Historic District Commission - Regular Meeting

All right, it's uh 9:02. We'll call the meeting to order. We have a quorum and um Do you know if Deb is coming? Deb is not coming. Deb is not coming. So Martha, whose turn is it? Uh it's Ed's turn, right? And Ed will be authorized to to vote at this meeting. Um, is there a motion to approve the June 2nd regular meeting minutes? Second. Ed moved. Carolyn seconds.

There's one typo with two words repeated. You can just take those out, but it's not anything substantive. Oh, okay. Repetition of worries. Could Can you uh alert I mean Yeah, sure. Of course. Tell tell Martha which words. Okay. Hi David. Hi. With that uh is there any further discussion? And then subject to that technical correction? Uh all those in favor? I I

I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Motion carries. Um, wow. We have a public here today. Is there any public comment? Okay. Um, is Michael here? Michael and David. And, uh, the first item on the agenda is the Lime Academy of Fine Arts. I drove by this morning and saw a post easily at work on the on the roof.

I believe that's a just a like forlike uh replacement. But um other comments you would like to to share? Uh we have been approached by a donor, husband and wife, who would like to make a donation to the academy of $1.8 $8 million in order to purchase the property currently owned by Gilber next door 80-1 Live Street.

And their idea is they would like to rent the house that Gil has been living in. It's an older couple, two retired architects who love the academy, love being close by to the academy and really support our program. and they would like to see the sculpture barn that Gil has used for the last 20 years or so um as something that the academy and its students could access in order to really create additional space for the sculpture students. So, we plan to uh attend the zoning board next Monday night um to informally uh present our ideas, get any feedback that the zoning board might have and uh visually approach them in the fall, probably at the October. Well, we appreciate you coming today and filling us in. That's a a a grand change. Uh comments and questions. Yes.

Do you intend to continue the use of the sculpture garden? Yes. I think that the many of the sculptures that are there belong to either guild or friends of guilds and will likely be removed. There may be a few that remain. Um it's likely given the focus at the academy on more classical figurative um sculpture that those are the kinds of pieces that might go in the sculpture garden in the future. So uh Michael, so the so the idea is that uh the academy will own the property, right?

And and and rent the rent the house and Right. Yeah. So yeah, they're they're making the donation to the academy so that we can Right. So you you're renting it to architects and using the other thing. Yeah. Um it sounds interesting use for the property. And what do you envision changes in parking? I mean, will this lead to an increased use besides the I mean, the tenants obviously, but uh increased use that would necessitate additional parking on that site.

I don't think so. I don't know, John, if you've been back to the there's a sort of a pathway between the academy parking lot and the sculpture barn. Okay. And so we would anticipate that our students would park there and access that the sculpture barn through that path so that they wouldn't use the driveway to access it using your already um substantial existing parking. Right. Are are there any new structures envisioned or is it uh basically

what the uh the couple who are making the donation would like to do a couple of alterations to the property. One is there's a pool currently that they can fill in the pool and create a fountain there. There are two changing cabanas adjacent to the pool. They want to make those artist studios. to

probably put up some kind of wall or fence or landscape demade the property, you know, the place where they'll be living from where the academy is. It's fairly clear now that there might be additional shrubbery or things like that that might to So those are the the main changes. Does the property I'm just wanting to also understand if if it's actually in the historic district or not and does the property include the the drive that Yeah. So the property does include that driveway, right? And I think there's a small portion of it that fits within the district.

And is does that small portion include any portion of the of an of the existing house of the house? Yes, it does. And it's the um east side of the garage where the garage starts. Oh, right. Yeah. And is it is it the is the garage attached to the house? It is.

Okay. So, as you probably know, um, we if if there are visible from any public streets, any part of a structure, any part of which is in the district, then the the district would have jurisdiction over structural any structural changes from what's existing or anything anything new. Yeah, the house itself there there are no conceived um ideas of altering the house itself. So I don't think that we're going to have any significant um items to bring to to you guys. So

it's a very exciting project for the gifted. Yeah, that's wonderful. Yeah, any other questions or comments? Yeah, I think it's an exciting prospect for the for the academy. It's nice use for the property, good for all. We're glad the academy is moving forward. There's a time of transition there where

definitely definitely as the uh enrollment is growing the full-time enrollment is growing steadily the continuing ed program it's sort of off the charts and youth program is sort of not as uh robust as the continuing ed but you know moving up each year. What's what's your full-time? Full-time will be 50 students in the fall and our plan is to grow by 10 students a year until we hit a maximum of around 80. So, we've been following that trajectory for the last five years. Great. Good. Yes. Carolyn, will you need housing for the additional students?

We're anticipating that the housing would be in the community sort of the way things were when the academy was founded and we're about to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2026 and that was the idea that Elizabeth Warren Chandler happens that people would be a part of the community and that's that's already happening up and down live street there are students are living in room or in auxiliary buildings throughout the so great well thanks Thank you for filling us in. Yeah. Great.

Um, a little ahead of time, but um, that's okay. Greg is is here and Greg if you have comments wish to present your your proposal that's that would be great. Sure. Please come up if you like. if there's anything to to share.

So, um, basically I think we had the conversation uh two months ago uh where we presented two separate signs and uh without realizing it that that that there was an issue with that. Um, and so we've come back with the with a single sign. It's two in two pieces that are chained together. Um but basically what we presented and discussed at the the meeting. So, one more graphic sign which provides sort of a branding and is sort of a contemporary look and then the other which is the connected examiner below um constructed out of wood uh uh painted oil paint sort of a a clat but still using sort of old-fashioned techniques and uh kind of an oldfashioned sign replacing what was a metal sign in fact up there that's now been removed. Um, we I think it says this is because it was from the previous we we would anticipate uh installing it um around the end of the month. It has to be constructed which is

And Martha, do you have copies of this? No, I do not. Okay. So, that was what Okay.

I thought these had gone. I thought you said then is there a picture of the new new this is this is look like oh right here so the sorry about that so the chain that connects so it is there's a chain that would be connected a metal chain it's the equivalent of what you see as as yeah a realtor sign or old lime man there we go one sign one sign and two pieces, right? And Greg, are these numbers measurements of

in inches? They should be in inches. It's roughly uh in in terms of total air, it's roughly smaller than the the previous sign that existed, right? And this was is wooden. Are they are they is the lettering wooden also? The lettering would be painted. It's we just use standard sign sign oil paint. Oh, I see. Painted. So, uh actually Robin does has done a lot of this professionally. So,

right. Um questions, any comments from the this is this is officially the first public hearing on the agenda. Any comments from anyone here or questions? Comments or questions from anyone else? Yes, Caroline.

I think um Greg, all respect for everything you're doing, the rebranding and everything, the only thing we should consider as a commission is all the new signage language that you've provided says that new signs must be compatible with the historic district. So just looking ahead, not looking at this side particularly, but looking ahead, would this be considered compatible? The more modern upper part of the side, I just think it's worth, you know, discussing because we never know what kind of precedent is being set. Well, I feel that that it's a lot like all the I mean, it's the the logo itself may be a little more contemporary, but the idea is sort of it's still sort of the porta board kind of

I agree. you know, it's still I mean all of

I mean from for I guess for my own take speaking as a historian the idea of of sort of the simplicity of of the federal and colonial. A lot of times people think of this as um primitive but for my taste I look at it and I think of it as in many ways fundamentally modern and about streamlining. And so the simplicity of it actually for my taste it it actually conforms with the underlying ideas of of of the historic district if not quite the form. So it's sort of theme and variation if you will. So when I actually look at like my own house or something I think of it the first thing I think of is like a a streamlined trailer or something. I think of the the the the uh the loss of all that sort of detail. you know, the same way as we see like um Baroque churches turning into simple chapels in in the UK.

I had one question on the chain. Is there a is there a material color kind of what's the character of the chain? You know, as as low key as possible whether I'm not it would probably I'm thinking it would probably be uh brass that lacks that lacks a shellac varnish. So it'll so it'll uh weather out, right? But not a plastic shape. No, not a plastic. No, no, no. Repeat. Specify that. Just Absolutely. And is the entire sign, you know, we don't get into color, but is the entire sign painted and then

oil and letters or is it a wood sign? Um, it would have a a a white base coat. White base coat. Yeah. And uh and then our standard we had a sort of a red, white and blue kind scheme painted in uh in a uh it would probably have a slight sheen but painted in oil sign. And are you envisioning any sort of border of the sign? It'll have it'll it will have a slight molding around slight slight uh so it'll probably stick out a quarter inch. Right. Um, any other comments?

I didn't understand the color scheme. Could you say it again? It's uh red, white, and a red, white, and blue. So, but not a white background and forgotten the exact colors of the letters. It's roughly our um roughly what you see on our our website. It's our our look. So the idea is not to certainly um we generally don't like to stand out if you will but it but it is great marketing for us. Will will the lower portion of the sign be free free floating or will it be anchored to the building?

It will be it would be anchored to the building. Hooked to the hooked to the sign and then anchored to the building. Yeah. Yeah. And will the lower section be black lettering or will that be red, white, and blue also? It'll be two two it would be two color. I'm not sure a background and then one color. But I'm not sure if it's I believe if it was whether it was black. I think it was black. It could be a very dark blue. I think it's important to note the the frame dimension. If it's a picture frame or you're on on the submission, right? Well, this is this is attached to the submission. We'll note that it's in specified in inches,

right? That that the whatever the profile is because to me that's the import an important feature or design element. Profile is if it it's approximately it' be approximately one inch one inch. Yeah. Profile. Yeah. Oh, okay. I see. Yeah. Uh, I make a motion that we approve the sign with the note that the the frame dimension is noted on the uh on the application. Um, well, a frame dimension of ofately in approximately one inch. Yeah. And then extending up about a quarter inch. Right.

A second. And and could we also add that the chain connecting the signs be a brass brass? Yeah. And wasn't there something else we talked about? Guess that's it. I'm sorry. So with that with those two condition commissions or stipulations second. Further discussion. All in favor? I I There you go. Thank you. I'm curious. Thank you. Um let's see. We're a few minutes ahead of time.

Wait a second. Greg, let me keep that. Okay. It's part of your submission. Oh, yes. Oh, and also noting that the dimensions are a I I'll let you I'm going to let you. Okay. inches. Can the frame dimension in that inches and then approximately one in

one inch deep? Okay. All right. Thank Thank you. So, while you're while you're sitting here, we always like to take advantage of your your expertise. Um, we've made some additional inquiries about the status of the train uh issue. From what we've heard, we've heard two things. One of which is a bit confusing. The one that's confusing is that the Charletown meeting was between town officials and state. There was no mention of MTRA participating. I don't know if that's

MTRA MTRA participated in the meeting. They did. And the second is that things are presently on hold. Um

I mean the the process has officially started I gather. Well, you know, I'd have to check with the the agencies. You know, a lot of things in government right now with with funding and everything else, there's been um a a lot of uncertainty. Um certainly um highspeed rail has been a uh not exactly a popular um issue in some ways with with the current administration as it applies to California. Although high speed highspeed rail projects in Texas for example have gotten support and there's several of these. Um this particular project it's just a it's a planning project. Um they did put out an RFP for it and I don't know what the status of that is. This would be the second portion. So the first portion was the New Haven to Providence capacity market study that was completed last year and that basically gives the sense of is this financially viable right and what's financially viable and the project is to solve the connection the plan the connection between New Haven and Providence how do we do it the metrics for that connection are already in place and those were determined in 2017. Right? So how much capacity any solution has to add and how much speed it has to reduce from the connection that is set in stone. So it's it's legally binding. Um but how they do it technically it could connect anyway any corridor between these two uh cities um our

understanding is the market study showed that there was no it basically ruled out um a northerly route and so our expectation is that the the coming planning study the New Haven to providence capacity planning study um will find a route that's something like was what was perceived what was created and proposed before um technically it cannot exist fully on the existing corridor um so I mean it's always been our question if you put the same metrics in and you get rid of the route does it just presuppose the same answer um and what does that mean my understanding ing is that the that this project will take a little while and that it will be the capacity plan will probably take another year or two. Um they have pledged just a couple of months ago to meet with town officials to set up public meetings all of this but I haven't heard anything from them yet. We also put out an inquiry, a