The purpose of this chapter is to promote the educational, cultural,
economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation
and protection of the distinctive characteristics of buildings and
places significant in the history of the Town or their architecture,
and through the maintenance and improvement of settings for such buildings
and places and the encouragement of design compatible therewith.
It is recognized that there may be cases in which the potential
for an alteration (as defined in Section 3 of the Historic Districts
Act) affecting the future use of a property may depend on the
future receipt of a certificate from the commission and that the uncertainty
as to the receipt of a certificate at some future date may be a hardship
to a property owner in contemplating an alteration or the sale of
the property. In such cases, the property owner may at any time request
a hearing on the matter, and the Commission shall give the owner a
ruling, in writing, on the alteration's status as to appropriateness,
nonapplicability or hardship; and the property owner shall have the
customary rights of appeal. When the contemplated alteration is to
be accomplished, the usual application for a certificate with plans
and other required details shall be made.
The appeal procedures for property owners shall be in accordance
with Sections 12, 12A and 13 of the Historic Districts Act, MGL c.
40C.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the ordinary
maintenance, repair or replacement of any architectural feature within
a historic district which does not involve a change in design, material,
color, or the outward appearance thereof, nor to prevent landscaping
with plants, trees or shrubs, nor construed to prevent the meeting
of requirements certified by a duly authorized public officer to be
necessary for public safety because of an unsafe or dangerous condition,
nor construed to prevent any construction or alteration under a permit
duly issued prior to the effective date of this chapter.
There is established under the provisions of MGL c. 40C a historic
district to be known as the "Braintree Town Center Historic District,"
which district shall include generally the area of south Braintree
center as defined on the map of the proposed Braintree Town Center
Historic District Area A, shown as Appendix B in the final report
of the Braintree historic district study commission, entitled "Final
Report Proposed Braintree Town Center Historic District," a copy of
which is on file with the office of Town Clerk, such area being generally
bounded on the east by Follette Circle and Bean Drive, Tenney Road,
Union Place and Union Street; thence on the north by Hobart Avenue;
thence on the west by Tremont Street; and on the south by French's
Common; such historic district to comprise the following buildings
and objects described by address and by Braintree assessor's
plan and plot numbers:
A. Braintree Town Hall, 1 JFK Memorial Drive, plan 1013, plot 1;
B. Water Department Building, 2 JFK Memorial Drive, plan 1013, plot
1;
C. Southworth Library of Thayer Academy, 745 Washington Street, plan
1014, plot 1;
D. Frothingham Hall of Thayer Academy, 745 Washington Street, plan 1014,
plot 1;
E. Main building of Thayer Academy, 745 Washington Street, plan 1014,
plot 1;
F. Memorial Gymnasium of Thayer Academy on Campus, Hobart Avenue, plan
1014, plot 1;
G. Glover Building of Thayer Academy, 745 Washington Street, plan 1014,
plot 1;
H. Site of first townhouse, Washington and Union Streets, plan 1004,
plot II (partial);
I. Fire station, 9 Union Place, plan 1005, Plot 29;
J. Moses French House, 766 Washington Street, plan 1005, plot 7;
K. General Sylvanus Thayer birthplace, 786 Washington Street, plan 1005,
plot 64;
L. Barn Museum and Library, Tenney Road, plan 1005, plot 78;
M. Oak tree, Frederick J. Follette Circle;
N. Thayer Public Library, 798 Washington Street, plan 1005, plot 61;
O. French's Common, Washington Street, plan 1013, plot 1;
P. Site of Former Arnold Tavern, Washington Street and Central Avenue,
plan 1014, plot 1;
Q. Monument Mall, JFK Memorial Drive, plan 1013, plot 1.