Westport News

Westport Historical Commission
Special Meeting Minutes
November 10, 2008
Town Hall, Second Floor

 

Present:
Bette DeVeuve, Arlene Cloutier, Norma Judson, Geraldine Millham, Sharon Connors,  Anne “Pete” Baker
Absent:
Tim Bryant, Jim Collins, Jane Loos, Dora Millikin

 

Others:  
Betty Slade

 

1. Sharon Connors (SC), chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
   

 

1. SC read a letter to the Building Inspector giving WHC permission to move ahead with permit to demolish the properties at 605 and 597-599 State Road and 6 Gifford Road.  (Attachment 1.)
   

 

1. SC read an email to Atty. Peter Collias, who represents Mr. & Mrs. John McDonough, informing him that 1813 Main Road would be on the December 1, 2008 and January 5, 2009 agendas.  She noted the WHC is requested to send such notifications when 1813 Main Road appears on the agenda.  (Attachment 2.)
   

 

1. Arlene Cloutier moved and Bette DeVeuve seconded the purchase of a box of copy paper by SC to reimburse people who had provided large amounts of copy paper for WHC activities.  The motion was carried unanimously.
   

 

1. Arlene Cloutier moved and Bette DeVeuve seconded a motion to ask Ms. Liz Collins to serve as liaison between the WHC and the Hopkinson family members, who are owners of the Wolf Pit Schoolhouse, on the matter of arranging visits by school children to the school.  It was carried unanimously.  Geraldine Millham suggested that WHC members visit the schoolhouse project at the Wilbour House in Little Compton to see what they have done on the interior regarding desks and artifacts. Pete Baker suggested that more research be done to see what might have been there.  Betty Slade suggested that the students be brought into that research.
   

 

1. Brian Corey, Jr. has requested help on finding proper vehicles to advertise the availability of the historic house at 874 Main Road for moving.  He is willing to spend $2,500 on such advertisement and will provide the building free to anyone who might want it for their use.  WHC members suggested that Mr. Corey could reconsider use of the house, but realizes it cannot compel him to do so, just to encourage him.  It was decided that Mr. Corey should be invited by SC to a special meeting of the WHC to discuss his plans for the property and where the advertising money should be spent.  It was decided that SC should also write a letter to the Central Village Improvement Committee to attend such a meeting because of the desire to have uses of property in the Village meet the guidelines of the Master Plan, and that sidewalks may be involved.  Betty Slade agreed to provide email addresses of David Wallace and Elaine Ostroff to the Chair so she could contact them first.
   

 

1. SC reminded the WHC that the December 1 meeting is very full and that they should visit the sites that are going to be considered if they have not done so:  1813 Main Road, preliminary review; 1998 Main, certificate of appropriateness; 2048 Main Road, certificate of appropriateness; 1973 Main Road, certificate of appropriateness.
   

 

 

1. Oscar Palmer Farm Acquisition.  On October 15, there was a meeting of  the  CPC and the Ag Open Space Preservation Trust Fund Council to discuss the acquisition of the Oscar Palmer Farm at  138 Adamsville Road by the Land Trust.  Three members of the WHC attended as well as Jennifer Holske, Trustees of Reservations, Peggy Stevens, Land Trust, and Jane Loos, FINCOM.  Norma Judson read a statement she had prepared for this meeting:
   

 

“The CPC would like a clear understanding of what the Historical Commission would like to see done at the Oscar Palmer Farm.  $200,000 has been set aside under Historic Preservation and $200,000 under Affordable Housing, an issue that has not been resolved, nor may it be possible to do there.  We should discuss how best to protect the property and what role, if any, we (WHC)  should plan there.  Our thoughts and decisions should then be passed on to CPC and the other partners involved in the purchase.”

 

The WHC made clear that it wishes to preserve the exterior of the main house and all the outbuildings, as well as the configuration of stone walls and the cemetery.  A preservation of the “historical landscape” was therefore envisioned. Two ways of doing so had been proposed at the October 15 meeting and were reaffirmed at this meeting:  (1) formation of a historic district in which this group of buildings and stone walls would be included and/or (2) preservation and/or deed restrictions on the buildings and stone walls which would be in perpetuity and managed by the Dartmouth Preservation Heritage Trust (DPHT) or some other professional Trustee, along with conservation restrictions on the land.

 

Discussion then concentrated on the second alternative, but not necessarily excluding the first.

 

The WHC agreed to take immediate steps as follows:

 

SC appointed an Oscar Palmer Farm committee made up of Pete Baker, Geraldine Millham, Tim Bryant and Betty Slade.  Norma Judson agreed to help as needed and would be the representative to the CPC for this project.

 

Pete Baker suggested and it was agreed that documentation of the interior and exterior of the buildings and the site, including measured drawings, photographs and a site plan, was needed as a first step.  Pete agreed to contact Greg Nowell to do the drawings, Paul Gay to do a site plan and David Allen to do photographs.  Tim Bryant would also be involved in the drawings as he had volunteered to help on this project.  AC would contact Ken Ferrara as a possible alternative to Paul Gay for the site plan.  BS agreed to approach CPC as a possible source of funds for these activities from the historic preservation funds awarded by Town Meeting for this endeavor. 

 

Betty Slade and Pete Baker suggested contacting Peggy Medeiros at the DPHT for further information on preservation restrictions.  BS agreed to provide SC with the contact points for the relevant parties at DPHT.  The committee would meet with DPHT on this matter soon.

 

Norma Judson would report to the CPC meeting on Thursday night on these activities.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm. The next meeting  is on December 1, 2008.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Betty Slade
Volunteer Secretary

 

November 12, 2008
Approved Dec 1, 2008