The Wiscasset Historic Preservation Commission on June 29 approved a certificate of appropriateness for a home to be built on Hooper Street, and tabled a second application for a new home on Lee Street, pending a site review and a check of deed restrictions.

Sherri Dunbar, owner of the Hooper Street property, said it lies in the Village 2 district, and is adjacent to the Wiscasset Medical Building. Part of the tentative plan involves a daylight basement, but that will depend on how much ledge is found when construction begins. She plans to add a deck later, but it not be visible from the road or from the abutters. Commission members asked her to come back if the deck is not added when the house is built to get another certificate.

“If the deck is substantially different from what I’ve presented here, right,” she asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Chair John Reinhardt said.

The second application related to a property for which Reinhardt is not only an abutter, but has enjoyed a right-of-way for many years. He recused himself from the discussion.

The property lies at the corner of Lee Street and Bath Road, and is being purchased by Richard and Karen Azzoli. A part of the property has been used as a right-of-way for the Reinhardt property and also another abutter’s property. Commission member Susan Blagden queried whether or not the Azzolis knew about the rights-of-way.

Richard Azzoli said he did not know about them and is not certain if it was written into any deed covenant. “That is something we would have to determine,” he said. “But I am not certain it relates to what we are doing here tonight.”

Albert Kontrath, as acting chair, also asked about the geology and hydrology of the site. “When the old people didn’t build on a site, there was usually a good reason,” he said. “This is outside the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission, but I wanted you to have the information because I have the experience.”

Azzoli said there were hydrologic studies in place to build trenches around the house, and that he and his builder anticipated ledge, but that the house had to be in a specific place due to setback requirements and the expected debris from winter plowing on Bath Road. The application was tabled until July 6, to give Kontrath time to do a site visit with the Azzolis and their builder, and for the Azzolis to go to the Registry of Deeds to look at any covenants and rights-of-way that may exist on the land.

Town Planner Ben Averill then gave the commission a list of activities they will be responsible for, since his last day was June 30, including writing up minutes, agendas and findings of fact and getting them out in a timely way. He also instructed them about how to notify the papers for hearings and other required legal notices. Averill suggested the commission meet twice monthly to avoid problems.

Complicating all this new work, which Averill had done, is the fact that two of the commission members have not yet been reappointed. Reinhardt, and James Kochan have not yet received authority to sit on the commission from the Board of Selectmen. Kontrath was elected chair to serve in Reinhardt’s absence. The commission said it was hopeful that the two members would be reappointed at an upcoming selectmen’s meeting.

There is also still the possibility the commission will be disbanded, along with the historic preservation ordinance. The commissioners worked on a draft letter to selectmen, explaining why they felt the ordinance and the commission were important to Wiscasset. Averill encouraged them to write the letter in a positive fashion, explaining how a historic district could improve the town’s economic development and tourism, rather than focusing on particular cases in the past.