, this house would always be exempt from demolition. This would apply in perpetuity. TOLL HOUSE SIGN Claire-There will be a bump out, with the cement strip aunt it. No pocket park. Legacy Farms doesn't want any limited visibility of their sign. It will be more at the corner of the driveway. Maybe we should consider some sort of a bronze plaque on the Toll House side. Nancy motioned we end the meeting. Mike seconded. Unanimous approval. 9:30 PM