Report on the Local Historic District Commission Meeting, September 21, 2020
Home of Robert Frost, 43 Sunset Avenue, Amherst. North Prospect Lincoln Sunset Historical District. Photo: amherstma.gov
The meeting was held via Zoom webcast and was recorded.
Participating
Historic District Commission Members: Peggy Schwartz, Karin Winter, Bruce Coldham, Greta Wilcox, Jim Lumley, Jennifer Taub (Chair)
Staff: Ben Breger and Nate Malloy
A Certificate of Appropriateness, with conditions, was granted to the owner of 25 Paige Street. The owner is adding a handicap-accessible bedroom, bathroom, and porch to the rear of the house, not visible from Paige Street but visible across a field from Beston Street. The condition is that details of the fascia, trim boards, and windows match those of the rest of the house.
The Commission approved an application fee of $50 to be collected at the time of all future applications to help defray the costs to the Town of posting legal notices and mailing them to abutters.
At the same time a list of changes deemed minor were added to the list of changes not under Commission jurisdiction.
The Historic District bylaw exempts construction and alteration from the requirement of Commission approval if it does not require a building permit unless it removes an architectural feature. Most changes to the exterior appearance of a building or site within a local historic district require that the Commission issue a Certificate of Non-Applicability, Certificate of Appropriateness, or a Certificate of Hardship. The Building Commissioner determines whether a project needs review by the Commission.
The bylaw exempts certain exterior architectural features visible or not visible from the public way such as replacement of windows that are substantially similar to the existing windows as well as vinyl siding, stairs, balcony, decking, rails, roof materials, and doors that are similar to the existing features, as well as ordinary maintenance of an architectural feature that is not changed.
To this list the Commission added chimney flue caps, utility boxes, up to two condenser/compressor units, exhaust fans, and plumbing vents if they comply with certain requirements like the length of tubing/wiring, location, and distance from doors. This change was deemed necessary due to the large number of applications for such changes as flue caps and mini-split systems being installed.