Historic Resources Commission approves removal of non‑contributing connector at 615 Massachusetts to reopen alley and access sewer

The Lawrence Historic Resources Commission on Oct. 16 voted unanimously to issue a certificate of approval for removal of a connector between two buildings at 615 Massachusetts Street, a partial demolition staff said is needed to restore alley access to a major sanitary sewer line.

Lynn Braddock Zollner, historic resources administrator for the City of Lawrence, told the commission the connector was built in 1988, is not contributing to either adjacent building or the downtown conservation overlay district and sits atop a major sanitary sewer line. "The plan is to remove the connector, so that that area is open once again like an alley, so that, access can be made to that sanitary sewer line," Zollner said.

Applicant Tiffany Asher of Paul Warner Architects said the prospective buyer wants the connector removed before purchase so future sewer repairs do not require tearing up occupied tenant space. "Before they purchase this, [they] want to kind of address this sewer situation because, down the line, if something goes wrong with the sewer, they obviously don't want their building torn up," Asher said. She said the reopened alley could either revert to city ownership or be managed by a utility easement depending on how the property is platted.

Staff recommended approval because the connector does not alter the primary Massachusetts or New Hampshire street facades and removal would permit access to the sewer without disturbing character‑defining elevations. Zollner noted projects that propose partial or full demolition in the Downtown Urban Conservation Overlay District require HRC review and a subsequent review by the Lawrence City Commission.

The commission found the proposal met Chapter 22 standards and the downtown design criteria and voted 6–0 to issue the certificate of approval. Staff and the applicant said the item will advance to the City Commission for its required review under city code.

The commission also asked practical questions about maintenance of the reopened alley, including graffiti removal and whether it would connect to nearby parking; staff said property owners are typically responsible for graffiti abatement and that the reopened alley ties to an existing siding/alley area rather than the nearby City Hall parking lot.

Action: The HRC voted 6–0 to approve the certificate of approval for the demolition of the connector at 615 Massachusetts Street. The decision will go forward to the City Commission for review as required by the downtown conservation overlay district rules.