Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, February 6, 2006
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), Tom Keogh (Regular), Elizabeth Chamberlain (Alternate), Joanne DiCamillo (Alternate), John Forbis (Alternate)
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Absent: |
None
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Agenda: |
1. Old Lyme Historic District – Public open forum 2. Regional School District 18, Center School – John Rhodes: Decks in the courtyard 3. Historic District Commission – Jim Bechtel: Budget 4. 45 Lyme Street – Edmondson: CofA application for window
replacement 5. The Historic District – Ken Levin, Tom Keogh: Possible expansion of the District 6. Historic District Commission – Jim Bechtel: New state statutes 7. Business news – Betty Chamberlain 8. Historic District Commission – Election of cochairmen 9. Secretary’s report – Anna Silberberg 10. Any other new or old business to come before the Commission 11. Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 9.15 A.M. by Cochairman Jim Bechtel.
A motion was made by Betty Chamberlain, seconded by Barbara Traskos and voted unanimously to approve the minutes of January 9, 2006.
Jim Bechtel opened the meeting by welcoming John Forbis as a new commission member.
1. Old Lyme Historic District – Public open forum
No public participation.
2. Regional School District 18, Center School – John Rhodes: Decks in the courtyard
Two natural grain outdoor decks designed by Lisa Talcott are planned for the Center School: one in the north courtyard measuring 30’ x 18’ surrounded by an 18” high bench and one in the south courtyard measuring 18’ x 24’ also surrounded by a wooden bench and covered with a cedar arbor. Existing trees and shrubs will be maintained with new stepping stones and ground cover added. The courtyards are not visible from Lyme Street.
Action: Inform zoning enforcement officer, Ann Brown, that the Historic District Commission has approved the plan as presented (Jim Bechtel).
3. District Commission – Jim Bechtel: Budget
Jim Bechtel wrote to Tim Griswold on January 11 requesting that the Historic District Commission’s budget be increased from $3,550 to $4,000 for the 2006-2007 fiscal year to cover any potential future legal expenses. The increase will be offset by the $500 received in 2005 from CofA application fees.
Action: Finalize the budget with Tim Griswold or Board of Finance (Jim Bechtel).
4. 45 Lyme Street – Edmondson: CofA application for window replacement
Julie Edmondson attended the meeting to inform the Commission that the street façade is being replaced due to rot discovered when replacing the windows (as per January 9, 2006 CofA), She would now like to add two white corner boards to the street facade (in place of the shingles that butted at the north and south corners). The Commission was shown examples of corner boards from Stanley Schuler’s Architectural Details From Old New England Homes (available at the OLPGN Library).
The Commission approved the installation of corner boards and agreed that it is covered under the CofA issued on January 9, 2006.
The Commission further noted that the windows that are being installed as per CofAs dated June 6, 2005 and January 9, 2006 are six over six panes and not nine over nine panes as per previous meeting minutes. The Commission agreed that the six over six panes are acceptable and that the approved CofAs are still valid.
5. The Historic District – Ken Levin, Tom Keogh: Possible expansion of the District
Jim Bechtel passed around the original study issued in 1970 by the Historic District Study Committee suggesting that a second Historic District consisting of Sill Lane 1 and Sill Lane 2 be created.
Ken Levin observed that a possible expansion of the Historic District needs a clear mission statement. Nina Peck suggested that one of the goals of an expansion is to protect the character of the central area of Old Lyme. John Forbis noted that not only are houses part of a Historic District but also outbuildings such as barns. Joanne DiCamillo added that landscape features such as stone walls are also important elements of a historic property.
Tom Keogh and Ken Levin presented an inventory of houses, including construction dates, for McCurdy Road, Ferry Road, Beckwith Lane, Academy Lane, Library Lane (to the Duck River), Lieutenant River Lane and Sill Lane 1 (to Saunders Hollow Road). The Commission agreed that these streets (individually or together) are all possibilities (and should be researched further) to include eventually in an enlarged Historic District.
Examples of criteria for inclusion in a Historic District might be: age of buildings, historic significance (e. g., shipyard site), character of buildings, materials used and previous homes of members of the Lyme Art Colony. John Forbis suggested investigating historically significant events and people that can be used as supporting documentation for a possible expansion of the Historic District.
Action: Add Sill Lane 2 (to Boston Post Road) to the inventory and include historic names of the houses on the inventory (Tom Keogh & Ken Levin).
Action: Look for the original application for the existing Historic District (Anna Silberberg).
Action: Define “character” of a historic area (John Forbis).
Action: Call the Old Lyme Historical Society and ask about documentation of historically significant events and people and also check on old maps (Ken Levin).
6. Historic District Commission – Jim Bechtel: New State Statues
Jim Bechtel and Ann Brown, zoning enforcement officer, agreed that no action was necessary on the part of the HDC concerning the state statutes 05-124 that took effect on October 1, 2005. (All property owners in the Historic District have been required to apply to the Historic District Commission before applying to any other town commission.) However, closer monitoring of properties on the National Register of Historic Places may be required.
Action: Look for information on which buildings in the Historic District have applied to the National Register of Historic Places (Anna Silberberg).
7. Business News – Betty Chamberlain
No news at this meeting.
8. Historic District Commission – Election of Chairmen
A motion was made by Barbara Traskos, seconded by Nina Peck and voted unanimously to reappoint Jim Bechtel and Ken Levin as cochairmen for 2006.
9. Secretary’s report – Anna Silberberg
Before a “Mylar” can be created of the Historic District map and filed with the town clerk, the boundaries of the District should be clarified and briefly described.
Action: Review state statutes and town ordinances with respect to the Historic District boundaries (Tom Keogh).
Action: Ask Circuit Riders if they have any information on Historic District boundary definitions (Jim Bechtel).
10. Any other new or old business to come before the Commission
a. 1 McCurdy Road / Christ the King Church – Bob Sullivan: Installation of satellite dish
Bob Sullivan submitted a CofA application for the installation of two satellite dishes at the rear of the rectory (facing Route 156) - one dish will be installed on the roof and one on the sidewall. The dishes will only be visible from the church parking lot (not from Lyme Street or from the South Green).
A motion was made by John Forbis, seconded by Tom Keogh and voted unanimously to approve the application. The CofA is valid for 60 days.
Action: Send copy of the approved application to Christ the King Church (Anna Silberberg).
Action: Submit photos to the Historic District Commission of the installed dishes (Bob Sullivan).
b. Commission members
John Forbis joins the Historic District Commission as an alternate member (appointment to be approved at the selectmen’s February 6 meeting). Tom Keogh was appointed a regular member at the selectmen’s January meeting.
c. Future projects
John Forbis suggested that guidelines for the growth of existing institutions in the Historic District should be created; and also that the Commission, at some point, should review the possible expansion of I-95 and how that would impact the Historic District.
11. Adjournment
Tom Keogh made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11.15 A.M. The motion was seconded by Betty Chamberlain and passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Anna Silberberg
Recording Secretary
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