Weston Historical Commission Votes to Pursue Merriam Street Preservation Restriction

WESTON — August 12, 2019 — Weston Historical Commission votes to pursue a preservation deed restriction on a Merriam Street colonial, with compensation valued at $325,000. Co-Chair Phyllis Halpern presented appraiser John Bowman's findings placing the before-restriction value of 261 Merriam Street at roughly $1.15 million and the after-restriction value at $825,000, yielding a $325,000 deed-restriction compensation figure. The commission voted unanimously to begin Community Preservation Committee application paperwork, with the compensation amount left open pending negotiation with the neighborhood group seeking the restriction, who fear the corner-lot property could be redeveloped if sold. Members openly questioned whether the figure would survive CPC and town meeting scrutiny, particularly given the property's adjacency to an approved 40B development. The commission also voted unanimously to find 183 Ridgeway Road significant within the Childrens Hundreds Historic District and scheduled a September 9 public hearing on a proposal to demolish and rebuild the colonial revival home on its existing foundation.