Heritage Commission

CITY OF LACONIA - HERITAGE COMMISSION AUGUST 8, 2018 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER: Jane Whitehead called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. II. PRESENT: J. Whitehead (Chair), D. Duffy, M. Hoey, M. Boudman, C. Tokarz, M. Sweet STAFF: K. Graham (recording the meeting). III. MINUTES: The Minutes of the meeting on June 6, 2018, were reviewed. C. Tokarz made a motion to approve the Minutes with a revision to the date in section VII. A to November when the leaves are all off trees. M. Boudman seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously. IV. INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS: D. Duffy introduced a new member, Mike Sweet, and the members each gave a brief background of experience. V. CITY COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT. There was nothing to report VI. PLANNING COMMISSION UPDATE: D. Duffy said she watched the meeting on TV and gave a brief synopsis of the last meeting, and said nothing pertained to the Heritage Commission. VII. OLD BUSINESS: A. Property Restoration Recognition Awards D. Duffy would like to nominate the three properties on Pleasant Street, right after the intersection, for the work they have put into preservation. Her thought was to award 121 Pleasant and give runners up recognition to 127 & 135 Pleasant Street. B. St. Joseph’s Church There had been no word on the church yet. The commission wondered if something more could be done regarding public awareness. C. Historic Structure Directory Nothing had happened. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. Demolition permit requests: The commission visited both properties last week 1. 12 Thompson Ave. D. Duffy stated that the area is a mix of old and updated houses and this one was in disrepair. There is no significance to the structure. 2. 84 Tower St. J. Whitehead noted this is the same situation as Thompson, with lack of  upkeep on the building. M. Boudman made a motion to approve both of the demolition applications. C. Tokarz seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously. 3. Revision of application form It was asked to have the “why” and “what for” on the application so the commission has a better understanding of the proposal and get a better sense of the future of the property. The commission would also like to invite the new Planning Director, Dean Trefethen, to attend a meeting and discuss procedures and process. B. 125th Anniversary celebration and other projects, publicity, outreach The commission would like to plan another house. D. Duffy suggested to partner with the Taylor home and possible van tours as well. Liability may be an issue. The possibility of having two options to either do a walking tour or driving tour was suggested. Another suggestion was to alternate different areas of the city each year since there are a lot of sites. Another idea was to have a lecture on the properties either before as anticipation or afterward as a recap. The Heritage Commission decide to have a subcommittee of the whole for ideas. IX. Public Comments: There was no one from the public to speak. D. Duffy brought up the fact that Lakeport is a becoming a place for boat hotels. Also the fact that changes to the plans for the old Fire Station in Lakeport is apparently were not submitted to Planning Board for approval but were approved by administration. M. Sweet wondered about what people thought about the Heritage Commission and D. Duffy gave him a brief history. As per NH Department of Historic Resources (NHDHR) directions, it is a long process that requires inventory of all structures which includes specific pictures, research of when built, the historical background and tax map information. Years ago there was a student that was starting the process but it was too much for one person and it never was finished. A thought for publicity was to revisit Facebook, a website and the brochure and a possibly to have or share a table with the historical society during Multicultural Day. X. Adjournment: C. Tokarz made a motion to adjourn, which was seconded by M. Sweet. The meeting was adjourned at 6:22 p.m.