On July 11, the Wiscasset Historic Preservation Commission approved a sign for a new business at 52 Water St., but three other certificates of appropriateness were tabled when the owner or a representative of the property did not come to the meeting.

Old and Everlasting, a home goods and antique shop owned by Marian Berry, was approved quickly. A new sign for Little Village Bistro on Gardiner Road, a fence at 45 Federal St. owned by Sherri Dunbar, and a garage on High Street owned by Jan and Ted Hadrick, to replace a demolished carriage house on the site, did not progress because the owners did not appear. All three were tabled to July 25.

The commission discussed ideas for the bicentennial celebration of both the town and the state next summer. Ideas included the planting of an apple orchard at Morris Farm, identifying properties in Wiscasset which were standing in 1820, and marking them with a star on a stake in front of the house, with a map of a walking tour pointing out the properties, and identifying Wiscasset’s first meeting house, where any vote for statehood would have taken place.

The commission also continued a discussion on acceptable materials for historic property renovation. The goal is to create a list of materials homeowners could use for their historic homes. This would ease the COA process if homeowners used the materials suggested because the commission would have already approved the list. Replacement windows were also discussed. According to Chair Susan Blagden, Historic Preservation commissions are faced with new energy efficiency laws about single-paned windows. New state law requires windows sold in Maine to be energy efficient. Few manufacturers make energy efficient windows that look like the original windows, members discovered.  The HPC wrestled with how to encourage homeowners to attempt to reuse the original glass when doing window work.

The commission discussed how to find out about grants that might be available for homeowners. Mary Ellen Barnes mentioned at the recent selectmen’s meeting that some grants were available for properties on the National Register, The commission discussed ways to encourage homeowners to list properties on the National Register if possible.