Next week a hearing may decide the fate of one of the oldest buildings in Lincoln County.
On March 7, the Newcastle Design Review Committee is expected to take action on a demolition permit that would allow property owners, John W. and Mary E. Homan, of Marblehead, Mass., to move ahead with plans to demolish the residence at 21 Pond Rd., in Damariscotta Mills.
The plans for demolition have drawn some opposition from local residents, several of whom turned out for a Feb. 9 hearing on the subject. All parties involved note the historic nature of the structure, and acknowledge the building needs significant renovations to make it livable.
Newcastle Design Review Committee chairman Tor Glendinning said the hearing is part of the process that began in November when the Homans filed a demolition permit. The four-month waiting period is intended to give area residents time to weigh in on the proposed change, Glendinning said.
He acknowledged some local residents have expressed opposition to the demolition, but he added, the building really requires significant work.
Built around 1740, the residential building has been vacant since 2010 when the previous owner moved into an assisted living situation.
The building has a great many issues including mold and rot Glendinning said. “That building is in tough shape,” Glendinning said. “It is unsafe; unsanitary to ask anybody to live there.”
John Homan said the extreme amount of moisture damage to the house makes renovations financially unfeasible. “We are of the opinion the house is in unsafe condition and frankly, I would not want to stay there overnight,” he said.
Whatever future plans Homan may have beyond the demolition will still be subject to design review and planning board process, Glendinning said. At this point the new owners have not presented any plans.
John Hamon said plans have not been finalized at this time.
Hamon said he hopes to salvage as much as possible from the old house and incorporate those materials in the house he hopes to build.
“My intent is to salvage as much as I can from the existing structure and try to reuse everything that way,” he said.
Damariscotta Mills resident Mic Lebel questions the urgency to tear the building down, in light of its historical value. Lebel, who lives across the street from 21 Pond Rd., said the lack of a definition regarding future plans for the site should give the design review committee pause.
Further, Lebel said the committee is apparently willing to make a decision without a single written cost estimate on what it would take to repair the existing building.
“There has been no documentation of what the costs even are,” he said.
Lebel acknowledged the building is not in good shape, but he argued there is a cachet to owning one of the oldest houses in one of the oldest communities in Lincoln County.
The Newcastle Design Review Board meets Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m., location to be announced.
