Commission approves demolition at 46 Scarsdale, accepts replication plan for new house

The Dennis Old Kings Highway Regional Historic District Commission voted to accept a demolition application for a house at 46 Scarsdale Road and approved revised plans for a replacement designed to replicate the property's historic character.

Thomas Moore of Moore Home Design told the commission the owner plans to remove the existing early-20th-century cottage and build a new house with a Greek Revival façade, a mudroom connector and a two-car garage to the left of the house. He said the team will try to preserve a maple tree and much of the growth at the rear of the property but acknowledged some clearing will be needed for a septic system.

The commission heard neighbors’ concerns. Claudine Trentholm, whose property sits directly behind 46 Scarsdale, said she has lived there 35 years and asked that the applicant avoid clear-cutting vegetation between the properties and limit exterior lighting that could shine into her home. Bob Poskett, vice chair of the Dennis Historical Commission, reported the commission had researched the site and said the property dates to the 1920s and “has a wonderful Cape Cod setting,” urging replication of key architectural elements if demolition proceeds.

Commission discussion focused on the house’s age and condition and on whether the replacement would preserve the setting. Moore said the existing house has no basement and tight, chopped interior spaces that would make rehabilitation difficult; he and the design team proposed a new house that echoes the original form and siting. A motion to accept the demolition application was seconded and carried (tally recorded in the meeting as 4 yes, 1 no). The board then reviewed revised construction plans and voted to accept the new-construction application as submitted.

The commission recorded conditions and asked the applicant to work with neighbors on lighting and landscaping details. No permit or construction timeline was specified at the meeting.

The commission’s decisions mean the owner may proceed with demolition under the local process; the historical commission indicated it had provided supplemental historical materials to inform the board’s review. Further building- and conservation-related permits may be required before site work begins.