Historic District Commission

NORWICH HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Minutes of the February 21, 2024 Regular Meeting 5:30PM via ZOOM & Room 319 of City Hall 100 Broadway, Norwich, CT Members Present: Timothy Dowhan (Chairman) (ZOOM) Regan Miner Jacob Stahl (ZOOM) Dayne Rugh Gregory Farlow (ZOOM) Nancy O’Neil (ZOOM) Greg Johnson (ZOOM) Members Absent: None Guests: James Salls (ZOOM), Linda Frick (ZOOM), Keri Booth and Tyler Booth Timothy Dowhan 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. ● COA 541 - 380 Washington Street (Tyler and Keri Booth) - Reconstruction, Roofing, Windows, Other Keri Booth stated they purchased the home as a foreclosure that past October and after moving in noticed water leakage. Keri Booth stated that their insurance company requested that the moss be removed from the roof, which has been done, but after the chemical wash was completed more issues were exposed. Keri Booth stated that they were aware the windows were leaking but it worsened after the moss removal. Keri Booth stated they had hoped to wait to address the roof but it now needed to be done sooner than later. Keri Booth stated she was told the cost to replace the roof with like-for-like cedar shingles would be double the price of a different material. Keri Booth noted that other homes on the street had cedar shake style asphalt shingles that they were hoping to utilize. Keri Booth stated that the work done to the carriage house roof had begun and stopped prior to them moving into the home. Keri Booth stated they have covered the carriage house roof with a tarp for the time being, but that would need to be addressed as well. Keri Booth stated they were hoping to work on both roofs at the same time. Tyler Booth added that they are looking to prevent any further damage to the home. Tyler Booth stated that after the lichen was removed it was determined the moss had actually penetrated the cedar shakes, in addition to the wood being worn down. Tyler Booth stated they are looking to start the work in the rear corner of the home and then work on the rest of the roof moving forward as it becomes financially feasible. Keri Booth stated that all of the windows in the bay sections have bare spots and the three windows on the second story were having the same issues as the lower bay windows. Keri Booth noted there was additional leaking behind the gutter system as the roof no longer reached the gutters. Keri Booth stated that the visible damage shown in the submitted photos was on the third floor within a finished attic space. Keri Booth stated that all of the roof damage was in the same corner of their home. Tyler Booth clarified that the proposed work was not  just for the outcropping of the bay windows but the rear quadrant of the home from the peak going into the third floor, as well as the outcropping of the windows. Tyler Booth stated that the hope is that the repairs to the roof will mitigate leaking as they are not looking to replace the windows. Jacob Stahl inquired regarding the high cost quoted for using like-for-like cedar shingles. Keri Booth stated that they received different price points from three contractors, but all stated that if they were to use actual cedar shakes opposed to an asphalt or fiberglass shingle in a cedar shake style it would be double the cost. Tyler Booth stated they did contact the state about ways to defer costs, but they would still be required to pay the cost up front even if they received a tax credit. Tyler Booth reiterated that the cost for cedar shakes was quite high and not feasible to bring the home to a secured condition. Discussion ensued. Regan Miner stated she was happy to see the home under private ownership and that the homeowners were invested in reinvigorating the property to its former glory. Dayne Rugh noted that while it was problematic for the commission to go against its own guidelines he understood the difficulties with replacing roofs on historic homes. Dayne Rugh stated he felt it prudent to preserve the historically significant property. ● COA 542 - 385 Washington Street (Linda Frick) - Restoration, Roofing James Salls reported that the work to the roof was already completed and they were seeking to retroactively acquire a COA for the work done. James Salls stated that the roof of the barn was stripped down, the plywood was replaced and the shingles were replaced with like-for-like material. James Salls stated that on the main home flashing was installed on the chimney to repair leaks and that no substantial work was done on that roof. Timothy Dowhan noted that the work done to the main home, even if it was only a repair, would require a COA. James Salls responded that he understood and that the work was expedited due to emergency leaks. James Salls stated that lead flashing was installed, which matched what was existing. II. Regular Meeting The regular meeting was convened at 5:59 PM. A. Action on COA’s ● COA 541 - 380 Washington Street (Tyler and Keri Booth) - Reconstruction, Roofing, Windows, Other Nancy O’Neil made a motion to approve the COA as written and presented. Gregory Farlow seconded. Gregory Johnson stated that although he understood the asphalt shingles are against the guidelines, asking the homeowners to replace the roof with cedar shingles was a huge financial undertaking. Timothy Dowhan noted the portion being replaced on the home was in the rear, although the carriage house roof is visible from the road. Nancy O’Neil noted that it sounded as though the shingles would be designed to look like cedar shingles. Timothy Dowhan discussed the makeup of other roofs in the area, which were a mixture of asphalt shingles and cedar shakes. Jacob Stahl stated that he would like to see an example of the shingle before agreeing they would look the same. Dayne Rugh agreed. Dayne Rugh stated his view was that the home was a significant historical property in the city and was currently in rough shape  in many aspects. Dayne Rugh continued that the plans suggested by the homeowners seemed much more reasonable than what had been done previously. Dayne Rugh stated he was not a fan of going against the guidelines but would not like to see the home go into further disrepair. Dayne Rugh stated he felt the cost to the homeowner needed to be taken into consideration, as it was a major factor. Gregory Johnson agreed that it would be better for the home to be maintained than to require something out of the homeowner’s financial means that would lead the home into further disrepair. Jacob Stahl noted that the asphalt shingles were likely more durable, but reiterated that he would like to see a sample before making a decision. Regan Miner agreed and stated she would also like to see the proposed shingle before approving. Gregory Johnson agreed with Jacob Stahl and Regan Miner, but noted he did not want to delay the applicant until the next regular meeting if the only apprehension with approving the COA was due to viewing the proposed shingle. Nancy O’Neil revised her motion to approve the COA as written and presented, subject to authorized members of the commission viewing the materials to be used prior to implementation. Gregory Farlow seconded. Nancy O’Neil, Gregory Farlow, Gregory Johnson, Jacob Stahl, Dayne Rugh and Timothy Dowhan voted in favor. Regan Miner voted in opposition. The motion passed. ● COA 542 - 385 Washington Street (Linda Frick) - Restoration, Roofing Nancy O’Neil made a motion to approve the COA as written and presented. Gregory Johnson seconded. Nancy O’Neil stated that although the work occurred without obtaining a COA prior, like-for-like materials were used so the COA seemed appropriate for the work needed. Gregory Farlow, Gregory Johnson, Jacob Stahl, Nancy O’Neil, Regan Miner and Dayne Rugh voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. B. Minutes of the Wednesday January 17, 2024 Meeting ● Gregory Farlow made a motion to approve the January 17, 2024 meeting minutes. Nancy O’Neil seconded. Gregory Farlow, Timothy Dowhan, Regan Miner, Jacob Stahl, Dayne Rugh, Nancy O’Neil and Gregory Johnson voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. C. Chairman Report ● Timothy Dowhan stated he had not heard back from the city since submitting the budget for the year. Timothy Dowhan reported that he spoke to the city’s IT department regarding software use for maintaining documents. Timothy Dowhan shared the names of free programs he was suggested to use. Timothy Dowhan stated that he received an inquiry from 78 Town Street and let them know the property was located in the Village Overlay District and not under the jurisdiction of the HDC. Timothy Dowhan stated he also received a request for an expedited COA for HVAC work at 171 Broadway. Timothy Dowhan continued that the boiler at the property stopped working so the homeowner was looking to install mini- splits for the four units within the property. Timothy Dowhan stated that he relayed a proposal of work to be done would need to be submitted before any consideration could be given. Timothy Dowhan stated he had not received any correspondence back as of yet. D. Old Business  ● Updated COA Application Timothy Dowhan stated that Regan Miner distributed the third iteration of the draft COA and no further updates had been submitted, so he would submit the new COA over to the clerks to upload to the website. Regan Miner stated she had city counsel Michael Driscoll review the draft and he gave it his approval. E. New Business ● None. F. Next Meeting Date ● Scheduled for Wednesday March 20, 2024 at 5:30 PM. G. Adjournment ● Greg Johnson made a motion to adjourn the regular meeting at 6:35 PM. Jacob Stahl seconded. Timothy Dowhan, Regan Miner, Jacob Stahl, Dayne Rugh, Nancy O’Neil and Greg Johnson voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Katherine Rose Recording Secretary