Board approves stone wall at 401 Main and schedules June 25 hearing for new house construction

The Townsend Historic Preservation Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for a low stone wall at 401 Main Street and scheduled a separate public hearing for proposed new construction on June 25 at 7:00 p.m.

Applicant Tiffany explained she plans to reuse fieldstone salvaged from a demolished foundation to build a low wall (under 4 feet) along the house’s road frontage and a small island. She said the building department allows walls under four feet without a separate permit and that the wall is intended as an ‘‘ode to the old house.’'

Board members asked about placement relative to sidewalk and driveway, and whether the island has a sidewalk. After clarifying those details and hearing supportive neighborhood comment, a commissioner moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness for the wall. The commission conducted a roll-call vote and approved the measure.

Separately, the applicant said she intends to reconstruct the house and had recently completed building plans; the commission scheduled a formal public hearing for June 25 at 7:00 p.m., stating that a 14-day notice period applied. The chair said staff would circulate site and front elevation views (not the full set of construction drawings) to neighbors in advance and that the commission preferred to review front- and side-facing elevations only because interiors and rear elevations are not visible from the street.

The chair also offered that an architect (Robert Darian) could be consulted by the commission on an on-call basis for design questions. The commission closed the matter and told the applicant the certificates and hearing details would be provided in writing.