Historic District Commission

NORWICH HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Minutes of the October 21, 2021 Special Meeting The special meeting of the Historic District Commission was held Wednesday October 21, 2021 at 5:30 PM via Zoom virtual meeting. Members Present: Regan Miner (Chairwoman) Timothy Dowhan Richard Guidebeck Gregory Johnson Nancy O’Neil Gregory Farlow Members Absent: None. Guests: Chris Skelly, Bill Champagne, Paul Ethier, Jonathan Webster Regan Miner reviewed the rules of a virtual meeting and clearly notified participants that the meeting would be recorded. I. Public Meeting The public meeting was convened at 5:30 pm. The order of COA presentations and discussions are at the discretion of the commission to accommodate all participants. ● Information Session on Updating the Historic District Commission Design Guidelines by Consultant Chris Skelly SEE ADDENDUM I FOR ATTACHED PRESENTATION Christopher Skelly explained the differences between national and local historic districts and provided a brief historical background on the types of the districts. Chris Skelly explained what design guidelines typically constitute, who uses them and how they cover various project reviews  under the city ordinance. Chris Skelly discussed the next steps for the design guideline project, which included seeking community input on the design guidelines, preparing a draft version of the design guidelines, seeking additional community input on the draft guidelines, finalize the guidelines based on input from the community, adoption of the design guidelines and the revision of the guidelines over time. Jonathan Webster asked for clarification within the guidelines on exterior architectural features of a home as what can be seen from the public right of way or roadway has always been in question. Jonathan Webster stated his home abuts a cemetery and he was unsure if that constituted a public right of way as his home was only visible from that view during winter months. Chris Skelly recommended following up with the city attorney to which Regan Miner responded that she would follow up on the question. Gregory Farlow questioned if new guidelines would be retroactive to which Regan Miner responded the guidelines would apply to applications and work moving forward. Bill Champagne suggested including information on the Connecticut historic homeowners tax credit program to potentially assist homeowners looking to do work on their house. Gregory Farlow asked Chris Skelly about his experience with putting storm windows on older homes to which Chris Skelly stated that storm windows would be a part of the design guidelines and that storm windows were common in other districts. Timothy Dowhan noted that the Historic District Commission had recently received several post-work COA’s for emergency situations and asked if a caveat could be built into the guidelines to address this. Discussion ensued. Chris Skelly suggested deferring to the city attorney as such an issue would fall under city rules and regulations, not the design guidelines. II. Regular Meeting The regular meeting was convened at 6:20 PM. A. Next Meeting Date ● Scheduled for Wednesday November 17, 2021 at 5:30 PM. B. Adjournment ● Timothy Dowhan a motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting at 6:20 PM. Richard Guidebeck seconded. Gregory Johnson, Nancy O’Neil, Gregory  Farlow, Richard Guidebeck, Timothy Dowhan and Regan Miner voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Katherine Rose Recording Secretary ADDENDUM I Updating the Local Historic District Design Guidelines City of Norwich Norwichtown Historic District Little Plain Historic District There are two kinds of historic districts in Norwich. National Register Local Historic Districts Districts National Register Districts Greeneville Historic District Yantic Falls Historic District Downtown Norwich Historic District Primarily an Taftville/Ponemah Mill Historic District honorary Laurel Hill Historic District designation Jail Hill Historic District Chelsea Parade Historic District Bean Hill Historic District Not what we are talking about today  Local Historic Districts Norwichtown Local Historic District Little Plain Local Historic District These are the historic districts we are talking about today Established by City Council through a City Ordinance These are also National Register Districts Under the local historic district city ordinance, certain projects in Norwichtown and Little Plain Historic Districts are reviewed by the Norwich Historic District Commission. When you don’t have local historic districts… When you don’t have local historic districts… When you don’t have local historic districts… Norwichtown Historic District Little Plain Historic District Local Historic Districts provide a means of protecting irreplaceable places while still being vibrant places to live and work, adapting to our modern world. What are Design Guidelines? Design guidelines assist everyone in understanding what works in a local historic district and what does not. Guidelines provide a clear avenue for balanced changes that are thoughtful and sensitive. Design Guidelines cover the various projects reviewed under the city ordinance. Who Uses Design Guidelines? The Historic District Commission Property Owners in the Local Historic Districts Contractors Architects Developers Sample Guidelines Text Porches Porches • Preserve existing historic porches and their individual architectural features. • Repair deteriorated architectural features on the porch. If replacement is necessary, choose similar materials and design. • Maintain the historic openness of a porch. Developing Design Guidelines for the Local Historic Districts in Norwich The Next Steps • Seek community input on the design guidelines • Prepare a draft version of the design guidelines • Seek community input on the draft document • Finalize the guidelines based on input from the community • Adopt the design guidelines • Revise the design guidelines over time Updating the Local Historic District Design Guidelines Norwichtown Historic District Little Plain Historic District Questions and Discussion