DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 15, 2006
A regular meeting of the Salem Design Review Board (DRB) was held in the third floor conference room at the City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street, on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 6:00 pm.
Members Paul Durand, Ernest DeMaio and Glenn Kennedy were present. Tania Hartford, Economic Development Planner was also present.
PROJECTS UNDER REVIEW
1. 85 Lafayette Street (New Dimensions in Technology)
Ms. Hartford introduced the project. She noted that the sign changed slightly since it was approved by the Board. The size increased slightly to accommodate the lighting. The proposal includes the installation of 5 gooseneck lights above the sign, as presented in the specifications submitted.
Mr. Durand stated that he thought the five lights were overkill. Larry Kahn, owner of NDT, replied that they looked at the sign with four lights but thought that five would light the dark street better.
Mr. Durand stated that generally you would have some type of cadence with the lighting on the building rather than grouping all the lights at one location on the building. Mr. Kahn replied that his end of the building was different than the other part of the building. He referred to the photos.
Mr. Durand asked the purpose of the lights. Mr. Kahn replied that they were to light the sign and the sidewalk.
Mr. DeMaio questioned the scale of the drawings submitted. He said that the drawings did not meet the specification indicated in the packet. He said he would like the owner to pick a specification of light and draw it to scale so that it is drawn the way it will be installed.
Mr. Kahn asked if the Board was okay with the look of the sign and lighting. Mr. DeMaio stated that they did not have objections to the look of the sign with goosenecks. Mr. Durand added that the issue was that all the emphasis is on one bay of this building. Mr. Kahn noted that he was the only tenant in that part of the building.
Mr. Kennedy agreed that five lights were too many. He said that when you look at it to scale they actually only need about three lights.
The Board agreed that the sign was okay with three lights. They also asked that Mr. DeMaio be designated as the DRB representative to review the scale of the revised drawings to ensure it is drawn the way it will be installed.
Mr. Kennedy moved to recommend approval of the signage and lighting with the condition that the number of lights be reduced to three and the scale is reviewed by Mr. DeMaio prior to going to the SRA. Mr. DeMaio seconded the motion. Motion passed (3-0).
2. 10 Derby Square (Lavoie Group)
Donna Lavoie, owner of the Lavoie Group, presented her sign proposal.
Mr. Kennedy asked if the signs would be centered in the windows. Ms. Lavoie said it would be.
Mr. Kennedy moved to recommend approval of the signage as submitted. Mr. DeMaio seconded the motion. Motion passed (3-0).
3. 50 St. Peter Street (Old Salem Jail)
Ms. Hartford introduced Penn Lindsey of New Boston Ventures, LLC and their architects, Dan Ricciarelli Cindy Giugliano of Finegold, Alexander + Associates, Inc. The revised final design plans were presented to the Board.
Mr. Kennedy asked about the finish of the materials for the new building. Ms. Giugliano replied ground face. She said they are trying to find a larger sample size to show the Board. She said they are going with a 16” x 24” monumental size blocks for the building. Mr. Kennedy asked for the pattern. Ms. Giugliano replied they were shown on the elevations. She also noted that at the historic review committee meeting, it was requested that some granite be incorporated into the building and she said they are looking at doing that at the entranceway.
Mr. Kennedy said that he is interested in seeing what becomes of the main entranceway at the Jail and the enclosure for the trash is important.
Mr. Kennedy had questions about the back terraces at the Jail Keeper’s House. Mr. Ricciarelli clarified.
Ms. Giugliano went through the other changes. She said that they changed the materials of the decks on the new building from pressure treated wood to steel. She said that the other modification was that they took out the horizontal rails initially proposed. She also noted that they looked at the window screens and are proposing half screens; she noted the phantom screens were too expensive. She said they are going with a thinner mutton on the Jail Keeper’s House and would have a sample of that sash by the next meeting. She presented the updated site plan and lighting plan. She said they would come back to the Board with a signage plan later.
Mr. DeMaio asked if they could take the lighting specifications and put them into the elevation of where they are going to be placed. Mr. Lindsay asked if the Board liked the direction of where they were going with the lights. Mr. Durand stated that they did like the lights.
Ms. Giugliano presented details of the revised light monitors. The Board was okay with the changes.
Larry Spang, member of the public, asked about trash removal. Mr. Ricciarelli said that they did have a meeting with the Board of Health and they will be removing it from the site.
Ms. Giugliano stated that when they met with the historic review team they were talking about replacing the second portico on the Jail Keeper’s House with a canopy with brackets. She said she was looking into that redesign.
Mr. DeMaio stated that when he saw the cleaning sample of the Jail Keeper’s House the mortar looked really white. He said that when the developer goes back to clean the entire building, it will really change the face of that building and the team should consider that in the final scheme.
Ms. Hartford went through the outstanding items:
1. Enclosure on the trash both at the Jail and the Jail Keeper's House.
2. Sample of window detail at the Jail Keeper’s House.
3. Larger sample of the material being used on the new building.
4. Rendering of the proposed lights in the elevation.
5. Final design of the Barn.
6. Redesign of the second portico on the Jail Keeper's House as suggested by the historic team.
7. Renderings of the rear elevation on the new building taking into account the suggestions by the historic team and reiterated by the DRB.
The DRB agreed to meet again on December 6, 2006 at 6:00pm to continue the discussion on the Jail.
MINUTES
Ms. Hartford told the Board that the minutes for the previous meetings were not complete.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the board, Mr. Kennedy moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. DeMaio seconded the motion. Motion passed (3-0).
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