Yarmouth committee approves demolition of deteriorated 169 Route 6A barn, conditionally OKs like‑for‑like replacement

The Old Kings Highway Committee of the Town of Yarmouth voted May 12 to approve the demolition of a detached barn at 169 Route 6A after engineers and architects told the panel the structure was not salvageable.

The decision follows interior demolition and inspection work by the owner’s contractor that, consultants said, exposed widespread structural defects. “The First Floor is unsafe due to damage and shoddy repairs,” Brian Walsh, managing director of Consulting Structural Engineering, told the committee during the hearing. Architect Kurt Raber of Catalyst Architecture & Interiors reported that the majority of the wall, floor and roof systems would require full replacement.

Owner Greg Belzikian purchased the property Aug. 30, 2024, and initially sought to lift the barn and set it on a new foundation. Contractor Christopher Weeks of Weeks on the Cape said interior demolition revealed powder‑post beetle damage, notched and cut support beams and other unpermitted, ineffective prior repairs that left the structure unsafe and economically infeasible to renovate. Weeks and Raber said less than about 10% of the original interior framing could realistically be reused.

At the May 12 hearing the committee reviewed written reports, a wood‑destroying insect inspection and structural-engineering findings. Several abutters sent letters of support for replacement, and the applicant indicated the replacement barn would match the original in size and appearance. The owner noted a separate Zoning Board of Appeals decision would place the new barn about 4 inches closer to the property line and roughly 2 feet back from the current footprint.

Committee members debated options including repair, raising and re‑setting on a new foundation, and demolition followed by rebuilding. The commission approved the demolition application (25DashD002) by voice vote. Later in the meeting the committee approved the related construction application (25DashA031) to build a like‑for‑like barn but amended that approval to require the reconstruction be “faithful as practicable to the original structure insofar as we know,” specifying scale, dimensions, decorative trim and fenestration as priorities for fidelity.

The applicant and the contractor said the new barn will meet current building and energy codes and will incorporate materials and detailing intended to preserve the streetscape appearance along Route 6A. The owner and project team will return with full construction plans for final administrative review and building‑permit coordination.

The committee recorded no dollar figures for demolition or reconstruction at the hearing. The demolition vote concluded the item; the replacement application was heard later the same night and approved with the committee’s stated condition.

What’s next: the owner will submit final construction drawings consistent with the committee’s amendment and obtain required building permits and zoning approvals before work begins.