Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Place: |
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OL-PGN Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, CT |
Present: |
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Jim Bechtel (Cochairman, Regular), Kenneth Levin (Cochairman, Regular), Nina Peck (Regular), Elizabeth Chamberlain (Alternate), John Forbis (Alternate) |
Absent: |
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Barbara Traskos (Regular), Tom Keogh (Regular), Joanne DiCamillo (Alternate) |
Agenda: |
10:00 |
Old Lyme Historic District – Public Open Forum |
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10:15 |
HDC – Church Corner – Janet Sturges, Ken Levin |
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10:30 |
HDC– Plaque program update – Ken Levin, Martha Hansen, Jim Bechtel |
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11:00 |
21 Lyme Street CofA application for renovations & addition – Nina Peck, Paul Sagristano (Public Hearing) |
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12:00 |
HDC – Town Hall Expansion update– John Forbis |
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12:15 |
Business News (CT Trust, National Trust) – Betty Chamberlain |
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12:30 |
Secretary’s Report – Martha Hansen |
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12:45 |
Any other new or old business to come before the Commission (Nelson CofA, Lyme Street name change, Town Hall color) |
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1:00 |
Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 10:15 A.M. by Cochairman Jim Bechtel. A motion was made by Ken Levin, seconded by John Forbis and voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the February 4 and 25, 2008 meetings with no changes.
1. Old Lyme Historic District – Public Open Forum
Mrs. Jonathan Collins attended the Public Open Forum. She requested information regarding the HDC’s approval process (for a planned addition and privacy fence at 62 Lyme Street) and was encouraged to proceed with her plans and submit a CofA application.
2. HDC – Church Corner – Janet Sturges, Sarah McCracken, Ken Levin
The HDC’s requested changes (see HDC Minutes for Special Meeting on February 25, 2008) to the Church Corner plans were discussed.
1. On the south side of the Ferry Road/Lyme Street corner, The Church Corner Committee (CCC) wants to: a) retain the 3 bluestone pavers (safer surface to step on and will be certain to be cleared of snow and ice); b) the corner design has been rounded to eliminate the sharp angle.
John Forbis asked if, instead of retaining the 3 pavers, the bumpout could be moved back 12” to allow more space for people getting out of their cars (step up onto grass or walk forward and step up onto the sidewalk). Janet Sturges and Sarah McCracken agreed to present the idea to the CCC.
2. On the south side of Ferry Road, it was agreed to paint the fire lane lines white instead of yellow.
3. On the north side of the Ferry Road/Lyme Street corner, as well as around the corner onto Ferry Road, it was agreed to install two “No Parking Here to Corner” signs to safeguard pedestrians using the painted crosswalks (instead of two painted areas).
4. On the east side of Lyme Street next to the Parsonage driveway, the CCC feels that the “No Parking Here to Driveway” sign and the painted area can both be eliminated.
5. On the east side of Lyme Street south of the Parsonage, Tony Hendricks feels that the purpose of the curb placement is to make the corner as safe as possible. The section after the bumpout (going south on Lyme Street) needs to be wider because of the diagonal parking in front of the church. The HDC agreed to accept the plan as presented.
6. On the east side of Lyme Street south of the Parsonage (in front of the walnut tree), it was agreed to move the sidewalk closer to the curb to avoid damaging the roots of the tree. Sarah McCracken mentioned the possibility of planting a hardier variety of grass between the sidewalk and the curb (the area may be too small to support a standard grass).
7. The CCC agreed to allow the HDC to design the 15 MPH sign planned for McCurdy Road, and the granite carriage step at the Congregational Church will be relocated. While it might be possible to move the Parsonage storm drain back into the corner, the drain pipe under the road has to remain where it is due to buried conduits containing telephone and cable lines. Sarah McCracken agreed to specify that digging around the trees be done by hand. In addition, Sarah McCracken will put into the plans a swale (in the parking area in front of the Congregational Church) to direct the water flow into the existing drain eliminating the need to excavate around the maple tree on the corner.
Monsignor Bride would like to pave his driveway accessing McCurdy Road. The HDC would prefer that the driveway remain as is.
3. Congregational Church – Parish Hall Fence Hedge – Emily Griswold
The Congregational Church wants to remove the arborvitae hedge in back of the Parish Hall fence. A CofA application is required (fee will be waived). The hedge removal will be included in the April meeting agenda.
Action: Submit CofA application (Emily Griswold).
4. HDC – Plaque Program update - Ken Levin, Martha Hansen, Jim Bechtel
Reverend Good agreed to the design for the Parsonage plaque (Samuel Mather ca. 1790) but would like the Church plaque redesigned to read “The Meetinghouse of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.”
Jean Stands and the members of the Grange prefer to have the Grange plaque read “Old Lyme Gun Club ca. 1885 - relocated 1928.”
The house at 8 Lyme Street conforms to a Sears Roebuck “Lexington” Model home offered for sale between 1927 and 1932.
Action: Keep the HDC updated (Ken Levin, Jim Bechtel and Martha Hansen).
5. 21 Lyme Street – Renovation and Addition - Public Hearing – Nina Peck, Paul Sagristano
Boxwood neighbors Craig & Sharon Silver and Steve Workman attended the hearing.
Paul Sagristano submitted a CofA for an addition to his house at 21 Lyme Street.
Nina Peck presented a schematic plan and elevations for the project. The addition would be located off the rear of the house and include a family room, master bedroom, in-home office and attached two-car garage. The gravel driveway would be moved from the north side to the south side of the property. The plan complies with all setbacks required by Planning and Zoning. The HDC was concerned about how the addition will appear from Lyme Street but agreed that Nina Peck’s design provided a good solution for the extra space requested by the Sagristanos. The HDC did not have a quorum because Nina Peck was not eligible to vote. The members present (Jim Bechtel, Ken Levin, John Forbis, Betty Chamberlain) all agreed to grant a CofA as it applies to the size and basic design (if Joanne DiCamillo concurs
after listening to the tape recording of the meeting and voting by proxy). With the CofA in hand, Nina Peck will then begin actual working drawings that will specify all architectural details including windows and materials. These plans will then be presented to the HDC for review, comment and approval. At a later point in the process, Paul Sagristano must submit a landscape plan to the HDC for review and approval.
There were no objections from the neighbors.
Action: Listen to the meeting recording and vote (Joanne DiCamillo). Prepare detailed plans including window and architectural details (Nina Peck). Submit landscape plan (Paul Sagristano).
6. HDC - Town Hall Expansion Update – John Forbis
The first phase of the project is nearly complete. The staff will be reassembled at the Town Hall the week of May 8th. Town Boards and Commissions will continue to meet offsite until after September 8th when the building is fully completed.
Action: Keep the HDC updated (John Forbis).
7. Business News (CT Trust, National Trust) – Betty Chamberlain
Betty Chamberlain reported that no one from this area is on the Board of the CT Trust and would like to encourage someone to volunteer. The HDC’s membership to the CT Trust is due to be renewed this month.
Action: Renew HDC CT Trust membership (Martha Hansen).
8. HDC - Secretary’s Report - Martha Hansen
The HDC files are being prepared for Laserfiche scanning.
Action: Prepare files for scanning (Martha Hansen).
9. HDC – Any other new or old business to come before the Commission (Nelson CofA, Town Hall color)
The HDC approved the Nelson’s CofA for 1 Parsons Farm Lane (within the 300’ setback from Lyme Street). Due to an error, the Nelsons received a building permit for a renovation and addition (new garage structure and renovation of existing attached garage into a master bedroom) without first applying for a CofA.
The Town Hall color was informally discussed. The clapboards on the Town Hall addition have been primed, and some people have commented that they like the way the darker color of the clapboards sets off the trim details. The HDC likes the trim details but feels that white is the best color for the building which is in the Colonial Revival style. The Town Hall is an iconic building on Lyme Street (similar to the Congregational Church) and the HDC feels a contrasting color would make the building appear more residential or commercial. Jim Bechtel mentioned that the architect, Paul Bailey, also preferred keeping the building white.
10. Adjournment
John Forbis moved to adjourn the meeting at 12:35 P.M. The motion was seconded by Ken Levin and passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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