Historic District Commission

Approved by the Historic District Commission 10/26/2022 METHUEN HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Thursday, September 22, 2022 @ 7:00 pm Searles Building, Great Hall 41 Pleasant Street, 3rd Floor Methuen, MA 01844 MINUTES 1. Call to Order Chairman Thomas Lussier called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm and noted a quorum present. Members in Attendance Thomas Lussier, Chairman Present Katherine Robinson Present Denis Webster- Greene Present Via Telephone Joseph Bella Present 2. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes: a. July 28, 2022 Katherine Robinson suggested that the Commission table this item. The issue is that they seem to be a verbatim transcript. Chairman Lussier noted that these minutes were prepared by Casey Dowgiert, not Patricia Antoon. MOTION: Denis Webster – Greene moved to continue this item to the next meeting. SECOND: Katherine Robinson DISCUSSION: None VOTE: UNANIMOUS 3. New Business: a. PUBLIC HEARING – Certificate of Appropriateness – Luis Arias (Rosario 1859 House dba Arias’ Place) – 12 Hampshire Street – Roof Repairs & Signage The applicant, Luis Arias, presented his proposal to the Commission. He explained that he and his wife would be running the restaurant. ROOF Currently, the roof is old and is leaking and in need of replacement. He showed the Desert Tan color sample to the Commission and explained that they hoped to use that color because they would like to revive the building and brighten it up to look more attractive. The current green color building with the black roof is dark. 1 Filed in the Office of the City Clerk 02/16/2023  Approved by the Historic District Commission 10/26/2022 SIGN The sign will remain the same except that it will read Arias Place, which is their name. Chairman Lussier asked if they were planning to omit the reference to the 1859 House. Mr. Arias explained that there is a sign saying 1859 House above and they will not include it in the smaller sign. They plan to fix that sign. The smaller sign will be a beautifully carved sign exactly like the current sign. It will be the same size, style, font, and colors. The only thing that will change is the name. It will be made by the same company, Harvey Signs. Chairman Lussier opened the floor for public comment. For the record, nobody spoke in favor or in opposition. Chairman Lussier declared the public hearing closed. The Commission considered the proposals. Samples of the roof colors were provided to the Commission. The proposed roof is a beige/ gold color that would be considered a brown roof, and not atypical to the area. Ms. Robinson stated that she is not fond of the brown roof and prefers a charcoal color, although she understands the applicant’s desire to change the color. She noted that historically, it probably would have been a slate roof on this building and a charcoal roof would more closely match that. She believes a brown roof relates more to a wood shingle. Mr. Bella commented that when looking at historic photos, the roof looked like it looks now. It was noted that the old Robichaud’s Hardware store has the same brown colored roof that the applicant is proposing. Mr. Webster – Greene stated that he does not have an issue with the color. The Commission considered other colors on the sample board, including a darker brown and a blue. MOTION: Katherine Robinson moved to approve the sign as submitted. SECOND: Joseph Bella DISCUSSION: None VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chairman Thomas Lussier entertained a motion to approve the roof replacement with the color proposed by the applicant, which is Desert Tan. MOTION: Joseph Bella so moved. SECOND: Denis Webster - Greene DISCUSSION: None VOTE: 3 YES, 1 NO (Ms. Robinson); MOTION CARRIES The Arias’ shared with the Commission other plans for the restaurant. 4. Old Business 2 Filed in the Office of the City Clerk 02/16/2023  Approved by the Historic District Commission 10/26/2022 For the record, there was no old business. 5. Enforcement Chairman Lussier informed the Commission that he has been back and forth with the Community Development Department and the Building Department about the staircase and the retaining wall at 2 Charles Street. The staircase that was proposed and approved had white balustrades. That is not what they are doing. They put a wooden deck on the top and they have started a wooden staircase in dark brown, so he shut that down. Additionally, the Commission’s letter requires that the design of the retaining wall be reviewed and approved by the Chairman. What they have constructed is a concrete retaining wall. As far as he knows, the owners have been officially notified that these are issues they need to remedy or come back to the Commission with a solution. The Building Commissioner has raised an issue with the vents at the Masonic Lodge. Each residential unit has a dryer vent and a bathroom air vent. At the moment the vents stand out, but the plan is to paint them to blend in. They possibly could have had a central vent, but the developer wanted to make every unit stand alone and totally separate. The owner agreed to paint a few of the vents so the Commission could see what they would look like. The Chairman also noted that they were doing a lot of work inside and would be preserving the old staircase and fireplace. Ms. Robinson commented that vents have become a problem for the Commission as the downtown has become more residential. The Commission reviews plans early in the design process, and they are not typically shown on the plans. Chairman Lussier pointed out that sometimes the changes in the field work out well and gave the example of the staircase on the Charles Street side. Chairman Lussier informed the Commission that other sign enforcement issues have been resolved. 6. Other Business The Commission discussed that moving forward, they would like to list addresses with violations on the agenda and have them remain on subsequent agendas until the violations are resolved. Chairman Lussier said that he would check to see if there are any outstanding violations that need to be put on the list and add them. 7. Adjournment MOTION: Katherine Robinson made a motion to adjourn the meeting. 3 Filed in the Office of the City Clerk 02/16/2023  Approved by the Historic District Commission 10/26/2022 SECOND: Dennis Webster- Greene VOTE: UNANIMOUS Chairman Thomas Lussier adjourned the meeting at 7:42 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Nancy P. Hudson Community Development Confidential Secretary Accessibility Notice Anyone needing an access accommodation to participate in City of Methuen programs or services, please contact Sandy Almonte, ADA Coordinator at 978-983-8580 or salmonte@ci.methuen.ma.us at least 2 weeks in advance, or 2 business days before any Board or Commission meeting. This notice is available in alternative formats upon request. *** NEXT REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022*** 4 Filed in the Office of the City Clerk 02/16/2023