Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2023 04 24

Home Browse Search

Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes March 20, 2023 Page 8 of 9 of the program. It would be a valuable exercise. He does not believe that the Old Town Overlay can go without the HPC's input. This commission is about preserving historic homes, not saving homes. He has had three different ways to interpret the roof rule. He is a big believer in our historic program but it is complicated and has many nuances. He discusses loopholes he has found. He mentions that stays have outlived its lifetime and explains why. He mentions that saving every historic home is difficult because its life span can be over 100 years. These are tired buildings and very hard to save. If discussing maintaining character in these neighborhoods, talk about how the new can fit the existing character. He concludes that we are not in the business of deciding what is too large. That is why density bonuses are really tricky. We have a housing problem and ADU's could be a solution for our community and provide more opportunity. Haley says that at the conference, they mentioned density and how it can be more sustainable and affordable for residents. She asks staff what the next step would look like. Brackett Hogstad says the draft ordinance will give you something to look at. That would be the minimum next step, to comment on that piece for the next code. Sending her additional emails with feedback that she can forward to the consultants is helpful as well. If there is information such as the relationship between density and preservation that the commission would like staff to look further into, that would be helpful. Haley says she is interested in knowing the percentage of homes that have used the preservation bonus and how it affected potential landmarked homes. Also, more information on lot division. Zuccaro says he heard conversation on if a home is preserved or landmarked, the possibility of dividing the lot if the lot is a certain size. This ordinance draft is very much about new homes and new construction. We do want this finished this year. Applicant Presentation: 809 Main St Preservation Progress Report by DAJ Design Andy Johnson, DAJ Design Johnson shows old and existing elevations and says this is a very skinny site. They wanted the front to have a strong presence on Main Street. He then shows the commission 3D images of the building including the buildings surrounding it and brochure pages. There were challenges with construction because of how much snow we have had this winter. Construction only took place for 2-3 days every week. The shoring also had to be re -designed. The foundation was difficult because it was built on dirt. It was amazing that this structure did not fall down. The front facade had no foundation. Right now, the shoring is done and they are working on the footings. Towards the end of June is our hopeful complete time. Anderson asks if he has a time lapse of this project. Johnson says they do not. It is getting setup though once the wall is poured.