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Reading Historical Commission Minutes WN CLERK <br />23 March 2001 READING, MASS. <br />Attending: Virginia Adams Roberta Sullivan <br />Sharlene Santo Col. Wilbar Hoxie 2Q01 -b A 8= 31 <br />Clay Jones Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager <br />Kathy Greenfield Michael Larkin <br />Louise Sandberg <br />Angelo Salamone <br />Anne Krieg, Town Planner <br />1. Meeting called to order at 10:02 AM <br />2. A letter from the town manager was presented to the commission requesting <br />the release of the delay on the Old Police Station (enclosed). Louise made a motion <br />that the commission immediately release the delay on the Old Police Station at 67 <br />Pleasant. Street (5.13.4 of the by-law). It was seconded by Virginia. The town <br />manager commended the commission on its attempt to save the building and <br />reiterated the plans the town has for the property. The town manager said that there <br />would not be a repeat of the RFP. The town wanted to proceed with the former plans, <br />demolition of the structure and the creation of a parking lot. Mr. Larkin commented <br />that the Board of Selectmen had put outrageous restrictions on the RFP which no one <br />could have met, confirming that no proposal could be accepted. Mr. Salamone also <br />felt that the town had not totally reached out to all interested parties to find good use <br />for the building. He said there had never been any possibility of negotiation. <br />Members of the commission spoke their minds about the issue before taking a vote. <br />Roberta said she would vote negative and her reason was that the Reading Advocate <br />was not utilized as the commission was told it would be, for advertising of the RFP to <br />gain more bids. Roberta added that the town should not remove an asset and create <br />a liability because the grant money is not forthcoming and the town has been refused <br />a grant twice. She also questioned whether Town Meeting rather than the Board of <br />Selectmen should make the decision to remove a town building (5.13.4b). Kathy <br />Greenfield, associate member, asserted that the OPS was a dead issue and it was <br />time to let it go. Clay asked the commission to decide if the town had made continued <br />bona fide and reasonable efforts to locate a purchaser, to preserve, rehabilitate or <br />restore the Old Police Station and if those efforts had been unsuccessful. Clay said <br />the town has pursued an RFP for the structure and had considered 3 bids The Board <br />then decided that the interests of the neighbors' and the local merchants' desire for <br />more parking were more important than the town's interests in preserving the building <br />and adding four units of affordable housing. It was extremely unlikely that the town <br />would make further efforts to sell the building for reuse. He noted that the town did <br />actively participate in investigating the options to demolition. Louise commented that <br />she had voted against the delay originally because the building should have been <br />fought for 3 years ago whether or not it was on the inventory. However now she felt <br />that the Reading Housing Authority's plan for reuse of the building was excellent. She <br />was somewhat dismayed that the proposal was not accepted and that the town was <br />not willing to negotiate with the RHA, a town body. Since the town was not willing to <br />accept any of the proposals and also unwilling to open up to new bids she would vote <br />g for removal of the delay. Roberta made a motion to table the motion for releasing the <br />