Historic District Proposal to be a Conservative One

This week the Swampscott Historic District Study Committee is scheduled to meet for the 15th time since its members were appointed by selectmen last April.  

The committee, which is studying the feasibility of preserving historic properties including those on parts of Humphrey Street, will host a public hearing to present its findings in the coming months.

It also plans to bring forth a proposal at Town Meeting in the spring.

The district's regulations will protect historical buildings and the district's character but will not be as restrictive as those in towns such as Marblehead that have longstanding historical districts, committee member Sylvia Belkin told Historical Commission members at a recent meeting.

The regulations will be less concerned with a structure's particulars, such as its color, than it will be with its continued presence, said Peter Kane, Swampscott's town planner and an ex-officio member of the study committee.

The district would protect historical properties within its boundaries from the wrecking ball, he said.

The committee's plan is to submit the plan for the warrant, he said.

It would then be up to selectmen to approve its placement on the warrant. If approved it would go to a public hearing and Town Meeting where the article would need a two-thirds majority vote for approval, he said.

Study committee Chairman Jer Jurma said the goal of the district is to preserve a sense of place and protect property values.

A preliminary map of the district, accompanying this post, includes part of Humphrey Street — the area shaded in purple. It does not include the green shaded area — the existing Olmsted District. The pinpoints on the map designate properties for which historical inventories have been completed.

The study committee includes representatives from the Swampscott Historical Society, the local Board of Realtors, and the American Institute of Architects, according to the committee's web page.
The committee has met with a representative from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, who toured the proposed area, reviewed the historic district process with the committee, and provided materials to aid the committee's work, the page states.

For more information on the study committee visit its web page on the town web site.

Links to historic photos of Humphrey Street
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet192513.html
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet19251.html
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet19252.html
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet192510.html
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet18805.html
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet18804.html
http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/oldphotos/humphreystreet192518.html

Historical Study Committee