Orleans commission finds portions of 8 Kesit Road not "preferably preserved," urges effort to salvage historic dining room

The Orleans Historical Commission on Monday opened a demolition-delay public hearing for a property identified in the record as 8 Kesit Road and determined that the portions described in the notice of intent are not "preferably preserved" under the town's Chapter 106 demolition-delay bylaw, while urging that efforts be made to save a historically notable dining-room section.

Ben Zander, speaking on behalf of property owners Andy Cooper and Emily Mccon, described the proposal: the c.1790 Cape-style core of the house would be lifted, rotated about 90 degrees and set on a new foundation, while later additions — including work done in the mid-1990s — would be removed and replaced by a new addition. "My name is Ben Zander. I'm here on behalf of Andy Cooper and Emily Mccon," Zander told the commission, and he argued the project preserves the original historic portion even as it replaces later accretions.

Commission discussion focused on whether removing later wings and additions would amount to demolishing the historic fabric. Several commissioners said the roughly 1790 portion clearly meets the town's significance criteria. One participant highlighted the difficulty of salvaging an older dining room that sits between attached wings: moving or isolating that element would require complex structural work and a new foundation.

After closing the public hearing the commission voted on a motion that read, in part, that "the portions of 8 Kesit Road included in the notice of intent before the commission are determined not to be preferably preserved for the purposes of Chapter 106," and appended language expressing the commission's appreciation that "efforts will be made to look at saving" the dining-room element on a best-efforts basis. Commissioners debated the phrasing to avoid creating an enforceable condition that could block a certificate of occupancy if the salvage attempt failed; the final language expresses the commission's interest rather than a strict requirement.

The motion carried on voice votes. Commissioners said they preferred an outcome that preserves as much of the 1790 core as possible and noted technical constraints that can make wholesale preservation or partial salvage difficult.

The commission also invited the applicant to remain for the meeting's next agenda item and noted that the structure's Form B and the historic inventory will be part of the record for future reviews. The hearing record includes presentation materials and Form B information the commission will use when judging preservation options.

Next steps: the commission's finding means the building inspector will treat demolition requests for properties on the inventory as subject to the commission's review process. The commission encouraged the owners to document any salvage steps and to consult staff about practical measures to try to preserve the dining-room element.