[Massplanners] Demo & new construction in local historic districts

[Johnstone, Michelle]

Good afternoon, planners!

Worcester is facing a particularly difficult local historic district issue and is looking for some guidance from peer communities. Here are the facts in our situation:


  1.  A property owner concurrently applied to demolish a building with some serious structural issues and its associated carriage house/barn and construct a new multifamily dwelling at 114 Austin Street in Worcester, which is located in Worcester's Crown Hill Local Historic District.
  2.  The Commission approved their application at two separate meetings (at one meeting, they approved the demo of the house and a portion of the carriage house, stipulating that the front of the carriage house be preserved and attached to the new building. Given that there were design concerns for the new building regarding window type and a few other elements, they continued the new construction piece and approved that at their next meeting).
  3.  The Certificate of Appropriateness was issued all at once, including the demo, new construction, and facadectomy pieces.
  4.  At this time, the applicant has submitted a demolition permit for the building without demonstrating that a new building will actually be built (i.e. they have not gone through planning board).
  5.  We are concerned that they may demolish the building and not actually build anything in its place to allow for an easier sale of the land.

So, our question is - have you ever come across a situation in any of your local historic districts where demolition and new construction or new construction alone has been proposed? If so, how do you guarantee that what the proponent is proposing actually gets built? Surety bonds? Something else?

Additionally, have you ever allowed for facadectomy in any of your local historic districts? If so, what do you require in terms of plans for supporting the façade of the building during construction?

TYIA!

Best,

Michelle H. Johnstone
Senior Preservation Planner
Department of Planning & Regulatory Services - Executive Office of Economic Development
City of Worcester | 455 Main Street, Rm 404, Worcester, MA 01608
P: 508-799-1400 x31410
C: 774-622-0695
E: johnstonem at worcesterma.gov<mailto:johnstonem at worcesterma.gov>
www.worcesterma.gov<http://www.worcesterma.gov/>

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