More mangling of our historic assets. Oy veh.

64-66 Lime Street. We are talking about Stickney’s neighborhood store (c1850), a neighborhood store which I have always loved, but hey they want to sell it.

And we are talking about a very old gambrel (c1735) that also goes with the property that also runs along Milk Street. That’s the one I really care about.

And the developers, 
Mark DePiero, president of DePiero LLC, and Steve Coyle, president of MSC Realty Development (Newburyport Daily News, March 8, 2007) would like to demolish them both and put up two, not one, two 2,300 and 2,700 square feet homes.

Yikes.

This in from the Newburyport Preservation Trust:

“To implement their development plan, the proposed buyer(s) will need a Section 6C Special Permit from the Planning Board in order to build 2 new buildings on this lot. The lot size is listed at 4,920 sq feet. According to the Planning Office, the minimum lot size required to build a single-family home in this district is 8,000 sq feet.”

Excuse me.

These folks are also going to need Special Permits/Variances from the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as being excused by the Newburyport Historical Commission for a Demolition Delay.

Ok, Mark DePiero has good taste. But he does replicas. If there is a vacant lot, Ok, a replica (maybe).

But here, we are talking about tearing down an historic asset, something that makes it economically worthwhile for everybody in Newburyport, MA. The reason people want to live, work, visit and play in this place. And put up a replica for the real existing deal.

This makes me want to scream.

And this is a tiny lot. 4,920 Square Feet. Two large structures on 4,920 Square feet.

Say what?

So I hope (March 27, 2007 is when it is on the docket) that the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals says “NO, NO, NO, you do not get to destroy Newburyport’s historic assets, the city of Newburyport, MA will not be diminished one more time.”

I hope the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals says a big fat “no thank you.”

For goodness sakes, restore the historic asset, bring it back to it’s glory. Make us all proud.

So far Mr. DePiero has gotten a bit of a pass. But not after this one folks. Don’t let this one happen. Please. Not when there are so many tangible reasons NOT to let this one take place.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s note: Proposed 64-66 Lime Street plot plan. PDF version. Courtesy of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.)