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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-20-HC-minHISTORICAL COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES March 201h 2019 Call to Order: A public meeting of the Historical Commission was held in the Parker Room of Lexington Town Office Building located at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue. The meeting convened at 7:30PM. Historical Commission Members in Attendance: David Kelland, Chair, Wendall Kalsow, Marilyn Fenollosa, Samuel Doran, Diane Pursley AGENDA ITEM #1 (7:31 PM) Public hearing on the partial building demolition and roofline change at 7 Shirley Street APPLICANT (S) PRESENT: James and Christina Leitch, Homeowners ABUTTER(S) PRESENT: None DOCUMENT(S): Plans dated 1/31/2019 Plot Plan Photos of existing house SUMMARY: Ms. Leitch told the Commission she put a small extension on the home two years ago, adding space on the first floor. She now has two kids and her in-laws come to stay for extended periods of time and they need more space for their growing family. The Leitch family loves the historic home but want to make the home larger to accommodate everyone. The addition will be on the second floor of the house. They are looking to extend out to the back of the first floor. The roofline would be consistent with the top of the house. HC COMMENTS: Mr. Kalsow noted the proposed plans are modest in scale and have a minor impact view from the public way. He asked if the windows will be vinyl. Ms. Leitch said the windows have always been vinyl, they are not proposing to change the windows. Ms. Pursley asked about the size of the addition. Ms. Leitch said around 250 square feet. Ms. Fenollosa said it's nice to see they are modifying their home to meet their growing family needs in a sensitive way. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None MOTION: Moved by Ms. Fenollosa 5-0 to find 7 Shirley Street preferably preserved but permit the proposed addition based off the plans presented to the meeting dated January 31"2019. Seconded by Mr. Doran. VOTE: 5-0 In favor of partial building demolition and roofline change: Ms. Fenollosa, Mr. Doran, Mr. Kelland, Mr. Kalsow and Ms. Pursley AGENDA ITEM #2 (7:59PM) Public hearing on the partial building demolition and roofline change at 70 Ward Street APPLICANT (S) PRESENT: Jacob Lilley, Architect William Ward and Louise Barbic, Homeowners ABUTTER(S) PRESENT: Daniel Nadelberg, 74 Ward Street DOCUMENT(S): Proposed plans dated 2/5/2019 Plot plan Photos of existing house SUMMARY: Mr. Lilley came forward to discuss the addition at 70 Ward Street. This home previously came to the Commission for a full building demolition. The amount of time needed to wait to take the home down has passed and the homeowners decided to preserve the home and add an addition instead. The majority of the work on the house will be on the back of the home. They are also proposing putting cedar clapboard on the whole house. The addition will be about 500 square feet. The addition will provide an office space, a recreation room for the family's children and a kitchen addition. There currently is no front door, so they are putting in a door to help with the conformity of the house. All natural materials will be used for the project. HC COMMENTS: Mr. Kalsow asked how deep the second floor addition will be? Mr. Lilley said 25x25. Mr. Kalsow asked if Mr. Lilley is taking down the existing stone foundation in the back? Mr. Lilley said that is the goal they have a real stone foundation, getting the fit to work is tricky but will commit to it. Mr. Doran asked if the chimney was being touched at all? Mr. Lilley said no, only repoint it if it was in poor condition. Mr. Kalsow feels the home being substantially altered, it is being modernized in a sensitive but not necessarily historic preservation manner. The addition is toward the back and does not detract from the overall project. This is an appropriate modification in lieu of demolition to the house. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Daniel Nadelberg, 74 Ward Street said he enjoys the neighbors but is concerned that eventually someone will take down the home. As someone who restored the home next door, he would love to see the family build the addition in a historic preserving manner. MOTION: Moved by Mr. Kalsow find 70 Ward Street a preferably preserved property and that the plans dated February 5 1 2019 presented to the meeting are sensitive to the historic house and appropriate. Seconded by Mr. Doran. VOTE: 5-0 In favor of partial building demolition and roofline change: Ms. Fenollosa, Mr. Doran, Mr. Kelland, Mr. Kalsow and Ms. Pursley AGENDA ITEM #3 (8:OOPM) Public hearing on the partial building demolition at 1 Bennington Road APPLICANT (S) PRESENT: Colin Smith, Architect Todd Saunders, Homeowner DOCUMENT(S): Photos of the existing house Letter to the Commission dated 3/5/2019 Plot Plan Proposed elevation ABUTTER(S) PRESENT: Gerald Paul, 43 Highland Street SUMMARY: Mr. Smith discussed the home at 1 Bennington Road with the Commission. The home is a construction from the early 1900s. In the early 1980s an addition was put onto the house (a stairwell and a garage) as well as a green house in the 1990s. Mr. Smith's proposal is to remove the greenhouse since it's not original to the house. Additionally there is a free standing garage and it's not listed on the Cultural Resource Survey list and does not contribute to the architectural character of the neighborhood. The homeowners would like to have it removed. The original house will not be touched. HC COMMENTS: Mr. Doran asked why they are removing that part of the addition. Mr. Smith said it does not function well. It's a narrow garage and there have been issues with water, also the greenhouse isn't being used. Mr. Kalsow was pleased to see noncontributing elements of the house being removed. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Mr. Paul said the home is listed on the market as a subdivision. Mr. Paul wants to know the jurisdiction of the Commission when a future garage is built. Mr. Doran said if the proposed garage is attached they will have to come back to the Commission for approval. MOTION: Moved by Ms. Pursley to find 1 Bennington Road preferably preserved but permit the partial building demolition based off the plans presented at the meeting tonight dated February 19'h 2019. Seconded by Mr. Doran. VOTE: 5-0 In favor of partial building demolition: Ms. Pursley, Mr. Doran, Mr. Kelland, Mr. Kalsow and Ms. Fenollosa AGENDA ITEM #4 (8:13PM) Public hearing on the roofline change at 28 Barberry Road APPLICANT (S) PRESENT: Dylan James, Patriot Custom Homes Julie Medley, Homeowner DOCUMENT(S): Letter to the Commission dated 3/6/2019 Plot Plan Proposed Plans dated 11/16/2018 ABUTTER(S) PRESENT: 470 Concord Avenue, Letha Prestbo SUMMARY: Mr. James told the Commission this property is part of the Five Fields neighborhood and one of the original homes. There was an addition constructed in the rear of the home in the late 1990's which is a glass enclosure greenhouse style structure. Mr. James is proposing to remove that and replace it with a more traditional wood frame structure that is more in keeping with the original architecture of the home and neighborhood. Mr. James showed the Commission the proposed plans. HC COMMENTS: Mr. Kalsow asked if they will be keeping the original foundation? Mr. James said yes. They are not adding any square footage to the house. Mr. Kalsow said it is nice to see modest height changes. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Letha Prestbo of 470 Concord Avenue lives in the Five Fields neighborhood also a member of the Five Fields Board. Ms. Prestbo said Dylan James has worked on many homes in the neighborhood and has done an amazing job preserving and maintaining the original structures that needed to be taken care of. The greenhouse is extremely hot any time of year and in the summer it's too hot to be in and in the winter it leaks. The Five Fields board is behind the project. MOTION: Moved by Mr. Doran find 28 Barberry Road preferably preserved and a significant mid-century modern structure and the proposed roofline change is sensitive to the historic house and permit the plans dated November 16'h 2018. Seconded by Ms. Fenollosa. VOTE: 5-0 In favor of partial building demolition: Ms. Fenollosa, Mr. Doran, Mr. Kelland, Mr. Kalsow and Ms. Pursley AGENDA ITEM #5 (8:22PM) Updates Mr. Kalsow told the Commission his membership is expiring as well as Ms. Fenollosa. Mr. Kalsow took the ethics training and submitted the necessary information. Mr. Kelland suggested Mr. Kalsow and Ms. Fenollosa should contact Cathy Severance in the Town Manager's Office to make sure the paperwork is all set. Mr. Kelland said the Commission received the grant from MHC. Mr. Fenollosa will respond back accepting the grant and thanking them. The next steps: there will be a meeting in May when all local project coordinators get called in to MHC. The coordinators will receive a packet with all the steps that need to be taken. They have to approve of the scope of work then approve our advertisement. Then there will be interviews. Ms. Pursley will assist Ms. Fenollosa and attend the meeting as well. Mr. Doran updated the Commission regarding the Hosmer House Committee. The first meeting is this Friday March 22nd at 8:OOAM. Ms. Fenollosa said the warrant article regarding the reduction of the CPA percentage is going to be indefinitely postponed. AGENDA ITEM #6 (8:26PM) A motion made by Mr. Doran to approve the minutes dated February 201h 2019 as amended. Seconded by Ms. Pursley. 5-0 in Favor: Ms. Pursley, Ms. Fenollosa, Mr. Doran, Mr. Kelland and Mr. Kalsow AGENDA ITEM #7 (8:28PM) Motion to adjourn made by Mr. Kelland to adjourn. Seconded by Mr. Doran 5-0 favor to adjourn Mr. Kelland, Mr. Kalsow, Ms. Fenollosa, Mr. Doran and Ms. Pursley Adjourn.