Historic District Commission

HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION, NORWICH, CONNECTICUT Minutes of May 20, 2015 Meeting The regular meeting of the Historic District Commission was held on May 20, 2015 in Room 319, Norwich City Hall at 5:30 P.M. Members Present: Gideon Loewenstein, Chairman Judith Hamblen Pamela Muccilli Richard Guidebeck Christie Gilluly Members Absent: Scott Learned, Nancy O’Neil, Timothy Dowhan Also Attending: Homeowners Jan and Janice Fossum, and homeowner Maria Lopes. I. Public Hearing: The Public Hearing convened at 5:30 pm. COA #325: Jan Fossum 431 Washington St Erect a new pre-built shed at rear of property. Property owner Jan Fossum presented drawings and a catalog photo for the proposed 8ft by 10ft shed which has A-frame construction, made of spruce wood that will be painted dark green. The back side of the shed, which will be used for gardening will be visible from Canterbury Turnpike and will be screened using a variety of plantings. COA #326: Maria Lopes 364-366 Washington St Pave driveway entrance to garage and adjoining space: erect new fence on Washington St and Butts Lane perimeter. Property owner Maria Lopes requested approval to pave an existing dirt driveway entrance to her two car garage and an adjoining dirt parking space with concrete. She also requested approval to put in a concrete walkway approximately 3ft by 7ft in front of the Butts Lane entrance to divert water away from the house. She withdrew her request to install the fence as she said she is not ready to go forward with the fence. The public hearing concluded at 5:50pm. II. Regular Meeting: The regular meeting convened at 5:50pm A. Action on COA Applications: 1. COA #325: Following discussion, on a motion made by Judy Hamblen and seconded by Pamela Muccilli, COA #325 was approved as submitted. Mr. Fossum was advised to check with zoning if any approvals were required. 2. COA #326: On a motion made by Muccilli and seconded by Christy Gilluly COA #326 was approved with the following modifications: in addition to the concrete driveway a concrete pad approximately 3ft by 7ft, on the side of the house to divert water from the house would be installed. The request to install a fence was withdrawn by homeowner therefore no approval was given for the fence. B.Minutes: On motion made by Hamblen and seconded by Muccilli, the minutes of the meeting of March 18, 2015 were accepted. Gilluly abstained. C. Old Business: Regarding 11 Harland Rd: The original shingle siding that had been replaced with vinyl siding has been re-installed on the upper portion of the building and painted brown. While this was not the material approved by COA 321 in December, it is a restoration of the original material. The Building Department was contacted regarding other work done at the property. No permit had been filed. Realtor Terry MacDonald called the chairman on May 8th, after city business hours, complaining about the report to the Building Dept. She claimed no additional external work was being done despite the fact that workers had been observed there on several days. The railing on the side porch and stairs was removed and replaced with a simple wood railing that was not appropriate to the period. Chairman Loewenstein met with contractor for the Norwich Historical Society to review the hardware for the storm/screen door approved by COA 324 at the April meeting. The door handle will be a simple iron latch type. They also discussed the need for some repairs to the wood on the front door. D. New Business: The Norwich Heritage and Regional Visitors’ Center will have a grand opening on Friday, June 12th. E. Chairman’s Report: Mr. Largent, owner of 20 Harland Rd informed the Chairman that he would have to install a heat exchange unit that would require some exterior work on the building. He will apply for a COA next month. The Chairman responded to a letter from the FCC regarding the siting of a telecommunications antenna on the steeple of a church located at 70-78 Central  Avenue in the Greenville section; while not in the NHD this location is on the National Register of Historic Places. A reply with this information was sent. The Chairman also met with Assessor Ralston and obtained an updated list of property owners in the two historic districts. She also changed the information on the property records to more clearly indicate which historic district the property is in. Letters will be sent to the property owners in July. F. Next Meeting: The next regularly scheduled meeting is June 17, 2015 at 5:30 pm G. Adjournment: On motion by Muccilli, seconded by Gilluly the meeting adjourned at 6:10 pm. Respectfully submitted Gideon Loewenstein Chairman GL/mtl