Only four commissioners attended last week’s meeting of the Historic District Commission, and they moved quickly through a very light agenda. With commissioners John Nuckolls and Marty Cogan absent, Chair Steve Holifield became a voting member to establish a quorum.
Joe and Melissa Greene, at 17 First St., received permission to modify an exterior stairway. The stairs currently have only a top and bottom rail, and the Greenes want to add balusters for safety purposes. They also received approval to replace a basement door. The house, built in 1900, is considered contributing.
At 32 Emporia St., Brooks Bingman received approval for a cedar deck. The deck will cover an uneven rocky area, and will sit approximately eight inches above grade. The deck will follow the curves of the house and trees. The house, built in 1968, is non-contributing.
Commissioners discussed a situation at 9 Hillside where the owner has moved out of town and the Building Inspector has tried to work with a family member to get a contractor to repair the property. Since the owner has a history of inactivity, commissioners decided to set a time frame. They settled on asking for a plan of action within 90 days, with a timeline for repairs. The owner will be notified by mail.
The next meeting of the HDC is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Level III applications were due Sept. 5, and other levels are due by Sept. 12.