Historical Commission continues Birch Lane demolition hearing to March 16

WESTON -- January 5, 2021, Weston Historical Commission delays demolition decision on two Birch Lane cottages until March. The commission voted unanimously to continue the public hearing on 8 and 16 Birch Lane to March 16, allowing Weston Affordable Housing Foundation more time to work with abutters on a duplex design replacing the 1900-era cottages in the Boston Post Road Historic District. Architect Keith Gross presented revised plans with lower eaves and broken-up massing intended to echo the existing buildings, while WAFI's Peter Foreman said preserving the cottages would have cost about $200,000 more per unit than new construction, a figure the Community Preservation Committee rejected. Attorney Eric Goldberg, representing several abutters, called the proposal "a contemporary building with contemporary aesthetics" that warrants the full 12-month demolition delay. Members agreed any later-imposed delay would run retroactively from Jan. 5. The commission also approved an 8 Hemlock Road renovation with a strong recommendation to restore 27 original windows rather than replace them.