Commission clears Mananak Road home for demolition
Wellesley Historical Commission clears a 1947 Cliff Estates house for demolition, stalls three oversized new builds. The commission voted 5-1 with one abstention to find 17 Mananak Road not "preferably preserved," freeing owners Jason and Pat Gardner from the town's 12-month demolition delay.
Historical Commission · Meeting of September 14, 2026
Wellesley Historical Commission clears a 1947 Cliff Estates house for demolition, stalls three oversized new builds. The commission voted 5-1 with one abstention to find 17 Mananak Road not "preferably preserved," freeing owners Jason and Pat Gardner from the town's 12-month demolition delay. Member Elizabeth Cahill warned that a proposed new home at 22 Standish Road was "too close to this house's identical twin," a design reviewed three months earlier on Brewster Street, while alternate Jackie Hempel said the project threatened a neighborhood's mature tree canopy.
Design-review waivers for 34 Sheridan Road, 22 Standish Road and 62 Pine Plain Road were all continued 7-0 to October 14. The commission did approve, 7-0, a waiver for a new Gambrel-style home at 53 Hunnewell Street, after the architect agreed to explore lowering the foundation to reduce its apparent size.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,821 words
Source: the Historical Commission meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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