The Borough of Newtown Historic District Commission conducted a virtual public hearing on the evening of July 9, where members and the public could join the meeting via phone or Zoom.

Chairperson Stephanie Gaston led the meeting, with about half a dozen Historic District members and four residents of Main Street present.

According to the commission’s public notice, the hearing was to consider 19 Main Street LLC’s application for repair and restoration of 19 Main Street’s existing building “to include a restaurant in the front and seven apartments in the rear wing.” The hearing would determine if a certificate of appropriateness would be granted.

The group 19 Main Street LLC, which includes developer Russell Barton, purchased the roughly three-acre property earlier this year from its previous owners who wished to demolish the historic building. The building was formerly The Inn at Newtown and at one time was the home of Mary Hawley, Newtown’s benefactress.

Maura Juan, principal architect of seventy2architects in Danbury, introduced herself at the meeting and said she is working with the property’s new owners. She told the commission, “This project aims to restore the charm and character of the structure while creating a financially viable program inside.”

The front building will be contain a restaurant with a kitchen, storage, offices, and a downstairs bar, she listed.

“Code improvements will improve light safety and handicap accessibility,” Juan explained. “There will be new restaurant bathrooms, a new fire stair, a fire separation wall between the restaurant and the apartments, and new sprinklers in the residential wing.”

The main house building’s exterior facade will match its existing layout, with the sign repainted, shutters repaired or replaced in time, and windows repaired or replaced to match its original. Updates will also include replacing the roof, repairing and replacing the gutters in time, overhauling the landscape, and repairing and painting the parking lot.

As for the apartments, Juan said, “At the rear north wing, which was most recently used for inn suites and restaurant bathrooms, we’ll renovate the interior spaces to created seven artist loft-style apartments. Minor modifications are proposed to the rear north west elevations, which is not visible from anywhere on Main Street. We’ll add doors, decks, and dormers, so the apartments open up to the rear yard.”

She emphasized the access point will allow the apartments to be “completely separate” from the restaurant.

“The next section of the building,” Juan continued, “features a gable dormer and a clock tower. These features will be rehabilitated and restored to remain. The owners intend to restore the clock tower to an operational clock.”

She pointed out specific bays of the building where elements not original to the inn would be changed to be more historically accurate, including one that “has no historic charm to hold on to” and will be rebuilt.

Concluding Juan’s presentation, she said, “I hope that you find these proposed changes are in keeping with your vision of the Main Street. Our goal is to restore this building to its glory and to make modest improvements of the apartment roofline that fit the historic sensibility of the beautiful Newtown Borough’s Historic District.”

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When asked for more details about the apartments, Juan said they will be “modest and charming.” They will have a living and kitchen space on the ground floor, as well as stairs that lead up to a bedroom and bathroom. Each apartment will range from about 500 to 600 square feet.

When the hearing opened up for public participation, Main Street resident Jack Moreno said, “I just want to say, I couldn’t be happier with the plan. I think it’s perfect.”

When approval went to a vote, the majority were for granting the application a certificate of appropriateness.

For more information about upcoming Borough of Newtown Historic District Commission meetings, visit newtown-ct.gov/borough-newtown.