Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, January 4, 2010
Place: |
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Memorial Town Hall, 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT |
Present: |
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Kenneth Levin (Cochairman, Regular), Jim Bechtel (Cochairman, Regular), Tom Keogh (Regular), Barbara Traskos (Regular), Elizabeth Chamberlain (Alternate), John Forbis (Alternate), Joanne DiCamillo (Alternate) |
Absent |
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Nina Peck (Regular) |
Guests |
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Doris Johnson, Norman Stitham, Marilyn Stitham, Irene Carnell |
Agenda: |
9:00 |
Old Lyme Historic District Public Open Forum |
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9:15 |
55 Lyme Street – Grange Handicapped Access Walkway |
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9:30 |
Plaque Program update – Ken Levin, Jim Bechtel, Martha Hansen |
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9:45 |
HDC Handbook reprint update |
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10:00 |
L-OL High School Access Road update – Nina Peck, Joanne DiCamillo |
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10:15 |
Business News (CT Trust, National Trust) – Betty Chamberlain |
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10:30 |
Secretary’s Report – Martha Hansen |
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11:00 |
Any other new or old business |
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11:15 |
Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Cochairman Ken Levin.
Joanne DiCamillo requested that the following correction be made to the December 7, 2009 minutes: Paragraph 3 in Item 5 should read, “A neighbor, Tony Hendricks, will also be invited.”
A motion was made by Jim Bechtel and seconded by John Forbis to approve the minutes of the December 7, 2009 meeting as corrected.
Jim Bechtel, Ken Levin, Barbara Traskos, John Forbis, Joanne DiCamillo and Betty Chamberlain voted in favor. Tom Keogh abstained as he had not attended the December meeting.
1. Public Open Forum – No public participation
2. 55 Lyme Street – Grange Handicapped Access Walkway – Doris Johnson
Doris Johnson passed out packets containing design drawings and pictures of the proposed handicapped access ramp. Norman Stitham, Grange Steward, explained the project and the effort that the Grange members made in placing the ramp to minimize the impact on their historic building while still providing the necessary access. The existing Grange building was originally the Old Lyme Gun Club (built in 1885) and was moved from Maple Lane to its present location in 1928. The rear portion was added in 1928 after the building was moved.
The proposed handicapped ramp will be located on the north side of the building next to the driveway serving the Old Lyme Children’s Learning Center. The driveway is owned by the Grange thus meeting all of the zoning setback requirements. The ramp will be constructed of pressure treated wood with a picket style railing. A window on the north side of the building will be transformed into the entrance door for the handicapped ramp. Sugar Hill Building & Design Co. will be the contractor. The HDC recommended that some landscape screening be installed to soften the western facade of the projected ramp. Joanne DiCamillo, chair of the Tree Commission, recommended using low-growing native evergreen plants (e.g., inkberry) in a naturalistic planting. The rails and ramp will be left unpainted until the
wood has weathered (may later be painted white).
Action: Publish legal notice and notify neighbors of the public hearing to be held on the proposed handicapped access at the next HDC meeting on February 3, 2010 (Martha Hansen).
3. HDC – Plaque Program Update –Ken Levin, Jim Bechtel, Martha Hansen
The research for 135 Mile Creek Road has been completed. The house was most likely built by Morgan Lewis circa 1858.
Action: Order plaque “Morgan Lewis ca. 1858” (Ken Levin).
The HDC would like to see plaques installed eventually on some of the more prominent structures on Lyme Street (e.g., Boxwood, the Cooley Gallery, the Old Lyme Inn, the Bee & Thistle Inn, etc.) There are still funds in the Mergy bequest to pay for research.
Action: Continue plaque research on 27 Lyme Street and start preliminary research on Boxwood and the Cooley Gallery (Martha Hansen).
4. Handbook Reprint Jim Bechtel, Martha Hansen
Jim Bechtel selected 12 photos of Lyme Street from Jennifer Hillhouse’s postcard album to be used to prepare a photo montage for the front and back cover of the revised handbook. The copy and new photos were given to the designer before Christmas; a hard copy draft should be ready for review by February.
Action: Keep the HDC updated (Jim Bechtel, Ken Levin).
5. L-OL High School Access Road update – Nina Peck, Joanne DiCamillo
Barbara Beal (Duck River Garden Club) met with John Rhodes, the Fire Chief and other town officials to discuss the Memorial Garden at the fire house. The Fire Department agreed to remove a portion of the chain link fence to improve visibility of the garden due to the relocation of the utility pole. The Tree Commission will review the final landscaping plan at their meeting on January 21. John Rhodes, John Schieb, Jeff Flower, and neighbor Tony Hendricks have also been invited to attend the meeting. The landscape plan needs to be presented to the State of CT by February 1 in order to meet the funding deadline. Joanne DiCamillo suggested that HDC members attend the Tree Commission meeting to participate in the discussion. Any eventual high school sign on Lyme Street should be part of the plan.
Action: Contact Nina Peck for an update on the High School Building Project Design meeting (Jim Bechtel).
6. Business News (CT Trust, National Trust) – Betty Chamberlain
Betty Chamberlain passed around the latest copy of the Preservation News.
7. Secretary’s Report – Martha Hansen
A draft of the Scenic Road application has been prepared.
Action: Send application to Jim Bechtel and Ken Levin (Martha Hansen).
The Shoreline Times ad rates are about $25 a day for a 110 word legal notice as opposed to at least $150 for The Day. The Shoreline Times meets the criteria for public notice advertisements (must be published in a print publication with local readership).
Action: Publish future legal notices of public hearings in the Shoreline Times (Martha Hansen).
8. HDC – Any other new or old business to come before the Commission
a) Continue to check on eventual removal of greenhouse at 54 Lyme Street.
b) There are no new signs currently planned for Church Corner. The bluestone sidewalk bordering the South Green will be installed in the spring.
c) The “car for sale” sign has been removed from 76 Lyme Street.
d) The patio fences at Wyckford Lane are not visible from Lyme Street.
e) A motion was made by Barbara Traskos, seconded by Tom Keogh and voted unanimously to reappoint Jim Bechtel and Ken Levin as cochairmen for 2010.
9. Adjournment
John Forbis moved to adjourn the meeting at 11:00 a.m. The motion was seconded by Betty Chamberlain and passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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