[MassHistPres] demolition and 'partial demolition'

[Skelly, Christopher (SEC)]

Daniel, demolition delay bylaws typically have their own definition for demolition within the bylaw itself. It is my understanding of the Medfield demolition delay bylaw that it includes no definition of demolition or partial demolition.

If your bylaw refers to partial demolition as being regulated, then I'm not clear how it can be entirely ignored by the building commissioner.   What is the current language included in your definition section of the bylaw?

I'd start with deciding, as the commission, what constitutes a partial demolition.  Discuss your definition with the building commissioner.  Ideally, at an upcoming town meeting, your bylaw would be changed to include definitions for demolition and partial demolition if they aren't there now.  In the meantime, including these definitions within your operating rules and regulations/rules of procedure would be a good idea.  Chris.

Christopher C. Skelly
Director of Local Government Programs
Massachusetts Historical Commission
Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us<mailto:Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us>

________________________________
From: MassHistPres [masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] on behalf of Daniel Bibel [dbibel at verizon.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2018 8:07 AM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] demolition and 'partial demolition'

The bylaws in the Town of Medfield (and those in a number of other Massachusetts' cities and towns) refer to 'demolition and partial demolition' as defined in the State Building Code ("SBC").

We have been informed by the current Building Commissioner in Medfield that the current edition of the SBC no longer has a definition for 'partial demolition.'  As a result, his attitude is that he will only forward to us applications for the total demolition of structures.

How are other Historical Commissions dealing with this?  A large number of the reviews which we have done over the past dozen years have dealt with major changes to the exteriors of building, but were not total demolitions. I would imagine this would also be true for other Historical Commissions.

Daniel Bibel
co-chair, Medfield Historical Commission
dbibel at verizon.net
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