Heritage commissioners discuss brick-painting concerns, plan letter to land-use steering committee and outreach activities

Members of the Manchester Heritage Commission spent a portion of the meeting discussing a recent trend of painting commercial brick black and the potential adverse effects on historic masonry. Commissioners described moisture and breathability concerns and said they had contacted other municipalities to learn how peers address the issue.

Commissioners said their research showed few municipal restrictions specifically banning paint on historic brick, and they discussed preparing a letter to the land-use code steering committee and the director of planning to document the commission’s concerns and request guidance. One commissioner said painting brick "is not good" and described long-term moisture concerns; another commissioner said the commission could show concern without overreaching into property-ownership rights and that the letter could serve as a conversation starter with downtown building owners and the business association.

The commission discussed options for circulation: sending the letter to the steering committee, the director of planning and the board of mayor and aldermen, and to relevant business associations. Commissioners asked staff to remove an individual’s name from a draft if requested and to circulate the proposed letter for commissioner signatures. A commissioner reported outreach from the downtown store association offering support for the commission’s concerns.

In related business the commission discussed responses to a query about Chandler House, noted plans for a preservation-education outreach event that would bring together local associations and preservation stakeholders, and received an update that the zoning-ordinance steering committee’s draft report would refer applications to the commission in practice though codification remained pending. Commissioners asked staff to coordinate next steps and to keep the commission informed as the steering-committee report moves toward municipal adoption.