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Meeting Minutes
Historic District Commission
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Historical Commission
Date: 2024-02-21 Time: 7:15 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Lower Level Conference Room
Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members -Present:
Virginia Adams (VA), Jonathan Barnes (JEB), Sarah Brukilacchio (SB), Samantha
Couture (SC), Pino D'Orazio (PD), Amelia Devin Freedman (ADF), and Christine
Keller (CK)
Members - Not Present: Pamela Adrian (PA)
Others Present: Andrew MacNichol (AM)—Town of Reading Community
Development Director, Historic District Commission (HDC) Members: Virginia
Adams (VA), Everett Blodgett (EB), Ilene Bornstein (IB), Pino D'Orazio (PD), and
Amelia Devin Freedman (ADF)
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Pino D'Orazio
Topics of Discussion:
PD called the joint meeting of the RHC and HDC to order at 7:1713M.
Joint Meetine with HDC: MBTA Communities Act
PD gave a brief introduction stating the purpose of the joint meeting was to discuss the MBTA
Communities Act and its potential impact on historic structures and historic districts within the
Town. AM stated that the Town's desire was to pause the drawing of MBTA zoning maps to
explore other alternatives. The RHC and HDC held a wide-ranging discussion with AM that
touched on the following topics:
- The current demolition delay bylaw and its lack of effectiveness;
- National Historic Register designations and their lack of protections; and
- Three major tools that are used in the Town that protect historic structures:
Preservation Restriction Agreements, the demolition delay bylaw, and historic
districts.
JB asked about possibilities to relieve the West Side of some of the MBTA regulations,
specifically moving some of the proposed zoning changes to the Industrial Area off of Walker's
Brook Drive. AM described the intricacies of the Smart Growth District and the Industrial District
and some of the drawbacks of moving the proposed zoning changes to these areas.
SC left the meeting at 7:55PM. PD elevated VA to a voting member for RHC.
The parties discussed the demolition delay bylaw and the potential to reexamine the 6 month
limitation as part of the MBTA Communities Act compliance process.
PD outlined protections that the Town's local historic districts present
AM left the meeting at 8:30PM.
Motion by PD to enter Executive Session to approve prior Executive Session minutes; seconded
by CK; roll call vote ". The RHC entered Executive Session and approved Executive Session
meeting minutes for February 28, 2022 and March 16, 2022. Motion by PD to exit Executive
Session; seconded by EB; roll call vote 5-0.
RHC returned to open session. Motion by JB to adjourn; seconded by CK; roll call vote 5-0.
Next Meeting: February 29,2024— Joint Meeting with HDC on 186 Summer Avenue