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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-14 Historic District Commission Minutes0WA RECEIVED TOWN CLER Town of Reading READING, MMeeting Minutes 2021SEP21 PH12:01 Board - Committee - commission - council: Historic District Commission Date: 2021-07-14 Time: 7 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session Purpose: General Business Version: Draft Attendees: Members - Present: Virginia Adams, Associate (VA) Everett Blodgett, Member (EB) Ilene Bornstein, Member (IB) Pino D'Orazio, Chair (PD) Amelia Devin Freedman, Vice Chair (ADF) Members - Not Present: Greg Manganzini Carl Mittnight Priscilla Poehler Others Present: Chris Haley, Select Board Liaison to the HDC (CH) Jason Maley (JM) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Amelia Devin Freedman Topics of Discussion: PD called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM. He made VA a voting member for the evening. 237 West Street: The owner, JM, presented his plans to build a shed. The shed will be cedar, with a 4 ft. by 8 ft. footprint, and its roof will taper from 8 ft. to 6 ft. tall. It will be installed in the back yard, behind a fence. The shed will be visible from West Street only from the driveway of the house next door, 239 West Street. VA asked JM where, precisely, in the back yard the shed would be installed. Because he did not have a plot plan with him, JM drew a diagram of his back yard and the proposed site for the shed. He said it would be located in the left rear comer, approximately 6 ft. from the side fence and 20 ft. from the house. Motlorr. To approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for a wooden shed in the back yard of 237 West Street. PD motion, IB second; vote: 5-0-0. Morfoa to waive the public hearing on the wooden shed in the back yard at 237 West Street, because it will be largely invisible from West Street. PD motion, EB second; vote: 5-0-0. Page 1 1 JM asked what he needed to do next. He said he had already applied for and received the address labels for the abutters. EB explained to JM that he should bring the stamped, addressed envelopes to Amanda Beatrice, Senior Administrative Assistant, who would send them out. ADF explained the waiting period, after which the Commission will issue the Certificate. 186 Summer Avenue: ADF reported that she'd met earlier in the day with the following people: Julie Mercier, Community Development Director, Jean Delios, Assistant Town Manager; Bret Bennett, Building Inspector; Samantha Couture, chair, Historical Commission (RHC); Ivria Glass Fried (IGF), Town Counsel; and Ethan Dively, IGF's colleague. The subject of the call was the draft letter from IGF to the HDC and the RHC concerning the rights and responsibilities of the two Commissions in relation to 186 Summer Avenue, under the terms of the Preservation Restriction Agreement (PRA). ADF reported that IGF believes that the two Commissions have the right to initiate legal action against Criterion, if they choose to take that step. ADF said that IGF advised the following actions for the time being: 1. to schedule a joint meeting of the two Commissions with Criterion; PD will follow up. 2. to request an inspection of the property, pending. 3. to consolidate all written and photographic documentation, including correspondence, pictures, past meeting minutes, and the like, pending. 4. to make a list of items that the two Commissions believe Criterion has failed to maintain pursuant to the PRA: pending. 5. to take a new set of photographs of the property to document its current physical state; EB will follow up. IGF will finalize the draft, and, through Ms. Mercier, she will send the finalized letter to all Commission members. After she has sent the letter, IGF is willing to meet with all members to discuss it. ADF also reported that Ms. Delios said that she, the Town Manager, and all relevant Town Hall employees will support the HDC and the RHC if they decide to take legal action, and that the Town will provide the resources to do so as needed. New Technology Policy: The Commission discussed VA's proposed language regarding the use of new technologies, including AC min -splits and electronic car charging stations. VA passed around some pictures of mini splits for reference. She expressed her concern about the effect of the technology on the structural integrity and the appearance of the homes in the Districts. PD observed that the Commission will likely receive many applications for mini splits in the future, and that banning them altogether would likely mean the HDC would lose control over them. EB noted that mini splits are much greener than traditional AC units, and that the rapid evolution of technology will probably mean they become even more efficient over time. For these reasons, EB said, the HDC should support their use in the Districts. Motion to add the new technology policy, dated June 9, 2021, to the HDC's "Design Guidelines for Historic District". ADF motion, PD second; vote: 5-0-0. PD will edit the draft as discussed and send it to the Town Clerk. Letter to Historic District Homeowners: ADF circulated in advance a draft letter to all District homeowners. There were no objections. ADF will edit the draft and send to Ms. Beatrice send out. Gage 1 2 EB suggested including the 2016 trifold he wrote in the envelope with the letter. He said he did not have enough copies for the 91 envelopes needed. CH offered to have copies made and then deliver them to Ms. Beatrice. New Business: Satellite Internet Dishes: VA said she had read about a new technology involving a satellite dish to provide internet connections. She is concerned this technology would have a negative effect on the Districts because the dishes must be installed in very visible locations to function. PD noted that satellite antennae and similar equipment are excluded from HDC review. CH said that this technology is used in rural areas with poor internet connectivity, and that it is unlikely to be used in Reading. In -Kind Repairs and Replacements: PD reported that he, in his position as Chair, had followed up on two recent applications instead of waiting until die whole Commission could come together to deliberate. In the case of 108 West Street (application #21-10), he thought the installation of two external AC condensers was covered by an earlier Certificate of Appropriateness. In the case of 116 West Street (application # 21-11), he authorized the in-kind repair of a leaking roof. PD asked that the HDC formally allow him to make these decisions without the approval of the whole Commission, as Commission had allowed the previous Chair, EB, to do. Modoa to renew the Chair's authority to approve in-kind repairs without the need for approval of the whole Commission ADF motion, VA second; vote: 5-0-0. RCTV and Minute T kin& VA noticed that RCTV did not record the meeting. Because no staff person attended to take the minutes, ADF will do them for this meeting. She will follow up with Ms. Mercier to ask the plans for taking the minutes at future meetings. Minutes: The Commission deferred the review of minutes from 6.9.2021 to the next meeting. Next Meeting: TBD. PD will offer rhe owners of 159 Summer Street several dates this month and then schedule a meeting. Since there will only be one item on the agenda, the meeting will be held over Zoom. Adjourn Modon: to adjourn. VA motion, PD second; vote 5-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:56 PM. Page 1 3