Weston Historical Commission advances Wellington Farm appraisal, approves two window cases

WESTON — October 21, 2025 — Weston's Historical Commission approved two window applications, referred a garage addition to a public hearing, and formed a working group to advance appraisal discussions on the historically significant Wellington Farm property at 47 Wellesley Street. Co-Chair Phyllis Halpern and members Alfred Aydelott and Ford Curran volunteered for the working group after appraiser Bill Zagata of LandBest presented a base valuation and five hypothetical scenarios for the property, which could involve Community Preservation Act expenditures estimated at up to $5 million depending on the chosen approach. A window replacement application at 20 Maple Road from applicant Alex Chen — driven by lead-paint hazards flagged by a state-certified inspector for a household with a two-year-old child — passed five to one over Halpern's dissent, with the commission urging Chen to explore restoration before proceeding. The commission also referred a proposed two-story garage addition at 61 Silver Hill Road to a neighborhood public hearing on November 18, and re-elected Halpern as Co-Chair while deferring the selection of a second co-chair to that same meeting.