Historic District Commission Approves New Home, Dumpster Fence in Two Tuesday Votes

The New Shoreham Historic District Commission approved plans for a new single-family home in the Calico Hill historic neighborhood and signed off on a fence to screen a town dumpster, according to the commission's July 28 meeting, its published meeting recording shows.

New home on Old Town Road

The commission's first item was an application to build a single-family house on a lot on Old Town Road, within the Calico Hill historic district. A builder presenting the application walked the commission through exterior materials in detail: cedar shingle siding, wood trim throughout, vinyl windows designed to resemble traditional double-hung sashes, triple-glazed wood-and-fiberglass doors, and a 30-year architectural asphalt roof. He said the design was scaled back to affect only one lot rather than a larger parcel, preserving what one commission member called the property's visible open lawn.

A commission member, who said an earlier absence for health reasons had kept them from viewing the site in person, said they would have voted no had they been able to weigh in on the placement and voted no on that basis. Another member abstained. Two other members voted in favor, and the commission approved the application by roll call vote.

Before the vote, members debated fine points of the design, including the difference between triple-glazed windows and standard glazing, and how the plans defined a porch versus a deck. One member, drawing on years of reviewing similar historic-district applications, said the design would fit the district's character.

Fence to screen a town dumpster

The commission also approved a plan to install a wood fence, likely cedar, to screen a dumpster kept near a town-owned building's restrooms. The presenters said the dumpster has sat exposed for a couple of years, is unsightly, and has effectively become a spot where members of the public leave their own trash. They proposed a fence roughly a foot from the rear of the structure, discussing whether cedar or painted white fencing would better match the surrounding area before settling on a natural wood finish. The commission approved the fence application by vote, with one member abstaining.

Minutes cleanup

The commission also worked through a backlog of unapproved minutes. April's minutes had been tabled after an earlier, lengthy meeting; May's minutes were revised to include findings of fact that had been left out of the record; and June's minutes were presented for the first time. All three were approved, with individual members abstaining from months they had not attended.

Agenda dispute

Near the end of the meeting, the presiding member attempted to make an announcement on an unrelated matter that other members said was not listed on the posted agenda. Several members objected, saying commission rules do not allow discussion of items that were not agendized in advance, and the exchange grew tense before the chair moved to adjourn. The meeting closed with a motion, seconded and passed, to hold a future hearing on the matter — meaning the underlying issue was not resolved and will return to the commission at a later date. What that hearing will specifically address was not detailed on the recording.

Residents with property in New Shoreham's historic districts can review board decisions and upcoming hearing dates through the town's published meeting materials.