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Home My WebLink About2019-06-12 Historical Commission Minutes r Town of Reading RECEIVED eeting Minutes TOWN' CLERK REA ` I , , ,^,, MA.� 2619 JUL I I AM 11: 50 'JLgNfOPM Historical Commission Date: 6/12/19 Time: 7pm Building: Town Hall Location: Berger Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: open Purpose: General Business Meeting Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Virginia Adams (Associate)- VA Jonathan Barnes (Chair)- JEB Samantha Couture (Secretary)- SC Sharlene Reynolds Santo (Member)- SRS Jack Williams (Treasurer)- JW Ron Weston (Member)- RW Other Attendees: Andy Friedmann, Select Board Member (SB-AF) Members Not Present: Amelia Freedman, Pino D'Orazio Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jonathan Barnes Topics of Discussion Membership- JW and JEB have been reappointed to the RHC by the Select Board. 79-81 Salem Street Property is on the agenda for the ZBA hearing on June 12th. JEB will send a letter to the Building Inspector advising that the demolition delay period has passed. Postmark Square- The safe found during excavation was empty. 186 Summer Avenue JEB sent an e-mail to the Building Inspector acknowledging the building permit application, as requested by the Building Department. The permit had been denied as of that date. JW: there were no site plans with the permit application. The site plans are an integral part of the preservation restriction on the property. JW wants the RHC to look at the building application when it is approved. JEB will look into the RHC's responsibilities in regard to 186 Summer Avenue. Page [ 1 Town of Reading eeting Minutes 20-24 Gould Street -no news 24 Grove Street- The remaining part of the building was demolished on 6/12/19. Garden Club Plant Sale VA reported there were 5 inquiries on the sign up sheet and the event was an overall success. Archive SC will send a note to the group for an evening next week to put the new flat file in place. The engineering department returned oversized items to the RHC, which are larger than the existing flat files. SC suggested ordering an archival box for those items. Motion made by SRS, seconded by RW "Allow SC to spend up to $200 for boxes for oversized items in the archive." Vote: 5-0 in favor If This House Could Talk There were 82 homes and buildings participating. VA and SRS brought copies of their home signs to share with the group. Finances -VA purchased 2 copies of"Images of America, Reading" by Everett and Virginia Blodgett, handed receipt to JW. -VA gave IW a receipt for supplies to make name tags for RHC members. Motion made by SRS, seconded by JW "Approve VA spending up to $10 for supplies to make RHC name tags." Vote: 5-0 in favor -VA submitted a check for $44 for a historic marker for 12 County Road (circa 1850) to JW. -Kurt Habel is interested in getting his home on the corner of Main and Federal on the inventory. It is related to the Parker family. This process would require a hearing. -VA suggested having a public announcement to encourage applicants to the inventory. Page 1 2 r Town of Reading eeting Minutes Fo �� ,O�PIM(OP� New Business -94 Salem Street RW spoke with the owner. They are interested in replacing the addition in back with something more in style with the original house. At this time, they have submitted a building permit to rebuild the front porch, replace and repair the footings and complete other cosmetic renovations to the main house. Mark Dupell, the Building Commissioner, thought the owner told him that the owner had met with the RHC. As a result, the Building Commissioner was requesting a letter from the RHC. JEB met with the Building Commissioner to clarify what he was seeking from the RHC. As no meeting had occurred with this owner and the RHC, the Building Commissioner clarified that no RHC letter was necessary. JEB and the Building Commissioner discussed in general terms at what point the demolition delay hearing process gets invoked, where the General Bylaw requires it"upon receipt of a completed demolition application". An owner first fills out the general permit application, which gives as options; construction, repair, renovation or demolition. If the Building Commissioner determines from that general permit application that a demolition permit form (called a "Sign-Off to Demolish Structure") is required, he believes the demolition delay hearing process is invoked at that time. VA noted there are written procedures for the demolition delay process which have been reviewed with the Building Inspector's office. VA also reported that single properties can be made into their own historic district. *Select Board member Andy Friedmann arrived at 8:15* -There was discussion with SB-AF about RHC's desire to extend the demolition delay period to be more able to dissuade demolition of historic structures. -Train Depot The architect, Jeanette Cataldo, has requested to change the exterior colors. Per the historic deed restriction applicable to the property, the colors need to be approved by the Select Board. JEB shared the proposed color scheme with the RHC. When the building was sold by the town, VA and the RHC researched the historic colors, including visiting a Boston and Maine depot (now a museum) in New Hampshire. The Boston and Maine railroad established the train line and the depot in Reading in 1845, and operated it until selling the depot to the Page 1 3 r Town of Reading ,{ seting Minutes �P�PIN(OPr� town in 1960. The current colors (gold and maroon) are based on the Boston & Maine railroad historic color scheme and markings. JW stated that it is very common to do a color analysis of all paint layers of an historic structure, but it can cost thousands of dollars. There was discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of imposing the testing on the owner. SRS suggested we advise the Select Board to give the owner the option of staying with the current colors, which accurately represent a historically significant period of the town (RHC's preference), or conducting a paint analysis to see what other colors the building may have been in its history, for further consideration by the RHC and Select Board. There was general agreement to this plan. The depot is on the Select Board agenda for lune 25th. )EB expressed disappointment about the lack of communication with the RHC before the Town communicated with this applicant about meeting with the Select Board, and that the RHC was not given sufficient time to meet, discuss and advise the Select Board on this request. SB-AF acknowledged the insufficiency of the timing. SRS will call a meeting for the RHC to attend the Select Board meeting. RHC members will show the historic evidence previously gathered and recommend to the Board that the colors stay the same, but giving the owner the option of color analysis. Elections Motion made by JW, seconded by RW "Elect the following for the term July 1st, 2019 to June 30th, 2020: JEB, chair JW, treasurer SC, secretary" Vote: 5-0 in favor. May Minutes Motign made by JW, seconded by RW "Approve the 5/8/2019 meeting minutes as amended." Vote: 5-0 in favor Next Meeting Date: July 10th, 7pm Page 1 4 Town of Reading eeting Minutes PJsrIMOP� Motion to adjourn made by JEB, seconded by JW Vote: 5-0 in favor Page 1 5