Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, February 3, 2014
Place: |
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Memorial Town Hall, 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT |
Present: |
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REGULAR: John Pfeiffer (Chairman), John Forbis (Vice Chairman), Ken Levin, Jim Bechtel, Joanne DiCamillo, ALTERNATE: Dini Mallory, Barbara Traskos |
Guests |
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Janet Sturges |
Agenda: |
9:00 |
Public Open Forum |
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9:15 |
Plaque Program Update: 12, 20, & 23 Ferry Road, 4 Johnnycake Hill Road, 13 Academy Lane, 1 Library Lane |
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9:30 |
Active CofAs: 77 Lyme Street LACFA - landscape screening, 84 Lyme Street LACFA - Sill House renovations, 90 Lyme Street LAA - exterior renovations, 110 Lyme Street - renovation & addition |
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9:45 |
Business News & Secretary’s Report |
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10:00 |
HD Business signs & flags |
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10:45 |
Any Other New or Old Business: 28 Lyme Street screening fence |
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11:00 |
Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Chairman John Pfeiffer. John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Barbara Traskos, to approve the January minutes. All present voted in favor. Motion carried.
1. Public Open Forum – Janet Sturges
Janet Sturges asked if the HDC would sponsor the Old Lyme Town Band concert to be held on the South Green in July. Ice cream is served at the event and about 100 people attended last year. John Forbis offered to donate $100 to the HDC to sponsor the event. Mrs. Sturges was advised to contact other organizations in town (LYSB, Chamber of Commerce, OLHS, etc.) and ask them to participate as well as send an email to their members promoting the event.
John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Dini Mallory, to sponsor the Old Lyme Town Band Concert in July. All present voted in favor. Motion carried.
Opening Commentary- Chairman’s Report: John Pfeiffer
As the new chair of the HDC let me first acknowledge the importance and significance of the past leadership. Jim and Ken are to be commended. Their tenure of the last ten years is a benchmark that I can only hope to match. I have watched with appreciation and learned from their commitment to preservation and their hard work guided by both professionalism and compassion.
I come from an historical and cultural resource background. My last forty years of academic research and education has predominately focused upon the lower Connecticut Valley and Old Lyme in particular. I have been guided by a strict belief in cultural resource management and its underlying demand upon all of us, to preserve. My job has been the protection of a non-renewable resource.
My view of preservation and cultural resource management is clear. My responsibility is to the resource and to maintain its historical integrity. The resource comes first. Owners’ rights are important. But owners should recognize that they are owners for only a brief time and should view themselves as stewards. As such, their responsibility too, as is ours on the HDC, is to maintain the historical and cultural integrity of the resource.
I do not take lightly the chairmanship of the HDC. It is, after all, upon what I have spent most of my professional life working.
Thank you for the opportunity and I will continually seek all of your help and guidance.
2. Plaque Program Update: Martha Hansen
20 Ferry Road: Research continues. (Martha Hansen and Pamela Hamilton).
23 Ferry Road: Research continues. (Martha Hansen and Robin Sedgwick).
4 Johnnycake Hill Road: Dyanne Rafal plans to do the research with help from Martha Hansen.
1 Library Lane: Contact Eve Todd (Martha Hansen).
13 Academy Lane: The land record has been verified. The plaque “Charles W Morley ca 1880” has been ordered.
3. Active CofAs:
a) 77 Lyme Street LACFA multi-family housing project - landscape screening:
More screening from Lyme Street is needed and Mr. Resnikoff and Mr. Snarski have been informed.
b) 84 Lyme Street LACFA: Sill House renovations are in progress.
c) 90 Lyme Street LAA: the grant application has been withdrawn, canceling the CofA.
d) 110 Lyme Street: the planned renovations and addition have begun.
4. Business News and Secretary’s Report:
Letters will be mailed to residents on Ferry Road and Lyme Street inviting them to participate in the Historic Plaque program.
Action: Prepare and mail letter (Martha Hansen).
5. HD Business signs and flags
a) The Chocolate Shell has closed the café and removed the café flag in response to a cease and desist letter from Ann Brown, ZEO.
b) Warrnen Hannas has been asked to appear before the HDC regarding the parking signs at the Village Shops. The matter will be considered at the April meeting.
c) Event signs for non-profit organizations in the Historic District were considered. Suggestions were made to develop design standards and to allow the signs for a limited amount of time.
Action: Continue the signage discussion at the March meeting.
6. Any Other New or Old Business:
a) 28 Lyme Street – the condensers have been screened by a white picket fence. The HDC requires a plan for the fence and needs to approve the design and materials.
Action: Prepare and mail letter to Mr. Pedersen regarding the fence (Martha Hansen).
b) Halls Road improvement plan –The first stage may begin in the area near the Lieutenant River bridge. Action: Keep the HDC updated (John Forbis).
c) Center School - future plans.
Action: Request Superintendent Neviaser to attend a future HDC meeting (John Forbis).
d) The HDC has an opening for a new member.
7. Adjournment:
Joanne DiCamillo made a motion, seconded by Ken Levin, to adjourn the meeting at 11:00 am. All voted in favor. Motion carried.
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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