Methuen board approves historic-preservation special permit for 47 Lowell Street

The Methuen Community Development Board on July 29 unanimously approved a historic preservation special permit for 47 Lowell Street that allows the creation of a second lot and requires a preservation restriction on the historic house’s exterior.

Kathleen (Community Development staff) told the board the permit is available only after a demolition-delay or demolition-permit review and is intended to preserve homes built before 1900 by enabling a landowner to create a second lot so proceeds from new construction can help fund restoration. She said the parent parcel contains 31,978 square feet with 99 feet of frontage and that Lot 1 will measure about 8,029 square feet with 40 feet of frontage; the remainder of the parcel was described in the presentation as roughly 23,000 square feet, and staff noted duplex minimums were discussed in the application process.

Applicant representative Paul walked the board through the final site and landscape plans, saying plantings were relocated outside the drainage/infiltration area and that the updated plan adds roughly 15 trees, about 30 evergreen trees and about 23 shrubs across the site. Paul described driveway access from Lowell Street, two-car garages under each new unit, catch basins that tie into an infiltration system and an ejector-pump/sewer arrangement that will discharge to the street.

Board member Steve DeFeo asked that the plan explicitly show the drainage limits with arrows and the words "no planting;" Paul agreed to direct the landscape architect to add that notation. Kathleen said the historic district commission (through historic planner Casey) will review final exterior materials — siding, windows and roofing — and will sign off as part of the building-permit process. She also said the city will record a historic preservation restriction that will preserve the exterior of the historic home in perpetuity.

When the board took a motion, Mister Comey moved to approve the special permit and Miss Plunkett seconded. A roll call vote recorded Mister Hunter, Mister Comey, Mister Forbes, Mister Hadam, Mister Casas, Miss Plunkett and Chair DeFeo voting in the affirmative; the chair announced the vote was unanimous and that the permit meets the board’s minimum affirmative vote requirement.

Next steps, as described at the meeting, include the applicant returning with signed final plan sets for the board to sign, review and sign-off by the historic district commission on exterior materials at building-permit stage, stormwater checks by the Department of Public Works during permit review, and review of the common-driveway easement by the city solicitor. The board and staff also noted the applicant is preparing the preservation restriction and final engineering/architect certifications required before occupancy.