CHCA board approves Woodmere plans

Okay contingent on neighbors’ review

By ED MAHON

When Woodmere Art Museum presented its design application in February, the Chestnut Hill Community Association (CHCA) Development Review Committee (DRC) told the museum representatives its project would be evaluated by several CHCA committees during a two-month period before returning for final approval. Five months, several meetings and countless concerns on both sides later, Woodmere has yet to receive final approval. But at last week’s CHCA board of directors meeting, the association said the process was close to finished.

The CHCA, with one abstention, approved the Woodmere Art Museum’s petition for erection of a two-story addition. However, this approval is contingent on one item: that neighbors be given time to review the agreement.

The issue had gone on to the CHCA after being approved by the DRC in June. After considerable deliberation, the DRC unanimously approved the Woodmere project, but not without strings attached.

Contingent on the signing of a legal contract between the CHCA and Woodmere is a mandate that the museum complies with neighbor’s concerns.

The CHCA has created the contract, and after the July 29 meeting, once neighbors look over the document, CHCA president Maxine Dornemann will sign it.

Two neighbors, the Schustermans and Kimberlys, who had voiced the most concerns over Woodmere, were not present at the meeting.

Association member Elizabeth Masters, who introduced the item for approval, said she was unable to reach these neighbors.

However, Masters said, the CHCA had formed a verbal agreement with the neighbors, in which the neighbors had agreed upon the main components of the document. The wording of the document needs to be refined, Masters said.

“We don’t want neighbors to think they’ve been bumped out of the issue,” said Masters. “We worked very hard in keeping negotiations open.”

Brien Tilley, a neighbor of Woodmere and CHCA Executive Committee member, attended the meeting and voted to approve the item.

In addition to Woodmere, the CHCA approved other items concerning buildings and space. The CHCA is considering the purchase of the Hiram Lodge at 8427 Germantown Ave. The CHCA unanimously approved several items submitted by Stewart Graham.

A Hiram Lodge Building Acquisition Committee was authorized to enter into an agreement of intent to acquire the Hiram Lodge Masonic Building for the CHCA through the Chestnut Hill Community Fund (CHCF) and pay $10,000 in earnest money from the CHCF to secure the rights to acquire the property. The $10,000 would be returned if the building is not purchased. The committee was also authorized to spend $5,000 of CHCF money to have an appraisal and an inspection performed on the Hiram Lodge Masonic Building. This $5,000 would not be returned.

Whether or not, and how the building would be economically viable were addressed, and will be addressed further by the committee. Ideas ranged from the extreme ideas of using the top floor of the building as a restaurant to headquarters for the Chestnut Hill Local. Dornemann would like to see various community organizations make use of the building, including the Business Association, Business Improvement District and the Historical Society.

The five actions related to the Hiram Lodge passed unanimously.

And finally, in the least controversial item, the Chestnut Hill Coffee Company unanimously received approval for a change of use variance, to open a coffee shop at 8620 Germantown Ave.

The CHCA board of directors also received an update on the editor search for the Local to replace Katie Worrall, who will retire in September. The board will meet on August 19 to approve the editor. After the first set of interviews, there are currently four candidates left for the job, according to George Parry, chair of Publisher’s Committee. A second set of interviews will occur soon.