Historic District Commission

NORWICH HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Minutes of the December 15, 2021 Regular Meeting The regular meeting of the Historic District Commission was held Wednesday December 15, 2021 at 5:30 PM via Zoom virtual meeting. Members Present: Regan Miner (Chairwoman) Richard Guidebeck Gregory Johnson Nancy O’Neil Gregory Farlow Members Absent: Timothy Dowhan Guests: Chris Skelly, Damien Cregeau, Vincent Verdi, Michael Yesenko, Bill Champagne, Dayne Rugh, James Healy, Dr. Jan Akus, Sandy Akus, Trevor Ballantyne and Denise Vosburgh 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 5:35 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 Regan Miner provided a brief background on how the public information session and design guideline updates came to fruition. Chris Skelly started the presentation by explaining the difference between local and national historic districts and how the HDC Design Guidelines would apply to local historic districts. Chris Skelly explained what design guidelines entail and the updates being done to the Norwich HDC guidelines. Chris Skelly explained the next steps for the design guidelines which included finalizing the guidelines after seeking public input, adopting the guidelines, and revising the guidelines over time. (SLIDESHOW IS ADDENDUM I)  Dr. Jan Akus asked if there would be a meeting to discuss input following public review of the full guidelines. Regan Miner asked that any input be emailed to her by January 5th so the guidelines can be adopted at the January 19th regular HDC meeting. Sandy Akus asked if anything had been changed in regards to what fell under review based on visibility from the public way, which Chris Skelly clarified had not changed and that guidance fell under the city ordinance, not the design guidelines. Denise Vosburgh asked what could be done to entertain investors to put their vision into historic properties such as the Carol building, which had been neglected. Regan Miner responded that the Carol building is located in the downtown national district and would not fall under the HDC guidelines, but the property would qualify for historic rehabilitation tax credits. Dr. Jan Akus asked Regan Miner’s thoughts in regards to properties on the periphery of the historic districts such as the proposed Burger King on Town Street. Chris Skelly discussed creating a preservation plan for the city as a whole. Regan Miner added that the city is planning to revise its plan of conservation and development which includes historic resources, and they would be seeking public input on the document. Dayne Rugh commended the commission and Chris Skelly on their work as such a document had not already existed and it is extremely important. Dayne Rugh added he felt the guidelines were balanced and fair. Trevor Ballantyne asked for clarification on what major changes had been done to the guidelines. Regan Miner explained that the two-page document the city had available did not cover enough information and was very vague which made things difficult for both the commission and residents. Chris Skelly added that the guidelines went into more specific detail than the two-page document the city is currently utilizing. Vincent Verdi asked what his first steps would be to replace a staircase that had been on the front of his home decades prior. Regan Miner responded her hope would be that consulting the new design guidelines would be a homeowner’s first step as the guidelines cover acceptable proposed materials and how to begin a project. Chris Skelly asked Vincent Verdi to review the draft guidelines and provide feedback if it did not answer his questions. ● COA 477 – 17 Harland Road (Brian Lamothe) - Roofing The applicant was not in attendance. II. Regular Meeting The regular meeting was convened at 6:29 PM. A. Action on COA’s  ● COA 477 – 17 Harland Road (Brian Lamothe) - Roofing Gregory Johnson made a motion to approve the COA as submitted. Richard Guidebeck seconded. Gregory Johnson, Richard Guidebeck, Gregory Farlow, Nancy O’Neil and Regan Miner voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. B. Minutes of Wednesday November 17, 2021 Regular Meeting ● Nancy O’Neil made a motion to table the approval of the meeting minutes to the next regularly scheduled meeting. Gregory Johnson seconded. Gregory Johnson, Richard Guidebeck, Gregory Farlow, Nancy O’Neil and Regan Miner voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. C. Chairman Report ● None. D. Old Business ● None. E. New Business ● None. F. Next Meeting Date ● Scheduled for Wednesday January 19, 2022 at 5:30 PM. G. Adjournment ● Gregory Johnson made a motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting at 6:36 PM. Richard Guidebeck seconded. All voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Katherine Rose Recording Secretary  12/16/2021 Updating the Local Historic District There are two kinds of historic districts in Norwich. Design Guidelines City of Norwich National Register Local Historic Norwichtown Historic District Districts Districts Little Plain Historic District December 15, 2021 1 2 National Register Districts Local Historic Districts Norwichtown Historic District Greeneville Historic District Little Plain Historic District Yantic Falls Historic District Downtown Norwich Historic District These are the historic Primarily an Taftville/Ponemah Mill Historic District Laurel Hill Historic District honorary designation districts we are talking Jail Hill Historic District about today Chelsea Parade Historic District Established by Bean Hill Historic District City Council Norwich Hospital Historic District through a Not what we are talking about today City Ordinance These are also National Register Districts 3 4 When you don’t have local historic 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. 5 6 1  12/16/2021 When you don’t have local historic districts… When you don’t have local historic districts… 7 8 Norwichtown Historic District Little Plain Historic District 9 10 Local Historic Districts provide a means of protecting irreplaceable places while still being vibrant places to live What are Design Guidelines? and work, adapting to our modern world. Design guidelines assist everyone in understanding what works in a local historic district and what does not. They provide a clear avenue for balanced changes that are thoughtful and sensitive to the historic setting of the district. 11 12 2  12/16/2021 Who Uses Design Guidelines? Design Guidelines cover the various projects reviewed under the city ordinance. The Historic District Commission Such as: Property Owners in the Local Historic Districts Additions Porches Contractors Awnings Roofs Architects Chimneys Solar Panels Developers Decks Stairs and Railings Demolition Trim Doors Walls and Siding Dormers Windows Fences Garages Mechanical Equipment New Construction 13 14 Porches Examples of the Guidelines for 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. Avoid enclosing a porch that is visible from the public way. 15 16 Decks Examples of the Guidelines for Decks Site decks in the rear of the property in minimally visible locations. Screen decks from the public way with landscaping. Avoid siting a deck in the front of the property. Choose materials that are a wood product or closely replicate a wood surface. 17 18 3  12/16/2021 Other items in the design guidelines Developing Design Guidelines for the Local Historic Districts in Norwich History of Norwich and Historic The Next Steps Preservation December, 2021 Seek community input on the draft design guidelines. Architectural Styles in the Local Historic Districts January, 2022 Finalize the guidelines based on input received. Application and Hearing Process Adopt the design guidelines. Difference between National Register Districts and Local Historic Districts Revise the design guidelines over time 19 20 Updating the Local Historic District Design Guidelines Norwichtown Historic District Little Plain Historic District Questions and Discussion 21 4