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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-07 Historical Commission Minutes RECEIVED 4gray TOWN CLERK � � Town of Reading READING, MA. cl Meeting Minutes LG fid' 2821 JUL 29 PM 2: 00 B`IKOPP�P Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Historical Commission Date: 2021-07-07 Time: 7:00 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Business Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Virginia Adams, Associate (VA) Jonathan Barnes, Member (JEB) Samantha Couture, Chair(SC) Amelia Devin Freedman, Secretary (ADF) Christine Keller, Associate (CK) Sharlene Reynolds Santo, Treasurer (SRS) Members - Not Present: Pino D'Orazio Others Present: Kurt Habel (KH) Alejandro Hoyo (AH) Walden Lima (WL) Larry Meuse Jack Williams (JW) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Amelia Devin Freedman Topics of Discussion: SC called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM. She trade VA a voting member for the evening. SC welcomed new associate member,CK,to the RHC. 25 Haven Street: SC called the public hearing to order. She read excerpts from the demolition delay bylaw. She also read the architectural description and a historical narrative about 25 Haven Street,as they appear on the Massachusetts Historical Commission's'Form BY She noted that no members of the public were present. SC asked the project team to describe their plans. AH said they intend to demolish the historic structure and to replace it with a mixed-use building that has an underground garage,retail space and a restaurant on the ground floor,and 32 residential units on 4 floors above ground. They intend to retain the front fafade and the side entrance of the historic budding,and to emulate the brick pattern of the front fapade in the rem. He said that they will either restore or replicate the existing exterior lighting. In the residential lobby,they will instal a historical display. In the restaurant space,they may install a replica of the RMI.D original neon sign. AH and WL displayed preliminary architectural plans and drawings of the exterior. Page 1 1 JEB explained the demolition delay and early release processes. SC asked if the team had met with the CPDC yet,and AH said no. SRS asked if the team has scheduled a meeting with the CPDC,and AH said they had not. JEB expressed his opinion that the demolition delay application is premature. He said that the CPDC will have control over the final design,and that the RHC is unable to weigh m until the CPDC review is much closer to completion. ADF said that she would like to see more detail on what the new building will look like,and how it will honor the history of the existing structure. SC said that she mistakenly thought the planning was much farther along,with respect to the other relevant Town entities. JEB noted the historical significance of the original structure,and that it is the only Art Deco building still extant in Town. VA said that it is"critically important"that the new building retain or replicate the Art Deco features of the historic building. JEB repeated that he was uncomfortable about the lack of detail in the plans under discussion. He suggested that either(1)the applicants withdraw their application and resubmit when more details are available,or(2) the RHC vote to continue the matter to give the applicants time to flesh out the design details. AH said he understood that the CPDC and RHC processes would happen concurrently. JEB said they could,and RHC has in the past met informally early in the process with applicants to assist in reviewing their plans. However,the formal demolition delay application and hearing process previously had not commenced and should not be entertained until the design plans at least received sufficient informal RHC review,and the CPDC and other permitting processes were more developed. He also expressed concern that,if the RHC imposed the demolition delay this early,the demolition delay collaboration process and any possible six-month delay period would likely expire before the new design plans were developed and approved. This would effectively nullify the RHC's role as intended by the General Bylaw when historical structures on the town's Inventory are threatened with demolition. Motion The presented information is insufficient to make a final deterntination on the requested demolition of the structure at 25 Haven Street,and that the Public Heating be continued. JEB motion,SC second;vote 5-0-0. SC closed the public hearing and continued discussion of the matter until July 28,2021. AH said they would try to advance their design and come back to the Commission on that date. JEB suggested the design process may take longer than that,and he asked that the tearri s lawyer, Josh Latham,talk with RHC Chair SC and consider withdrawing the application until more details have been settled. After the applicants left the meeting,JEB suggested that the RHC should consider 1)working through Town Meeting to change the wording of the bylaw,so that the Commission may continue a demolition delay hearing for longer than 21 days and the 30 day hearing closing requirement is extended where the presented information is incomplete or insufficient to make a final determination;and/or(2)rewriting the RHC's rules and regulations to specify the level of detail necessary (such as specific proposed reuse design plans and evidence that the CPDC or other permitting processes are in progress) before a demolition delay hearing can be scheduled. 24 Gould Street:JW,former RHC member and current liaison between the RHC and the project team,attended to give an update on the design of the community room and historical display. The originally planned community event room is no longer a distinct room with a door;it is now part of Page 1 2 the building's lobby. The project team plans the following historical displays:a&,glass case containing a stamping machine and a stamp for the Ace photo corners; framed poster-size pictures from the history of the building,a large wall graphic based on sketches of the building;part of an original wall;an original door. JW thinks the RHC should consider donating or lending some additional artifacts for the display case. He said the space needs a plaque with text so visitors can make sense of the historical display. He suggests that the RHC write this text. Both CK and ADF volunteered to write the text,but ADF thinks they need help from an RHC member who worked on the project at the beginning. JW suggested all members visit the space. SC will recirculate design images sent by the project team so members can think about how the text night be worded. 531 Main Street:SC collected suggestions from RHC members about the early release of the demolition delay and incorporated them into a draft letter,which she circulated in advance. Motion to approve the early release of the demolition delay of the building at 531 Main Street,as detailed in the letter dated June 25,2021. JEB motion,SRS second;vote: 5-0-0. fob's Pound Milk JEB drafted a letter to the Town about the dislodged granite block. He will make the edits suggested by the RHC tonight and send it to SC,who will forward it to the Town. 186 Summer Avenue:SC and PD,who is also the chair of the Historic District Commission (HDC),are scheduled to meet with Town Counsel(TC)on July 14. The meeting will cover TC's letter to the RHC and the HDC about the two Commissions'rights and responsibilities under the Preservation Restriction Agreement. SC will call Criterion to follow up on the letter the two Commissions just sent to Dr.Littleton,and to schedule a meeting with him. Utility Box Art Wrap Project:JEB spoke with Franklin Marval,the artist,about the heat damage to the wrapped box. He asked JEB for information in case he encounters similar damage in the future;JEB will ask Alex Rozycki,Senior Civil Engineer,for the details. Mr.Marval told JEB he would make the repair in the next few weeks. Plaques for the Postmark and Schoolhouse Condominiums:JEB ordered the plaques,which will take 4-6 weeks to manufacture. The Commission has not yet received an invoice. Certificates of Appreciation for Past Members:VA located the posters. SC will purchase frames for them and then deliver them and the certificates to past members Ron Weston and Jack Williams. Archives:VA turned off the heat and turned on the air conditioning for the season. Historic House Markers: SC sent the manufacturer the order fortes the RHC received from Inventory home owners. The markers will take 2-3 weeks to produce. SC will follow up about how to make payment. Demolition Delay Bylaw Review: Nothing to report. Page 1 3 Finances: SRS will submit the RHC's$50 membership dues to Arts Reading. After the RHC's recent discussion of a possible Reading Memorial High School scholarship,SRS researched the Commission's bank accounts. In addition to the general fund,which contains the yearly operating budget,there are two. The"special revenues"account contains about$46,000 and can be used for educational purposes. The donation fund contains about$3800;SRS was unable to determine the permissible uses for this fund. Motion to reimburse VA$7.23 for plastic name tag frames. SRS motion,JEB second;vote: 5-0-0. New Business Archives-VA received an offer of a donation to the Archives of some colonial-style costumes. They are not period clothing.She asked the Antiquarian Society,but they do not want than. JEB said he knows the costumer at Old Sturbridge Village,whom he will ask if she wants than. 832 Main Street:Mass Historical has suggested that the RHC is dating the house too early on the Form B. They think that the owner whom the Commission identified,Charles Parker(1794-1863), would not have been old enough to build the house in question in 1806. KH,the current owner, said he thinks that the Charles Parker who was born in 1794 is not the Charles Parket who built the house. ADF will research other Charles Parkers who lived in Reading at the time and report back. Arts Reading:VA reported that she heard about two upcoming events. The Reading Street Faire will take place on September 11,and Parker Tavern suggests sharing a table with the RHC. Arts Reading's annual event will be on October 2 and asked whether the RHC wanted to have a table. VA said yes to October 2 but was unsure about September 11. ADF suggested using the Street Faire half-table to display information about recent RHC activities,such as the article in the Readixgs. All agreed. CATO the Coalition f Us VA has been contacted by several Town residents who are concemed about the RHC's upcoming cooperation with PHnnore Phillip from CATO. Specifically,they disagreed with Mr. Philip's recent suggestion in the Chroniek that Joshua Eaton Elementary School should be renamed because Joshua Eaton's father owned slaves. VA said she thought the suggestion to rename overlooks the historical context of Joshua Eaton's life. JEB said the RHC should take in the conversation about slavery in Reading rather than avoid it. ADF agreed and suggested that it could be the RHC's role to provide historical nuance. Next Meeting.Wednesday,July 28 at 7 PM Minutes: Motion:to accept the minutes from 6.16.2021 as amended. SRS motion,JEB second.Vote:5-0-0. Adjournment: Motion.to adjourn SC motion,JEB second;vote 5-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:50 PM. Page 14