2013-01-07 BOS Packet - Released

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I I" Town of Lexington-FY 2014-FY 2018 Capital Improvement Projects ce . Project Name: Merriam Hill Preservation Project _ Date: 13-Dec-12 Submitted By: Lexington Historical Commission Department: Community Development First Year Submission? Q Phone #: 781-862-0500 x 230 E-mail: tjames@lexingtonma.erov Description of Project The Comprehensive Cultural Resources Survey of Lexington (Inventory), begun in 1975 and now on line (http://historicsurvey.lexingtonma.goyL), includes some 1700 properties of architectural and/or historical significance throughout the Town. This record, according to the reference librarians at Cary Library, is accessed almost daily to assist citizens and visitors in researching information about their homes. All entries have been completed by the Lexington Historical Commission and accepted by the Massachusetts Historical Commission on MHC-approved forms. As stated, the Inventory was initiated in 1975 in recognition of the U.S. Bicentennial. Since that time, the Inventory has been updated and expanded a number of times to add properties and correct or delete inappropriate entries. All listed property owners were reminded in 2007 of their properties' inclusion on the Inventory and its effects; at the request of the BOS, any entries since that time have been preceded by prior notice to homeowners and receipt of comments at a public hearing. As comprehensive as the Inventory attempts to be, often properties are not listed due to oversight by the professional architectural historians preparing the survey. Such was the case recently when a 1902 Colonial Revival style property in the Merriam Hill neighborhood was demolished without the prior consideration that listing on the Inventory, and review by the LHC under the Demolition Delay Bylaw, would have provided. [Note that such review could not have prevented the demolition, only delay it for up to one year to give the owners the opportunity to find a preservation alternative.] As a result of this loss and its impact on community character, the Merriam Hill Association approached the LHC to request that their neighborhood be surveyed to determine if other significant properties were at risk. As noted in a Lexington map of tourist attractions,"Meriam [sic] Hill.:.--taking its name from the pre-revolutionary Meriam family, ... is the largest assemblage of late nineteenth century/turn of the twentieth century houses; there are relatively few recent houses, and the neighborhood has great architectural integrity; these are the substantial houses settled by people who worked in Boston and knew each other from clubs or bank affiliations; many had first been introduced to Lexington as summer residents." Merriam Hill continues to contribute to Lexington tourism and real estate appeal through maintaining high standards of neighborhood cohesion and upkeep. The LHC agreed that such a survey would support the Association's ongoing mission and promote a positive public policy toward preservation, setting an example for neighborhoods throughout Lexington. Accordingly,the LHC agreed to make the survey a priority for future action. The Merriam Hill Association board of directors has agreed to contribute $500 of the project cost. The proposed project encompasses the preliminary study of all unlisted homes in the Merriam Hill neighborhood to identify possible houses for further in-depth study based on standards articulated by the MHC. An updated MHC District Data Sheet will be completed, and, if any qualifying houses are identified, up to fifteen of such properties will be designated for research and documentation by a professional architectural historian on MHC forms. After notification to the owners of the buildings and a public hearing, the forms will then be submitted to the MHC and placed on line to be readily accessible as a research tool. The LHC will request that the Merriam Hill Association notify all property owners within its jurisdiction that this project is underway. Justification/Benefit: This project will make important additions to the Town's Inventory, the principal source of information about the neighborhoods, buildings and structures in Lexington. It will enhance the Inventory's presentation of Merriam Hill as an area significant to residents and visitors due to its architectural and historical appeal. It will also prevent the premature loss of architecturally and historically significant buildings in Town, without the prior review by the LHC under the Town's Demolition Delay Bylaw. l Impact if not completed: Town of Lexington-FY 2014-FY 2018-Capita!Improvement Projects Page 1 of 2 Saved Date: December 12,2012