Weston Historical Commission Approves Porch Enclosure, Advances Estate Window Review

WESTON -- February 8, 2022, Weston Historical Commission unanimously approves porch enclosure at significant Newton Street house and backs $206,000 preservation restriction request. The commission voted 6-0 at its February 8 meeting to approve cedar-clad, fiberglass-doored enclosure plans at 95 Newton Street, with members noting the design was "not of the period" but in harmony with the existing structure. A separate 6-0 vote supported a Community Preservation Committee placeholder of up to $206,000, $200,000 for a restriction and $6,000 for appraisal costs, at 669 Boston Post Road ahead of a spring Town Meeting request. The longest discussion concerned 4 Willow Road, a 1928 Hope steel window estate designed by MIT Great Dome architect Eric Kebon, where builder Sam Solderholm of Solderholm Custom Builders argued that years of failed restoration attempts, including work by leaded glass specialist Julie Sloan, justify full window replacement with thermally broken Hope steel units; the commission asked for a formal application and side-by-side elevation drawings for the March 8 hearing. The Cambridge School of Weston's condemned White Farm house, which costs the school $15,000 to $18,000 a year to maintain, prompted calls for a commission site visit before any demolition discussion proceeds.