Minutes
of East Brandywine Historical Commission meeting on January 27, 2004
jrk
3/16/2004
Bob
Blinckmann, Chuck Giordano, Tom Jackson, Carl Josephson and John Kessler
attended.
1.
Presentation by the Keats Glen II developers concerning Historic Resource F#138
Tim Townes representing Southdown Properties discussed the plans for the historic resource. (Note: Prior information from the Township indicated the plan was to demolish the structures.) Mr. Townes said that the new plan was to preserve the main house as an auxillary structure on a lot with a new house; this will require an exception by the Zoning Board. The basic plan is to remove 2 enclosed porches from the front of the house exposing the stone work visible on the other sides of the house. The roof line will be preserved and the enclosed porches would be replaced with open porches. The roof will be replaced. On the advice of the Township Engineer, the septic system and well (?) would be replaced. The fate of the small sheds/spring houses was not discussed. An inspection of the property was tentatively arranged for 3 pm on February 4th.
2.
Approve minutes of the last meeting
The
November 25, 2003 minutes were approved.
3.
Review of action items
John
reported again that he has not completed ‘arm-twisting’ to improve
attendance.
Katherine
Prammer still has not sent summary of September 29, 2003 meeting.
John
has completed the rewording the demolition criteria.
.
John
has not yet sent the letter to the Planning Commission on Survey Cards to Dr.
Vilcheck for comments.
John
made the changes to the Hide-A-Way farms inspection report and sent it to the
Township with a copy to Mr. Rountree.
4.
Status of Wawa
John
reported that he had received information from Scott Piersol on Wawa.
(For unknown reasons, most of the material could not be printed so it was
not presented at the meeting.) The
material indicated that Wawa intended to proceed and they would discuss the
suggestion that Mama Lena’s be moved. A
meeting with Wawa on the moving was scheduled for February 3rd and John intended
to attend.
5.
Discussion of new Kay/Pulte Homes development plans
A
letter from the PHMC concerning four Survey Cards of Historic Resources on the
Pulte Homes development was discussed. Two
resources were granted DOE; these were the house and barn on Bondsville Road
south of Reeseville Road and the house on the east side of Zynn Road and barn on
the west side of Zynn Road just south of Reeseville Road.
Note that the new plans demolish all these structures except the house on
Zynn Road. A house and barn on
Reeseville Road towards the west end of the development was not given a DOE;
this resource is not on the EB Historic Resources map.
The barn is in good shape but the house has been severely altered.
The plan is to demolish these structures.
The Historic Resource on the west side of Bollinger Road north of
Reeseville Road was also not given a DOE partly because the house is alleged to
mostly have been built in 1965. The
barn is considered to be architecturally interesting and dates from about 1920.
An earlier plan was to demolish the barn and use the house as a
clubhouse; the current status is unknown.
John
reported that he was at the January 7th Planning Commission meeting fortuitously
and had the opportunity to speak about the Pulte Homes development; he had
obtained the material mentioned above late on the 5th.
He noted that the demolitions will require Historical Commission and
Board of Supervisor meetings; the Pulte Homes representative seemed unaware of
the Historic Resources ordinances and that 2 of the Historic Resources had been
elevated from Class II to Class I. [Note:
Mary Ann Smedley informed John around the beginning of February that
Pulte Homes wants to attend our next meeting on February 24th.]
6.
Status of Hide-A-Way Farms demolition permit applications
Based
on the EBHC’s inspection report, the permit for demolishing the stone and wood
shed south of the farmhouse, barn-like structure and shed of the Historic
Resource in EB has been granted.
Further,
based on an inspection by Tom and John, demolition permits for the 3 metal
barns, metal silo and 2 small wooden sheds were granted.
The
farmhouse was re-inspected by Bob Blinckmann, Tom Jackson and John Kessler on
January 25th. A separate report will
be distributed.
7.
Status of deed searches
There
has been little progress; there is nearly no chance of completing 40 or so
Survey Cards by spring. Some
indicated that they will try harder.
8.
Demolition criteria
Due
to time, this issue was deferred again. It
was noted that the North Coventry ordinances distributed by Katherine Prammer
are best read from the Rich Text Format file.
9.
Agenda of next meeting
The
tentative agenda for the next meeting on February 24, 2004 is:
1.
Pulte Homes presentation
2.
Approval of minutes of last meeting
3.
Review of action items
4.
Status of Wawa
5.
Inspection of Keats Glen II Historic Resource
6.
Demolition criteria
7.
Next agenda