[MassHistPres] Demo Delays

[Diane Gilbert]

Thanks to Chris Skelly for passing on the list of communities and the length of their demo delays.  

In Dartmouth, we have 6 months and if we had to go back to town meeting now, I doubt we’d get approval to extend the delay period nor can I imagine that we would get approval for a demo delay at all. Our by-law was approved in 2003. Sadly times have changed and town meeting approvals are even more uncertain with respect to preservation warrant articles. 

I look at it this way.  Within 6 months’ time, if one cannot engage the private homeowner to save a historic asset or at least incorporate/include part of the historic building with modifications that fit their modern lifestyle (amenities), the homeowner will just wait it out. I view it as a “time-out” for the historical commission to work with the homeowner to present options and also for photography, documentation, measured drawings, etc.  

Ironically, a demolition permit request already puts the historical commission and preservationists at a disadvantage. If the property is owned by a municipality, the time required to work on the creation of a single structure historic district may be amenable to a town. But, private property owners who have other plans may not be so happy to be delayed by a year or 18 months. 

We are conducting a review of our bylaw to clarify some provisions and tighten things up. I am not even contemplating extending the delay period.  That would be a non-starter. 

I developed the demo delay by-law on behalf of the Historical Commission for the 2003 Town Meeting.  I am happy to share the document.  I had charts and stats anticipating a lot of push back. It was approved at that time.

Diane Gilbert
Dartmouth Historical Commission
President, Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust, Inc.  www.dhpt.org
(508) 965-7265

> On Jan 14, 2019, at 4:00 PM, Dennis De Witt <djd184 at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> To be clear, Brookline’s 18 month delay applies only to NR or NR-Eligible properties.  The non-NR delay is 12 months.
> 
> Also, Brookline is a CLG and because of that the town accepts that for purposes of the By-law the Commission’s determination that a property is NR Eligible is sufficient.
> 
> Dennis De Witt
> Brookline
> 
>> On Jan 14, 2019, at 11:39 AM, Roughan, Michael <Michael.Roughan at hdrinc.com <mailto:Michael.Roughan at hdrinc.com>> wrote:
>> 
>> Thanks to the counsel of Dennis De Witt and Gretchen Schuler, the Hopkinton Historical Commission is looking to extend our Demo Delay from 6 months to 18 months. The rationale is 18 months is sufficient time to create a single structure Historic District, if that is the course Town Meeting wished to take. We have one significant property that the applicant has submitted a demolition application for, the Davis House. This structure was built in 1794 and has a long list of events that occurred on the property.
>>  
>> Does anyone have any information they have prepared for their Town Meeting to support a Demo Delay? What I was thinking is a list of questions i.e. Why extend the demo delay? How will it affect my property? Etc. or stories about properties lost.
>>  
>> Also is there a list anywhere of the Ma. towns with their current demo delay length?
>>  
>> Regards, 
>>  
>> ….Mike
>>  
>> Michael Roughan, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, ACHA
>> Chairman - Hopkinton Historical Commission
>>  
>> Town of Hopkinton
>> 18 Main Street
>> Hopkinton, MA 01748
>> 
>> D 617.357.7725 M 617.784.6463
>> 
>> 
>>  
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