MARCH 22, 2006

ATTENDANCE: Carol Ann Falasca, Acting Chair; Betty Booth; Bill Krummel; Ralph Bloom;
John Kurtzman; Kathryn Martino; Debbie Mathies (7:30 p.m.)

STAFF:

OTHER: Ed Bromley; Lisa Charnoff, Advocate

CALL TO ORDER

Chairman Falasca called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. With 6 members present, she said they have a quorum.

She introduced Ms. Martino as the newest member of the Commission. Ms. Martino said she has been a life-long resident of Norwalk. She works in Stamford for a premier movie channel provider. She has been interested in historic preservation for about 10 years. She said she was concerned about the demolitions going on in Norwalk.

ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES

A. Regular Meetings - November 16, 2005 and January 25, 2006

November 16, 2005 meeting minutes put on hold until further review.

** MR. KRUMMEL MOVED TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 25, 2006 MEETING AS REVISED.

The corrections to the minutes of the January 25, 2006 meeting are as follows:

On page 3, 4th paragraph, 1st sentence, change “was on the demolition of one house on Stuart Avenue” to “was on the demolition of five houses on Stuart Avenue”.

On page 3, under STAFF TO COMMISSION REPORT, Norwalk Museum/NHC, throughout the 4th paragraph, change “photographs” to “artwork”.

On page 3, under STAFF TO COMMISSION REPORT, Norwalk Museum/NHC, 4th paragraph, 3rd sentence, change “Ms. Gunn Bromley only remembers sending 4 photographs over to City Hall” to “Ms. Gunn Bromley sent 5 pieces of artwork to City Hall, and one piece of artwork was returned by the city because they didn’t want it.”

On page 3, under STAFF TO COMMISSION REPORT, Norwalk Museum/NHC, 4th paragraph, 5th sentence, change “It was determined that the piece in question had a sticker on it, saying “Lockwood House”, which was formerly the Norwalk Museum” to “It was determined that the piece in question, the larger edition of the Hope Lithograph, had a sticker on it, saying “Lockwood House” which was formerly the Norwalk Museum.”

On page 4, top paragraph, 1st sentence, “The commissioners spoke about the GPS survey”, refers to the Pine Island Cemetery.

On page 4, top paragraph, 2nd sentence, change “Ms. Robinson said that they would write a letter if they didn’t receive a response.” to “Ms. Robinson said they would write a letter to the legal department if they didn’t receive a response.”

On page 4, 3rd paragraph, 1st sentence, add “at Smith Street” to the end of that sentence.

On page 5, top paragraph, 11th sentence, change “Henry” to HNRI (Historic Norwalk Resource Inventory).

On page 5, top paragraph, 9th sentence, “Ms. Falasca had concerns about a formal letter” should be removed from the record.

On page 6, 6th paragraph, 3rd sentence, change “It was agreed that the closing party would be in February, and the proposed opening would be in April 2006, to tie-in with the April 1, 2006 anniversary of the ground-breaking ceremony.” to “It was agreed that the closing party for the Flood exhibit would be in February, and the proposed opening of the Lockwood exhibit would be in April 2006 to tie in with the April 1, 2006 anniversary of the ground-breaking ceremony.”

On page 6, last paragraph, the heading D. “GIFT SHOP COMMITTEE” should be added.

On page 6, last paragraph, 6th sentence, change “Ms. Booth said the Friends have agreed to donate the profit to one of the three museums - LMMM, Norwalk, or Mill Hill” to “Ms. Booth said the Friends have the Gift Shop and whatever they make goes into their Treasury and if they are requested, they have agreed to make donations to one of three museums – this Museum, LMMM or the Mill Hill Complex.”

On page 7, under Item e., Rogers Ritch Merritt House, 4th sentence, change Mr. Felix to Mr. Bielitz.

** MS. BOOTH SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED WITH ONE (1) VOTE ABSTAINED (MARTINO).

CHAIRWOMAN’S REPORT

A. REMARKS

As Ms. Gunn Bromley was absent, the report was not available.

REPORTS: BOARDS

A. Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum – Marjorie St. Aubyn, Executive Director

As Ms. St. Aubyn was absent, the report was not available.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca discussed the proposal of the tent installation on the museum property.

** MR. KRUMMEL MOVED TO PROPOSE A RESOLUTION THAT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION EXPRESSES DISMAY OVER THE PROPOSAL FOR THE TENT OUTSIDE MATHEWS PARK WITHOUT ADEQUATE CONSULTATION OF THE COMMISSION.

Mr. Kurtzman said an arborist should be consulted prior to any footings, and if they go forward with the proposal, they should include the cost of removing the ancient white oak tree into the cost of the footings. Acting Chairwoman Falasca said the proposed tent is 5,000 sq. ft. Mr. Bloom said it is important to note the case of Baker v. the City of Norwalk with relation to the preservation of Mathews Park. He said the mansion never had extensive ground plantings, and it is a piece of property that is easily maintained.

Ms. Mathies arrived at 7:30 p.m.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said some trees had been cut down the last time an event was held there. There were numerous problems when the movie “Stepford Wives” was filmed there. There was some discussion about catering companies using the mansion with a tent set up for events, and having the mansion used as an appendix to the tent. Mr. Bloom said the mansion is not geared as a support facility. The bathrooms are inadequate. Mr. Krummel said that the document Ms. St. Aubyn brought forward to the Council showed that she had the unanimous approval of the Board of Trustees for the tent, and that wasn’t truthful. It was presented that way in an effort to get something done before the City’s council.

** MS. MATHIES SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Mr. Krummel asked if the commission had been consulted about the current movie production. Acting Chairwoman Falasca said Ms. St. Aubyn had mentioned it to the commission a few times. The commission was led to believe that the productions were to be amateur, but the second one was professional. Mr. Krummel said he had inspected the mansion during the production. He said large cables had been draped throughout the mansion, and food was being served.

** MR KRUMMEL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ABUSE OF THE CITY’S PRIME HISTORIC TREASURE, THE LOCKWOOD MATHEWS MANSION, AND THE COMMISSION MUST BE CONSULTED OVER ANY FURTHER SUCH USE.

Mr. Bloom said there have been confrontations between Ms. St. Aubyn and the Fire Department. He said that she must understand that the Fire Department’s representative is in charge and has to be respected. She cannot override any decision the Fire Department makes. Ms. Falasca said the Fire Department happened to stop by when they noticed activity going on at the museum.

Mr. Krummel said the Board has a lease with the city. It was suggested that the commission have the right to review any contract. The city has the liability because it is the owner, and it should be held harmless. The “Stepford Wives” movie did have a contract. They had professional people cover the floors to protect them during the filming of the movie. During a photo shoot held recently at the mansion, four floors were used, and cables were run throughout the mansion. Mr. Krummel asked how to transmit their feelings of upset to the Board of Directors. Acting Chairwoman Falasca said they should write a letter to Corporation Counsel.

** MR. BLOOM SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Mr. Krummel asked Acting Chairwoman Falasca to forward the last two motions to the Lockwood Mathews Mansion board.

B. Friends of the Norwalk Museum – Ralph Bloom

1. Accept FNM Finance Report

Mr. Bloom distributed copies of his report. He said they are now working on a new exhibit. They lost a valuable month of time. They are now looking at the 1st weekend of June for the formal opening, and they will have it run through the 2nd or 3rd week of November. They hope to follow that with the tag sale scheduled for the 1st weekend in July. He explained that the one major problem was that the gallery was not left in the condition it should have been. The flood exhibit had been glued to the walls. They used liquid nails as a filler. The employees from Plaza Realty were there to do repairs on the water stains on the shop wall, and they filled it in with the proper compound. The gallery and the shop are now done, and they are waiting for the cabinets. The display cabinets which were used throughout the museum have been painted the same color, warm tan, as in the Oak Hill Room. The next project is getting an estimate from Plastic Works for a plastic barrier for people to walk in to the Oak Hill Room and view the mantelpiece, furnishings, etc. The platforms and the initial furnishings are in place, and professional movers will move three large pieces next week. The catalog is being written now, and he expects donations of time and money to be contributed for this effort.

Mr. Bloom explained that the original proposal said there was an artist in town named Murtha who had an exhibition at the Rockwell gallery recently. Mr. Bloom said the artist suggested that following the tag sale, the theme be continued by having someone put on an exhibition and sale. Each winter a different artist could be sponsored. However, that was not agreed to. The Friends want to do an exhibition of the items that are to be donated. That could possibly be a winter show.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said that a request was received from some Silvermine artists who asked for some exhibit time and space. It was agreed that they should highlight and showcase local artists.

She said that they should have one major show a year, as well as plan one and two years in advance. Mr. Bloom said the exhibitions could be on one theme, and there are many categories to pick from.

** ACTING CHAIRWOMAN FALASCA MOVED TO ACCEPT THAT THE PROPOSED DATE OF THE EXHIBIT BE FROM JUNE 4, 2006 TO NOVEMBER 19, 2006.
** MS. MATHIES SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

C. Norwalk Historical Society – Gail Wall

As Ms. Wall was absent, the report was not available.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said everyone should have received the flyer from Mill Hill today in their mail regarding the upcoming schedule and the Pottery Industries exhibit planned for 2007. They are inviting everyone to City Hall on March 28, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. for a rededication of the Angry Waters exhibit.

STAFF TO THE COMMISSION REPORT – SUSAN GUNN BROMLEY
NORWALK MUSEUM/NHC

As Ms. Gunn Bromley was absent, the report was not available.

REPORTS – SUB-COMMITTEES

A. FINANCE – Liz Fenton, Chairwoman

Ms. Fenton was absent, but acting Chairwoman Falasca said they are on the agenda for a change of $45,000 going to the carriage house for repairs needed, and $35,000 going to the gatehouse.

B. DEMOLITIONS – Carol Ann Falasca, Chairwoman

1. Motion to allow the demolition permit to proceed without a delay for a one car garage at 26Victory Street dfd. 3-15-06; 21 ddd 4-5-06.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said she is recommending this.

2. Motion to allow the demolition permit to proceed without a delay for 11 Hanford Place. dfd 3-17-06; 21 ddd 4-7-06.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said it is an historic barn from 1885. It is huge, with two big openings. One is almost completely collapsed, and one has a brand new garage door. She called Barbara Garfield and suggested that if it was not delayed, she could salvage some of the barn siding. The barn is in very bad shape. It was recommended that they don’t put a 90 day delay on it

3. Motion to allow the demolition permit to proceed without a delay for 7 River Road, dfd 3-16-06; 21 ddd 4-6-06.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said Ms. Booth went by the property, and this is a newer addition attached to an old barn. It was not in keeping with the barn style. She said they might just want to take down the one room.

4. Motion to allow the demolition permit to proceed without a delay for 24 Cottage Street – dfd none; 21 ddd none. (Received notice by hand delivered letter. Waiting for the form from the Building Department. Will probably receive it later today according to their office.)

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said she saw this some time ago in the newspaper. There was nothing worthwhile about the building, and it was in bad shape. It never came to suit until recently. The building has been down for weeks. The procedure was incorrect. The procedure to follow is the owner(s) should put the notice in the newspaper and then go to the Building Department. Ms. Mathies asked if they could write a letter asking what the consequences are if it is not filed properly.

5. And any demolition applications published in The Hour or, received by the Commission as of March 22, 2006.

6. Acting Chairwoman Falasca said that she had another property to add to the list.

20 Bouton Street, which is a house in very bad shape due to a possible fire.

** ACTING CHAIRWOMAN FALASCA MOVED TO ALLOW ALL THE DEMOLITIONS LISTED ABOVE, AND IN THE CASE OF 24 COTTAGE STREET, MOVED TO ALLOW WRITING A LETTER TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ON THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
** MR. BLOOM SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said Ms. Mathies had a meeting with the residents of 69 Fillow Street. The demolition ordinance currently lists two important steps for the applicant. They are that the applicant meet with the Field Inspector, and that the applicant bring the field sheets to the meeting with the Building Inspector. She said Ms. Mathies proposed that they ask the Building Department to add Step 3 to read:

‘If your building is 50 years or older, call the Building Department 21 days after you have filed a demolition application to find out if a 90-day delay has been imposed.’ Acting Chairwoman Falasca feels that they have to get the word out that any builder who wants to do a demolition should contact them early on because there are things that they would never put a delay on. They could ask questions first and not put the 90-day delay on. This process could save everyone a good deal of time. Ms. Mathies said that the application lists the two steps, and she suggested that they add that if there were any questions, to contact the Historical Commission as soon as possible before any demolition delays could occur. Ms. Mathies said that she had written a memo that she could send.

** MS. MATHIES MOVED TO ADD TWO POINTS TO THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION:

“IF YOUR BUILDING IS 50 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, CALL THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT 21 DAYS AFTER YOU HAVE FILED A DEMOLITION APLICATION TO FIND OUT IF A 90-DAY DELAY HAS BEEN IMPOSED.”

“IF YOUR BUILDING IS 50 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, CALL THE NORWALK HISTORICAL COMMISSION TO DISCUSS ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE THAT COULD AVOID A 90-DAY DELAY.

** MS. BOOTH SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Ms. Mathies said she will send a copy of the letter to Mr. Bill Ireland.

Ms. Mathies asked for an update to the Fire Department testing. Both Ms. Mathies and Mr. Krummel said they had talked to the Fire Commissioner, who told them he would stop all testing, but that it was the Rowayton Fire Department that was conducting the testing. The Rowayton Fire Department is a volunteer based department that is separate from Norwalk and has a separate building inspector. It was suggested that they write a letter to the Rowayton Fire Department to stop all smoke test practices during the 90-day delay or before the demolition permit is issued.

** MS. MATHIES MOVED THAT THEY WRITE A LETTER TO THE ROWAYTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO STOP ALL SMOKE TEST PRACTICES DURING THE 90-DAY DELAY OR BEFORE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT IS ISSUED.
** MS. BOOTH SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

C. NHRI COMMITTEE – Debbie Mathies, Chairwoman

Ms. Mathies said the meeting for the Zoning Board of Appeals is tomorrow night regarding West Main St. She had written a letter, and she will present it on behalf of the commission supporting their request for variances. She said that Elder House is also on the agenda for the meeting. She thought they had discussed at the last meeting that they were opposed to the expansion. Acting Chairwoman Falasca said she thought a letter had been written, but she hadn’t seen anything on it so therefore it couldn’t be confirmed. Ms. Mathies said she would write a letter expressing the commission’s opposition to the proposed expansion of Elder House in the Village District.

D. NORWALK MUSEUM – Carol Ann Falasca, Chairwoman

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said that they didn’t have a meeting, but that Mr. Bloom had given a report on the gallery activities.

E. GIFT SHOP COMMITTEE – Betty Booth, Chairwoman

1. Norwalk Museum Gift Shop Progress Report

Ms. Booth read from her written report. Ms. Mathies said that IT is now telling the Gift Shop Committee that they will have to pay for the computer connections that they requested. Ms. Booth said Ms. Brant will be working on this again soon. Mr. Krummel said it brings up something that he overlooked. The city has the lease with the landowner. The city should be informed of any activity or change in walls, buildings, installing connections, etc., via the Land Use Committee. By the same token, the Land Use Committee should be the one to take their request for support for IT connections. They should be reviewing with the Land Use Committee their plans for the gift shop. The gift shop will be run by the Friends, which is a non-profit, outside organization. Ms. Booth said she will ask Ms. Bryant to get in touch with Mr. Manzi regarding the cost and a timeframe of when the work will get done.

Ms. Booth said that some cleanup in the building has been done. Mr. Bloom said the newspapers dating back to 2002 have been recycled.

F. NOMINATING COMMITTEE - Ms. Wall, Ms. Bryant & Ms. Fenton

1. Approve the Presentation of Proposed slate of Officers for 2006.

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said that no one from the Nominating Committee was present, but Ms. Booth read a note with information provided to her by Ms. Bryant. She said that Ms. Bryant reported that the Nominating Committee nominated Ms. Robinson to be Chairwoman, and that she has accepted. The Nominating Committee would like Ms. Falasca to be Vice Chairwoman if she would like. Ms. Falasca said that she had never been contacted. As they are four months behind on this, Ms. Falasca presented the slate of officers for what is left of 2006 as Ms. Robinson for Chairwoman, and Ms. Falasca for Vice Chairwoman. There were no nominations from the floor.

2. Authorize the slate of Historical Commission Officers for 2006.

** MS. BOOTH MOVED TO APPROVE THE PRESENTATION OF THE SLATE OF OFFICERS FOR THE REST OF 2006, MARILYN ROBINSON AS CHAIRWOMAN, AND CAROL ANN FALASCA AS VICE CHAIRWOMAN.
** MR. KRUMMEL SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

G. BUILDING COMMITTEE – Marija Bryant, Chairwoman

As Ms. Bryant was absent, there was no report available.

H. ROGERS-RITCH-MERRITT HOUSE COMMITTEE – Bill Krummel, Chairman

Mr. Krummel apologized for not having a written report prepared. He said they did have a meeting with Mr. Bielitz, who assisted in the dismantling of the RRM house and has the knowledge of putting it back together again. Mr. Bielitz and Mr. Gould, who is preparing the estimates of the cost of putting the building back together again, met with members of the committee last Thursday at Mill Hill. They are proposing to present the estimate at the Historical Commission’s April 26th meeting. He said he kept pestering Mr. Gould about a ballpark estimate, and Mr. Gould came up with the number of less than $1M. He said that is a terrible guess. Mr. Krummel said that he has mentioned several times that they should be prepared to look at the problem head-on and decide to possibly drop the whole project because they may not get the funding necessary to carry it forward. The next step is moving the two storage trailers from Andrews Field parking lot to 51 Richards Avenue, which is a facility owned by Mr. Selickson. Acting Chairwoman Falasca said that Ms. Robinson said the Commission has to approve this tonight. There was a change to the letter that Ms. Robinson was handling regarding this. She said she will send Mr. Krummel a copy. Originally, the agreement said that the city is responsible for moving it. The amendment, from Ms. Beltz-Jacobson in the Legal Department, is as follows:

“I spoke with the Mayor regarding this matter this afternoon, and he advised me that Mr. Selickson is arranging for the transportation of the two trailers to 51 Richards Avenue on behalf of the city. Because this is not contemplated by the license agreement previously sent to you, I will be amending that document. I will send you a revised version of the agreement for your review.”

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said it is an agreement for $1.00. She said they are asking for a dollar amount. Mr. Krummel said he believed the amount was $250,000. The trailers will have to be put on flatbeds. They will not offload the contents of the trailers. The condition of the contents is okay. Mr. Krummel read from the existing agreement, where it said “The city’s agents and employees will be granted reasonable access to the site at all times by prior arrangement with the licensor” and felt it should be modified to read “Only the city’s agents and employees will have sole access to the site.”

** ACTING CHAIRWOMAN FALASCA MOVED THE APPROVAL OF THE AGREEMENT, WITH THE FOLLOWING ADDED UNDER “ACCESS TO THE SITE”: SOLE ACCESS TO THE SITE BY CITY AGENTS ONLY. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE CONTENTS SHALL NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE TRAILER OR DISTURBED AT ANY TIME.
** MR. KRUMMEL SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

I. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE – Debbie Mathies, Chairwoman

Ms. Mathies said there was no report available.
OLD BUSINESS

A. Martha Stewart Living (MSLO) agreement to use NM photographs for broadcast on their new show

Acting Chairwoman Falasca said this item was on their agenda last month. She didn’t know anything about it, and wasn’t sure if it was something that Ms. Gunn Bromley was doing.

Ms. Booth asked about the status of the Merchant’s Court tile repair. Mr. Bloom said he hadn’t heard anything recently.

Ms. Mathies said that the NHRI grant she wrote again for next year comes up for review on Monday, and she welcomed everyone to join them and cheer them on. This is a continuation of the handbook and tax credit work. Ms. Mathies will email the meeting time and related information to everyone. She said that they received money for economically disadvantaged areas of the city. They are writing a handbook to help homeowners get financial help to restore historic homes. They have to be listed on the State register. It is a 30% credit.

NEW BUSINESS – ACTIONS

A. Demolition Ordinance review with possible resolution addressed to the Common Council for ordinance revision including:

1. Letter to notify owners of 90 day delay if imposed by the Historical Commission

2. Amended application to provide guidance on when to contact Historical Commission

B. Discussion on the Elderhouse, Inc., zoning variance application of the Building Zone Regulations and coastal area management approval for property located at 10 Park St. and 7 Lewis Street on March 2 ZBA meeting.

C. Authorize staff to write letter of support for variances required for West Main Street project for March 2 ZBA meeting.

D. Discussion of options/actions re demolition of the Police Station Building, Mathews Park, given the removal of the funds requested in DPW Capital budget for 2006-07.

Some discussion took place about ways to improve the appearance of the building as much as possible until it is demolished.

** ACTING CHAIRWOMAN FALASCA MOVED THAT THE CHAIRMAN, MS. ROBINSON, WRITE A LETTER TO MAYOR MOCCIA, WITH COPIES TO MICHAEL MOCCIAE OF RECREATION & PARKS, AND MICHAEL SGOBBO OF THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, TO DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE OLD POLICE STATION BUILDING BY GETTING THE AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT REMOVED AND THE ABANDONED POLICE CARS REMOVED.
** MR. KRUMMEL SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Towards the end of the meeting, the area experienced a power outage, and it was discovered that the backup emergency lighting was not working.

** MR. BLOOM MOVED TO WRITE A LETTER TO FIRE MARSHAL IANNACCONE TO CONTACT PLAZA REALTY ABOUT THE EMERGENCY LIGHTING PROBLEM.
** MR. KRUMMEL SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Mr. Bloom mentioned that there is a problem with keys to the building. He is the only person that has a key to open and close the building. It was agreed that they have to address the problem so that other people share the responsibility of opening and closing the building when he and/or Ms. Gunn Bromley are not available.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION

NEXT MEETING OF THE COMMISSION: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 – 7:00 P.M.
Historical Commission, Norwalk, Connecticut

ADJOURNMENT

** ACTING CHAIRWOMAN FALASCA MOVED TO ADJOURN.
** MS. MATHIES SECONDED.
** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carolyn Marr
Telesco Secretarial Services

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