HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-02-07 Historical Commission MinutesReading Historical Commission
Meeting Minutes: February 7, 2012
Meeting Called to Order: 7:10 pm
Meeting Held at: Town Hall Conference Room
RECEIVED
TOWN CLERK
RE" +DING, MASS.
Town StaffiR APR -3 P b: 43
Members in Attendance:
Discussion
Action
Items
Follow
Up By
Chairman: Mark Cardono MC
Present
Secretary: Robyn Parker RP
Present
Treasurer: Roberta Sullivan RS
Present
Sharlene Reynolds Santo (SRS)
Present
Janann Ali JA late arrival
Present
Associate Members in Attendance
Meeting Minutes of September 28, 2011 were reviewed and
Virginia Adams VA
Present
Judith Smith JS
Absent
Nancy Kohl (NK)
Present
Others in Attendance:
Meeting Minutes of October 4, 2011 were reviewed and approved
Craig Brandt Elena Dube Leslie Leahy Peter Hechenbleiker
Subject
Discussion
Action
Items
Follow
Up By
Meeting Minutes of August 16, 2011 were reviewed and approved
as amended.
(SRS motioned -RP seconded, vote 4 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of September 28, 2011 were reviewed and
approved as amended.
(RS motioned -SRS seconded, vote 4 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of October 4, 2011 were reviewed and approved
as amended.
(RS motioned -SRS seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of October 11, 2011 were reviewed and
approved as amended.
(RS motioned -RP seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of November 8, 2011 were reviewed and
Minutes
approved as amended.
revise
SRS
(SRS motioned -RS seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor)
Minutes
Meeting Minutes of November 17, 2011 were reviewed and
approved as amended.
(RS motioned -SRS seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of December 6, 2011 were reviewed and
approved as amended.
(RS motioned -RP seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of December 27, 2011 were reviewed and
approved as amended.
(RS motioned -SRS seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor)
Meeting Minutes of January 3, 2012 were reviewed and approved
as amended.
RS motioned -JA seconded, vote 5 -0 in favor
A special "Thank You" service was held for the archive volunteers.
VA presented the "2011 Thank You" certificates to Craig Brandt for
his computer entry work with the town obituary notices, Elena
Archives
Dube for her computer entry work with the town valuation records
and Leslie Leahy for promoting (and selling) the 'At Wood' End'
book in her shop, The Hitching Post. Katie Robertson's work was
also recognized though she was not able to attend.
Reading Historical Commission Meeting Minutes Date: February 7, 2012 Page 1 of 2
Subject
Discussion
Action
Follow
I
Bandstand
Bandstand. How the Rotary fundraises for the Bandstand should
Items
up By
Note: Copies of referenced correspondence and documents are kept in project folders located in
the Reading Historical Commission Archives, lower level of the Reading Town Hall.
Meeting adjourned at 10:35 pm Note Taker: Robyn Parker
Reading Historical Commission Meeting Minutes Date: February 7, 2012 Page 2 of 2
RP brought up the issue of the Rotary fundraising for the
Bandstand
Bandstand. How the Rotary fundraises for the Bandstand should
be reviewed as the Board of Selectmen has not given final
approval for the Bandstand.
MC reported that he had received an email (Wed, 11 Jan 2012)
from Peter Hechenbleiker (PH) regarding the replacement of the
Senior Center arched doors. Due to rot, the doors need to be
replaced. The email states that the replacement doors will match
the existing doors.
PH briefly attended the RHC meeting and gave a brief description
Senior Center
of the work and indicated that a more water resistant wood would
be used for the doors. RP asked if any site drainage repairs where
going to be made, PH indicated that given the existing conditions
were not conducive to drainage but the historic nature of the
building would not be changed to improve the drainage. VA
inquired about the lower basement door, PH acknowledged that it
is still in bad shape, though repairs have been made to the trench
drain near the door.
Based on the two requests outlined in Board of Selectmen (BOS)
Jan 5`" letter, the RHC will created guidelines for future expansion
of the Historical and Architectural Inventory (more transparency
and sharing of the criteria used to determine building selection,
more public involvement and notification, a set process for
inclusion and requesting exclusion) and will address the request
for an appeals process for properties subject to the demolition
delay by further clarifying the already in place process of Request
of Early Release. The board review and commented the draft
Demolition
outline and guidelines presented by VA. MC to draft a response
Delay Bylaw
letter to the BOS outline the RHC course of action, letter to be sent
before the BOS March 3 meeting. The Town anticipates the
process of addressing these issue to take until August of this year..
RP talked about creating a package of information for current
property owners on the Inventory. Packet to include a
comprehensive explanation of what it means to be on the Inventory
List, a clear explanation of the Demolition Delay Bylaw, an
introduction to the plaque program, and other information /list of
services /advice /benefits related to what it means to be on the
Inventory.
RS brought to the attention of the RHC that the Board of
Assessors (BOA ) voted to not update their town data base to
RHC to
Board of
include historic flagging of the latest 100 Inventoried properties.
request a
Assessors
As no meeting minutes from the BOA are available, RS could not
meeting
find a reason for this decision. RHC decided to request a meeting
with BOA
with the BOA to discuss this issue
Next Meeting
March 13, 2012 at 7 pm (No meeting March 6 due to elections)
Note: Copies of referenced correspondence and documents are kept in project folders located in
the Reading Historical Commission Archives, lower level of the Reading Town Hall.
Meeting adjourned at 10:35 pm Note Taker: Robyn Parker
Reading Historical Commission Meeting Minutes Date: February 7, 2012 Page 2 of 2