[MassHistPres] Link to: "Weston tries to save house from wrecking ball" - Globe West - The Boston Globe

[Sara Wermiel]

I wonder if Weston's demolition delay law contains the language in MHC's
model demolition delay, age-based law, preventing demolition without
redevelopment approvals:

 

"No permit for demolition of a building determined to be a preferably
preserved building shall be granted until all plans for future use and
development of the site have been filed with the Building Commissioner and
have found to comply with all laws pertaining to the issuance of a building
permit or if for a parking lot, a certificate of occupancy for that site.
All approvals necessary for the issuance of such building permit or
certificate of occupancy including without limitation any necessary zoning
variances or special permits, must be granted and all appeals from the
granting of such approvals must be concluded, prior to the issuance of a
demolition permit under this section."

 

If so, why wouldn't these requirements buy more time? As I understand this
text, it calls for owners who plan to build on the site of a demolished
preferably preserved building to have plans for a replacement building in
hand, and have those plans approved, or else no demo permit can be granted.
This rule in Beverly's demo delay law stalled the demolition of the Emerson
house in Beverly, because the owner didn't have plans approved after the
delay period expired.

 

Do communities have this language in their demolition delay laws and if so,
isn't it helpful, to at least gain time when, as in the case of Weston,
there's a plan on the table to save the house?

 

Sara Wermiel

Historian of technology/historic preservation consultant

Jamaica Plain, MA

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Marisa Morra
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2015 9:07 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu listserve
Subject: [MassHistPres] Link to: "Weston tries to save house from wrecking
ball" - Globe West - The Boston Globe

 

All,

Weston Town meeting will vote on giving $250,000 of CPA money to help save
William Ralph Emerson's 1887 house for Benjamin Loring Young.

here is a link to the Globe article.  Also link below to our town website
for more information.  I will  keep this listserve informed of our progress.

Marisa Morra, WHC member.

 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2015/05/07/weston-tries-save
-house-from-wrecking-ball/qrxvDpLckfRKj0theqaBNJ/story.html?p1=Article_InThi
sSection_Bottom

 

http://www.weston.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC
<http://www.weston.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7b689949C7-9443
-421B-939E-B0EF730EF6CD%7d> &SEC={689949C7-9443-421B-939E-B0EF730EF6CD}  

see  article 31:  20 Young Road under CPA  requests

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