Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting
Monday, December 4, 2017
Place |
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Memorial Town Hall, 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT |
Present |
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REGULAR: John Forbis (Vice Chairman), Barbara Traskos ALTERNATE: Cynthia Taylor |
Absent |
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John Pfeiffer, Dini Mallory, Jeff Cooley |
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 |
Plaque Program Update |
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9:30 |
Secretary’s Report - Budget, Active CofAs |
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9:45 |
Any other new or old business to come before the Commission (Cultural Resource Assessment Grant) |
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10:00 |
Adjournment |
No quorum was present so the November minutes will be approved at the next meeting.
1. Communications: Steve Hallahan contacted John Pfeiffer regarding work at 110 Lyme Street (new windows in rear of barn, not visible from Lyme Street) and 1 McCurdy Road – new rubber roof on rear addition, like for like. No CofA is necessary for these projects.
2. Public Open Forum: no participation
3. Plaque Program Update: Martha Hansen
209 Mile Creek Road: Research is continuing. Martha did some research on taverns in colonial times and found that they took many forms and it was very common for rural families to open their homes as taverns.
32 Lyme Street: Cynthia Taylor has been working on the research. Her house was moved to its location after it was built. She has the name of the original builder, but is having problems filling in the ownership in the 1800s because there are many Waits in the property records.
5 Bailey Road: Alexandra Escher is interested in a historic plaque for her home, believed to have been built by Captain Cunningham ca 1820. Martha Hansen will work with her on the project.
26 Sill Lane: Caroline Ronchini has requested historical information about her home. Martha Hansen will contact her.
4. Secretary’s Report:
Martha Hansen contacted Marie Simon at GHB Printing for a quote on printing 500 copies of the new HD
The Budget for the fiscal year 2018/2019 is ready to submit. The HDC agreed the budget should remain the same as in this fiscal year, with the exception of the handbook printing expenses.
John Forbis suggested sending postcards instead of letters when sending neighbor notices of a public hearing. Martha Hansen will check to see if this would save money. He also suggested that the HDC publish an article in Events magazine about some of the interesting historical details that are discovered when doing research on historic houses.
Active (Open) CofAs:
- 55 Lyme Street, screening fence for propane tank and AC unit, September 2018.
- The Lyme Art Association has two projects in process – parking lot lighting and new cedar shingles for the building, September 2018.
- Regional School District 18, new signs for High School and Center School, November 2018
5. Any Other New or Old Business:
Bonnie Reemsnyder and John Pfeiffer met with Mary Dunne on November 27th regarding the Cultural Resource assessment grant.
1.~ It is only for standing structures.
2.~ The $30,000~should fund approximately 150 to 200 sites.
3.~ We will be doing a RFP immediately after the holidays. The RFP has to be in a particular format and~SHIPO will guide us through the~process.
4.~ They have already given us a list of preferred contractors from which to choose --- we may add if we would like and the contractor meets the SHIPO criteria.
5.~ We will have to focus the survey in such a way as to get the biggest coverage, most sensitive,~and the most potentially endangered.
6.~ We will be applying for an additional archaeological survey to accommodate our prehistoric resources.~
The focus of this project will be outside the Historic District, although the HDC will stay informed. It is primarily a project involving the municipal historian, historical societies, and the Board of Selectmen.
John Forbis reported that the Community Development Commission has been asked by Bonnie Reemsnyder to report on what is being done to protect shoreline towns from rising sea level. Sea levels are expected to rise 3-6 feet over the next 25-40 years.
The HDC would like to know the status of the Halls Road improvement plan. John Forbis will report at the next meeting.
The HDC has openings for two members. If you are interested please contact the Selectman’s Office at town hall.
6. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:35 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen
Secretary
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