HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-13 Historic District Commission Minutes-Rt Cf-1'VED
i� Town of Reading TOWN CLERK
s, A. Meeting Minutes READING. M
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2022 MAY 19 AM 8: 14
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Historical Commission
Date: 2022-04-13 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 (VA); Jonathan Barnes (JEB); Samantha Couture, Chair
(SC); Amelia Devin Freedman, Secretary (ADF); Christine Keller (CK);
Daniel Moresco (DM); Sharlene Reynolds Santo, Treasurer (SRS)
Members - Not Present:
Pino D'Orazio
Others Present:
n/a
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Amelia Devin Freedman
Topics of Discussion:
SC called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM. She elevated VA to a voting member for the evening.
Lafayette Marker: SC asked Carlo Bacci, the RHC's liaison to the Select Board (SB), for a time slot
on the next SB agenda to discuss the Lafayette marker. She will follow up.
40 Grove Street: CK reported that the historic house was demolished in March.
24 Gould Street: SC has nothing to report. She will follow up with the owner.
25 Haven Street: SC has nothing to report. She will follow up with the owner.
186 Summer Avenue: SC confirmed that the RHC has not received any official communication
from Ivria Glass Fried, Town Counsel, since the last HDC-RHC joint meeting in executive session,
and that no new meetings have been scheduled. JEB will continue his conversations with Fidel
Maltez, the Town Manager, and SC will follow up with Ms. Fried.
531 Main Street: The historic building has been demolished. SC will follow up with the owners
once construction has begun.
Arts Reading: VA reported that Arts Reading is now publishing a newsletter, and that she wrote an
article about the RHC for an upcoming edition.
RHC Trust Food and Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) Scholarship: ADF
summarized her communication with Juke Mercier, Community Development Director, and Ms.
Fried, about the use of the RHC trust fund for a scholarship at RMHS. Town staff agrees that 1)
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the current terms of the document "Guidelines for the Preservation Trust Fund" do not allow for
such a use, but (2) the RHC can change those terms if so desired.
JEB said that the RHC should not make the change because a scholarship does not support the
Commission's official charge "to identify and record historic assets of the Town and to develop and
implement a program for their preservation." ADF said she thought a publicly given scholarship
would inspire students to serve on the RHC in the future; DM disagreed.
JEB said that the RHC could use its financial resources in other ways to inspire student interest in
local history, such as sponsoring a video contest. DM suggested creating a walking tour. ADF said
that this line of conversation should be tabled, so that the RHC can make decisions about this year's
award.
ADF noted that the RHC needs to acquire copies of the two books that it already decided to give to
the award recipient.
Motion: To purchase a copy of Images ofAmencer Reading to include in the new RHC History
Award package, up to $25.00
SC motion, SRS second; vote 5-0-0.
ADF will purchase a copy of Images ofAmnica: Reading from Everett Blodgett. CK will retrieve a
copy of Al Wood End from storage at Town Hall.
ADF will contact the History Department Chair at RMHS, John Fiore. She will communicate to
Mr. Fiore the new terms of the award. She will ask what the next steps for this year's award are.
Finally, she will invite him to a meeting over the summer, to discuss how the RHC can best support
his department.
Certificates of Merit and Bronze Plaques: SC has been unable to schedule a date to present the
certificate and plaque to the Postmark. She will follow up.
Archive: SRS plans to resume work on the obituary collection.
SC said that the RHC received a digital copy of the 2021 State Register of Historical Places from the
Massachusetts Historical Commission. Amanda Beatrice, Senior Administrative Assistant, will load
the report onto the Town's hard drive for RHC use.
SC also reported that Ms. Beatrice is planning to put the demolition delay application process online,
and that the RHC should review its related documents before Ms. Beatrice completes this task.
ARPA Funds: SC will draft a letter to Town Meeting (TM) members describing the RHC's ARPA
funding requests and asking for their support JEB advised that he did not see any proposed
appropriation for these funds in the upcoming Spring TM Warrant Book. He will follow up with
Town officials about the process and report to SC.
Demolition Delay Rules and Regulations: SC tabled the issue until the May meeting.
Finances: SRS reviewed the current totals in the Commission's bank accounts.
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VA said she had received a reminder to renew the Commission's Arts Reading membership.
Motion to renew the RHC's membership in Arts Reading, and to approve $50 for the
membership fee
SRS motion; SC second; vote 5-M.
SC said she would like to discuss how to spend the remaining $1300 in this year's budget at the May
meeting.
SC suggested that some of the money be used to digitize the photograph of the Memorial Park for
the next stage of the Utility Box Vinyl Art Wrap project.
Motion to spend up to $500 to digitize the Memorial Park photograph that hung in the
Town Hall Conference Room
SC notion, JEB second, vote 5-0-0.
New Business
Chronicle Artide: VA suggested that the recent Daily Toru Chronicle article about the preservation
award that the RHC gave to The Old Reading Schoolhouse Condominiums should be placed in the
Archive.
Gift for New Town Manag4<: VA suggested that the Commission give a copy of At Wood End to
Mr. Maltez. CK will follow up.
Friends and Family Day: VA suggested that the RHC have a booth at Friends and Family Day on
June 11. VA and SC will prepare the display, and all available members will work shifts at the event
Minutes:
Motion to accept the minutes from the following dates, as amended: 2.16.2022; 2.28.2022;
3.16.2022
SC motion, SRS second; vote 5-0-0.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, 5.11. 2022 at 7:00 PM
Meetings for the rest of the ym will be as follows: June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14,
October 12, November 9, and December 14.
Adjourn:
Motion: To adjourn.
SC motion, JEB second; vote 5-0-0.
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.
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