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Historic Districts Commission
Minutes of Public Meeting

Thursday April 16, 2009
Hingham Town Hall
7:00 P.M.

 

Present: Chairman Scott Ford, Nancy MacKay, Chuck Clutz, Susan Berry, Elaine Marcell, Arthur Choo, Ben Wilcox, Winston Hall

Absent: John McCoy, Bill Tuite

Chairman Scott Ford called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

The March19, 2009 meeting minutes were approved as written.

17 Pleasant Street
Ben Burnham, representing the owner, reviewed three possible window configurations to replace the existing kitchen windows on the driveway side of the house. Mr. Burnham produced these options as a result of ideas discussed during a visit to the site on 11/08/08. Commission members were in agreement as to the preferred options.
Decision
Members voted unanimously to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to 40 North Street to install awnings as proposed with the following changes:
1. The center awning will be of one piece.
2. The awning color will be navy blue with no piping and no graphics.
3. The projection of the awning off of the building is to be a minimum of 24” up to 36” as opposed to the 18” projection shown on the plan.
4. There will be no change in the Station Street lighting from what was set forth in the previous certificate.

699 Main Street
Owner Thomas Kindler discussed his intent to pave his existing gravel driveway and replace the front walkway, which is currently brick. He believes that the brick looks too bright and modern. He wants to remove the brick and replace it with gravel.

Decision
The Commission voted unanimously to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to 699 Main Street to replace the existing brick walkway with gravel, and to pave the existing gravel driveway with asphalt.

 

Location of work: 730 Main Street
Historic District: GTLHD
Owner: Tom and Brie Williams
Telephone: 781.749.7485
Address: 730 Main Street, Hingham, MA 02043

Description of proposed work:

APPROVAL

To revise previously approved plans. Revisions dated 4/16/09 are approved with the following changes:
1. Additional bay on the garage will have two windows on the south side.
2. Porch pilasters are to be nested against the garage and main house.
All other details and elements are to be in accordance with previously-approved plans
Asphalt shingles are approved for the roof instead of cedar.
The garage doors will be wood.
Shutters will not be installed on the house.

18 Bank Avenue
Architect and property owner Harry Wheeler presented his plans for an addition to the existing house, which would enlarge the house from 1,645 sq. ft. to 2,400 sq. ft. Mr. Wheeler also wants to increase the height of the existing garage by 7 ft. Mr. Wheeler assured the Commission that the materials on the addition and on the garage would match those on the original house. He described the materials as follows: wood clapboards, large trim boards, asphalt roof, wood shutters with working shutter hardware, Pella simulated divided light windows to match the existing windows on the house. Note: The HDC approved the Pella windows on the original house because the house is located a significant distance from the public right-of-way.

Commission members visited the site prior to the hearing to view an existing recent addition, which would be replaced by the proposed larger addition, and to review the plans for the new addition and added garage height. During the site visit, HDC member Chuck Clutz asked Mr. Wheeler to erect story poles to mark the proposed heights of the addition and the garage to make it easier for commission members to visualize the heights of the buildings when finished.

Chairman Ford commented that the proposed height of the garage would make it visible from Cottage Street and asked Mr. Wheeler to reduce the height. Ben Wilcox asked Mr. Wheeler to draw a cross section of the house in relation to the other buildings on the street. The hearing was continued to the April 16, 2009 meeting. Mr. Wheeler was asked to present the following at the next meeting: drawings showing a revised roofline (the connector piece and the slope of the new addition); revised drawings of the garage showing reduced mass and lower roof height.; a cross section of the house showing how it relates to other houses on the street; and a drawing showing the garage dormers dropped from the roofline.
Decision
Hearing continued to 4/16/09

The next HDC meeting is on Thursday April 16, 2009 at 7:00 P.M.

Chairman Scott Ford adjourned the meeting at 8:20 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,
Andrea Young
Administrator