[MassHistPres] Great Estates Protection

[Chris Skelly]

Suzanne, 

It would be very surprising if the abutters had veto power in your
bylaw.  It would also be surprising if this bylaw allowed the use
through a variance.  More likely, this is done through a special permit
process.  

I imagine the current bylaw is written so that abutters can provide
comments to either the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals
depending on who is the special permit granting authority.  That board
then votes whether to grant to special permit.  

I apparently don't have an electronic copy of the Lenox Great Estates
bylaw.  I tried to find it on your municipal website but the website
where the zoning bylaws are was not working for me.  Can you obtain an
electronic version of the bylaw and email it over?  Chris.

Christopher C. Skelly
Director of Local Government Programs
Massachusetts Historical Commission
Boston Office
220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125
Ph: (617) 727-8470 / Fax: (617) 727-5128
Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcidx.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Suzanne W Pelton
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 2:15 PM
To: mass historical
Subject: [MassHistPres] Great Estates Protection

In Lenox we are looking for new wording in a Great Estates Bylaw to  
protect some 35 "cottages" built here during the Gilded Age.  
Currently Zoning only allows single family use by right and abutters  
have veto power over any other use which would require a variance.  
This has effectively stopped two new owners who would like to  
preserve the historic houses and operate them as inns. A few great  
houses here have been converted into schools, one into a spa and most  
architectural detail lost. Two, The Mount and Ventfort Hall, are  
being operated as House Museums, a precarious option in tough times.

The Lenox Historical Commission would like to suggest wording of new  
bylaw to encourage preservation, even offer an incentive to preserve  
these important buildings in our historic town. We would prefer to  
see creative use that preserves the houses as they were built rather  
than for them to be chopped up into condominiums, or gutted to make  
more modern use possible, or have condominiums built up close on the  
property.

Has anyone else grappled with this issue--have any wording to offer us?

Suzanne Pelton
Lenox Historical Commission


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