Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, January 8, 2007
Place: |
Memorial Town Hall, 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT
|
Present: |
Jim Bechtel (Cochairman, Regular), Kenneth Levin (Cochairman, Regular), Barbara Traskos (Regular), Tom Keogh (Regular), Nina Peck (Regular), Elizabeth Chamberlain (Alternate), Joanne DiCamillo (Alternate), John Forbis (Alternate)
|
Absent: |
None
|
Guests |
Mary Donohue, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism Martha Hansen, new recording secretary for the HDC
|
Agenda: |
1. Old Lyme Historic District – Public open forum 2. Old Lyme Historic District – Mary Donohue: CLG information 3. 84 Lyme Street/Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts – Jim Bechtel: Banners on display 4. 70 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: CofA for storm windows 5.
100 Lyme Street/Bee & Thistle Inn – Jim Bechtel: CofA for shed 6. 10 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: Sandwich sign 7. Old Lyme Historic District – Jim Bechtel & Ken Levin: Demolition ordinance 8. 52 Lyme Street/Town Hall – John Forbis: Town Hall expansion update 9. The Historic District – Ken Levin & Jim Bechtel: Plaque program prototype 10. Historic District Commission: Election of Chairmen 11. Business news – Betty Chamberlain 12. Secretary’s report – Anna Silberberg 13. Any other new or old business to come before the Commission 14. Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 9.15 A.M. by cochairman Jim Bechtel who welcomed Mary Donohue from the CCT and Martha Hansen the new recording secretary for the HDC (starting in February 2007).
A motion was made by John Forbis, seconded by Betty Chamberlain and voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the meeting on December 4, 2006 with the following change: Under item 2 (52 Lyme Street, Town Hall landscaping), in the Open Issues section, delete “as the Garden Club planted the four dogwoods (two of which are in memory of Governor Ella Grasso).”
1. Old Lyme Historic District – Public open forum
No public participation.
2. Old Lyme Historic District – Mary Donohue: CLG information
Grants available to Certified Local Governments:
a) $2,800 federal enhancement grants for administration or public education projects that can be completed within eighteen months (no town matching funds required). Administration projects include brochures, entering HD properties on computer systems or web sites, scanning photos of HD structures, HD study reports, etc. Public education projects include lectures, workshops, walking tours, etc.
b) State grants up to $30,000 for larger projects (town matching funds required) including structural, architectural and feasibility studies, historical surveys, planning reports and heritage tourism, etc.
Contributions by the town (printing, photocopying, volunteer time @ $10/hr) may be included in the matching funds as long as they are documented.
The CLG status includes the entire town of Old Lyme and is managed by the HDC. CLGs must respond to the annual request for statistics from the National Park Service. It is recommended that Historic District Commissions include an historian, architectural historian, architect and archeologist. CLGs may also be requested to review applications for new listings to the National Register of Historic Places.
Tom Keogh and John Forbis suggested that the HDC make a presentation to the board of selectmen concerning the implications of Old Lyme becoming a CLG.
3. 84 Lyme Street/Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts – Jim Bechtel: Banners on display
Fred Osborne at LACFA has relocated the banners back by the building and, for the most part, removed the temporary signs placed on Lyme Street. He has continued to use a sandwich sign for student art shows. The HDC has requested that these event sandwich signs be professionally lettered.
4. 70 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: CofA for storm windows
Lisa Brault of 70 Lyme Street presented a CofA application for the installation of storm windows. As the new storm windows are consistent with other storm windows installed in the OLHD, the HDC voted unanimously to approve the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the storm windows. The CofA is valid for three months.
5. 100 Lyme Street/Bee & Thistle Inn – Jim Bechtel: CofA for shed
David Rufo presented a CofA application including site plan for a new garden shed. As the shed is not visible from Lyme Street (dimension and design are acceptable), the HDC voted unanimously to approve the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the shed. The CofA is valid for thirty days.
6. 10 Lyme Street – Jim Bechtel: Sandwich sign
Christy Lawrence agreed to remove permanently a sandwich sign (“open”) that had been placed on Lyme Street.
7. Old Lyme Historic District – Jim Bechtel & Ken Levin: Demolition ordinance
Copies of demolition ordinances from Essex and Darien were distributed to HDC members.
Action: Review demolition ordinance material for the February meeting.
8. 52 Lyme Street/Town Hall – John Forbis: Town Hall Expansion update
An information brochure has been prepared and is being distributed to all Old Lyme residents. The final Town Hall expansion project will be presented at the Town Meeting on January 22, 2007. The Town Hall expansion referendum is scheduled for January 30, 2007.
Action: Keep the HDC informed (John Forbis).
9. The Historic District – Ken Levin & Jim Bechtel: Plaque program prototype
Jim Bechtel presented a revised graphics design for the prototype plaque.
Action: Work with Computer Signs in Old Saybrook (Jim Bechtel and Ken Levin).
10. Historic District Commission: Election of Chairmen
A motion was made by Barbara Traskos, seconded by Betty Chamberlain and voted unanimously to reappoint Jim Bechtel and Ken Levin as cochairmen for 2007.
11. Business News – Betty Chamberlain
No news to report.
12. Secretary’s report – Anna Silberberg
Anna Silberberg thanked the Commission for the past two years.
13. Any other new or old business to come before the Commission
a) 70 Lyme Street: New owner
Action: Send an OLHDC welcome letter with the HDC Handbook to Ms. Lisa Brault (Anna Silberberg).
b) Christ the King Church on Lyme Street
The “sale pending” real estate signs in front of the empty church and rectory have not been removed.
Action: Call a Christ the King Church representative and ask when the signs will be removed. (Ken Levin).
c) New voice recorder
Action: Review options to replace the present cassette voice recorder with a digital voice recorder (Ken Levin, Jim Bechtel, Martha Hansen).
14. Adjournment
Tom Keogh made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11.15 A.M. The motion was seconded by Joanne DiCamillo and passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Anna Silberberg
Recording Secretary
| 
