Beacon Hill Architectural Commission August meeting

By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
A co-op treasurer for a Chestnut Street home asked the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission for permission to change the building’s hallway from ugly brown to a prettier linen white. Not so fast, said the BHAC.
The applicant, Jeannine Randolph of 5 Chestnut Street, says her building has long been rehabbing the formerly neglected building for years. “Monkeys built the addition,” she said of work done a hundred years ago. “It took us 18 months to renovate it.” All they were asking at this meeting was to change the color of the building’s drab brown pine doorway to linen white, like neighboring homes that have walnut or mahogany wood frames.
After looking at Randolph’s photos, however, BHAC member Leslie Donovan called the doorway a “beautiful Romanesque arch,” and declared that there is no way that it was ever painted white. “It’s just not an appropriate color,” she said.
Donovan suggested that the coop come up with some Victorian colors, such as black, reds, greens, blues, maybe even a dark mustard. Commissioner Kenneth Taylor suggested that the coop members look at similar Victorians in the South End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill to get some color ideas.
The board approved Randolph’s application, but said she needed to submit the new color to the staff before they start painting.
The board also noted the window frames should be painted the same color, but since they had been painted just two years ago, it wasn’t an immediate priority.
Sometimes changes are made to historical homes without consulting the BHAC first. The owner of a Chestnut Street building is paying the price for an illegal chimney that had the BHAC scratching their heads.
Derek Coulter, a contractor for 19 Chestnut St., requested approval to remove a crumbling, unlined brick chimney that apparently was built years ago without proper approval and not according to code. “Removing it would be an iimprovement, to bring back the historic sense of the building,” agreed Taylor.
Coulter said he would cap it in a way that would not be visible from the street. The board expressed concern about a neighboring wall, which belonged to a neighboring building. Coulter noted that soot may need to be removed, or the wall may even need repairs, something that would be discovered after the chimney was removed.
The board noted that this was a legal issue that would need to be worked out with the neighboring building. Coulter agreed that his priorities were “safety first, historical second” regarding working around the wall and tearing down the chimney.
At 13-27 Bowdoin St., property manager John Thiboudot was back before the board to amend his application to replace a decorative iron balcony. Apparently he and the BHAC staff exhaustively hunted through pre-cast catalogs looking for ironworks that would match neighboring balconies, but they didn’t have any luck. Creating one from scratch would be an exorbitant $18,000 or more, said Thiboudot. The question became whether to replace the 20-foot section with ironwork similar to nearby balconies, or whether it needed to match exactly. The board approved his application, pending the submission of a catalog photo of what he was considering.
At 88 Beacon St., landscape architect Scott Carman and his partner presented roofdeck plans for a 10-foot metal-framed arbor, and replacement of the guardrail and flooring. The arbor was designed to as to not block the sunlight from a bedroom, and to only be visible along Brimmer Street. However, the BHAC members considered their metal arbor design “extremely visible.” “I love the design,” said Donovan. But she also called it “alien.”
Carman argued that “there are a lot of crazy roof decks” in the area, but the BHAC said that those other rooftop designs weren’t approved, or weren’t as visible as their design, and that approval would set a precedent for the area. The disappointed landscape architects were asked to return with a new design.
The BHAC only had quorum for up to 6:30pm, when two members, Annlinea Terranova and Kenneth Taylor, needed to leave, so the remaining applications were discussed and recommendations made, but no motions were made. In total, Thursday saw 19 scheduled applications, review of three violations, and administrative approval to nine others.
It was also the last meeting for preservation planner Katie McLaughlin, who is moving on, and being replaced by Emily Wolf.

August 21, 2008 BHAC Public Hearing Determinations
Approved with provisos
Application: 09.214 BH Multiple Locations, Pinckney and Charles Streets
Applicant:
Nicole Freedman (Boston Bikes): installation of bike racks
Application: 09.113 BH 19 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Derek Coulter (contractor): removal of brick chimney
Application: 09.170 BH 16 Charles River Square
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Prevost (owners): install rods and star plates at third floor fire escape;
replace wood balustrade; repair masonry
(The replacement of the wood balustrade was not approved.)
Application: 09.174 BH 64 Beacon Street (King’s Chapel House)
Applicant:
Oliver Egleston (representative): replace sign on front façade
Application: 09.175 BH 116 Myrtle Street
Applicant:
Michael Gilberg (contractor): replace roof; install new copper gutter; install new roof deck
to match existing; install railings
Application: 09.022 BH 5 Byron Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
Efekta Schools, Inc./Alexander Hult (owners): rebuild previously approved deck and roof
garden (recently removed)
Application: 08.293 BH 13-27 Bowdoin Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
John Thiboudot (property manager): amendment to application to replace iron balcony
Application: 09.206 BH 113 Pinckney Street
Applicant:
Daniel H. Baker (contractor): repair/replace windows, window lintels and sills, entry door
lintel and lintel brackets, broken face brick and steps; replace metal bay roof cladding with
copper; install aluminum screens; install cedar shutters and propeller shutter dogs
Application: 09.209 BH 5 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Jeannine Randolph (resident): paint area surrounding front door
Application: 09.207 BH 37 Beacon Street, #41 and 42
Applicant:
Mark Dmytruk (owner): install thirteen true divided light windows
Application: 09.210 BH 81 Beacon Street
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. John Keane (owners): replace windows in three openings on western
elevation of structure with true divided light windows
Application: 08.1182 BH 22 Hancock Street (cont’d.)
Applicant:
Lewis Sassoon (manager): repaint portico; install stone curb along edge of garden;
installation of window grilles and front door buzzer box (work done by previous owner)
Denied without prejudice
Application: 09.110 BH 38 Lime Street
Applicant:
Joanne Burke (owner) and Tim Burke: remove metal chimney pots and replace with
ornamental clay chimney pots
Page 2
Application: 09.169 BH 15-17 Brimmer Street (The Advent School)
Applicant:
The Advent School (owner): addition of three roof vents
Application: 09.202 BH 88 Beacon Street, #3
Applicant:
Scott Carman (landscape architect): construct arbor, replace guardrail, and replace flooring
on existing roof deck
Application: 09.208 BH 19 Revere Street
Applicant:
Rick Fallone (contractor): install three double hung windows
Approved as submitted
09.106 BH: 38-40 West Cedar Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.108 BH: 76 Revere Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.109 BH: 57 West Cedar Street: repaint entryway and front door (color to remain the same)
09.111 BH: 57 Hancock Street: repoint brickwork between stone cornice and uppermost brick string course
09.112 BH: 5 Chestnut Street: repaint basement windows (color to remain the same)
09.115 BH: 19 Joy Street: remove stucco, repoint brickwork at rear and side of structure, rebuild chimney
09.173 BH: 1-3 Chestnut Street: repaint wooden arches at entryway (color to remain the same)
09.144 BH: 17 Louisburg Square: install new copper gutter to match existing
09.211 BH: Multiple Locations: install tree pit guards as previously approved by BHAC