No precedent is a good precedent

MILFORD — They were up to necks in gutters, signs and doors at Monday’s meeting of the Milford Borough Architectural Review Board. The board’s most controversial issue of late has been the new library design. There was no appearance by any representative of the library building task force at the meeting. Informal plan consultations continued with Chris Hobbs, developer of the Broad Street Alley shops project. Hobbs has been seeking approvals for more than a year, which has in past resulted in sharp exchanges between Hobbs and board Chair Beth Kelley. The sticking issue on Monday was whether Hobbs could install contemporary gutters on a historic district building which never before had gutters, or whether any gutters must be of a historic style. Solicitor John Klemeyer warned the board to take care in not setting a precedent in their decision. “It’s a question of consistency of the rules,” he said. “I’ll make whatever you want. I don’t want to go broke,” said Hobbs referring to a $6,000 monthly cost he said he incurs while he lacks tenants in his buildings. Kelley promised a decision by the July meeting. Separately, the board directed Second Street businessman Bernard Hegel to remove a steel replacement door he had installed without review board oversight and replace it in the historic style or repair the original door. Kelley later questioned landlord Billy Shi about the deteriorating condition of his Harford Inn, the borough’s oldest structure. “The building is falling apart,” she charged. Shi asked what the board would have him do. Klemeyer said it was Shi’s responsibility to propose a plan, not the board’s. He also warned of penalties that would be imposed if the board decides the building is being purposely neglected to the point where demolition is required. In other business the board reviewed a letter to the developers of the proposal to refurbish the Rite Aid Drug Store at Broad and Harford streets. They did not release the text of the draft, which underwent some editing at the meeting and will be finalized before delivery.