[MassHistPres] Questions about extending the Demo Delay Bylaw

[Dennis De Witt]

Diane

It may be different elsewhere, but I have little faith that here a 24 month delay would make the difference in saving an individual property.  However, 18 months makes it easier (and in some cases is needed to make it possible) to create a district when a demo delay is the catalyst.  18 months seems to work, as long as the neighborhood is on the ball and organizes the effort — if they can’t do that, it won’t pass town meeting here in any case.  So I wonder if 24 months would make any appreciable difference here re creating districts.  

Also, bear in mind that for a town the district is not created until the AG approves, which usually takes  90 days after the vote and can run longer of the Town Clerk delays submitting it.

The following three districts, all overlapping NR districts, were created by 12 month demo delays because they preceded our 18 month delay for NR properties — they were all to a tight schedule
— Chestnut Hill North LHD
— Graffham McKay LHD — approved with three days to spare
— Harvard Ave. HLD 

— Lawrence LHD — recent and in an NR district — 18 month

— a new Crowninshild LHD is almost certain to pass in May — not NR, so only has 12 months under our bylaw and has been a very tight schedule because next Fall’s town meeting would be too late — the delay was imposed in December.\

Hope this helps

Dennis De Witt 
Brookline

 
On Mar 22, 2015, at 7:12 PM, Diane Pursley <pursley_diane at yahoo.com> wrote:

> The Lexington Town Meeting is faced with the decision to extend our Demolition Delay Bylaw from the current 12 months to 24 months. This Article was brought to Town Meeting via a group of citizens who are alarmed at the lack of protection it seems the 12 month delay really offers the properties currently included on the historic inventory.
> 
> We would like to reach out to this historic preservation community with the following questions:
> Why you think demolition delay bylaws work to preserve historic properties?
> Why would a longer demo delay be better? Is 24 months too long? 
> Has anyone moved from 12 months to 18 months and seen the longer period help preserve historic properties? 
> Do any towns on this list have data that could support the case for a demo delay bylaw in general or a case for moving from 12 months to 18 months?
> Could anyone direct us to studies documenting the impacts of the demo delay bylaw in general or an extension?
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
> Diane Pursley
> Town of Lexington
> 
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