HDC approves National Grid plan to rehabilitate 5 Candle Street with restoration conditions

The Nantucket Historic District Commission on Tuesday approved a plan from Nantucket Electric/National Grid to rehabilitate the brick commercial building at 5 Candle Street, voting unanimously after a lengthy discussion about masonry methods, historic fabric and visibility.

Commissioners approved the scope of restoration work presented by the utility'including rebuilding deteriorated corbelled pilasters, repairing mortar joints, replacing damaged bricks and installing dark-sky exterior lighting'with several explicit conditions: follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, use lime- or like-for-like mortar when repointing rather than cement, preserve or restore the building's historic glass-block bays on the east and west elevations, and submit proposed replacement brick samples and final material selections to the commission for subsequent approval.

Why it matters: The building is a locally prominent historic commercial structure in the mid-island area; commissioners and staff framed the vote as a preservation-first approach that allows substantial structural repair while protecting historic materials and avoiding inappropriate modern repairs.

Details and discussion Peter Reynolds, the structural engineer on the project, walked commissioners through elevations and the contractor's plan to remove and rebuild damaged pilasters, replace cracked and deteriorated bricks, and infill several bays where previous attachments had been removed. Arthur Reed, attorney for the utility, said engineers concluded the building could be repaired rather than demolished and that plans were ready for permit submission.

Holly (preservation planner, staff) urged the commission to require work that follows established preservation standards and to avoid cement mortars that can damage historic brick. As Holly told the commission, the brick "that's to be repointed is with lime mortar and not cement," a point she said was important to preserve the fabric shown in historic photographs in the packet.

Members of the Historic Structures Advisory Group and other reviewers asked for additional detail about brick matching and the extent of reconstruction. Mickey Roland, representing the advisory group, raised the need for material samples and said the applicant should provide specific proposals for color and unit type for the replacement infill bricks.

On fenestration, commissioners discussed two kinds of nonhistoric interventions on the flanking elevations: glass block bays and recent wood infill. The applicant said the east elevation'where glass block fills a former opening'and the similar bay on the west would be repaired in brick only where necessary, and the commission conditioned approval on preserving the glass block features as shown in the historic photo set unless the applicant returns with a specific, documented rationale for full removal.

The commission'by voice vote and without dissent'approved the scope of work with the conditions described above, and asked staff to return with procedures for approving final brick samples, mortar specs and lighting fixture selections.

Implementation and next steps The commission approved the scope of work only; materials (brick samples, mortar recipe, lighting fixtures) must be submitted later for staff or full-commission approval as required. The applicant said the project team will seek bids and expects to move toward construction as soon as procurement and approvals are complete.

Clarifying details recorded at the meeting - Repointing: staff recommended lime-based mortar rather than cement; that was included as a condition. - Brick replacement: some areas require partial or full rebuilding of corbelled pilasters; replaced bricks will be matched and samples returned to the HDC. - Glass block: commissioners requested the east glass block bay be retained/restored rather than fully replaced with brick; north and south bays discussed relative to historic photos. - Overhead doors: some existing overhead doors remain in service; applicants proposed a new 12-by-14 overhead on the north side where shown in the plans. - Schedule: applicant expects to bid the work and begin construction as soon as approvals and contracting allow; no exact start date was given.

Ending The commission framed the approval as enabling substantial structural repair while preserving the building's historic character. Brick and mortar samples, lighting selections and any proposed changes to the glass-block bays must return to staff or the full commission before construction proceeds.