Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, June 2, 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), Jim Bechtel, Ken Levin, Joanne DiCamillo ALTERNATE: Barbara Traskos, Dini Mallory |
Guests |
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Tim Griswold, Ken Kitchings, Chris Kitchings, Warren Hannas, Rachael Hannas, Bob McCracken, Sarah McCracken |
Agenda: |
9:00 |
Call to order, Quorum call, Approval of minutes, Communications |
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9:05 |
Public Open Forum |
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9:15 |
Active CofAs: 75 Lyme Street fence, 77 Lyme Street landscape screening, 84 Lyme Street Sill House renovations, 110 Lyme Street - renovation & addition |
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9:30 |
Public Hearing: Old Lyme Inn sign |
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10:00 |
Public Hearing: Bee & Thistle Inn sculpture |
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10:30 |
Public Hearing: Congregational Church solar panels, Parsonage driveway |
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11:00 |
Village Shops Parking signs |
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11:30 |
Plaque Program Update: Ferry Road, 4 Johnnycake Hill Road, 1 Library Lane, Ancillary buildings program |
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11:40 |
Secretary’s Report |
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11:45 |
Any Other New or Old Business |
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12:00 |
Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Chairman John Pfeiffer. A quorum of regular members was present.
Joanne DiCamillo made a motion, seconded by Jim Bechtel, to approve the May minutes. John Pfeiffer, John Forbis, Joanne DiCamillo and Jim Bechtel voted in favor. Motion passed.
Communications –A letter from Stanford Brainerd was read to the commission. Mr. Brainerd asked that the width of the apron be reduced when the driveway at 5 Lyme Street is redone, and that the grass strip between that driveway and the Boxwood driveway be fully restored.
Action: write Mr. Brainerd a letter (Martha Hansen).
1. Public Open Forum: Tim Griswold stated that the Old Lyme Historical Society now owns the former Grange property at 55 Lyme Street and has repainted the sign on the building. The sign is the same size and color (black and white) as the old sign.
Jim Bechtel made a motion, seconded by John Forbis, to approve the new sign as it is “like for like” and no CofA is needed. All present voted in favor. Motion passed.
Mr. Griswold reported that a cedar tree next to the building was removed. Mrs. DiCamillo stated that the building sits on a town easement or right-of-way and that permission from the Tree Commission should be obtained before any landscape plantings or tree removals are done on that part of the property.
The Historical Society will be hosting an open house on June 21. Residents in the Historic District and members of the Historic District Commission will be invited.
2. Active CofAs:
a) 75 Lyme Street fence: The Fence has been installed as required. John Pfeiffer and Tom Degnan (Tree Warden) stopped by the site several times and verified that no tree roots were cut and that the tree was protected during construction.
Action: keep the HDC informed (Joanne DiCamillo).
b) 77 Lyme Street, Southwick Commons landscape screening: John Pfeiffer met with Fritz Jellinghaus and Charlie Orcutt of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. The academy has agreed to take responsibility for cleaning up the trees and vines along the access road and Lyme Street.
c) 110 Lyme Street: work continues on the renovations.
Action: keep the HDC informed (Jim Bechtel).
3. Public Hearing: 85 Lyme Street sign – Ken Kitchings, Chris Kitchings
Ken and Chris Kitchings submitted a CofA for a new sign for the Side Door jazz club at the Old Lyme Inn. The new sign is about the same size (in square feet) as the original sign. The tall lights have been removed and the sign is lit by the existing flood lights on the roof. The club usually closes around midnight. There were no objections from neighbors.
Jim Bechtel made a motion, seconded by John Forbis, to approve the CofA. All present voted in favor, motion passed.
4. Public Hearing: 100 Lyme Street, Bee & Thistle Inn sculpture – Linea Rufo submitted a CofA application to temporarily install a sculpture by Gil Boro in front of the inn. The sculpture will be in place from mid-May to the end of September. There were no objections from neighbors.
John Forbis made a motion seconded by Jim Bechtel to approve the CofA application. John Pfeiffer, Ken Levin, Jim Bechtel and John Forbis voted in favor, Joanne DiCamillo abstained. Motion passed.
The HDC agreed that it was helpful to have Gil Boro explain the significance of the sculpture at the May meeting. John Forbis agreed to prepare an addendum to the sculpture policy (requiring the artist’s or other professional input regarding sculpture) for the HDC to consider.
Action: prepare sculpture addendum (John Forbis).
5. Public Hearing: 2 Ferry Road, 5 Lyme Street, Congregational Church solar panels, parsonage driveway – Bob McCracken, Sarah McCracken
The First Congregational Church submitted a CofA for a 25 KW solar array on the parish house/Fellowship Hall on Ferry Road. Bob McCracken stated that there would be low-profile solar panels on both sides of the roof.
John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Ken Levin, to approve the CofA application for one year. All present voted in favor. Motion passed.
The First Congregational Church submitted a CofA to repave the Parsonage driveway at 5 Lyme Street. Sarah McCracken stated that the existing chip seal surface would be replaced with stone embedded in asphalt, with a defined edge.
A neighbor, Stanford Brainerd, wrote a letter to the commission requesting that the width of the driveway apron be reduced and that the grass strip separating the Parsonage driveway and the Boxwood driveway be restored.
John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Ken Levin to approve the CofA application for one year. All present voted in favor. Motion passed.
Bob McCracken reported that the Congregational Church would like to change the wording of the church’s historic plaque to say “Built in 1910, replica of the 1817 church”. The HDC agreed to have the wording changed.
6. 10 Lyme Street: Village Shops parking signs – Warren Hannas, Rachael Hannas
Warren Hannas reported that, to address the problem of parked cars protruding into Academy Lane, he has put up several “Compact Cars Only” parking signs on the side of the building and the fence facing the lane. The road has become narrower over the past few years due to land being (properly) restored to the lot at 20 Lyme Street. There is one sign by the rear side parking area. Some years ago two dogwood trees were planted on town property in front of that parking area, effectively reducing the depth of the parking spaces. The HDC members agreed to look at the area. The discussion will continue at the July meeting.
7. 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.
1 Library Lane: Contacted Eve Todd (Martha Hansen).
Ancillary Buildings program – Charlotte Hitchcock of the CT Trust for Historic Preservation will be visiting Old Lyme and would like to meet with someone who is knowledgeable about ancillary buildings in town. John Pfeiffer may be available. The HDC has a list of artist’s studios compiled by the Florence Griswold Museum. We could assemble a list of buildings in the Historic District area and start with that. John Pfeiffer has information on local farm buildings, etc.
Action: contact Charlotte Hitchcock regarding a tour of ancillary buildings in Old Lyme (Martha Hansen).
8. Secretary’s Report:
The HDC received a thank you letter from the Old Lyme Historical Society for renewing membership.
9. Any Other New or Old Business:
a) DOT signs – The CT State Department of Transportation will be upgrading the school signs on Lyme Street.
b) John Pfeiffer reported that the small building behind the Christ The King Rectory seems to have been built in the 1930s and is not a significant structure.
10. Adjournment:
John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Jim Bechtel, to adjourn the meeting at 11:27 am. All voted in favor. Motion passed.
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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