Weston Historical Commission caps 120 Summer Street preservation restriction at $247,000

WESTON — September 21, 2018 — Weston Historical Commission sets $247,000 ceiling for preservation restriction on 120 Summer Street. The commission voted unanimously at its September 21 meeting to find the 17th-century structure worthy of preservation and to approve a maximum restriction value of $247,000, based on appraiser John Bowman's calculation that the restriction would reduce the market value of the roughly 60,000-square-foot lot by that amount. Co-Chair Phyllis Halpern said the number could be refined downward once outstanding zoning and appraisal questions are answered, including whether the lot's grandfathered two-residence status would survive redevelopment. Absent member Steve Wagner submitted a letter calling the $247,000 figure too high and suggesting $100,000 to $150,000 as more appropriate, though members generally deferred to Bowman's methodology. Halpern is scheduled to present the item to the Community Preservation Committee on October 15, with the commission simultaneously pursuing a $75,000 restriction on 71 Lexington Street.