[MassHistPres] 40B developments in LHDs

[Judy Markland]

Weston successfully fought two 40B proposals in a National Register district.

In the first, the 40B went through, but the developer agreed to maintain 
the exterior of the existing house and barn and put units in each.  The new 
construction was placed at the rear of the property, down a slope, so that 
the historic viewscape was maintained.  Both affordable housing and 
historic preservation CPA $ were invested in the project.  The developer 
was very cooperative.

In the second, a 40 B that would have technically preserved an 18th c house 
but demolished a 19th c. barn while filling the adjacent hayfield and much 
of the land around the house with giant boxlike multi-family units was 
defeated, primarily by generating much adverse publicity and getting many 
preservationists and architects to lobby both MHC and the DHCD to oppose or 
greatly modify the project.  Both departments as a result were very 
deliberative about producing a decision, and the developer finally threw in 
the towel.  This was and is a very important viewscape for the town on a 
very well traveled road.

Judy Markland

At 04:02 PM 10/15/2011, Dennis De Witt wrote:
>Over the years there have been various questions raised on the listserve 
>about threatened 40B developments in LHDs and/or NR 
>properties.  Typically, there is no record of what happened.
>
>I also find a conversation way back about Chris keeping a record of such 
>cases but don't know if it came to pass.
>
>I would be interested in knowing about all instances where there was a 
>realized (not just threatened) 40B in an LHD or impacting an NR property 
>-- or a threatened one that was effectively blocked or substantially 
>mitigated because of NR or LHD status.
>
>Dennis De Witt
>
>
>******************************
>For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact 
>Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE 
>WHOLE LIST.
>MassHistPres mailing list
>MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
>http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
>********************************