08/07/2023 Historic District Commission Minutes

Meeting date: 
Monday, August 7, 2023

HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
Town of Simsbury, Connecticut
Special Meeting – Monday, August 7, 2023, at 7:00 P.M.
Main Meeting Room, Town Hall
933 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070

I. CALL TO ORDER – Commissioner Lang called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

II. ROLL CALL

Present: George McGregor, Town Planner; Brittany MacGilpin, Assistant Town Planner; Elaine Lang, Erin Leavitt-Smith, Mark Nyquist, and Ieke Scully.

Absent: Heather Goetz, Chair; Dianne Mead, Vice Chair; Chad Alfeld and Patricia Hyyppa.

1. Appointment of Alternates

Mark Nyquist and Ieke Scully were seated as regular members.

III. APPLICATIONS

Application #23-02 of Tammey Moore, Owner for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace 21 windows with vinyl windows on the property located at 96 East Weatogue Street (Assessor’s Map H12, Block 109, Lot 030), Zone R-15.

• Ms. Moore explained that the current windows are wooden casement windows, that crank out and have their grills on the outside. The proposed windows would be vinyl slider windows that slide left to right, have a full screen, and grills on the inside. They would look almost identical on the outside with the grid pattern being the same. The color would not exactly match the color of the house.
• Commissioner Nyquist was concerned about the appearance of windows with inside grills and suggested having the windows that can be seen from the street being left as is.
• Ms. Moore that she would leave the four windows in the front of the house with grills on the outside.

MOTION: Commissioner Leavitt-Smith made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Nyquist, to close the public hearing for Application #23-02 of Tammey Moore, Owner for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace 21 windows with vinyl windows on the property located at 96 East Weatogue Street (Assessor’s Map H12, Block 109, Lot 030), Zone R-15. The motion carried unanimously. (4-0-0).

MOTION: Commissioner Leavitt-Smith made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Lang, to approve Application #23-02 of Tammey Moore, Owner for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace 21 windows with vinyl windows on the property located at 96 East Weatogue Street (Assessor’s Map H12, Block 109, Lot 030), Zone R-15, with the conditions being Approval for Certificate of Appropriateness is only valid for one year, any change in location requires the applicant to return to the Historic District Commission, and an administrative zoning permit is required. In addition, the four windows that directly face East Weatogue Street shall have external grills for more consistency and historical accuracy. The motion carried unanimously. (4-0-0).

IV. GENERAL COMMISSION BUSINESS

Certificate of Appropriateness Expiration Discussion

Commissioner Lang stated that the current Certificate of Appropriateness policy is that they are valid for one year. Historic districts across the state vary in length.

MOTION: Commissioner Lang made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Leavitt- Smith, to direct Town staff to present the Commission with some proposed language for changing the guidelines on the length of time for a Certificate of Appropriateness. The motion carried unanimously. (4-0-0).

V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

April 6, 2023, Regular Meeting

MOTION: Commissioner Lang made a motion without objection to accept the Minutes of the April 6, 2023, Regular Meeting, as written.

VI. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION: Commissioner Lang made a motion without objection to adjourn the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:47 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted,

Amanda Blaze
Commission Clerk