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2013-01-31CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES Board: Historic District Commission Date: January 31, 2013 Location: Beverly City Hall, City Council Chambers, 191 Cabot Street Beverly, MA Members Present William Finch, Chair, James Younger, Vice Chair, Martin Lian, and Wendy Pearl Members Absent: None Others Present: Tina Cassidy, City Planner, Lee Dellicker, President of Windover Construction Recorder: This meeting was recorded and transcribed by Eileen Sacco Finch called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Younger moved that the Historic Commission recess at this time for public hearings. Pearl seconded the motion. The motion carried (4 -0). Public Hearing — Demolition of Commercial/Residential Structure at 142 Rantoul Street/ Windover Properties Finch addresses those present and explains the role of the Historic Commission in this matter. He explains that a demolition delay order applies to all buildings over 50 years old when an application is presented to the Building Department and it is referred to the Historic Commission for review if necessary. He further explains that if the Commission finds that the building is historically significant, a public hearing is held to determine if the building is historically significant to Beverly and if so, should it be preferably preserved. He also explains that if a building is not found to be historically significant then no determination as to the building being preferably preserved will be necessary and the Building Inspector will be free to issue a demolition permit. Lee Dellicker, President of Windover Development addressed the Commission and explained that he has six months' worth of permitting to do for the project and he is willing to live with the demolition delay order for the year. He stated that the building will be demolished and explained that his original thought for early demolition would be for temporary parking during construction, however he has found that it is not necessary. Finch opened the hearing up for public comment at this time. He asked that those wishing to comment limit their comments to the property at 142 Rantoul Street, as the Park Street property will be taken up in a public hearing following this discussion. He also asked that participants limit their comments to those that are pertinent to the jurisdiction of the Historic Commission. John Mullady addressed the Commission and reviewed the history of the site and noted that it was the site of the Cushing Carriage Company and is historically significant to Beverly's transportation history. Page 1 of 6 Peter Doust of 677 Hale Street addressed the Commission and stated that he is confused by the applicant's statement that he is willing to wait out the demolition delay order for a year, noting that he thought that the purpose of the demolition delay order was to give time to look for ways to possibly save the property. He read a prepared statement referring to a documentary on the area that was done by Bev Cam on the history of the area. Finch agreed that the purpose of the demolition delay order is to provide time to explore other options for the preservation and or rehabilitation of the site. A resident of 15 '/z Railroad Avenue addressed the Commission and stated that she is concerned about the redevelopment of the area noting that the Odell Park area is like a scene out of Norman Rockwell. She urged the Commission to preserve the area of Odell Park and the depot. Rosemary Maglio of 30 Pleasant Street addressed the Commission and stated that the Cushing Carriage House is historically significant to the City of Beverly and shows the uniqueness of Beverly. She urged that the building be rehab'd, noting that the applicant is seeking federal tax credits for the project and they have the financial wherewithal to fund the rehabilitation of the project. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Finch declared the public hearing closed. Public Hearing — Demolition of Four Story Structure at 9 Park Street (formerly the Press Box Bar — Windover Properties Finch noted that the historical significance of this property as already been determined since it was deemed eligible for the National Register by the Massachusetts Historic Commission. Lee Dellicker addressed the Commission and explained that as with the property at 142 Rantoul Street, he is willing to live with the demolition delay order for the year. He explained that he traded this building for 45 Broadway which was scheduled to be demolished and was under a demolition delay order. He explained that they saved that property from demolition and it is currently being used for veteran's housing. Finch opened the hearing up for public comment at this time. He asked that those wishing to comment limit their comments to the property at 9 Park Street. He also asked that participants limit their comments to those that are pertinent to the jurisdiction of the Historic Commission. John Mullady addressed the Commission and reviewed the history of the site, noting that the former hotel was a destination host for tourists. He noted that in 2008 the Massachusetts Historic Commission determined that the property is historically significant by deeming it eligible for the National Register and urged the Commission to deny the demolition request. Page 2 of 6 A resident of 31 School Street addressed the Commission and stated that she grew up in Beverly and she appreciates the old buildings and there are things that should be preserved as part of Beverly's history. Rene Mary of 274 Hale Street addressed the Commission and read a prepared statement outlining the history of the site and other buildings in the area. She urged the Commission to preserve the area. John Wall of 43 Colon Street addressed the Commission and urged them to issue a demolition delay order for the site. He noted that the demolition delay would allow for the further exploration of options for the site. He noted that there have been instances where older buildings have been rehab'd and blended into the neighborhood, noting that the dorms at the Montserrat College of Art located in downtown Beverly are a good example of that. He also stated that he is concerned about how the new construction proposed for the area will blend with the historic presence in the area. Matt Pujo addressed the Commission and recalled his involvement with researching the historic properties in Beverly and stated that the historic buildings in Beverly add character to the neighborhoods. He noted that 9 Park Street is one of the last examples of a hotel across from a train depot in the country. He noted that the history of the train depot is significant as well noting that soldiers left for war from that site and the area is a potential historic district in the making. He questioned how the area could be viewed as a historic district with this piece of the puzzle gone. He encouraged the developer to pursue thoughtful development of the property rather than demolition of it. A resident of 15 '/z Railroad Avenue addressed the Commission and stated that she does not want to see 9 Park Street destroyed for the construction of 74 apartments. She stated that there are some craftsman that would love to get their hands on that and restore it to its original beauty and urged that other alternatives be looked into. Dick Simms addressed the Commission and handed out historical photos of the hotel and noted that once the hotel is gone, it's gone and cannot be replaced. He noted that several historic sites in Salem have been lost noting the Paramount Theater and the Salem Train Station at Riley Plaza. He also recalled that there was a school that burned down to the ground in Beverly that was fully restored back then and urged Mr. Dellicker to reconsider the demolition of this landmark, noting that it could be a wonderful center piece for the project. Rosemary Maglio addressed the Commission and suggested that the program `This Old House' be contacted to possibly rehab the property. She also noted that the box factory was rehab'd into apartments. Bill Squibb addressed the Commission and stated that he was involved in the CPA initiative that was passed in November by the voters. He noted that eventually there will be CPA funds available for historic renovations etc. and suggested that the demolition of the site be denied. He also recalled that the sites in Salem mentioned earlier in the meeting were lost during Urban Renewal in the 1970's. He noted that Beverly is historically unique and historically tied to the Page 3 of 6 railroad. He urged the Commission to issue a one year delay and that Mr. Dellicker reconsider his decision. A resident of Lothrop Street addressed the Commission and stated that the building has a lot of character. He noted that there was a lot of passion for the historic properties but not resources. He also noted that people are the core of the community and change is difficult but necessary sometimes and he is in favor of moving forward with the demolition and project. Finch read letters of comment from the following individuals into the record: Mildred Herbert of 3 Fowler's Lane, Ipswich, Massachusetts. The letter was written on behalf of Margaret Tracton, who is the granddaughter of the former owner of the Trafton Hotel, now a resident of Florida. Susan Lamont of 20 Porter Street, Beverly, Massachusetts. City Councilor Wes Slate addressed the Commission and stated that there has been a lot of intense discussion over the last few months about the potential growth of the downtown and the preservation of historical properties. He noted that he would be remiss if he did not note that he has been supportive of some Windover Projects in the past, noting that the Montserrat dorms are a great example of a project fitting into a neighborhood. He noted that they show that they are capable of doing good work when they are urged to do so. Councilor Slate referred to the Bev Cam video and noted that a lot of time was spent during the TIF discussions ensuring that the depot area will remain historically significant. He suggested that there are many groups in the city, including the Beverly Historic Society and the Beverly Archives Committee that are small and never well funded that have and are willing to work on the preservation of the property. He also noted that the recently passed CPA initiative will generate more interest in preserving historic properties as funds become available. He urged the Commission to take positive action towards the preservation of the site. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Finch declared the public hearing closed. Younger moved to reconvene the regular meeting of the Beverly Historic Commission at this time. Pearl seconded the motion. The motion carried (4 -0). Determination as to Whether the Structure at 142 Rantoul Street is Historically Significant Younger stated that there have been a lot of comments this evening centered around the quality history of transportation in Beverly. Page 4 of 6 Pearl stated that the structure meets the test of historical significance and the building remains an example of the architecture and the economy of that period. Lian agreed that the building is historically significant. Motion: Younger moved that the Beverly Historic Commission declare that the property located at 142 Rantoul Street to be historically significant. Pearl seconded the motion. The motion carried (4 -0). Determination as to Whether the Structure at 142 Rantoul Street Should be Preferably Preserved Younger stated that he feels that the structure should be preferably preserved as it contributes to the street scape of depot square. Pearl stated that she agrees. Lian stated that he does not agree that the property should be preferably preserved unless it could be brought back to its original state to reflect the history of the area. Motion: Younger moved that the Beverly Historic Commission find that the property located at 142 Rantoul Street to be preferably preserved. Pearl seconded the motion. The motion carried (3 -1 with Lian opposed). Determination as to Whether the Structure at 9 Park Street is Historically Significant Finch noted that the historic significance of the building at 9 Park Street has been determined by the Massachusetts Historic Commission and that meets the ordinance criteria. Motion: Younger moved that the Beverly Historic Commission declare that the property located at 9 Park Street to be historically significant. Pearl seconded the motion. The motion carried (4 -0). Determination as to Whether the Structure at 9 Park Street Should be Preferably Preserved Younger reviewed the ordinance regarding the findings for a property to be preferably preserved. He noted that based on that he recommended that the property at 9 Park Street should be preferably preserved as it is a major contributor to the street scape and is historically significant. Pearl noted the Victorian architecture of the structure and it would be nice to get it preserved. Younger explained the role of the Commission is to provide opportunity for preservation to occur and there have been a few instances where preservation has happened, noting a building in North Beverly that was proposed to be demolished for the Walgreens project and the developer changed his mind. Page 5 of 6 Pearl noted that a preferably preserved decision relates to the public interest and it is the duty of the Historic Commission to protect the public interest. She noted that the property has many of the amenities that some planners build developments around and a demolition delay is an opportunity to take a look and see if something could be accomplished. Motion: Younger moved that the Beverly Historic Commission find that the property located at 9 Park Street to be preferably preserved. Pearl seconded the motion. The motion carried (4 -0). Election of Officers Election of Chair of Beverly Historic Commission Younger nominated William Finch to serve as Chair of the Beverly Historic Commission for the year 2013. Pearl seconded the nomination. The motion carried (3 -0 -1 with Finch abstaining). Election of Vice Chair of Beverly Historic Commission Pearl nominated Younger to serve as Vice Chair of the Beverly Historic Commission for the year 2013. Lian seconded the nomination. The motion carried (4 -0). Correspondence Finch explained that the Commission has received a request for comments from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on the construction of a public walkway along the waterfront near the Salem Beverly Bridge. Cassidy explained that this is the last remaining condition to be done on the Bridge project. She explained that the design is finished and the state is ready to go out to bid on the project. Finch noted that the area is not in the historic district and it was the consensus of the Commission that there are no comments on the project. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Beverly Historic Commission this evening, Younger moved to adjourn the meeting. Lian seconds the motion. The motion carries The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Page 6 of 6