Arlington Historical Commission
Minutes of the Meeting of Tuesday,
7 May 2002
Whittemore-Robbins House, 7:30 PM
Call to Order: Robert Botterio, presiding, with commissioners Pamela Meister, Patrick Guthrie, Michael Ruderman; associate Michael Goodwin, and secretary Lyz Carey. Mr. Arthur Fertman provided an update (below) of the plans for renovations (to be conducted by Mr. Goodwin) to his home at 3-5 Brattle Street.
Minutes of 2 April 2002: approved.
Communications from Mr. Botterio:
92 Webster Street's owners requesting a demolition permit-property is not on the inventory.
35 Bailey Road is on the inventory; Mr. Botterio to instruct owners accordingly.
23 Court Street's owners would like a new historical marker-Mr. Botterio will explain that we are looking for a new painter to create the markers.
The Massachusetts Historical Commission informs us of two requests for licenses to install telecommunication antennae on inventoried properties: 47 Mystic Street, and the Pleasant
Street Congregational Church.
Review of Projects
125 Brattle Lane/Farmer's Lane (Colonial Ridge LLC) 11/99: Ms. Robinson and Mr. Botterio have inspected the site, and issued a stop-work order to address the vinyl windows installed on the original farmhouse, in violation our permit to move and restore this house.
1167 Mass. Ave. (Mirak) 9/00: Mr. Guthrie has written again to the owners to request the removal of the incorrectly-restored, vinyl windows.
23 Maple Street (Town of Arlington)11/00: Robinson, Guthrie-no activity.
45 Fairview Avenue (Trvalik) 4/02: Botterio-no building activity. We congratulate our former commissioner Ms. Trvalik, and our secretary will send a bouquet of flowers on the occasion of the birth of the Trvaliks' daughter Ruby Paige, born May 5.
30 Academy Street [f. 20 Pelham Terrace] (McKee) 11/01: Ms. Robinson will continue to monitor the work, after the addition fo this address to the Pleasant Street Historic District (see New Business below.)
24 Gray Street (V. Brown, W. Stewart) 12/01: Stange-no report.
35 Bailey Road (Weil): Mr. Guthrie has been in communication with the architect,and together they have reviewed old photographs of the dormers on the main building,and found design elements which may be re-incorporated with the new work.
32 Draper Avenue (R. Kingston, R. Feinbaum) 3/02: Ruderman-no activity except for interior demolition.
3-5 Brattle Street (Fertman) 4/02: After consulting with the monitor, Mr. Stange, Mssrs. Fertman and Goodwin presented several revisions to the plans already approved, all of which the commission endorses: skylights to be installed in the rear roof only; cornerboards, trim, and clapboards all to be fashioned of natural cypress wood; vinyl windows to be installed in the porch bathrooms; reproduction of the original (“wavy”) glass for the third story windows which, with the installation of storm windows without, and a safety bar 18 inches above the floor within, will qualify as a historical restoration and avoid the requirement for clear, tempered safety glass so close to floor level. Mr. Fertman will also pursue a loan from the Arlington Preservation Fund for exterior work.
Demolition Pending
962 Massachusetts Avenue (Rita Yegian, owner): November 8, 2001
Reports
Whittemore-Robbins House (and outbuildings): Mr. Botterio has met with, and received the approval of, the trustees of the house for final restoration work on the carriage house. He will also look into a sudden, precipitous drop (from approximately $12,000 to $2000) in the carry-over balance of this commission from the last fiscal year to the new one.
Arlington Civic Block Garden: yard work and re-seeding scheduled for later this month, before function-tent season.
Updates and Expansion to Inventory: Meister, Guthrie, Stange-Mr. Duffy s report forthcoming.
Inventory of public buildings: Stange and Robinson-considered, and after discussion, decided not to press for the addition of the Park Circle Fire Station at this time.
New Business
8:00 pm: Formal Hearing:, 468 Mystic Street (Winchester Country Club, owner )
Attorney Paul Haley appeared for the Club. The tennis building, he said, functions as a pro shop for the resident tennis professional, and as a shelter from the rain for tennis players. It was built in the 1960s as a snack bar, and now finds itself uncomfortably within the range of long hitters on the golf course. Tennis court renovations, therefore, call for the present building to be removed, and a new tennis pro shop to be built.
The commission determines the tennis building to be a late addition to the inventoried site, one which does not contribute to its architectural or historical significance. The commission voted 4-0 in favor of its immediate demolition, with two conditions: first, that no temporary structure occupy the site of the tennis building for more than one year after May 10, 2002; and second, that the commission review the plans for the permanent building.
Town Meeting approved Article 10, the recommendation to the Selectmen to submit a home-rule petition for a “special places” legislation. It also approved Article 58, the addition of seven homes on Pelham Terrace to the Pleasant Street Historic District.
Request for assistance: Old Schwamb Mill
The commission endorsed Mr. Ruderman's proposal to re-establish a relationship with the old Schwamb Mill, a role played by the late associate of this commission, and for three decades the managing trustee of the Mill, Mrs. Patricia FitzMaurice. Past and present trustees had spoken with Mr. Ruderman and requested the commission s help in returning the Mill to its mission as a living museum of Arlington's industrial history, and to assist the present trustees with stabilizing the finances of the complex.
Confirm next meeting for June 4, 2002, and closed at 10:00 pm.
For the Arlington Historical Commission: A. Michael Ruderman, Commisioner
Bob Sprague
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