HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-11 Historical Commission MinutesFR
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Town of Reading
{ Meeting Minutes
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Historical Commission March 11, 2014
Date: 2014 -03 -11 Time:
Building: Reading Town Hall Locatio
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: Regularly scheduled meeting
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair: Sharlene Reynolds Santo (SRS)
Treasurer: Roberta Sullivan (RS)
Secretary: Carl Mittnight (CM)
Robyn Parker (RP)
Virginia Adams (VA)
Sally Hilgendorff (SH)
Members - Not Present:
Nancy Kohl (NK)
Others Present:
Everett Blodgett
Virginia Blodgett
Evan Warner, STV Architects
Paul Vacheta, CBT Archtects
Chris Coyles, CBT Architects
Ruth Urell, Reading Public Library
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Carl Mittnight
Topics of Discussion:
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7:30 PM
n: Town Hall Conference Room
Sub ect
Discussion
Action Items
Meeting minutes
Reviewed 01/28/14 meeting minutes, approved as
Amend minutes
CM
amended.
Annual Report
Submitted by SRS
Old South
VA, NK, and CM worked on completing the application
Church
for the Massachusetts Historical Commission's 2014
Preservation Award for the Old South Church.
Reimburse
The RHC approved reimbursing VA for photo sleeves, tab
Expenses
folders, and a file cabinet dolly for $37.26.
Old South
The RHC discussed making an announcement on the Old
VA
Church Steeple
South Church steeple renovations. No conclusion was
Newspaper
reached and the subject was tabled for further discussion.
Article
Historical
The maps and folders, set up by Mark Cardono, were
Move files
CM
Inventory Maps
added to the RHC database. A glitch was discovered and
and Photos
corrected by moving data files to the appropriate place.
Photos A through O will be moved over the next few
weeks.
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Inquire on List
Massachusetts Historical Commission's MACRIS
serve about
database allows internet access to all Form Bs MHC has
Historical home
on file. the Lenox Historical Commission (LHC) recently
databases
generated 124 Form Bs that are readily available on the
Internet with this Drop Box link:
https:// www. dropbox. com /sh /pjbhj5se36edu7r /golSNa4Q
U3
Historical
Finalizing the list of addresses for posting on the RHC
Inventory
website within the next few months.
Reading Public
The four people representing the architectural firm
Library
designing the renovations and the Reading Public Library
Renovations
itself presented design ideas for the library project.
and Exterior
Current Library Historical Collection
Questions
A new Local History Room, with proper environmental
Presentation
controls and storage facilities, will house the Reading
historical collection. Nothing will be disposed of from the
current Local History Room, but will be redistributed to
other locations within the library.
Review of building inspections and analysis
Reviewed CBT Archtects' work on other historic library
renovations.
Reviewed site and proposed renovated building layout.
Reviewed proposed updates for accessibility and other
building codes.
Reviewed the historical elements of the building and how
they will be represented after the proposed renovations.
Reviewed water damage to exterior and difficulty
surrounding matching the odd size and color brick.
Other Library
• The April 1 vote to borrow an additional $3.5 million is
Information
important to secure the rest of the funding to complete
Presented
the project.
• The Trustees of the Library requested that the RHC
provide a letter in support of the library renovation
project.
• 220,000 people used the Reading Public Library in
2013.
Reading, MA
1. Virginia Blodgett, along with the Town of Reading,
1. RHC Approved
All
Civil War
Massachusetts would like RHC to apply to the
2. RHC Approved
Monuments
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Sesquicentennial
(gravestones)
Trust for Civil War Preservation for matching grant
funds for the restoration of civil war veteran's
monuments. Up to $7,500 can be requested
provided there is proof that another $7,500 can be
raised through donations and in -kind work.
2. While donations and in -kind work will fund some of
the restoration, also requested of the RHC is to
support the application to the Reading 350`h
Celebration Trust for additional funding, should
donations and in -kind work not be enough to reach
the $7,500.
Zoning Meetings
VA attended one of the zoning bylaw rewrite meetings
VA
and the Carriage House bylaw was reviewed. This
discussion was tabled for discussion at the next RHC
meeting.
Goo to Know
Reading Chronicle (newspaper)
Currently stored in the Blodgett basement, there is no
plan to move these to the new historical room when the
library is renovated.
Adjourned
The meeting adjourned at 10:40 pm.
Next Meeting
Tuesday March 27, 2014 at 7:30 pm
Copies of referenced correspondence and documents are kept in Meeting Minutes binder and relevant project
folders located in the Reading Historical Commission Archives, lower level of the Reading Town Hall.
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