Historic District Commission

Monday, May 22, 2023 at 6:00 P.M.

Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road

Block Island, Rhode Island

 

MINUTES

 

The Town of New Shoreham Historic District Commission convened for a meeting at 6:00 P.M. at the Town Hall on May 22, 2023. Present: Arlene Tunney (Chair) Martha Ball (Vice Chair), Mark Vaillancourt, Bill Koch, and Mike Ballard.  Absent: Kay McManus and Elizabeth Moss.

 

A call to order was made at 6:00 PM by chairperson Arlene Tunney.

 

 

Signs:

1.      Cat Rock Cove LLC.  Plat 7, Lot 19. Fire #30.  Water Street.  Application for signage approval for MarMar Boutique.  

 

Dominic Nardini presented the sign application for Marmar Boutique.

Ms. Tunney made a motion to approve the application as presented. Mr. Vaillancourt seconded the motion and the motion carried 5-0.

 

Ayes 6 (Tunney, Ball, Vaillancourt, Koch, Ballard) Nay 0

 

2.      Empire Productions Inc.  Plat 6, Lot 98. Fire #17.  Water Street.  Application for signage approval for Blockstar retail store.

 

Dominic Nardini presented the sign application for Marmar Boutique.

Mr. Koch made a motion to approve the application as presented. Mr. Ballard seconded the motion and the motion carried 5-0.

 

Ayes 6 (Tunney, Ball, Vaillancourt, Koch, Ballard) Nay 0

 

Preliminary:   

 

1.      Cronin, James, and Mary.  Plat 8, Lot 255.  Fire # 363.  High Street. Application for renovations and new construction on an existing single-family dwelling.

 

Architect Doug Gilpin and owner James Cronin presented the application for the renovations at the Cronin residence.  The original house was built around 1876 and has gone through many changes including removing the mansard roof and the second floor.

 

Mr. Gilpin explained the owners would like to add a master bedroom on the second floor but there is limited headroom.  The plan calls for raising the roof and adding dormers.  The plan also calls for adding a wraparound deck like what was historically there.

 

Following a lengthy discussion, Mr. Koch steered the conservation towards approving the application based on how the house currently looks rather than what it looked like historically. 

 

Mr. Vaillancourt made a motion to approve the application as presented, Ms. Ball seconded the motion and the motion carried 3-2.

 

Ayes 3 (Ball, Vaillancourt, Koch) Nay 0 (Tunney, Ballard)

 

Findings of Fact:

·         The structure was originally built circa 1876 as an annex to the Highland House

·         The house has been radically altered, including removing the second floor and going from a Victorian structure to a minimalistic structure.

·         It is in the Historic District

·         It was significant historically but not so much architecturally at present.

·         The proposal keeps with the island vernacular.

·         It is not a replica of an old building.

·         It is appropriate to the site

 

 

2.      Island Enterprises Inc.  Plat 8, Lot 84-6.  Fire# 51.  Application by the Spring House Hotel to demolish existing metal tent structure and replace with a wedding pavilion set away from the main hotel and into the sloping lawn, and to extend existing veranda porch to make end elevation symmetrical and eliminate the tent at that location as well.

 

Glen Fontecchio, architect for Island Enterprises, The Spring House, present a preliminary plan for to build a wedding pavilion to replace the current metal tent.  The board liked the proposal.  Fontecchio will return with site plans in the fall.

 

 

3.      McGinnes Cole LLC.  Plat 6, Lot 36.  Fire# 454.  Ocean Ave. Application by Robert Kenney to renovate the existing building, remove the canopy, existing roof structure and add a second floor with a gable roof.

 

Mr. Ballard made a motion to approve the application pending the window schedule, and to omit the proposed thin stone veneer on the front and sides of the building, Mr. Koch seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.

Ayes 6 (Tunney, Ball, Vaillancourt, Koch, Ballard) Nay 0

 

 

4.      Nyzio, Stanley LV Trust.  Plat 7, Lot 50.  Fire# 337.  High Street.  Application to extend the deck on the east side of the building 15 feet on either side of existing deck to align with end of building.

 

Mr. Vaillancourt made a motion to approve the application.  Mr. Koch seconded, and the motion passed 5-0

 

Ayes 6 (Tunney, Ball, Vaillancourt, Koch, Ballard) Nay 0

 

New Business:

Approval of Minutes from April 24, 2023.

 

Review and discuss pages 1-10 of the Town of New Shoreham Historic District Guidelines.

 

Adjournment:  Ms. Tunney made a motion to adjourn.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Corrie Heinz

Land Use Assistant

Town of New Shorehan