The Edgartown historic district should be expanded, the town selectmen said this week, reigniting a debate over how to expand the district to encompass more of the downtown area.
“I would like to encourage [the historic district commission] to move on something like that, I hope the selectmen would be in support of putting something together,” said selectman Michael Donaroma at the weekly board meeting Monday. “I’m all for it.”
The Edgartown historic district commission has ordered a cease and desist on construction of a large fence being built on a North Water street home.
The order was issued to Edgartown contractor John Nugent on Wednesday to halt activity on a new granite and wood fence and granite curbing at 93 North Water street, as well as a brick retaining wall along Cottage street which runs perpendicular to the property.
The Edgartown historic district commission continued a public hearing Tuesday afternoon on a plan for renovation work on side-by-side properties on South Water street. The commission will revisit the issue again at their next meeting on June 1.
None of the houses on North Water street in Edgartown are small. But tucked among the old whaling captains’ homes, with their broad lawns stretching down to private docks on the outer harbor is a comparatively diminutive Greek revival building known as the library. The fate of this home has hung in the balance since September, when plans for its demolition were first presented to the Edgartown historic district commission in the wake of strong neighborhood opposition to the project.
A leading opponent is neighbor John Connors.
Approximately 500 buildings in downtown Edgartown, most of them wood frame houses of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, are now part of a nationally recognized historic district.
