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Home My WebLink About2021-09-01 Historical Commission MinutesTown of Reading 0 Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - council: Historical Commission Date: 2021-09-01 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, Member Others Present: Lois Garneau, abutter of 40 Grove Street (LG) Brian Kelly, abutter of 40 Grove Street (BK) Michael Santullo, owner of 40 Grove Street (MS) Scott Simpson, abutter of 40 Grove Street (SS) Corrin Wolf, abutter of 40 Grove Street (CW) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Amelia Devin Freedman Topics of Discussion RECEIVED TOWN CLERK READING, MA. 2921 OCT 14 PH 4: 09 SC called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. She made VA a voting member for the evening. 40 Grove Street: SC opened the demolition delay hearing. She read the architectural and historical descriptions from the Form B. The owner, NIS, described the project. The lot has been subdivided and he is already building one new house on it. I le seeks to demolish the historic structure and erect a second new house in its place. SRS asked why MS did not plan to rehabilitate the house. MS is said that the house has serious structural problems, including the following: a crumbling foundation; an improperly supported roof; a bulging exterior wall. JEB asked if MS had engaged a structural engineer to assess the condition of the house before deciding to demolish it. MS said no. JEB said he would like to sec a professionat report rather than rely solely on the owners own assessment. JEB told MS that the Commission's charge is to do everything possible to preserve the historic home. JEB asked MS if he would be amenable to the RITC seeking another buyer for the historic home who would rehabilitate it instead of demolishing it; MS said yes. SEB said the RHC could advertise the house, as the Commission did with 24 Grove Street, VA suggested MS might sell the Page 1 1 Town of Reading 3 Meeting Minutes historic house on the condition that the new owner moves it offsite, where MS could them build the new house he proposes. ADF asked whether the new construction would contain any design elements of the historic structure, if MS ends up demolishing it. MS said he is willing to work with the RHC to design a new house that would honor the historic one. The abutters in attendance said they would prefer the histone structure not be demolished. CW said she thought the proposed new house is too large for the neighborhood and would loom over the streetscape. ADF noted that the historic home is quite dose to the street, and that any new house should be sited farther back. LG, a longtime Grove Street resident, noted that the Town has been losing a lot of historic houses lately, such as the one that stood at 24 Grove Street. BK said that this house, unlike 24 Grovc Street, has not been vacant and has been maintained; he suggested that means that options other than demolition could and should be considered. Motion:'I hat the presented information is sufficient to make a final determination on the requested demolition of the structure at 40 Grove Street, and that the Public I Learing be dosed. SC motion, IEB second; vote 5-0-0. SC closed the public meeting. Motion: That the loss- of the structure at 40 Grove Street would be detrimental to the Town under the purposes of the bylaw (7.2.1) and that a Demolition Delay of up to six (6) months be imposed beginning this date. SC motion, IEB second; vote 5-0-0 SC will send a letter to the Building Inspector, to advise him of the imposition of the demolition delay. MS asked if the six-month delay period would begin today; he said someone at Town Hall said the delay would begin on the date he made his application (namely, July 26). SC reiterated that the six month begins today, September 1. She will investigate who at Town Hall gave MS the incorrect information. SC thanked the owner for coming to the meeting and encouraged him to work with the RHC to reach an agreement that would lead to an early release for the demolition delay. 24 Gould Street: SC will contact the owner to arrange a site visit, so the RHC can gather information about the historical display and begin to draft the planned informational plaque. 186 Summer Avenue: There is not yet a date for the requested site visit. SC will speak with PD and Ju ie Mercier, Community Development Director, about scheduling, and about the preferred timing of both the site visit and the requested meeting. )EB said he thought that the site visit was more important than the meeting in the short term. I le said he thought it would be wise to bring a structural engineer on the site visit, to provide the Commission with a professional assessment of the condition of the property. He will investigate hiring one. Based on previous research, he said he believed it would cost approximately $2000 to do so. Page 1 2 Pq Town of Reading 0i e Meeting Minutes �'IJIrIKOPr�P 531 Main Street: SC and the owner visited the historical display at 24 Gould Street to generate ideas for the planned display at 531 Main Street. 'Fhe owner asked for help locating historical photographs; SC will assist. Utility Box Project: SC collected the group's suggested edits to the online tour of decorated utility boxes, and she sent them to Erin Schaeffer, Liconomic Development Director at Town Hall. JLB reported that the artist has repaired one of the scorch marks on the box at Woburn Street and Main Street and that he will make the other repair soon. JEB said he would like to choose the photographs for the two new planned boxes soon, so that the artist can complete them while the weather is still good. JF.13 and VA will follow up. Fall Street Faire: The event will take place on September 12 from 12 noon to 5 PM. VA will produce the display. She asked members to sign up for shifts to work on the day of the fair. Finances: Motion: To authorize up to $30 to produce the display for the Street Faire. SRS motion, SC second, vote 5-0-0. Reported that she deposited all outstanding checks to the RHC's account. VA said she had been reimbursed for the plastic plate holders. Town Archives: SC reported that she and CK have been spending time weekly to straighten up the Archives. VA offered to help. SC said the RHC has been offered two copies of the 1854 Town for inclusion in the Archives. VA said she thinks the Archives already contains a copy. SC will put them in the Archives for now, but she will investigate more permanent solutions. Historic House Markers: SC reported that she picked up the completed markers and left them with Amanda Beatrice, Senior Administrative Assistant at'1'own Hall, for homeowners to collect. VA suggested making a list of the Inventory properties that have markers. Lynnfield Historical Commission Meeting: SC received an invitation from the Lynnfield I listorical Commission for the RI IC to attend a meeting of local historical commissions on October 6. She has requested details from the organizer and will send them to RHC members when she has them. She will also investigate whether the meeting must be posted and whether minutes must be taken. Demolition Delay: JEB volunteered to draft a revision of the RHC's guidelines to reflect recent discussions about what additional information the Commission would like to see at the time of the application, such as a structural engineer's report and a description of the applicant's contact to date with other Town entities. JEB suggested that it may be necessary to amend the bylaw, to extend the length of time the Commission can keep a demolition delay hearing open (currently, 30 days after the initial meeting). In the case of 25 l Liven Street, he noted that the RI IC received a demolition delay application that Page 1 3 Town of Reading 00 Meeting Minutes ��IK was missing relevant information but was unable to keep the hearing open long enough for the applicant to provide that information. New Business: Historical Recognition Plaques: SC said the plaques have arrived. She will contact the awardees to arrange presentation times and will look into publicity. Minutes: Motion. to accept the minutes from August 28, 2021, as amended. SRS motion, SC second; vote 5-0-0. Next Meeting: October 13, 2021 Adjourn: Motion:'Po adjourn. SC bfotion,]EB second; vote 5-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:26 PM. Page 14