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Thursday October 16, 2008
Hingham Town Hall
7:00 P.M.
Present: Chairman Scott Ford, John McCoy, Nancy MacKay, Chuck Clutz, Susan Berry, Elaine Marcell, Ben Wilcox, Winston Hall, Bill Tuite
Chairman Scott Ford called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.
August 14, 2008 meeting minutes were approved as written.
40 North Street
A representative from ViewPoint Sign reviewed the fixtures porposed to illuminate the “William Raveis” signs on the North and Station Street sides of the building. Scott, the sign company rep submitted a picture and specifications for a gooseneck fixture to light the Station Street sign. Chuck Clutz pointed
out that the mounts for the lights are large and highly visible,
and suggested using the alternate mount available, a remote ballast that would not be visible. Commission members agreed. The gooseneck fixtures cannot be used on North Street because the arc on the arm of the fixture would extend above the window sill. Scott suggested poster luminaire. Citing the Boston Private Bank, Ben Wilcox said that type of lighting is not acceptable because it is too modern, and the fluorescent light casts a harsh glow. The fixture would have to extend at least three feet over the sidewalk to light the sign, which is also not acceptable in an historic district. Scott will have to confer with his client before proposing another form of lighting for North Street. William Raveis also wants to install awnings or canopies over the entrance and first floor windows on Station Street. The awnings are fabric in a company brand color. The company email address will appear on the awnings in white lettering. Commission members were concerned that the awning blue would clash with the building blue. They also questioned the appropriateness of the writing on the awnings, the height of the valence, and finally if the awnings were even an appropriate treatment for the building. The Commission asked for more information, and requested pictures of buildings where the awnings were installed. Ther representative said that he thought the awnings were being used on the William Raveis office in Scituate. He said that he would let Andrea Young know if the awnings can be viewed. The Commission then discussed approving two fireproof windows that had already been installed per order of the Building Commissioner.
Decision
Members voted unanimously to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to 40 North Street to install four gooseneck style lights to illuminate the William Raveis sign on the Station Street side of the building. The lights will be installed using remote ballast mounts. Incandescent light bulbs are preferred, but compact fluorescent bulbs are acceptable. Lighting for the North Street side of the building requires further review. Awnings/canopies for the Station Street entrance and windows also require further review.
209 Main Street
Owner Paul Healey discussed several windows that he wants approval to change. He said that there were several types of windows in the house, that he would like to change over time to achieve a consistent 6/6 muntin pattern. Most of the windows are not visible from the public way. He is currently requesting approval to add a window to the south side of the house to bring more light into the first floor family room. He is also asking to replace a rear-facing window with a new 6/6 window.
Decision
The Commission voted unanimously to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to 209 Main Street to replace a back-facing window as stated in the application and to install an additional window on the south side of the house. All new windows will be wood, single pane true divided light in a 6/6 configuration.
6 Station Street
MJ Shultz, representing client Six Station Street, LLC, reviewed the status of applications for the proposed Biergarten and discussed their first meeting with the Zoning and Planning Boards. Using revised drawings, she went on to identify changes made to the building elevations as a result of the informal meeting with the HDC: arches over the windows were removed, the cupola was changed to a chimney, cutouts in the shutters were eliminated, the windows and balustrade on the rear elevation have been simplified. The main entrance was reduced from 8 panels to three panels. Business owners Hans Dieterrich and Margaret Wagner described the proposed materials for the exterior of the restaurant. The building will be primarily stucco and exposed wood beams with an artificial slate roof. The bottom portion will be granite, and will continue into the wall of the Biergarten. The cap on the wall will be granite and the brick in the wall will match the brick used in the town sidewalks. Comments and discussion are as follows:
Ben Wilcox – What we asked to be removed has been removed. The building could look like it belongs there, while retaining the Biergarten character.
Scott Ford – There is too much stucco. What about the suggestion that (attendee) Sarah Dewey had, to use scalloped shingles that are typical in many areas in Germany.
BW – Other options are flat clapboard or flat wood panels.
Hans Dieterrich – Are we stuck in the 1700’s or could we get away with something a little more modern?
BW –You can make stucco look a little more traditional by adding trim and by adding cornerboards.
SF – How high is the rear elevation?
MJS – the ridge to the basement is 35 ft.
SF – The wall is simply too large a mass.
MJS – The wall will be terraced. Is it the height or the material?
SF – It’s the height.
Discussion ensued about the expanse of the retaining wall. Commission members expressed concern that the wall height is overwhelming. The project proponents identified elements that would mitigate the height including a trellis, recessed panels, plantings such as trees, ivy or Virginia Creeper.
BW – It’s not a good idea to rely on plantings. They die.
Susan Berry – Virginia Creeper gets into the wall and can damage it. It also attracts Japanese Beetles.
There was consensus that the retaining wall has to be reexamined and the discussion returned to building design elements. There was agreement among Commission members that the Station Street side of the building is stark in contrast to the North Street side.
BW – There is no reason why the North and Station Street sides have to look the same. Shutters would do a lot to hide the grand expanse of the Station Street side.
Winston Hall – I don’t think we should try to make the building “just so”. Look at the apartment building across the street. It’s quite prominent and not in keeping with the rest of the buildings.
Chuck Clutz – Three kinds of dormers are shown. I don’t know what is being proposed.
HD – I like the gable dormers.
BW – They are more correct.
CC – I agree. I also think that the windows on the North Street side should line up. I also don’t think that the wall around the Biergarten should be stucco.
HD – We used concrete blocks covered with stucco for noise reduction and safety. The Planning Board asked us to do that.
SF – I think something other than the rounded entrance would look better.
MJS – We have to work with the lot. We reduced the number of panels to 3 to make it appear less round.
There was disagreement as to the number of panels that comprised the entrance. Chuck Clutz thought that the drawings showed more than 3 panels.
Chairman Ford asked if there were any comments from the audience. Gary Tondorf-Dick commented that most buildings have the eave end to the street. There are two gables on the North Street elevation that don’t relate. The gable ends too abruptly. He suggested extending the right gable on the North Street facade to the street. Commission members and the project proponents agreed that it would serve to give the North Street elevation a more finished appearance.
It was agreed that the Administrator would place the project on the November 13th agenda in the event that there is progress in the design. If no new drawings are available, then the hearing will be continued to December. MJ Schultz will sign an extension to allow a 60 extension to the application deadline.
The next HDC meeting is on Thursday November 13, 2008 at 7:00 P.M.
Chairman Scott Ford adjourned the meeting at 9:50 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea Young
Administrator