Notes from the Historic Preservation Committee, December 12, Hybrid meeting

Present:

• Carl Sprague, Chair
• Peter Williams
• Pam Sandler
• Lisa Sauer
• Also present - Lisa and Mickey Kammeyer

1. September 19 Minutes approved as written
2. Lisa and Mickey Kammeyer, owners 1 South Hill Road, permit to move an historic barn about 100 feet
   1. Committee determines if structure is historically significant. If significant, it determines if the proposed work is a substantial alteration to structure.
   2. Unclear if historic and work would not significantly alter the structure — approved
   3. The Kammeyers moved from Egremont and assumed Stockbridge — like Egremont, Great Barrington, and Lenox - would have an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Bylaw. Sandler said Stockbridge does not have an ADU Bylaw and that is "bad". (Consideration was tabled by the PB)
3. Linda Jackson, Chair, Historic Commission, called Historic Preservation Committee and alerted them that the garden pavilion designed by Daniel Chester French in 1915 for Professor and Mrs. Felix LaMont at Fair Acres (22 Prospect Hill Road) was torn down.
   1. Sprague called it "a disaster" and the Committee was in shock
   2. How did it happen? Did Ned Baldwin, Building Inspector, know about it and did he grant a permit to tear it down?
   3. Did owners just bulldoze it without asking anyone?
   4. Committee will check further with Baldwin
   5. Committee agreed that a fine should be imposed. The bylaw states a fine of $100 per day be imposed until the mistake corrected. The question is — how can it be corrected? The original is gone, Could a replica be built?
   6. Sprague asked if there are photos. Williams said yes. (Photograph accompanies this report).
   7. Chair asked to alert SB
4. Sauer was sad that the center section, the oldest section, of a house was demolished. Williams explained the demolition was permitted as could not be saved however pieces of the structure were saved for reuse.

Meeting adjourned

Photo: Jay Rhind