Historic District Commission Minutes 02/05/2015
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
FEBRUARY 5, 2015
MINUTES FROM REGULAR MEETING
I. ROLL CALL
Chairperson Diane Mead called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. in the Main Meeting Room of the Simsbury Town Offices. Commission members present were Betty Woollacott, Marguerite Rodney, and Julie Carmelich. Also in attendance were Rachel Blatt, Assistant Town Planner; Janis Prifti, Commission Clerk; and other interested parties.
II. APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATES
Chairperson Mead appointed Julie Carmelich to serve as alternate for the vacancy.
III. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION
1. Application #15-01 of Mike Trowern-Trendi, Rhino-Back Roofing, Agent; Howard Stewart, Owner; for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the replacement of the roof shingles on the property located at 19 East Weatogue Street (Assessor's Map H14, Block 108, Lot 004).
Application #15-01 was read into the record.
The Applicant's Agent explained the work was performed on an emergency basis due to water entering the home through the leaking roof; when the permit was pulled, the Agent was reminded of the need to coordinate with Town Staff. The Agent explained the roof was a more durable architectural asphalt shingle in the same color, as shown in a photo provided of the front porch. The Agent reviewed that the structure over the years has mostly been rebuilt with a 2nd story added some time ago; the red stone foundation remains as the historic part. The Agent explained that the entire roof was replaced due to the challenge of failed roof valleys - it was last replaced about 40 years ago. Now that the Agent is aware of Historic District requirements, he will assure compliance on any future work he performs in the District, and thanked the Commission for their cooperation.
Commissioner Rodney made a motion to approve Application #15-01.
Commissioner Carmelich seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
2. Application #15-02 of Anita L. Mielert, Owner, for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the removal of a gate and relocation of the driveway and stonewall on the property located at 57 East Weatogue Street (Assessor's Map H13, Block 108, Lot 010).
Application #15-02 was read into the record.
It was explained there is an existing approved right of way to a back lot for this property and the Applicant's gate at the driveway front was shown on a map; most trees, including the large Maples between, would remain; the wooden gate would be removed and some of the existing stone wall; the stone posts would then be rebuilt 22 feet back and to the right of the existing access with a gravel driveway put in. A neighbor expressed concern regarding how the gate would be rebuilt and the effect on her property and requested the Applicant discuss with her activity regarding the trees - it was noted the Commission's purview does not include trees. Based on past experience with the Applicant, the Commission anticipated the project would be nicely done. Town Staff suggested keeping as much of the stone on the property as possible for repairs.
Commissioner Woollacott made a motion to approve Application #15-02 conditioned upon keeping as much of the stone on the property as possible to make repairs.
Commissioner Rodney seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
3. Possible updated to Historic District Handbook
The Commissioners reviewed the first 16 pages of the Handbook commenting as follows:
1) On the inside cover, change the date, update the letter to indicate current members, drawings, references to any other historic district's guidelines, and rewrite the letter at the end.
2) Streamline the Handbook organization using a more parallel structure for each section and returning to the Table of Contents at the end.
3) The Commissioners discussed adjusting wording to eliminate names and referring only to addresses with the goal of making the Handbook timeless.
4) Updating the nomenclature regarding Native Americans while noting particular tribes, as appropriate. Reference to others, e.g. white settlers, the King Philips war, etc. could also be tightened up, along with various typographical improvements. Applying for a federal grant to hire a technical consultant to update the excellent 27-year old document to include energy efficiency, etc., as well as a Town budget request, were discussed.
5) Hiring a consultant to consider updating the National Register nomination was discussed which might now include houses to 1965 (a period of 50 years), and consideration of the architectural significance of structures, including stonewalls and other landscape features.
6) On page 3, in paragraph 4 "Untied" should be changed to "United".
7) The legend of King Philip could be removed, as it is not true.
8) A factory that burned down in 1851 and its exact location at either 11 or 34 East Weatogue is indicated by a marker near a brook in back.
9) On page 4, the 2nd paragraph regarding King Philip would need to be reworked, and Commissioner Woollacott planned to contact the Historic Society for further information.
10) On page 5, the current period of significance for the National Register nomination may need to be updated; it was noted there will be a statute update and new tax programs as of 7/1/16 from the State Historic Preservation Office and that should be taken into account prior to reprinting the Handbook.
11) On page 6, in the 2nd paragraph changing the wording to delete the comma and revise to "...work that alters". Reference should be to the new COA. Under the 3rd bullet, reference should be to "..any visible temporary or permanent additions". Under Design Guidelines: reference should be to "District(s)". spelling of shutters should be corrected; in the last paragraph, change to lower case "changes", and revise wording to "accretions of small changes over the years".
12) Reference to the COA on different pages should all be tied together in the formatting; Town Staff will provide a suggested outline.
13) On page 8, under "No need of a COA", in the last line "an Historic District Commission member" would be deleted. Town Staff clarified that Applicants should contact Staff regarding applications, rather than Commission members, and Town Staff would subsequently contact the Chairperson.
14) Regarding "Standards for Rehabilitation" from the National Parks language, the word "not" should be removed in #8, to read, "mitigation measures shall be undertaken". The Commissioners discussed caution in interpreting these guidelines; for example, where windows would be replaced, a strict interpretation under the standards would require demonstrating the windows are beyond repair; issues surrounding what the Commission should/should not approve were discussed, e.g. guidelines vs. recommendations, and how to allow for flexibility in reviewing building alterations. Another issue involved changes to a building over time, e.g. removing porches to bring a building back to its original appearance; however, if the porch is now 50 years old, it is now historic and the best way to include it in Commission standards. Town Staff looked at other towns’ structure of standards, some of which used the national standards as guiding principles in developing their own standards and providing digital references. The Commissioners requested receiving copies of some of the other towns' documents to review and the potential for assistance from a professional consultant.
15) On page 12, under "Character Defining Features", edit the 3rd bullet to just say "symmetry".
16) The illustrations were discussed and whether the local artist would have the original artwork; Commissioner Woollacott will contact the artist. Some of the lettering/inscriptions on page 14 are faded.
17) On page 13, Town Staff provided the Commissioners with an outline noting wood, masonry, paint, and synthetics and consideration of whether current vinyl siding has become acceptable. The Commissioners discussed whether a consultant would be required for a more comprehensive reorganization of the Handbook. Hartford's guidelines were noted as newer with a nice discussion of the visual right of way and hierarchy, which might be incorporated into the Commission's guidelines; Lebanon also has new guidelines. Also on page 13, in the first line under Maintenance, change to "...exterior walls and siding provide buildings"; add board and batten to the list; in the last section of Maintenance, whether "redstone" should be "brownstone".
18) On page 14, in the first sentence under Replacement, revise to the "most common siding types". If the National Register nomination is updated and the period of significance extended, under Exterior Walls and Siding a section would likely be added. Guidance provided by the Handbook regarding replacing vinyl on a house and whether it should go back to wood was discussed and the effect on potential buyers of historic homes.
19) On page 15, in the graphic Basic Window Types, 12 over 12 in use before “1540” may need to be revised to “1840” or potentially to eliminate dates from the Handbook. Under Storm Windows, it was noted printed text was missing.
20) On page 16, under Shutters, the sentence above should read "... line up with the original window(s)"; and "through" should be changed to "though"; on the graphic below the word "blind" should be changed to "shutter".
The Commissioners agreed that professional assistance is needed; a list of qualified professionals could be obtained from Mary Dunn; Town Staff will look into grants and the Town budget; printing costs would be handled separately; only one grant at a time can be applied for. Currently, the Handbook is a printed document and is not a searchable online document. While all Historic District homeowners would receive a hard copy of the Handbook, a goal would be to have it available online in color with more photos, possibly including case studies of different homes and potential design awards for any historic home in Town, similar to West Hartford. Town Staff will request budget funds for updating the Handbook. The Commissioners discussed potentially expanding the period of significance and adding homes to reflect the evolution of the District and how the District was originally laid out at 250-feet deep.
The Commissioners planned to complete review of the Handbook at the next meeting with notes requested to be submitted from Commissioners unable to attend and an outline provided by Town Staff.
Town Staff will transmit the approved draft letter to the Design Review Board regarding Vincent's Sports Shop.
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF January 8, 2015
On Line 50, the year "1991" is corrected to read "1965".
Chairperson Mead made a motion to approve the January 18, 2015 Minutes, as amended.
Commissioner Woollacott seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
V. ADJOURNMENT
Chairperson Mead made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:20 p.m.
Commissioner Rodney seconded the motion, and it was passed unanimously.
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Betty Woollacott, Secretary