MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
I. CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair Diane Aldi DePaola called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present: Diane Aldi DePaola, Mary Kennedy, Richard Peters and William Childress
Members Absent: Jeff Meotti, Eugene Creighton, Donald Brigham
Staff Present: Stella Beaudoin, Recording Clerk
II. REGULAR BUSINESS
The Commission reviewed the November 20, 2014 meeting Minutes and motioned approve with one amendment.
MOTION: To approve the minutes of November 20, 2014 with the amendment to Page 2, second to last paragraph, first line; “E. Creighton stated that this is a unique location”; MADE: M. Kennedy; SECONDED: R. Peters; IN FAVOR: D. DePaola, M. Kennedy, R. Peters; W. Childress; OPPOSED: None; ABSTAINED: W. Childress; APPROVED: 3-0-1.
MOTION: To nominate D. DePaola for Chair; R. Peters for Vice Chair and J. Meotti Secretary; MADE: M. Kennedy; SECONDED: W. Childress; IN FAVOR: D. DePaola, M. Kennedy, R. Peters; W. Childress OPPOSED: None; ABSTAINED: None; APPROVED: 4-0-0.
A letter from First Selectman Carl Fortuna stating that Rich Peters’ term has been renewed for another five years with a term expiration of December 2019.
- Committee, Representative and Staff Reports
MOTION by W. Childress, to add New Business to the agenda; SECONDED: M. Kennedy; IN FAVOR: D. DePaola, M. Kennedy, R. Peters; W. Childress OPPOSED: None; ABSTAINED: None; APPROVED: 4-0-0.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
W. Childress stated that per the bylaws, an Annual meeting will be conducted in December of each year.
D. DePaola stated that she was informed by Christine Nelson that most of the land use regulatory commissions no longer conduct an annual meeting. D. DePaola stated that it would make more sense to elect the slate of officers at the end of the fiscal budget year.
R. Peters suggested to place on the agenda for the February meeting a discussion on the amendment of the bylaws which would include the elimination of the annual meeting and other minor corrections to the bylaws. At the February meeting members would review the bylaws and discuss possible amendments, the March meeting refine the amendments and the April meeting will be published for approval of the change to the bylaws.
V. OLD BUSINESS
- Historic Structures Inventory
D. DePaola reported that the preliminary report of the Historic Resource Inventory from David Taylor, representing Taylor and Associates is now available along with a disc which contains 230 houses and properties surveyed, with a pictures and descriptions. D. DePaola stated that the disc was difficult to open and work with so she will procure a hard copy. D. DePaola asked D. Taylor to attend the February 2015 Historic District Commission meeting to provide a status update on his report, his observations and his recommendations.
Members discussed the process to forward D. Taylor’s findings along to the Board of Selectmen who would be the ones to initiate district and funding other programs.
- Physical Improvements – Roadside & Hillside Planting Plan
- 125 North Cove Road (Map 32/Lot 3)
- ACTION: Finalize planting plan per HMC review.
Members reviewed the draft Memorandum related to the Roadside Planting Plan for North Cove Marine Facility, prepared by C Nelson. The plans for planting the Clothes-line Marina Guardrail was scaled back to address concerns expressed by the Harbor Management Commission shared with the Historic District Commission at the July 14, 2014 meeting.
Members discussed the content of the memorandum and made changes to the verbiage. The memorandum will be sent from D. DePaolo and R. Peters.
W. Childress reported that in a discussion with the land use office, he was made aware that historic district applicants are not provided with the North Cove Historic District Commission guidelines as written by the Secretary of the Interior. Members agreed that applicants should be provided with the HDC guidelines prior to making application.
R. Peters suggested that C. Nelson confirm the existence of an updated version of the guidelines, and to amend the application form to request that the applicant demonstrate how their proposal complies with the HDC guidelines.
D. DePaola noted that in the past a small procedural booklet was provided to the applicants. D. DePaola will ask C. Nelson to research if the HDC criteria was officially adopted and if so, does that criteria remain effective, and to further research if the Secretary of Interior has updated the historic district criteria and how the HDC would go about adopting the most recent guidelines.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 p.m. until the next regular meeting on February 19, 2015 at 7:00 p.m., Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street:; MADE by M Kennedy; SECONDED by R. Peters; IN FAVOR: D. DePaola, M. Kennedy, R. Peters, W. Childress. OPPOSED: None; ABSTAINED: None; APPROVED: 4-0-0
Respectfully Submitted,
Stella Beaudoin
Recording Clerk
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