Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2024 02 12

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Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes October 16, 2023 Page 11 of 13 Dalia asked for some clarification on the cost of some of the extraordinary items, and read through some of the line items. Applicant Presentation Jessica Bronson, nonresident, noted that the application met all of the landmark criteria. She spoke about the history of the house, noting that she was the first person to buy the house since it was built. They wanted to restore the historic siding and windows. The foundation is unstable, partly built on stumps rather than rock or wood. Peter Stewart, resident, was the architect of the project. He noted that the property was in poor condition, and that some kind of renovation was necessary to keep it in a habitable condition. He discussed why the project needed to be completed in one go, and could not feasibly be done piecemeal. Questions of Applicant Stewart responded to Dunlap's earlier question about the HVAC, and said that it was easier and more cost effective to do complete the replacement as part of the project, rather than trying to do it later and risk damaging the structure. Beauchamp asked the applicant about the inspection of the crawlspace. Stewart said that they had inspected it a few times, and that a civil engineer came up with their plan. They were disappointed that they could not come up with a better solution for the issue. Beauchamp asked how they planned on replacing the floor structure. Stewart said that it was not going to be replaced, but that it was instead going to be reinforced as it has started to sag over the years. They would use a combination of a beams in the mid -spans. Beauchamp asked about how they were going to replace the foundation. Stewart said that they would keep the structure in place, would excavate under the house to remove the existing foundation, and then pour it back up to the existing floor structure. Public Comment None was heard. Discussion by Commissioners Beauchamp said that he could appreciate foundation work that was needed for the house, and that it would not make sense to have a "bandage" solution that would not last more than 10 years. Burg asked whether the HSA called for the siding and insulation to be removed as was in the alteration certificate. Brackett Hogstad said that she did not recall if it was included, but that as part of a restoration project, the question was whether they would be valuable in bringing the property back to a single point of historical significance. Burg wondered whether not approving the alteration certificate would bring down the overall cost as they would not have to include those items in the restoration. She noted that the primary issue the HSA found was with the foundation, and not with the siding.