[MassHistPres] Demo Delay--Determining Historic Value

[Sarah White]

I can provide you with perspectives from Newburyport where I chair the
Newburyport Historical Commission NHC) and Somerville where I work as a
Preservation and Zoning Planner and advise their Historic Preservation
Commission (HPC). I have included a few additional items of potential
interest first:

 - In Newburyport we have found that developers routinely build our
1-year delay into their plans. In Somerville, developers do the same
with the 9-month delay they have there. 

 - Somerville's demo delay law REQUIRES that the applicant and Historic
Preservation Commission (HPC) work together during the delay to find an
amenable alternative to demolition. If no such alternative can be found,
the two parties work together on the design of the replacement building
(and, often, the incorporation of existing historic components into the
replacement structure) and enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
that is voted on by the Commission and recorded with the Registry of
Deeds. I highly recommend this requirement and an enforcement mechanism
if the applicant does not comply therewith.  Somerville is also
revisiting its demo delay ordinance with an eye on this in particular as
currently there is no enforcement mechanism if the applicant does not
comply with this mitigation process.

 - Newburyport, unfortunately, has no such requirement. That said,
Newburyport has recently gone through significant issues pursuing a
large LHD and subsequent changes to the demolition delay ordinance. 

To the crux of your question:

NEWBURYPORT uses the following criteria to determine historic
significance:

Historically significant building or structure.

(1)
Any principle building or structure within the city which is in whole or
in part seventy-five (75) or more years old; or
(2)
Any accessory structure one-hundred (100) or more years old; or
(3)
Any building or structure which is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places; or
(4)
Any principle or accessory building or structure which is or has been
designated by the commission to be a significant building or structure
because either:
a.
It is importantly associated with one or more historic persons or
events, or with the broad architectural, cultural, political, economic,
or social history of the city or the commonwealth; or
b.
It is historically or architecturally significant (in terms of period,
style, method of building construction, or association with a famous
architect or builder) either by itself or in the context of another
building or a group of buildings, such as a neighborhood streetscape or
farm complex.


SOMERVILLE uses the following criteria to determine historic
significance:

Significant building or structure means any building or structure within
the city which:

(1)
Is listed on, or is within an area listed on, the National Register of
Historic Places, or which is the subject of a pending application for
listing on the National Register, or
(2)
Is at least 50 years old, and is or has been determined by the
commission to be a significant building or structure after a finding
that the building or structure is either:
a.
Importantly associated with one or more historic persons or events, or
with the broad architectural, cultural, political, economic or social
history of the city or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or
b.
Historically or architecturally significant (in terms of period, style,
method of building construction, or association with a reputed architect
or builder) either by itself or in the context of a group of buildings
or structures, and therefore it is in the public interest to be
preserved or rehabilitated rather than to be demolished.

Please feel free to contact me either at work at swhite at somervillema.gov
or at my personal email at sarah_m_white at yahoo.com at any time.
Best,
Sarah M. White
Planner - Zoning & Preservation
Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
City of Somerville
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
617.625.6600 x2534
swhite at somervillema.gov




-----Original Message-----
From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Mark and Amy
Friend
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 2:19 PM
Cc: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Demo Delay--Determining Historic Value

In West Newbury, we will soon be voting on our Demo Delay Bylaw.  I am
wondering if anyone would share with me the criteria your town uses to
determine the historic value of a building brought before the commission
because it is at risk of demolition.  Do you use the standards that the
MHC uses for the National Register?
"The criteria for listing in the National Register are: a) association
with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history; b) association with the lives of persons
significant in our past; c) embodiment of distinctive characteristics of
a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack
individual distinction; or d) likelihood of yielding information
significant in history or prehistory. Properties must meet at least one
of the above criteria to be eligible for listing in the National
Register."
Or do you use something else?
Thank you,
Amy Friend
West Newbury Historical Commission
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