Present: Nancy Butman (Chair); Holly Larner, Barbara Lynn-Davis, Annette Bagley.
The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM.
The Agenda was approved without changes.
The Minutes were approved without changes.
EBI:
There was a review of photographs provided by EBI of the proposed cell tower on Keyes Road. It appeared that the posts of the cupola would be visibly thickened by installation of T-Mobile panel antennas.
Nancy suggested sending an e-mail to Sue Rettberg, Chair of the HDC, to see what they are saying in regard to this tower. Our inclination is to say that it seems to be visibly altering the structure. We’d like to present a consensus view.
Caesar Robbins House:
Marcia Rasmussen had distributed information and updates about the house. There have been efforts to find the deed to the Town-owned land near the Old Manse. The conveying act has been found but the deed has not. Anita Tekle found a note in the Town Report from 1945 mentioning that the deed was recorded.
Nancy mapped out exactly where the Town-owned parcel in question is located.
The owners of the Caesar Robbins house don’t want to make any deals involving removal of the house without purchase of the full property.
Hopefully, the Drinking Gourd Project will get enough money from the CPC to buy it. The money would be perhaps a loan: the Town would be repaid when the land was sold.
2010:
It was decided we would meet on the third Thursday of every month as we have been doing. There was discussion of whether July, not August would be a better month to take off because of CPA applications.
We decided to talk to Gary Clayton, Chair of the CPC, regarding application reviews by the CHC. As it stands, by the time they get to us, it is too late to have any input.
Annual Report:
We decided that the following topics should be discussed in Nancy’s essay: Caesar Robbins House; CPA applications; cell tower review; MHC preservation award to the West Concord Depot; Battle Road Scenic Byway; Hanscom and the NPS; Historic Resources Survey.
The picture will be of the Caesar Robbins House.
Discussion of Plans for 2010:
Gary Clayton wants a meeting to talk about CPA-funded projects that don’t have historic preservation restrictions on them. How do we oversee them as a Town?
We need to craft a coherent statement about rehabilitation versus preservation. Also, what triggers a preservation restriction? Marcia and Lara should be involved.
Develop Weston-like guidelines for Concord? An online version? It was agreed this was more forward-thinking, more our “job” to provide this broader overview than overhaul the Master Plan. Nancy will ask Marcia for money to get a hard copy of the Weston guidelines so we can all read it.
Ongoing involvement with the Caesar Robins House.
A meeting with Anne Forbes to explore the “neighborhood” piece of the Survey. We have FY 2009 money until June.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Lynn-Davis
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