[MassHistPres] owner request to demolish property based on condition

[Paul Bourdon]

WOW! I guess I don't understand how they have the money to tear this
nationally significant building down and rebuild a brand new house??? So
they would be willing to replicate a chamfered First Period timber frame?  I
would make sure you have someone who can make an informed assessment of the
actual structural condition of the building. A lot of old houses look a lot
worse than they are and replacing sills is not that big a deal. Why don't
they just sell the property? How do people like this become owners of these
buildings?

Paul Bourdon
Southborough


On 1/24/11 10:20 PM, "Nancy Dole" <ndole at verizon.net> wrote:

> Hi everyone.
> 
> We have had an owner application for a certificate of hardship to allow
> them t o demolish a house they own in the district. I will just copy
> here the minutes from the meeting this evening, and ask for comments.
> 
> 
> Applicant came to discuss the situation with the family homestead, she
> and her brother are the current owners, as of 1998. They want to
> demolish the house and build a new house in the same location, and would
> begin that process by requesting a certificate of hardship, based on the
> age and condition of the existing structure. The original house is a
> cape circa 1630, built by Josiah Standish, one of the original settlers
> of West Tisbury, and the son of Miles Standish, a well known figure in
> American history. The additions to the original structure were built in
> 1865 by applicant's great great grandfather. The house has great
> significance in the town¹s history, and is a town and island landmark.
> But it is in severe disrepair, and the current owners are not able to do
> the work needed to preserve it. Demolishing it and building a new home
> would be their preferred solution.
> 
> It is not clear if a hardship that is unique to the property and is not
> applicable to the rest of the district, which is required by our bylaw,
> could be that it is older than any other structure in the district and
> is in such disrepair that it is not worth fixing.
> 
> One of our members suggested we do some research to see how other
> districts have handled the issue of a house that is of great historic
> value to a district, but is beyond repair and/or too costly for the
> owners to repair. We decided to contact the Mass Historic Commission
> Mail Server List, and raise the issue.
> 
> There was discussion by the members as to whether the original 1630 cape
> was more historic than the 1875 additions, which were add-ons, and if
> those add-ons could be demolished and not replaced, while the original
> cape could also be demolished, but be replaced by a replica.
> 
> The decision was made to schedule a site visit for Saturday the 29th at
> 10:30 am. The members of the Historic Commission as well as any other
> interested parties are welcome to attend.
> 
> Another meeting will be scheduled for February 7th.
> 
> So I am doing as requested, and writing to ask if any of the other
> districts have had applications like this, and how they were resolved.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Nancy Dole
> West Tisbury Historic District Commission
> 
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