Designers present Guitar Museum proposal for West Concord corner; team seeks setback to save tree

Designers for the proposed Guitar Museum of New England presented a three-story mixed-use building for 74 Commonwealth in West Concord and said the project would include museum exhibitions on the second floor, retail and a welcome/gift area on the ground floor and office space above.

"My name is Birgit Estenas from Inkstone Architects," said Birgit Estenas, who outlined the massing, pedestrian approach from the train station and the project's aims to add event space, retail and public gathering areas to the village.

The team said the museum would also host small concerts and performances in a lower-level event space that is fully underground. "We're looking at what we're calling living room concerts up to 80 people," Jennifer, a property owner and organizer, said. Presenters emphasized acoustic treatment and the basement's underground location as measures to limit noise to the neighborhood.

The applicants said recent reviews were generally positive: the project received favorable feedback from the West Concord Cultural District Committee on Feb. 3, and the Historical Commission determined the existing structure was not historically significant, so no demolition delay applies.

One material decision the team asked the town to consider is a larger setback than the zoning bylaw allows. Estenas described a plan to request a special permit to set the building back about 22 feet; she said, "the zoning by law says you cannot move the building further back than 10 feet from the property line, but we wanna set it back 22 feet" to preserve a large front tree and create communal space. The applicants said they will file the special-permit request with the board of appeals.

Parking and traffic remain under study. "The lot is very small," Estenas said; she added that ADA parking and delivery spaces are planned and that a traffic study will propose parking solutions and any needed relief.

Community reaction in the meeting and public comment was mixed but largely constructive. Several residents praised the design's contemporary take and the project's potential to enliven the village, while others asked for clearer elevation drawings showing the proposal in context with adjacent buildings, simplification of materials and a more visible main entrance. Vicky Alani said she liked the "future-forward look" but urged fewer material changes and a stronger, clearer entry.

The applicants announced a month-long pop-up preview at 129 Commonwealth beginning in May, with an opening reception scheduled for May 9, preview instruments, curator events and daytime coffee chats for people who prefer daytime meetings.

Elizabeth, a town staff member, told the committee the applicants were still finalizing parking analysis and that final plans were likely months away; she also noted public-works staffing gaps (two vacant engineer positions) that could lengthen review timelines.

Next steps for the project include completion of the traffic/parking study, submission of final plans and the applicants filing for the special permit to allow the deeper setback requested to protect the front tree. The design team said they will return with updated materials and context elevations that show the new building next to existing structures.