From: 	Matt Thayer <mthayer777@gmail.com>
To:	Helen Donaldson <HCD@portlandmaine.gov>
CC:	Margaret Hazlett <mhazlett@fandm.edu>
Date: 	2/2/2016 3:19 PM
Subject: 	Fwd: Photos of Design Alternatives -- 65 Munjoy St -- "Quick" Public Input 2

Nell --

Pls review the below and attached, and *add these photos and e-mail to the
public input record for the planning board*.  We believe either of the
first two attached photos provide much better design direction for #65 than
the stripped down big box look the developer is going for, and aiming for
despite the long record of public input geared toward either a better, more
traditional design (Re-use Committee; Bluestone), or a better, more modern
design but with traditional references (Avesta I).

We need to do more than just hang a few bay windows on the stripped down
big box; that's only putting "lipstick on the..." swine, as they say (sorry
to be so relatively blunt, but none of the developers of this project has
shown any ability to pick up on the normal subtleties in communication).
The building should be totally re-designed by an architect with extensive
experience in urban infill affordable housing, and with reference to the
lengthy public record on this project prior to 2015.  These photos get at
one possible design direction... more traditional... and Avesta's first
submission from several years ago gets at another possible design
direction, somewhat more modern but with many references to traditional
Munjoy Hill vernacular.  Either design direction or concept would be MUCH
more consistent with the RFP and the Re-Use Committee's recommendations as
adopted by City Council than is the stripped down big box (even with a
couple decorations hung on it).

Thanks so much.

Matt

Matt Thayer and Margaret Hazlett
Owners, 62 Munjoy St.

Matt: Co-Chair, former City of Portland Adams School Re-use Committee

339 Nevin St.
Lancaster, PA  17603
h 717-209-7007 <file://localhost/tel/717-209-7007>
m 207-899-5772 <file://localhost/tel/207-899-5772>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Matt Thayer <mthayer777@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 21, 2016 at 6:54 PM
Subject: Photos of Design Alternatives -- 65 Munjoy St -- "Quick" Public
Input 2
To: Ethan Boxer-Macomber <ethan@anew-development.com>, Peter Bass <
pbass@maine.rr.com>
Cc: Ethan Strimling <estrimling@portlandmaine.gov>, Belinda Ray <
bsr@portlandmaine.gov>, Jeff Levine <JLEVINE@portlandmaine.gov>, "Daniel T.
Haley, Jr. CIC" <danielthaleyjr@gmail.com>, "Daniel T. Haley, Jr. CIC" <
danielthaley@gmail.com>, Eric Stark <eric.stark@maine.edu>, Gary Marcisso <
gmarcisso@yahoo.com>, Justina Marcisso <jmarcisso1@yahoo.com>, Margaret
Hazlett <mhazlett@fandm.edu>

​
Hi Ethan and Peter / All --

As promised in our earlier note, we submit the attached couple of photos of
urban infill affordable housing projects developed in the Boston area using
good design standards for urban infill affordable housing and that are
appropriate as design inspiration for well established and traditional
neighborhood settings.  One was attached to the online version of our Op
Ed, in case you saw that; the other is for sure new to you.  The source of
both photos is The Narrow Gate affordable housing architecture firm.  I
believe there is in fact a third photo attached of another new affordable
housing development, but it appears to us to be too suburban in nature to
provide decent design inspiration for this project.

We encourage you to consider a more traditionally-inspired design, such as
the first and second photos, and other traditionally-inspired designs like
these, as something like these would be a better fit for the 65 Munjoy St
block and neighborhood, and would be more consistent with various types of
guidance that was supposed to have influenced project design.

By the way, the photo of the new yellow-beige house or project -- might be
the first photo -- is interesting in that it appears to be a very
deliberate attempt to create a new three-story urban infill affordable
housing complex that looks like it was once a two-story apartment house or
condo project; you'll note that the 3rd floor appears very much like an
addition to an old two-story house.  Given that two two-story buildings
"sandwich" 65 Munjoy St, one to the north, one to the south, this design
technique is worth keeping in mind.  Anything like this at #65 might need
to be a bit wider, but the basic concept of the 3rd floor "addition" to
break up the three-story mass is worth considering for the 65 Munjoy site.

The guys at The Narrow Gate clearly have years of experience specifically
in urban infill affordable housing design that is relevant for sites such
as 65 Munjoy and neighborhoods such as that around the old Adams School.

Please add these photos and this note to the public record of this meeting.

And please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks so much.

Matt and Margaret

-- 
Matt Thayer and Margaret Hazlett
Owners, 62 Munjoy St.
m 207-899-5772

-- 
Matt Thayer
339 Nevin St.
Lancaster, PA  17603
h 717-209-7007
m 207-899-5772