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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinal Study Committee Report, Oct 12 17 PIERCE-LOCKWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DISTRICT (NCD) STUDY COMMITTEE REPORT and BYLAW Members of the Study Committee Donna Moultrup, Chair Richard Goldhammer, Vice-Chair Chris Neurath, Secretary Richard Canale, Planning Board Rep. David Kelland, Historical Commission Rep. October 12, 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Executive Summary 2 II. Introduction 2 III. Historical Background of the Area 3 IV. Architectural Features of the Homes 13 V. Neighborhood House Inventory 15 VI. Early Maps of the Area 16 VII. Area Map and Discussion of the Proposed NCD 20 VIII. NCD Bylaw 21 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Having completed the necessary steps as outlined in Chapter 78 of the Code of Lexington, the Pierce-Lockwood NCD, is submitting this report of its Study Committee to the Historical Commission and the Planning Board. This report outlines highlights in the development of this area from the Pierce-Lockwood homestead, along with two other 1800s' homes, to the 21-home area bounded by the Minuteman Bikeway, Maple St., Massachusetts Avenue, Tower Park and additional Town-owned land. Despite renovations and additions over the years, the neighborhood retains its basic 1930s look and feel. The NCD strongly believes that with the guidelines outlined in the NCD Bylaw, the basic character of this area, the architectural style and size of the homes, and the closeness of the neighbors can be preserved and can continue to represent a time in Lexington's history that is, and always will be, important to our heritage. II. INTRODUCTION The proposed Pierce-Lockwood NCD has some prominent boundaries; on the east by the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway; on the north by Tower Park and adjacent Town-owned land; on the southeast by Maple St. and on the west by Massachusetts Avenue. These boundaries, we believe, have contributed to the closeness of the neighbors in that area. A building project started on a piece of land adjacent to the neighborhood started the discussion of how to preserve the primarily 1930s homes, and the general feeling of cohesiveness that contributed to the "love" of the neighborhood. There were several homes whose residents had lived there since the 1950s, and even some of the "newer" residents have been there more than twenty-five years. The Planning Board, coincidently, was discussing the possibility of introducing a bylaw to Town Meeting that would allow neighborhoods to create neighborhood conservation districts to preserve exactly what the neighbors in the Byron Avenue, Lockwood Road and Massachusetts Avenue area felt they had. A couple of the neighbors met with representatives of the Historical Commission and the Historic Districts Commission to determine if the area neighborhood could possibly meet the criteria that were being considered in the proposed bylaw. Receiving a positive response, a meeting with the neighborhood was held on October 24, 2015 to start the discussion with the residents. The NCD bylaw was passed at the 2016 spring Town Meeting and approved by the State Attorney General. On October 13, 2016, the first neighborhood meeting to discuss the creation of a NCD under the requirements of the new bylaw, Chapter 78, was held at 10 Lockwood Road. The agenda included: choosing three candidates to be on the required Study Committee; obtain the ten signatures required to petition the Historical Commission regarding the formation of a Study Committee; and to discuss the potential guidelines that would be included in the final regulations and guidelines required to create the NCD. The initial thoughts of neighbors on protections to be considered were: 1) houses to remain oriented to the street they are currently facing 2) any changes must have consistency of architectural style and size 3) keep reasonably sized backyards 4) no paving of front yards for parking 5) no solid fences across front yards 6) additions or trees can't unduly shade abutters houses or gardens from winter sun 7) trees removed should be replaced with native, shade trees 8) colors should avoid bright oranges, blacks and purples 9) vegetative fences must be discussed with abutters 10) solar panels are okay 11) unknown future technologies could be okay but would be subject to review On October 19, 2016, a public hearing was held by the Historical Commission on the Byron/Lockwood/Mass. Ave. petition. The petition emphasized that many of the homes in the proposed NCD were built in the 1930s and had similar architectural details and size. The homes remained reasonably priced in consideration of the Lexington real estate market and there was a cohesive "feel" to this neighborhood perhaps due to its physical boundaries. The petition was accepted and a Study Committee was appointed. This final report is the product of the Study Committee's work from December, 2016 through June, 2017. At the April 18, 2017, Study Committee meeting, the group voted unanimously to change the NCD name to the Pierce-Lockwood NCD. III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND East Lexington is said to have developed independently from the center of Lexington and displayed its greatest prosperity in the early 19th century when local industry flourished along what would become Massachusetts Avenue. An 1875 map of the area shows that Massachusetts Avenue was originally Main St. in Lexington and the houses on that street in the Lockwood Area were numbered in the 200s. Dairy farms and wheelwrights (men whose occupation was to make and repair wheels and wheeled vehicles, such as carts and wagons) were prominent in the area. There was a high concentration of homes referred to as five-bay-wide (referring to windows across the front), center entrance farm houses with individualized Greek revival doors. It is thought that Eli Robbins built many of these houses for people who worked for him in the 1820s and 1830s. The bulk of these houses are located on the East side of Maple St. on both sides of what we know as Massachusetts Avenue. The Pierce-Lockwood NCD has three homes built around this time period that the neighborhood considers the historical "anchors:" the Pierce-Lockwood House, the Brown-Wheaton House, and the Brigham House. /, The Pierce-Lockwood House, 1099 (believed to be #257 originally) Massachusetts Avenue, appears in the Lexington historic survey as a Federal/Greek Revival style home. The Pierce family was the original owner, and the house was one of several built by the Pierce family. Homes on the opposite side of Maple St., along Massachusetts Avenue, and even the current museum land was owned by the Pierce family. Nathaniel Pierce, a dairyman, who with two other local dairymen, was supposedly the first to take milk to Boston in bottles; wooden bottles, but it was progress at the time. The 1899 Lexington-Bedford Directory mentions the Pierce homestead, now being owned by Mr. Rhodes Lockwood, and refers to it as the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Maple St. In the 1902-03 Lexington Directory, Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes Lockwood, Emily Niles, Henrietta N., Marion, and Philip C., a student, are listed as residents. Mr. Rhodes Lockwood is listed as working for the Davidson Rubber Co., 19 Milk St. in Boston. It is actually known that the Rubber Company was owned by a Rhodes Lockwood, having inherited it from an uncle. It was established around 1830 and the company sold items to the government during the Civil War. Rhodes Lockwood was credited with the invention of a process for rubber pencil erasers that kept them supple, and the fountain syringe, which turns out to be the working part of a Waterman fountain pen. They also made things like syringe bulbs and baby bottle nipples. The Sterling Fountain Pen Company was a subsidiary Newspaper articles refer to three generations of Rhodes Lockwood's. By the 1908-1909 Lexington Street Directory, the Lockwood name disappears. It is known that Rhodes Lockwood was killed in an automobile accident. That may have precipitated a move by the family. There was a "taking" of land by the Town for the "relocation of Maple St." registered in 1922. It is believed that the owner of the house at the time, Lilly St. Agnan Huntington, eventually sold the corner of the homestead to Robert J. Fawcett and Fred K. Moulton, July 2, 1924, for the purpose of building a "filling station." It is stated in historical records that the land was sold the day before a new zoning law went into effect preserving the land for residential use. The current owner of the house states that the agreement regarding the land requires the selling of gasoline or the land reverts to residential. It is believed that the farm house was moved further back from the street when the land was sold, although at least one historian believes that the house was moved in the late 1800s instead of as late as 1922. The sale of the land left ten feet of property with Mass. Ave. frontage and one hundred feet of frontage on Maple St. The current owner obtained permission from the Historic Districts Commission to remove the porch, which appears in some pictures, on the Mass. Ave. side of the house and return it to, what they believed, was the original five-bay-wide colonial. There is a history of two barns, horse stables on both Maple St. and Mass. Ave., and a private family cemetery on the property at one time. It is land from this Pierce-Lockwood Estate that was, in 1910, registered as Lots A and B, the homestead remaining on Lot A, and Lot B eventually being registered in 1928 as the subdivision that makes up the bulk of the proposed Pierce-Lockwood NCD. The neighborhood was told by an elderly neighbor that the names of the streets were the names of the two sons, Byron and Rhodes, and Lockwood was the family name. We have not been able to verify the origin of Byron Avenue, but the other two certainly make sense. / / / The Brown-Wheaton House, 1133 (believed to be #245 originally) Massachusetts Avenue, appears in the historical survey as being built in the Federal/Italianate style, although it is known that the front door, as it exists, was added later and was not part of the original design. The house was originally one room deep, a five-bay-wide center entrance farm house with narrow stairs to the front door. The stair porch was widened when the new front addition was added. The house was owned by Deacon Brown, listed as an early settler, by Albert Bryant in "Lexington Sixty Years Ago." Deacon Brown was a fourth-generation farmer, raising beef, pork, grain and vegetables. He was known as a progressive farmer, raising cows for milk, butter and cheese, sheep for wool, and was known to be self-sufficient for his family of nine. An 1853 advertising listed the auction sale of the Brown farm, describing the acreage and a gravel pit. The intervening years are not clear, but according to a 1984 letter to the Town, the property was conveyed to Lydia Wheaton by Charlotte Brown by deed in 1887. Lydia conveyed the land to help pay for the care of her husband in the case of her death, all except what she had given to her son Edward G. Wheaton, of Waltham, which then had been given to his son, George C. Wheaton. The 1899 Lexington Directory has George B. Wheaton, George C. Wheaton and Edward B. Wheaton living at 243 (It is not clear which number, 243 or 245 is correct.) Massachusetts Avenue. We also know that Edward Wheaton, son of George B. Wheaton, lived next door at 1145 Mass. Ave. Later, the house at 1145 Mass. Ave. served as Dr. Mooney's office for many years and the land between 1145 and 1133 was used for a parking area for the physician's patients. The land went all the way back to the railroad-owned land originally. Mooney's kept enough land to make the parking lot buildable and gave the remaining land behind 1139 and 1145 to the Town. In 1993, a Dutch Colonial style house was built on the previous parking lot parcel. / The Brigham House, 1155 (believed to be #251 originally) Massachusetts Avenue, is believed to have been built in 1834 or 1836, depending on the source, but there is also some belief that the house was actually moved to that site in 1834. It is listed as a Federal/Colonial Revival home in the Lexington Historical Survey. It was also a one room deep, five-bay-wide, center entrance farmhouse. It started with narrow stairs to the front door but was altered at a later time. It was the home of Deacon William Brigham who came to Lexington in 1830. He was the second child of eight, born to Elijah Brigham and Mary Gleason. He was born in 1805, a descendent of Thomas Brigham, who came to America in the ship, "Susan and Ellyn," in 1635 and settled in Watertown. The Brigham family lived in one-half of the house and Deacon's mother-in-law, Anna Munroe Muzzey, and his sister-in-law, Emily Muzzey, in the other half. Deacon Brigham was a wheelwright and his shop was beside the house. He was also the deacon at the First Parish Church. He died in 1879. The house was later the home of Miss Laura Brigham, born in 1836, the only child of William Brigham and Abby Ann Muzzey. Laura owned the house for thirty-six years, although it was never reported in the rolls because women couldn't yet vote. Miss Brigham was a local reporter for the Lexington Minuteman for over thirty years and counted both the Emersons and Alcotts as friends. She was last listed in the 1913 Lexington Directory and died in July, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Davidson lived in the house at the time of her death. It is believed, but so far only anecdotal information has been found, that the original neighborhood was laid out to primarily take advantage of the proximity of the railroad and access to Boston. The Pierce's Bridge Station, which was located just steps from #15 Byron Avenue, is listed in the oldest Directory in the Cary Library collection which is 1899. The Station Agent is listed as Nathaniel W. Pierce. (The spelling appears as "Peirce" and "Pierce" depending on the document. It is not clear whether these are recording errors or two different families.) Older neighbors do remember taking the train, themselves, and others from the opposite side of Massachusetts Avenue, using the easement that ran between the Lockwood homestead and the rear of the Lockwood Road houses. The station was a landmark until it was either demolished or destroyed by fire, sometime in the 1960s. There are future plans to install a historical marker near the site of the station. That marker will continue to celebrate a time in Lexington's history when goods and services were connected between suburban areas and Boston. / The Boston and Maine Railroad was chartered in New Hampshire on June 27, 1835, and the Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Railroad was incorporated March 12, 1839, in Maine, both companies continuing the proposed line to South Berwick, Maine. The railroad opened in 1840 to Exeter, New Hampshire, and on January 1, 1842, the two companies merged with The Boston and Portland to form a new Boston and Maine Railroad. The Lexington Branch of the railroad was built in 1846 between West Cambridge and Lexington, passing through Arlington along the way. In 1873, the line was extended further west to the towns of Bedford and Concord. The railway's connection with Boston prompted social and economic development in the small agricultural communities it served. At the peak of service, two dozen passenger trains and two local freight trains, carrying mail, milk and goods, operated over the Lexington Branch each day. By the fall of 1958, passenger service on the Lexington Branch had dwindled to a single daily round trip. In December 1976, the B&M sold all of its Boston area commuter rail assets to the state-run Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Just weeks later, on January 10, 1977, the MBTA elected to terminate passenger service on the branch after a severe snow and ice storm stranded a train at Bedford Depot. The last freight train operated on January 31, 1981, when the Lexington Branch was embargoed to enable building of the MBTA's new Alewife Red Line Station at West Cambridge. "Rail-banking" of the line was pursued in the 1980s by the State in order to convert the corridor into a rail-trail. In 1991, the Lexington Branch was formally rail-banked. Construction was started on the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway and opened between Alewife and Bedford in 1993. The Bikeway officially was dedicated and named the 500th rail-trail in the USA. In 2008, the Minuteman Bikeway was inducted into the national Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. Today the Bikeway continues to connect the people in our neighborhood, as well as others in the immediate area, to other towns, like Bedford, Arlington and Cambridge; the MBTA Red Line train at Alewife Station; and recreational areas such as the Arlington Great Meadow. Neighbors grieved for the privacy and natural trail that existed, after the train and before the bikeway, but the Minuteman Bikeway has been a wonderful addition to this small neighborhood. The Byron Avenue homes always leave a gate in the back fence for access. It is a short and wonderful walk to the Center via the Bikeway. The Minuteman Bikeway provides a quick walk, or bike ride, to Lexington's Joyce Miller Meadow and then the Arlington Great Meadow. This proximity to a wildlife preserve of sorts affords the neighborhood many opportunities to see foxes, deer, raccoons, hawks, and turkeys. On a summer night, the howling, or fighting, of coyotes can often wake one from a sound sleep. Gardening can be a challenge due to the woodchucks that prefer to live under the various sheds in the area! It is easy to forget that the neighborhood is slightly more than one mile to the center of town and it is a good reminder of its early history as farmland! One last bit of history cannot be neglected. From 1954 to 1999, Dorothy Staines and her husband, with two children, Bill and Stephen, lived at 17 Byron Avenue. Bill began his professional career as a nationally recognized folksinger in the early 1960s in the Cambridge area. In 1975, he won the National Yodeling Championship at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. He has appeared on many shows, such as A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage and The Good Evening Show. Many of his songs have appeared in grade school music books, church hymnals, and scouting campfire songbooks; he is one of only a few songwriters to have eight songs published in the classic song collection, Rise Up Singing. In the fall 0f 2015 Yankee Magazine, New England's premiere magazine, published it's "80th Anniversary Issue." Along with the likes of Stephen King and Katherine Hepburn, Bill Staines was chosen as "One of the 80 gifts New England has given to America." A longtime resident of the neighborhood remembers many nights of music-playing in a barn that still stands on the other side of Maple St. IV. ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE HOMES Little is known about the builders of this neighborhood. It is said that one builder started building the bungalows on Byron Avenue and then ran out of money and a second builder finished the homes on Lockwood. The basic foundation of all of the houses on Byron and Lockwood, with two exceptions, seems to indicate that there was a single designer, despite the anecdotal history of the builders. The Byron Avenue homes look slightly different today with some variation in porches and rear additions. They were primarily built as two bedroom homes with approximately 1,100 square feet of living space on a ground and second floor. Basements were primarily unfinished. Each lot is slightly larger than 5,000 square feet in area. The houses are so consistently oriented on the lots that the residents say, that prior to some of the renovations, one could see from one end of the street to the other by looking through the side dining room window! It is not clear whether all of these homes started out with a garage, but even those that remain cannot accommodate the larger cars of today, and are being used as sheds. The bungalows and Dutch colonials on Lockwood are slightly larger, having approximately 1,400 square feet of living area. This is primarily due to the full second floor, because most all of the Lockwood and Byron homes began with a 24-feet wide and 26-feet long basic foundation. A number of these have renovated the basements to create family rooms or offices. Most started out with three bedrooms on a full second story. Decks and small additions to accommodate a full, or half, bathroom on the first floor have often been added. Most of these lots are also in the 5,000 square feet range. 10 Lockwood, on the corner of Rhodes St. and Lockwood, has slightly more than a half lot extra because Rhodes St. was actually cut out of the original lot on the end. Few of these homes have garages. Other than #10 which has a two-car garage, the garages that exist are primarily used as sheds for storage. The garage at 10 Lockwood may well have been built later, although the carvings in the ceiling of familiar figures of the second World War would indicate that it was built at least by that time. Several of the Dutch colonials have the traditional Dutch roofline, although it is oriented to the side of the more obvious Dutch roofline of 10 and 15 Lockwood Road and 1139 Mass. Ave. Two of the houses have a square shape and somewhat defy description except that they have the traditional porches on the front and do not look out of character for the neighborhood. One house on Mass. Ave. is clearly what is referred to as a center-entrance colonial, although it has only 3 windows across the top instead of the older Federal 5-bay-wide windows on the second floor. The breakdown is: Federal/Greek Revival (1) 1099 Mass. Ave. Federal/Italianate (1) 1133 Mass. Ave. Federal/Colonial Revival (1) 1155 Mass. Ave. Bungalows (9) 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 Byron Avenue 7, 11, 12, 16 Lockwood Road Dutch Colonials (6) 10, 15, 18 Lockwood Road 1109, 1115, 1139 Mass. Ave. Four Square (2) 17 Lockwood and 1145 Mass. Ave. Small Colonial (1) 1123 Mass. Ave. The following April 1929 ad for the sale of these homes when new was located by one of the current residents. It appears to be the sales agent, and not the builder, although it is impossible to tell from the ad. / Pierce-Lockwood NCD Neighborhood Inventory Address Year Built Land Area (Sq. Ft.) Gross Floor Area (Sq. Ft.) Living Area (Sq. Ft.) 15 Byron Ave. 1930 6,600 2,196 1,116 17 Byron Ave. 1930 5,720 2,784 1,560 19 Byron Ave. 1930 5,720 2,508 1,296 21 Byron Ave. 1930 5,720 2,924 1,476 23 Byron Ave. 1928 5,720 3,102 1,750 7 Lockwood Rd. 1930 7,040 3,696 1,601 10 Lockwood Rd. 1930 11,000 2,784 1,330 11 Lockwood Rd. 1930 5,720 2,984 1,656 12 Lockwood Rd. 1930 5,280 2,684 1,908 15 Lockwood Rd. 1930 5,720 2,404 1,380 16 Lockwood Rd. 1930 6,600 2,540 1,422 17 Lockwood Rd. 1930 5,280 2,784 1,467 18 Lockwood Rd. 1930 6,600 3,406 1,467 1099 Mass. Ave. 1827 40,920 6,189 3,376 1109 Mass. Ave. 1927 7,920 3,012 1,379 1115 Mass. Ave. 1940 7,480 3,335 1,474 1123 Mass. Ave. 1937 7,480 3,004 1,443 1133 Mass. Ave. 1840 18,480 4,467 2,320 1139 Mass. Ave. 1994 10,560 5,432 2,854 1145 Mass. Ave. 1923 10,120 4,981 2,342 1155 Mass. Ave. 1830 40,040 4,462 3,040 Information Taken from Online Assessor's Data Cards as of April, 2017 Land Area on Cards Listed in Acres; Changed to Square Feet Based on 44,000 Sq. Ft. per Acre V. EARLY MAPS OF THE AREA / / / / VI. AREA MAP AND DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED NCD / The original petition outlined the proposed NCD without the three houses, 1139, 1145 and 1155 Mass. Ave. We definitely wanted to include 1099 Mass. Ave. since it was the original homestead from which the Byron Avenue/Lockwood Road neighborhood was carved. The houses at 1109, 1115, 1123 and 1133 Mass. Ave. have driveways and rear, or side, entrances onto Rhodes St. and those individuals have always been a part of the neighborhood. With Mass. Ave. one of the busier roads in the area, it makes sense that the orientation of these neighbors would be towards the quieter back of their homes. The addition of 1139, 1145 and 1155 Mass. Ave. made perfect sense when we started to investigate the history of the area, and the residents expressed an interest in possibly joining our NCD. The proposed NCD, therefore, really ties together the area bounded by large physical barriers, historical significance and cohesiveness due to both, so that all 21 houses are now being included in the proposed NCD by the Study Committee. VII. Pierce-Lockwood NCD Proposed Bylaw PIERCE-LOCKWOOD CHAPTER 78B: NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DISTRICT Article XXXX Pierce-Lockwood Neighborhood Conservation District To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the of the Town of Lexington by adding a new Chapter 78B entitled “Pierce-Lockwood Neighborhood Conservation District,” or take any other action in relation thereto: PURPOSE Pursuant to Chapter 78 of the Code of the Town of Lexington, this Chapter 78B describes the regulations and procedures associated with the administration of the Pierce-Lockwood Neighborhood Conservation District (“PLNCD”). The goals of the PLNCD are to preserve the architectural style and general size of the homes, and to emphasize the role the PLNCD played in the historical development of Lexington. The goals can best be described with the words, “coherence,” “proportion,” and “aesthetics.” Coherence is defined as having a sense of logical interconnectedness, consistency and harmony among parts. There is a balance between a home's uniqueness and its commonality with surrounding houses. This balance is vital to the neighborhood's identity. Architectural changes should maintain a harmony among parts, as well as a consistency with the architectural style of the surrounding homes. Proportion is defined as having a comparative proper relation between elements or magnitudes such as size, quantity, ratio and number. A change in size leading to a large massing in relation to the size of surrounding Buildings and Structures means, taken as a whole, the Building or Structure is out of proportion to the neighborhood. Further, an addition that creates a change in size may detract from the original shape, affecting its aesthetics. A neighborhood's sense of beauty is indeed its homes’ uniqueness within commonality and includes considerations such as architectural style, shape, original windows, open porches and landscaping that fits within the natural beauty surrounding the Pierce-Lockwood PLNCD. It is defined by the history of the area, its relationship to the East Village Historic District and to historical Lexington. DEFINITIONS The following terms shall mean as follows when used in this Chapter. All Capitalized terms not defined in this Chapter are used as defined in Chapter 78. Commission – The PLNCD Commission established pursuant to Chapter 78B-4. HDC – The Lexington Historic Districts Commission. DESIGNATION OF THE PIERCE-LOCKWOOD PLNCD The PLNCD shall comprise the area shown on the boundary map of the PLNCD recorded with the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds pursuant to Chapter 78-4A. PLNCD COMMISSION The Commission shall be appointed pursuant to the terms of Chapter 78-4. The Commission shall meet at least twice annually and by request of a property owner in the PLNCD. Property owners in the PLNCD are encouraged to request an informal discussion at a formal meeting of the Commission to discuss possible plans for alterations to their property prior to initiating a formal review with the Commission. COMMISSION REVIEW Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, no Building, Structure, or Setting within the PLNCD shall be Constructed, Demolished, or Altered unless exempt from review pursuant to Chapter 78-5(c) or this Chapter, and no permit shall be issued for such construction, Demolition, or Alteration, unless the Commission shall first have issued a Certificate of Compatibility, a Certificate of Non-Applicability, or a Certificate of Hardship. Without limitation, review shall be required for the following: Alterations to Buildings or Structures including, but not limited to, current roof lines, additions, style and size of windows, and the enclosure of porches; Alterations to Buildings or Structures requiring the issuance of a variance from the requirements of Chapter 135 of the Code of the Town of Lexington; Proposals to change the orientation of the Building or Structure in relation to its current position on a street; Installation of solid fences that would extend beyond the corners of the Building or Structure toward a street; or Additions of garages or paved parking areas. When an application for a Building Permit is filed for a property in the PLNCD, the Lexington Building Department will notify the applicant that the property is subject to the PLNCD regulations and guidelines. Application will then be made to the Commission for review pursuant to the procedures in Chapter 78. In addition to the application, such plans, elevations, specifications, photographs, description of materials and other information as may be reasonably be deemed necessary by the Commission to enable it to make a determination will be required. The following shall be exempt from review pursuant to this Chapter: Any Building, Structure, Setting or activity exempt from review pursuant to Chapter 78-5(c); Skylights and solar panels installed in the same plane and in close contact with the plane of a roof; Fences or entry gates of a height of four feet or less; and Handicapped accessible ramps. DECISION CRITERIA In passing upon matters before it, the Commission will consider the following criteria in addition to those in Chapter 78-6: The architectural, aesthetic, social and historical value and significance of the particular Buildings, Structures and Settings affected, as well as the effects of the same on the PLNCD. Retaining the basic bungalow, Dutch colonial and Federal colonial style of existing homes, including window and door styles, roof lines, and open front porches is encouraged. Architectural features such as windows, front doors, exterior siding, garage doors, and roofing materials should be replaced in kind; chosen for consistency with original design; or, at least, compatible with abutting properties. The installation of solid fences which would “wall off” a home from the neighborhood will be discouraged. The suitability of the Construction’s or Alteration’s general design, arrangement, and composition of its elements on the distinctive character of the PLNCD. The effect on the cohesiveness of the PLNCD with respect to the scale and massing of the proposed changes relative to nearby Buildings and Structures in the PLNCD. The type of construction, style, textures and materials of the features involved in the proposed Construction or Alteration. Limiting the size and mass of any proposed additions, with or without previous additions, is encouraged. Changes in the orientation of a Building or Structure will be discouraged. Attached garages and increasing the amount of paved surface will be discouraged. The Setting and landscape characteristics, including their relationship to the street, topography, and existing vegetation, including mature trees, of the particular site involved in the Construction or Alteration, as well as the effect of same on the PLNCD. Proposed additions that will shade abutting properties will be discouraged, such as, for example, precluding the use of yards for gardens, or shading existing windows or porches. For demolitions, the Building, Structure, or Setting proposed to replace those demolished. In making its determination, the Commission shall, among other things, allow for appropriate architectural diversity and encourage the compatible updating, expansion and restoration of Buildings and Structures in the PLNCD consistent with the distinctive characteristics of the PLNCD. Although not used as decision-making criteria, the following are suggested additional guidelines for consideration when planning Alterations to Buildings, Structures or Settings within the PLNCD: Discussion with abutters concerning the installation of all allowable fences is encouraged. Hedges, split rail or picket fences may be acceptable fencing options. If trees must be removed, the replanting of native trees is encouraged, except where shading will have a negative impact on abutters. HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Homes on Massachusetts Avenue and three homes on Lockwood Rd. are within both the PLNDC and the East Village Historic District and certain alterations to these homes may also be subject to review by the HDC. Applicants to the Commission that have undergone HDC review and received a Certificate of Appropriateness, may submit such paperwork and plans to the Commission as part of an application.