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Newbury commission confirms 9-month demolition-delay notice for 25 High Road
Summary
The Newbury Historical Commission discussed a June 25 vote that designated 25 High Road as "preferably preserved," triggering a nine-month demolition-delay period; members agreed to send formal notice to the select board, building commissioner and owner and to finalize a letter before the statutory deadline.
The Newbury Historical Commission reviewed correspondence confirming that at its June 25 meeting the board "voted unanimously that 25 High Road is designated preferably preserved," a committee member reported. That designation starts a nine-month demolition-delay period during which demolition permits may be withheld while alternatives are explored.
The commission said it will send a formal notice—on letterhead and with proper copies—to the select board, the town building commissioner and the property owner so the statutory 21-day notification and the nine-month delay are documented. "This tells everybody that reads this that, yeah, you know, that it's been preserved at the moment," Committee member (S3) said while reviewing the draft letter.
Members walked through the demolition-delay language drawn from the town's Demolition Delay Bylaw, noting the options it gives owners and the commission: sell the property, seek partial renovation, or negotiate preservation measures. The treasurer and staff said the draft letter needs minor edits and a final formatting on commission letterhead before it is sent; the commission agreed to circulate an electronic version and finalize edits by the deadline.
Commission members stressed that the delay is not an absolute prohibition on redevelopment but a pause to evaluate historically significant structures. "Once the significant structure is determined to be preserved, the owner has responsibility for securing the property," the committee member reading the bylaw said, adding that the commission can recommend lifting the delay in writing if a reasonable solution is found.
Next steps: staff will send the edited notification to Jan and trace delivery to the select board and building commissioner so the 21-day statutory notice is met. The commission did not change the June 25 vote in this meeting; it discussed the notification process and confirmed its intention to monitor follow-up filings with the town.
