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Yarmouth historical commission approves demolition of West Yarmouth condo unit, requires interior photos first
Summary
The Yarmouth Historical Commission approved the demolition and rebuild of 184 South Seas Ave., Unit 1 in West Yarmouth after applicants said the new house will be on the same footprint; the commission required that a YHC member be allowed to photograph the interior prior to demolition.
The Yarmouth Historical Commission voted to allow the demolition of 184 South Seas Ave., Unit 1 in West Yarmouth, provided a member of the commission may photograph the interior before demolition begins.
At a meeting March 12, 2026, Associate Commissioner Sam Lawrence moved to approve the demolition request with the caveat that a YHC member be allowed to photograph the second-floor rafters and interior prior to demolition; Vice Chair Bob Kelley seconded and the motion passed unanimously, 3-0-0. Chair Julie Mockabee presided over the meeting.
Applicants John Burke and Tom Belekewicz said the replacement home will be built on the existing footprint and will have a second floor across the full structure. Belekewicz described the current building as having “a terrible” design but said the proposed work has been planned for two years and has condominium-association approval. Vice Chair Kelley raised a preservation question about a round roof section that “sticks out over the edge” and suggested it could once have been a functioning windmill; Lawrence said that if the round section proved to be an actual mill, it should be photographed inside and out before demolition.
Burke said the project has gone through the zoning board of appeals and has condominium association support; he and Belekewicz said they want exterior demolition completed before the condominium association’s prohibition on major construction after Memorial Day so interior work can continue over the summer. Commissioners and the applicants agreed that a YHC member will be allowed to inspect and photograph the rafters; Belekewicz said he would meet the inspector at the house to coordinate access.
The commission’s approval is limited to the demolition request as described at the meeting; no permit or building approvals outside the commission’s purview were resolved during the discussion. The meeting minutes record that the motion passed 3-0-0, with Commissioner David Geanacopoulos recorded as absent for this action.
The commission did not record any documentary or archival evidence establishing the round section as a functioning windmill during the meeting; commissioners requested photographic documentation if historical fabric is present before demolition.
