Historical Commission Meeting
Approved a preservation restriction for 45 Main St; received a staff update on a major redevelopment at 230 Main St that would preserve the Bagley House and add three new residential buildings; learned of a proposed 40B tiny-home development (~80 units) at 27 Kimball Rd with a scheduled site walk.
The Amesbury Historical Commission met and focused on review and preservation matters for several named properties. The commission voted 5–0 to approve a preservation restriction for 45 Main St, subject to a correction to the land description agreed to by the applicant’s representative; commissioners discussed a minor change to the building’s second-floor Main Street windows and concluded it did not adversely affect the building’s historic integrity. Representatives for the 45 Main St submission were present to address the correction.
Staff provided updates on two larger projects: a multi-building redevelopment proposal at 230 Main St that would retain and restore the historic Bagley House as multi-family housing while demolishing other site structures and adding three new residential buildings fronting Route 110 (designs include Federal-, Italianate-, and mansard-style elements, with parking behind); and a proposed 40B tiny-home project on a 9.5-acre parcel at 27 Kimball Rd proposing about 80 closely spaced units, for which a site walk was scheduled. Commissioners also discussed implications of recent state ADU rule changes for multi-family properties and agreed to review the Demolition Delay Bylaw text ahead of the December meeting; one commissioner offered to draft a more descriptive annual report for future consideration.