Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, July 6, 2015
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, Barbara Traskos, Joanne DiCamillo ALTERNATE: Carol Winters, Dini Mallory |
Absent: |
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Jeff Cooley |
Guests: |
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Marty Ames, Nada Awwa, Keith Rosenfeld |
Agenda: |
9:00 |
Call to order, Quorum call, Approval of minutes, Communications |
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9:15 |
Public Hearing: 75 Lyme Street Driveway, Bassam Awwa |
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9:45 |
Zoning Update |
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10:00 |
Plaque Program Update: 4 Johnnycake Hill Road, 206 Mile Creek Road, 209 Mile Creek Road |
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10:15 |
Secretary’s Report |
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10:30 |
Historic District neighborhood walk update |
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10:45 |
Any other new or old business to come before the Commission (Village Shops, 32 Lyme Street Propane tank & AC unit screening, OLCLC air conditioning unit) |
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11:00 |
Adjournment |
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Chairman John Pfeiffer. Jim Bechtel asked for corrections to the June minutes: under Guests, Carleen Gerber did not attend the meeting, and under item 7, Any Other Old or New Business, Jim Bechtel did not mention the Bee & Thistle Inn sculptures, or the urns at 75 Lyme Street. John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Barbara Traskos, to approve the minutes of the June meeting as corrected. John Pfeiffer, John Forbis, Jim Bechtel, Joanne DiCamillo, and Barbara Traskos voted in favor, motion passed.
1. Communications: The HDC received a letter from Alison Zanardi of the Old Lyme Children’s Learning Center stating that the air conditioning unit at the Center will be screened by plantings soon.
The HDC would like to see a landscape plan for the plantings.
Action: Send letter to Ms. Zanardi asking for a planting plan (Martha Hansen).
2. Public Open Forum – Marty Ames noted that driveway pavers were installed at 75 Lyme Street before a public hearing was held and a Certificate of Appropriateness issued. Landscaping and sculpture were also installed at the Village Shops without following the CofA process. She asked if the approval process applies equally to everyone in the Historic District, and what happens when the process is not followed.
John Pfeiffer replied that the rules apply equally to everyone and that the situations Ms. Ames mentioned are being investigated with help from the Zoning Enforcement Officer, Keith Rosenfeld.
3. Public Hearing: 75 Lyme Street driveway, Nada Awwa
Mrs. Awwa submitted a CofA application for the installation of driveway pavers at 75 Lyme Street. The pavers have already been installed. Dr. Awwa mistakenly left a message at the Old Lyme Historical Society instead of the Historic District Commission, to ask if HDC approval was needed to install the pavers, which are similar to those in a nearby driveway. The message was left the week before the pavers were installed, but, due to the Society’s office being closed during building renovations, the message was not relayed to the HDC until after the work had begun.
John Pfeiffer stated that the CofA procedure was not followed. The HDC should have been notified well before the work was started to allow time to advertise the public hearing and make a decision. Dr. Awwa has followed the procedure in the past and received approval for a new front porch, and a new fence.
No decision was made on the CofA application.
Joanne DiCamillo remarked that every applicant should be treated the same way and follow the procedures. This does not always happen. The Hinckleys (31 Lyme Street) planted ferns around a town tree without applying to the Tree Commission or providing a landscape plan to the HDC. The Mergy’s installed landscaping and sculpture at the Village Shops without submitting a landscape plan or a CofA application.
The HDC decided to mail Historic District residents a copy of the Historic District Handbook with a cover letter reminding them to follow the rules.
Action: Prepare cover letter and mail HD handbooks to HD residents (Martha Hansen).
John Forbis suggested creating a check list of the items the ZEO is checking for the HDC.
Action: Prepare ZEO checklist (John Forbis).
4. Zoning update – Keith Rosenfeld
Keith Rosenfeld stated that driveway permits are referred to the Selectman’s Office, and the permit protects the right-of-way. Dr. Awwa did not apply for a permit to resurface the driveway. Going forward the Zoning Department will notify the HDC chairman and provide a CofA form to the applicant when they apply for a driveway permit. Keith will also ask Ruth Roach to add the Historic District boundaries to the GIS system.
The Vitality Spa is moving to Hall’s Road.
The Lyme Academy apartments have some issues that are being wrapped up. The path lighting is bothering Dr. Miller. Joanne DiCamillo commented that the “jungle” growing along the side of the Lyme Academy apartment’s driveway should be cleaned up. It is not clear who owns that piece of land.
The three Boxwood units that burned are being rebuilt; zoning and demolition permits have been issued.
5. Plaque Program Update: Martha Hansen
4 Johnnycake Hill Road: Dyanne Rafal plans to do the research with help from Martha Hansen
206 Mile Creek Road: Continue research with Mr. Holland (Martha Hansen).
209 Mile Creek Road: Patricia Shippee is researching her house. Martha Hansen emailed her some census information that may help.
There are an additional 35 properties in the Historic District that qualify for plaques. The research can be difficult and discourages people from getting a plaque. Martha Hansen will prepare an estimate of the time needed to do property research. Perhaps someone could be hired or would volunteer to perform the research.
Action: prepare estimate of property research (Martha Hansen).
6. Secretary’s Report:
Letters have been mailed to: a) Burr McDermott, 32 Lyme Street, regarding the screening needed for a propane tank and an AC condenser, and to: b) Lee and Michele Mergy regarding the Village Shops landscaping and asking if there is a new parking plan for the shops.
7. Historic District Neighborhood walk update
On June 18 John Pfeiffer, John Forbis, Jim Bechtel and Martha Hansen walked from the Town Hall south to the Congregational Church, and back up the other side of the street. They observed some items of concern – an AC condenser and propane tank at 32 Lyme Street that need to be screened, the sad condition of 38 Lyme Street, and a large pool of water in back of Boxwood that smelled strongly of sewage (reported to the town sanitarian). The three Boxwood units that burned are being rebuilt. They are more than 300 feet from the center of Lyme Street and not visible from the street so they are out of the HDC’s jurisdiction. The Hinckley's at 31 Lyme Street are proceeding with the work on their house. They have replaced the privet hedge with yews and are reinstalling the stone walkway in front of the house.
The next walk will be Monday, July 13, at 9:30 a.m.
8. Any Other New or Old Business:
31 Lyme Street, Hinckley: the privets in the hedge are being replaced with yew. An overgrown stone walkway in front of the house is being reinstalled. Lattice screening will be added in the back to screen the neighbor’s view. The screening needs to be approved by the HDC.
Action: Ask the Hinckley’s to apply for approval for the lattice screening (Dini Mallory).
Village Shops: The HDC would like to discuss the landscaping, sculpture, benches, and parking.
Action: Invite the Mergys to the September meeting (Martha Hansen).
Joanne DiCamillo commented that the inkberries that are not doing well at the Firehouse may need a little more time to become established; and there is Japanese knotweed in back of the Town Hall which should be removed before it kills the trees and other landscape plantings.
9. Adjournment:
John Forbis made a motion, seconded by Barbara Traskos, to adjourn the meeting at 10:55 am. All present voted in favor. Motion passed
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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