HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-10-07 Historical Commission Minutese�• orx
�. Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes i(EGEIVED
it i 6WN CLERK
,..�' LADING. MASS.
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Historical Commission October 7, 2014 1014 NOV -b P h 5➢
Date: 2014 -10 -07 Time: 7:30 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Town Hall Conference Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: Regularly scheduled meeting
Attendees: Members - Present:
Chair: Sharlene Reynolds Santo (SRS)
Treasurer: Sally Hilgendorff (SH)
Secretary: Carl Mittnight (CM)
Robyn Parker (RP), Nancy Kohl (NK), Virginia Adams (VA)
Jonathan Barnes (JB), Ron Weston (RW)
Members - Not Present:
none
Others Present:
D.Moran, M.A.Quinn, R.Salter, ].Lamb, D.Shontz- Stackpole, K.Greenfield,
M.E.O'Neill
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Carl Mittnlght
Topics of Discussion:
Page I v
So
October 7, 2014 at 7:35 pm.
Ord
Call t to Order
Minutes
No update.
Budget
No update.
Archives
1. There are more materials in the Archives that need to be
Work in the
All
recorded and fled.
Archives
2. A number of class pictures from the Killam and Pearl
Street Schools were donated to the Town.
186 Summer
1. NK and SH made notice of their support for the 01867
Draft letter to
CM
Avenue
Neighborhood Preservation group and their ability to
Criterion
remain impartial. NK also noted her intent to file a
disclosure form with the Town Selectmen as dictated by
the State Ethics Commission.
2. No communication with Cnlerion since their presentation
at the RHC meeting of 918/14.
3. Criterion did not send the text of the presentation given at
the RCH meeting of 918114 as requested by the RHC and
agreed to by Criterion.
4. The letter to the owner with alternatives to demolition
outlined needs to go out soon, so the RHC decided to
finalize the letter at this meeting (10f7/14). Critedon will
be copied on this letter. This letter will be the boilerplate to
be sent to future owners who come to the RHC via the
Demolition Delay process or upon request.
5. A letter is also to be prepared for Criterion reiterating
RHC's position that the home remain as residential and
describing other locations in the area where Critierion
could place its facility.
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Page 12
Letterto
The RHC completed review of the letter draft. A motion was
Edit and produce
JB
Owner of 186
made by SRS to accept the letter, based on the amendments
the final letter.
Summer
made, and seconded by SH. The letter was approved by a 4
Avenue
votes in the positive and one abstention.
51 Grove
The owner, Diane Moran and her realtor Mary Ann Quinn,
Street
requested that her home, that is on the Reading Historic
Inventory of homes, be removed from the Inventory.
The RHC has no power to remove a home from the
Inventory. The RHC did offer to send Diane the letter being
prepared for 186 Summer Avenue on alternatives to
demolition. The RHC further explained the Demolition Delay
rocess.
119 Salem
The results of the site visit are
Draft letter to 119
CM
Street Sib
1. The framing in the basement did not look like it would
Salem Street
VISN
collapse.
owners
2. There were some tree members still in place holding up
the building.
3. The stone foundation looked sturdy, using very large field
stones.
4. The foundation did reveal that the front building and the
ell behind it were part of the original construction.
5. The RHC decided to encourage both saving the front
structure and ell exterior. As the front setback is non-
conforming, it may require a zoning vadance.
6. One issue discussed is the shared driveway with the
home next door, as a rule the town does not allow
shared driveways; so this would need to be investigated.
7. The RHC's overall goal is to maintain the streetscape
with the actual historic buildings, not just with buildings
that look historic.
Library
Photos must be taken of the interior before the library closes.
The photos must then be catalogued and stored in the Town
Archives. RWagreed to take pictures.
Hitching
Post
The Hitching Post wants to start offering At Wood End. CM
has a call into Town Clerk to find out if the RHC can sell to a
Follow up with
Town Clerk
CM
business and allow the business to make a profit on each
book.
Web Page
The RHC web page is in need of update. All RHC members
were encouraged to review the site and come up with
suggestions for its improvement.
Adjourned
The meeting adjourned at 10:25 pm.
Next Meeting
October 28, 2014, at 7:30 pm
Copies of referenced correspondence and documents are kept in Meetng Minutes binder and relevant project
folders located in the Reading Historical Commission Archives, lower level of the Reading Town Hall
Preservation only works when we remember It is all about: People - Planning- Partnerships- Politics.
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