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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975-02-12 Y. FIISTORIC DISTRICT3 COi+Il~SISSION A meeting of the Historic Districts Comaaisaion was held on Wednesday, February 12, 1975• in the Selectmen's !Seating Roam, Town Office Building, Lexington. Present were Commiasiorters Wilbur M, Jaquith, Chairman0 Georgia H. Williams, Searetaryt Thomas J. Holabog= Donald J. Shaw= and 3. Lawrence Whippl®. Mr. Jaquith aubmdtted new drawings for the 3herwin~lilliams Co. store on Waltham Street. The drawings were centered horisontally but not verti- cally. All present agreed that they did not like these drawings. A hearing was held at 8:10 P.M. on the applioation of the Lexington Hiatorioal Society and the Lexington Bicentetutial Committee for Certificates of Appropriatsneaa with respect to the erection and display of hiatorioal markers in the four historic districts. Mr. Jaquith stated that the Comads- aion had met informally in December with Roland Greeley of the Historical Society, Daniel Fenn of the Bioentennial Committee, and Mrs. Meyer of Vision, Inc. who are preparing the markers and received a general idea of the pro- gram at that time. Fie said that the Board of Appeals held a hearing in Jan- uary and had approved installation of the markers through October 19?6. He said that this was dons as a prooedvral measure and read the Board of Appeals Perid.t cotditiona. Mr. Jaquith said that at~q notion talaen by this Commis- sion mast conform with the Hoard of Appeals Permit. Mr. Jaquith read the legal notice and application. He stated that two members of the Commission were on the F3oard of the Fiiatorieal Society and asked if any one ob3eeted to their sitting on this hearing. Hearing no ob3ection, he sled that they could sit on the hearing. Roland Greeley, Presidsrtt of the Historical Soci- ety, represented the applicants. Also present arors Ida. Jean Sussman of 1361 Massachusetts Avemte and Roland Gubisch of 620 Idassachusstts Avermte. Mr. Greeley submaitted maps sharing proposed locations of the markers and a sample of the proposed markers. He said that they are still working on the precise worciit~ of the markers.. Greeley said that there would be two markers on Fsarrit~ton Road aYd not one at 1949 Massachusetts Avenue. He stated that they have permission from the owners of all private property on which they propose to install these markers with. the exception of taro of the property owners std that in those faro instances they have permission from adfacent Damara -one is at 34 Woburn Street and that marker can be moved three Peet and installed at the corner of Vine and Woburn Streeta~ the other is 1361 Massachusetts Avenue and, if the owners of that property decide not to permit the installation on their property, the marker will be installed on the ad3aoent property at 1377 Massachusetts Avern~. He said that the markers would be 15" x 15" or 15" x 25" with probab]y 18 of the larger wise and 14 of the smaller wise. They propose to use a material made by Permaloy Corporation which hen a bronse background with silver detail and lettering and. halftone photographs on the signs to have illustxatiotus. The signs will be 1/8" thick with beveled edges. The signs would be mounted on plywood and attached to poets 8" to 12" in diameter. These are large pasts but they feel the would be more vandalproof. Fie said that tF~y ant to install the markers as soon as possible after April 19th. Mr. Greeley aubmdtted a tenta- tive list of the locations and drawings of possible posts. Mr. Greeley aald that both sisea of signs have plywood bases attached by screws to the posts and that the markers are then glued to the plywood. Far. Jaquith asked haw mat>3• of the markers would have illustrations and ifr. Greeley said that they expect 14-16 markers would have 171nstrations but that theta mdght be fewer HISTC~tIC DISTRICTS COI~'IL43I019 -page 2 Febrnarq 12, 1975 because of the post of the illustrations. Imo. Hol$bog asked how many mar- kers there would be and Mr. Greeley said that they expect to have 32, Mr. Holabog asked if all markers would have the same poets and Mr. Greeley said that all xithin the Historic Districts would with the possible exception of one in the East Yillage Diatriot. Mr. Holsbog asked what color plya?ood world be used and Mr. Greeley said that he did not know. He said that the poets world be a creosote brown and that the plywood probably should antoh the posts as nearly as possible. He stated that theq are trying to get the Tel®phone Company to supply old poets, Mr, Holsbog said that, if the posts are already treated, a brawn should be used bat, if the posts are untreated, then a sil- ver gray Dolor would be good. Mr, Greeley said that they are hoping to get silver gray posts from the Telephone Company. i~fr. Holsbog asked hear high the posts would be and Mr. Greeley said that they would be 3' high at the moat. Mr, Holsbog suggested that railroad ties might be acre suitable as they would be square and Mr. Greeley said that the ones he had seen were not suitable. Mr, Shaw caked if Yermont Barnboard could weather and be used and Imo. Holsbog said that it oovld weather but that he feels it might be better to stain all to matcsh. Mr. Jaquith said that these markers will be scattered around so that color might not be that important. Mr. Shaw asked hew much Yermont Barnboard posts world coat and ?1r. Holsbog said that they xould be expensive. Mr. Holabog said that telephone posts could be milled down. Imo. Greeley said that in two gears the Board of Appeals, the Historic Districts Coaaais- sion, and the owners of the properties xhere installed will probably reaem- sider these markers as to whether to remove them or to leave them up, Mr. Jaquith asked if the marker would cover the top of the telephone poles and 1+~. Grealeq said that the poles are not consistent in sire and will vary from marker to marker. Mr. Greeley said that it would be ampler to attach by putting screws through the markers but that he feels this is not as van- dalproof or practical. Mr. Jaquith asked if they would be near to and back of sidewalks and Mr. Greeley said that they xould. Then followed a dia- evasion of the exact location of each proposed marker, (List attached), The hearing was closed st 9=30 P.M. Mr, Greeley asked if the Coaa~issioh xould consider giving informal approval for the markers so that they could have them made. The Chairman polled the members and Commissioners Wilbur M. Jaquith, Georgia H. Williams, Thomas J. Hol$bog, Donald J. Shaw, and S, Lawrence Whipple all voted to give informal approval. Then followed a discussion of the "Notice of Determination" on the P'org decisions. Mr. Jaquith stated that Bix shoemaker does not have two channel xindows which might be used on the buildings the Lexington Center Realty Trust wishes to insta]1 storm windows on. It was stated that a corditioi~ should be in- cluded in the Certificate that the windows be aluminum and that they be painted in one or two yrears to match the trim of the building or washed down with the proper acid wash and painted to match the trim prior to installation. The meeting was adjourned at SOa$$ P.M. ~/I Georgia H. Williams 3ecretarq