Historic District Commission

NORWICH HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Minutes of the May 18, 2020 Special Meeting The special meeting of the Historic District Commission was held Monday May 18, 2020 at 4:00PM via Zoom virtual meeting. Members Present: Regan Miner (Acting Chairwoman) Richard Guidebeck Greg Johnson Nancy O’Neil Members Absent: Timothy Dowhan Guests: Dayne Rugh I. Public Meeting The public meeting was convened at 4:09 pm. The order of COA presentations and discussions are at the discretion of the commission to accommodate all participants. ● COA 417 – 417 Washington Street (Karen Andrew) Restoration, Electrical The applicant was not in attendance. ● COA 418 – 371 Washington Street (Frank Novack) New Construction, Fencing The applicant was not in attendance. ● COA 419 – 431 Washington Street (Jan Fossum) Preservation, Restoration, Roofing The applicant was not in attendance. ● COA 420 – 116 Union Street (Jeffrey Mann) New Construction, Deck The applicant was not in attendance. ● COA 421 – 71 East Town Street (Society of the Founders of Norwich) New Construction, Fixtures, Gutter Dayne Rugh of the Society of the Founders of Norwich stated they are seeking to put a new copper gutter on the rear of the former J. Carpenter Silversmith Shop Dayne Rugh stated the gutter will be partially visible from the street and it will be identical to the one on the neighboring Dr. Daniel Lathrop Schoolhouse. Dayne Rugh stated the gutter will drain into the City-installed drainage located on the shared driveway and the proposed is one of many steps to mitigate drainage issues on the property. Nancy O’Neil further questioned the visibility of the gutter to which Dayne Rugh responded the gutter protrudes slightly past the roof line causing minimal visibility. ● COA 422 – 71 East Town Street (Society of the Founders of Norwich) Reconstruction, New Construction, Masonry, Perimeter, Foundation Dayne Rugh stated this COA is a similar project to COA 421 in that the Society of the Founders of Norwich received grant funding to mitigate drainage issues at the former J. Carpenter Silversmith Shop which includes the reconstruction of the fieldstone foundation. Dayne Rugh explained that the existing fieldstone foundation has begun to sway and bulge inward at the rear of the building due to a lack of drainage and water seepage into the foundation. Dayne Rugh stated they are seeking to install a french drain while slightly altering the grade of the land to allow water flow away from the foundation. Dayne Rugh stated they are also seeking to rebuild the fieldstone foundation with the installation of a new, historically appropriate, bulkhead door in order to permit exterior basement access as the only current access point is interior via a drop hatch. Dayne Rugh stated the exterior access point would not only be an ease of access but would allow for additional entry in case of emergency in the basement, such as a burst water pipe, to prevent the upper levels from being disturbed. The bulkhead will be historically appropriate and will be made of wood. Dayne Rugh stated they are working to preserve as much of the historical character of the building as possible and plan to utilize as minimal concrete as possible. Richard Guidebeck asked where the bulkhead would be located to which Dayne Rugh responded it would be located in the far rear of the building. Gregory Johnson questioned the construction process to which Dayne Rugh explained the project would be done in three sections with one completed before the next is begun. Richard Guidebeck asked if the sills of the building were in good standing condition. Regan Miner, on behalf of the Norwich Historical Society who is collaborating on the project, responded that COA included the replacement of the sills with like-for-like wood as the existing are rotting. Regan Miner added that a few rotting clapboards on  the West side of the property facing United Community & Family Services and East Town Street would also be replaced with like-for-like material. II. Regular Meeting The regular meeting was convened at 4:26 PM. A. Action on COA’s ● COA 417 – 417 Washington Street (Karen Andrew) Restoration, Electrical Richard Guidebeck made a motion to accept the application as submitted. Nancy O’Neil seconded. Upon discussion, Regan Miner stated she would recommend that the meter be painted to match the home. Richard Guidebeck, Nancy O’Neil, Regan Miner and Gregory Johnson all voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. ● COA 418 – 371 Washington Street (Frank Novack) New Construction, Fencing Richard Guidebeck motion to approve the COA for purposes of discussion. Gregory Johnson seconded. Discussion ensued on the details of the project. Gregory Johnson made a motion to accept the application as submitted. Nancy O’Neil seconded. Richard Guidebeck, Nancy O’Neil, Regan Miner and Gregory Johnson all voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. ● COA 419 – 431 Washington Street (Jan Fossum) Preservation, Restoration, Roofing Gregory Johnson made a motion to accept the application as submitted. Richard Guidebeck seconded. Regan Miner stated that herself and Timothy Dowhan had been contacted by the homeowner earlier the previous week in regards to his situation as the roof had been severely damaged, in part removed, by a recent storm in turn causing significant internal damages. Regan Miner stated she consulted the State Historic Preservation Office who recommended the homeowner continue repairs but still submit a COA so the work was in progress, possibly completed. Gregory Johnson, Richard Guidebeck, Nancy O’Neil, and Regan Miner all voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. ● COA 420 – 116 Union Street (Jeffrey Mann) New Construction, Deck Richard Guidebeck made a motion to accept the application as submitted. Nancy O’Neil seconded. Discussion ensued on the details of the project and the visibility  of the porch from the street. Regan Miner stated she would make a recommendation to the homeowner to maintain the white railing to match existing trim of the home. Richard Guidebeck, Nancy O’Neil, Regan Miner and Gregory Johnson all in favor. The motion passed unanimously. ● COA 421 – 71 East Town Street (Society of the Founders of Norwich) New Construction, Fixtures, Gutter Nancy O’Neil made a motion to accept the application as presented and submitted. Gregory Johnson seconded. Nancy O’Neil, Gregory Johnson and Richard Guidebeck voted to approve the COA and Regan Miner abstained. The motion passed. ● COA 422 – 71 East Town Street (Society of the Founders of Norwich) Reconstruction, New Construction, Masonry, Perimeter, Foundation Nancy O’Neil made a motion to accept the application as presented and submitted. Richard Guidebeck seconded. Nancy O’Neil, Rihard Guidebeck and Gregory Johnson voted to approve the COA and Regan Miner abstained. The motion passed. B. Minutes of Wednesday April 15, 2020 Regular Meeting and Friday May 8, 2020 Special Meeting ● Richard motion to approve Nancy seconded unanimous C. Chairman Report: None. D. Old Business: None. E. New Business: ● Updates to Webpage: Regan Miner reported she had been working to update the HDC website with accurate information to streamline the amount of frequently asked questions she receives. Discussion ensued on the location of the HDC page within the City website as well as updating the FAQ list and adding the updated HDC brochure to the site. Regan Miner asked that members do a final review of the proposed updated website verbiage and brochure in preparation for the June meeting so that the Commission may vote on approval. F. Next Meeting Date: ● Scheduled for Wednesday June 17, 2020 at 5:30 PM. G. Adjournment ● Richard Guidebeck made a motion to adjourn the Special Meeting at 5:18 PM. Gregory Johnson. Richard Guideback, Gregory Johnson, Nancy O’Neil and Regan Miner all voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Katherine Rose Recording Secretary