2007 Annual Report - Town of Wilton

Historic District #5 was created by unanimousvote of the Board of Selectmen in June 2005.It covers the Wilton Historical Society MuseumComplex at 224 Danbury Road, the Sloan-Raymond-Fitch House, the Betts-Sturges-Blackmar house, the Basil Burt barn and theAbbott barn and blacksmith shop.Historic District #6 includes fifteen propertieswith seventeen buildings in a Georgetownneighborhood on Church Street, West ChurchStreet and Route 107 (Redding Road). It wasestablished in May 2007.Local Historic District and/or HistoricProperty designation provides a means topreserve and protect the historic characterof a neighborhood, site or building andbestows honor and recognition upon them.Any proposed exterior change to an includedproperty, visible from the public right-of-way,requires approval from the Historic District &Historic Property Commission. Property ownersmust submit an application for review to assurethat any proposed changes are compatiblewith the building and appropriate to the district.Applications are available at the Planning &Zoning Department in the Town Hall Annex.Commission members actively work withTown residents to create new historic districtsand historic properties in an effort to provideadditional protection to Wilton’s historicsites. Any Wilton property owner interestedin exploring the possibility of designatinghis neighborhood or individual property as ahistoric district or property should contact oneof the members of the Commission. As a resultof this collaborative effort, Historic District#6 was established this year with 80% of theneighborhood approving the designation.The Commission reviewed and commentedon the proposed destruction of, or majorchange to, buildings over fifty years old underthe provisions of the Town’s Demolition DelayOrdinance and helped to preserve and/or drawattention to those buildings of architectural,historical or cultural importance in Town.A number of applications for Certificatesof Appropriateness were submitted to theCommission this year for changes andadditions to properties in Districts #2 and#5. They were reviewed and approved andCertificate of Appropriateness granted. TheCommission receives assistance and supportfrom the Connecticut Preservation Office,the Wilton Board of Selectmen, the BuildingDepartment, the Planning and Zoning Officeand the Wilton Historical Society.The Board of Selectmen appointsCommission members and alternates.Members during 2007 were: Carol Russell,Chairman; Marian Wulffleff, Vice Chairman;Janet Foster, Clerk; Jonathan Foltz; andKevin Quinlan. Alternates were Jerre Dawson,Tierney O’Hearn and Harriet “Scotty” Taylor.Carol Russell, ChairmanDepartment ofPublic WorksThe Department of Public Works madesignificant road improvements this year on thefollowing Town roads: Old Highway, OremsLane, Range Road, Old Ridgefield Road andClover Drive. In addition, the Department didnumerous repairs to the Town roads after theLand Use and Public Works32