Chair Taylor Announces Exit from BHAC

Chairman Kenneth Taylor announced his resignation from the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission (BHAC) effective immediately during its monthly hearing on Thursday, Feb. 21, at City Hall.

Taylor, who will be relocating to New York with his wife, joined the commission in 2004 and was named its chair in 2015.

“The commission has benefited enormously from a very competent staff [during my tenure],” he said. “I think it’s time for someone else to do what I’ve been doing for a while.”

In regard to a violation for the American Meteorological Society’s headquarters at 45 Beacon St., the commission voted 3-1 for a continuance on the proposed work, which includes reconfiguring the door at the rear elevation of the Carriage barn, installing an asphalt berm at the rear wall of the barn, replacing two missing granite bollards at the east and west corners of the barn and repairing masonry at the barn’s rear elevation, among other modifications.

Also, the commission voted unanimously for a continuance on a violation for 8 Joy St.; proposed work includes replacing 16 wood and widows and 14 window casings in-kind at the front façade and side elevation, as well as repairing five windows and seven window casings at the front façade and side elevation.

As for an application for 71 Chestnut St. that was continued from its public hearings on Oct. 18 and Nov. 15 of last year, the commission approved the application with the proviso that the color of the bottom façade match the rest of the façade.

The scope of this proposed work includes re-pointing masonry at the front façade; replacing all sills and lintels with cast stone; removing existing iron grate over the door and iron gate at the door alcove; cleaning rust off the existing steel beam and re-painting it; replacing existing wood panels in transom over double-doors with new glass panes; repairing all doors; replacing deteriorated sections of wood trim in-kind; and replacing first-story, 16-light wood window in-kind; and re-painting all exterior wood elements using a new color scheme.

The commission also voted to continue an application for 28 Pinckney St. that it had previously approved on June 18, 2015, the scope of which includes replacing an existing in-filled garage door opening with a new overhead garage door, as well as restoring curb-cuts and the sidewalk.

Commissioner Miguel Rosales instructed the applicant to return to the commission with a representative from Eversource Energy, which will be undertaking the sidewalk work.

In another matter, the commission unanimously approved an application for 99 Pinckney St. that included removing an existing concrete slab at the front sidewalk and replacing it with a blue stone slab to match the one next door at 97 Pinckney St.; removing and replacing an existing coal chute; and installing waterproof membranes and brick pavers.

The commission also unanimously approved an application to replace entry doors in-kind and new address numbers on the front façade of 35 Mt. Vernon St., with the proviso that the address numbers be replaced as currently existing.

Moreover, the commission approved an application for 85 Pinckney St. to replace second-story, non-historic French doors and transoms with double-hung, six-over-nine wood windows at the front façade, with the proviso that French doors be replaced in kind.

By a vote of 3-1, the commission also approved an application to install storm windows on the second story of the front façade at 12 Byron St.

Meanwhile, the commission denied without prejudice an application made on behalf of AT&T to replace at the roof level three existing panel antennas with six panel antennas, and to replace one canister enclosure with a new 18-foot “stealth” enclosure to house relocated antennas.             The commission also denied without prejudice an application to install two awnings on the storefront at 84 Chestnut St. on the grounds that the structures as proposed weren’t technically awnings

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