Lincoln Historical Commission
Historic District Commission
Meeting Minutes
February 6, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
Board: Kenneth Hurd, Acting Chair, Lucretia Giese, Kerry Glass, Andrew Ory, Ruth Wales
Alternate: Jack MacLean
Town: Elaine Carroll
NEXT ANTICIPATED MEETINGS: Tuesday, March 6 and 20, 2007, 7:30 p.m., Town Offices
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minutes of the January 30, 2007 meeting were approved as written.
Public Hearing:
Demolition Delay By-Law Changes:
A motion was made and seconded to open the public hearing concerning the proposed changes to the Demolition Delay By-Law, which will be coming before Town Meeting on March 24, 2007. The public hearing is designed to get feedback from the public regarding these proposed changes. The proposed changes are subject to feedback from the public and a review from Town Counsel. Since there was no attendance from the public at this meeting, the members went over some of the reasoning for these proposed changes. The following are thoughts from the members:
1) The purpose of the revisions is to clarify and update the existing By-Law.
2) The added paragraph in Section 1 explains more fully the intent of the By-Law.
3) The increase from a 6-month delay to a 12-month delay would only apply to properties that the Commission agrees are preferably preserved.
4) In the last year or so, the Commission has approved 8 demolitions and settled a 9th. Also, a neighbor agreeing to move an accessory carriage house to his property settled another demolition request. The members do not feel that they are being difficult. The increase to 12 months could give the owners and Commission an opportunity to work together towards an agreeable solution.
5) In the 7 years since the By-Law was passed at Town Meeting, there has been only one structure, which received a 6-month delay. This was the barn at 118 Lexington Road.
6) Part of what may be crucial is what might be built. Once the buildings of yesteryear are torn down, what is built will not have the same unique materials and this will be lost forever.
7) Could work as an education piece when someone new comes to town with expectations but not with the education of the fabric of the town and the detrimental affect that making changes too fast can create. The proposed changes to the by-law may give someone moving into town time to live in the house a few years to learn the fabric of Lincoln before deciding upon demolition as an alternative.
8) The members want to know how the changes will fit into the neighborhood and the town as a whole. Properties as a whole may be more valuable in the context of the neighborhood staying the same.
9) Section 8 simplifies the existing language in the By-Law regarding appeals to the court. Brookline has no court section at all because it is by right and therefore no point in suggesting this.
The members went over the procedures for presenting this before Town Meeting. There will be two additional meetings before March 24. A member will speak at Town Meeting and other boards may weight in on the changes. After that the general public will be allowed to speak for or against. Since this is a general by-law, a majority vote is necessary.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine Carroll
| 
