Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, June 6, 2005
Place: |
Memorial Town Hall, 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT
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Present: |
Jim Bechtel (Cochairman, Regular), Kenneth Levin (Cochairman, Regular), Nina Peck (Regular), Barbara Traskos (Regular), Paul Sagristano (Regular), Joanne DiCamillo (Alternate), Elizabeth Chamberlain (Alternate), Tom Keogh (Alternate)
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Absent: |
None
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Agenda: |
1. 96 Lyme Street/Florence Griswold Museum – Jeff Andersen: Signage during renovation 2. 45 Lyme Street – Julie & Peter Edmondson: CofA for windows and shutters 3. 7-1 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: Vinyl siding 4. 54 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: Belfry design 5.
Church Corner – Ken Levin: Report on the meetings of Church Corner Committee 6. Lyme Street inventory of properties – Ken Levin 7. Business news – Paul Sagristano, Betty
Chamberlain 8. Secretary’s report – Anna Silberberg 9. Any other new or old business to come before the Commission 10.
Adjournment |
Meeting was called to order at 9.20 A.M. by Cochairman Ken Levin.
A motion was made by Barbara Traskos, seconded by Joanne DiCamillo and voted unanimously to approve the minutes of May 2, 2005.
1. 96 Lyme Street / Florence Griswold Museum – Jeff Andersen: Signage during renovation
Cochairman Ken Levin noted that the entrance sign in front of the museum has been changed for the renovation as discussed in the HDC meeting of May 2, 2005. The Commission approves of the new sign.
Jeff Andersen presented designs for two mandatory temporary renovation signs: one state sign and one federal sign. Both signs will be 4’x8’ and have a white background. The state sign must have blue lettering; the federal sign will have black lettering. These signs will be mounted on posts parallel to the south side of the Florence Griswold House and will not be seen from Lyme Street. The signs will be posted for approximately one year or until the renovation project is completed (currently scheduled to be finished by the end of June, 2006). No other signs will be posted during the construction period.
The Commission approves of the temporary signs as presented under the conditions as stated above. No CofA is needed.
Jeff Andersen also informed the committee that a mechanical equipment shed will be built behind the Florence Griswold House; a handicap ramp hidden by a stone wall will be added in the back of the House. Jeff Andersen invited the Commission to inspect the new geothermal heating/cooling system that is being installed as it may be of interest for other properties in the Historic District.
Action: None
2. 45 Lyme Street– Julie & Peter Edmondson: CofA application for windows and shutters
Julie and Peter Edmondson presented a CofA application to replace windows and strip and paint existing shutters on the south facade. The new Marvin windows will be 9 over 9 panes with powder white exterior. The existing white shutters will be used when possible.
The Edmondsons may wish to alter the windows in the front (west side) of the house, currently 2 over 2 panes, which are not true to the original design. After additional research, they will present a new CofA application for the front facade.
A motion was made by Ken Levin, seconded by Jim Bechtel and voted unanimously to approve the application for the south facade. The approval is valid for six months.
Action: Send copy of the approved application to the Edmondsons (Anna Silberberg).
Action: Present a new CofA application when necessary for the replacement of windows and shutters on the west façade (front) of the house (Julie & Peter Edmondson).
3. 7-1 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: Vinyl siding
Jim Bechtel has asked the Town Attorney, Marylin Clarke, if the Commission has any legal right to prevent vinyl siding on buildings within the Historic District that do not have historic significance. He has not yet received an answer.
Action: Present the issue to the Board of Selectmen/Tim Griswold (Jim Bechtel).
4. 54 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: Belfry design
A letter was sent to the property owner, Mr. Brad Sweet, asking him either to remove or to reduce the size of the belfry. Mr. Sweet replied in a letter to the Commission that his intention is to reduce the scale of the belfry. It was noted by the Commission that the belfry has indeed been reduced in scale over the past weekend.
Action: Inspect the reduced belfry and discuss it at the next meeting (all HDC members).
5. Church Corner – Ken Levin: Report on the meetings of the Church Corner Committee
Stanford Brainerd (6 Lyme Street) attended the meeting and told the Commission that he is not in favor of head-in parking in front of the Congregational Church Parsonage at 5 Lyme Street. The following points were made by Mr. Brainerd to support parallel parking rather than head-in parking:
* Head-in parking only gains two parking spaces.
* Head-in parking is too commercial in appearance.
* Head-in parking at this spot might set a precedent for other locations on Lyme Street.
* If the property is eventually sold as a private residence, head-in parking would not be desirable.
Nina Peck supported the points made by Mr. Brainerd and added that head-in parking makes for a commercial rather than a residential look.
All Commission members supported the points made by Mr. Brainerd and Nina Peck and concluded that parallel parking is recommended in front of 5 Lyme Street.
Action: Points made above will be presented to the Church Corner Committee (Ken Levin).
6. Lyme Street inventory of properties – Ken Levin
Most of the properties in the Historic District have now been photographed. The remaining properties will be photographed shortly.
Action: Finish taking photographs and ultimately include on CD and possibly web site (Ken Levin / Anna Silberberg).
7. Business News – Paul Sagristano & Betty Chamberlain
Betty Chamberlain reported that she is now receiving information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and will keep the Commission informed.
8. Secretary’s report – Anna Silberberg
A map and list of all properties in the Historic District were distributed to the Commission members to be used as a reference.
9. Any other new or old business to come before the Commission
a) Christ the King Church – Janet Sturges and Bob Sullivan: General update and entrance discussion
The Commission had requested an update regarding the installation of the lighting and curbing for the entrance to the new Christ the King Church building.
I. Lighting
As discussed in the HDC meeting of April 4, 2004, the installation of matching exterior lights was approved. They have now been installed. The lights are black “railroad lights” with hooded lamps (casting the light down) and mostly 12 feet high in all areas but the parking lot adjacent to the Luddingtons. The Commission concluded that the lights are in compliance with previous HDC approvals.
II. Curbing
A CofA was approved by the HDC on October 4, 2004 as follows:
Approve partial change in curbing from granite to concrete, 60 feet in from street. Granite to match church corner granite in size and style.
Concrete curbing rather than granite curbing has since been installed from the catch basins back to the church. Bob Sullivan, Clerk of the Works, explained that the concrete curbing starts approximately 30-40 feet from the property line and in addition there has to be a 20 foot radius mandated by the Fire Department so in total that makes for approximately 60 feet as per the approved CofA. The catch basins are the natural break between the concrete and the granite.
The Commission concluded that the curbing will be left as is, with further reviews as the Church Corner project progresses.
Action: None
b) 1 McCurdy Road – Bob Sullivan: Partial paving
Bob Sullivan discussed the plan of the owner, Christ the King Church, to pave the driveway at 1 McCurdy Road from the iron fence to the house. The plan is to use asphalt. Mr. Sullivan discussed alternative materials such as gravel on top of asphalt or “Chip Seal” which consists of layers of asphalt and gravel. His experience is that neither alternative will last for very long and that in
addition the “Chip Seal” method is very expensive. (If asphalt only is used, it would not have to be sealed - that only has to be done in parking lots where cars leak oil etc.)
Action: Present CofA application to the Commission for asphalt paving from the iron fence to the house (Bob Sullivan).
Action: Inspect the existing driveway at 1 McCurdy Road and discuss it at the next meeting (all HDC members).
c) Old Lyme Historical Society – Tom Schellens: Progress report
Mr. Schellens failed to attend the meeting.
10. Adjournment
Betty Chamberlain made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11.20 A.M. The motion was seconded by Jim Bechtel and passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Anna Silberberg
Recording Secretary
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