HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-06 Historical Commission MinutesTown of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Historical Commission
Date: 2025-01-06 Time: 6:30
Building: Town Hall
Address: 16 Lowell Street Session: Open
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
IVED
TOWNCLERKREADING, MA.
ty.
2925 MAR 24 AM II: 25
Location: Conference
Room
Virginia Adams (VA), Jonathan Barnes (JEB), Sarah Brukilacchio (SB),
Samantha Couture (SC), Pino D'Orazio (PD), Amelia Davin Freedman (ADF),
and Christine Keller (CK)
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Carlo Bacci (CB), Chair, Select Board and RHC Llalson
Andrew MacNichol (AMN), Community Development Director - attended by
phone
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Christine Keller
Topics of Discussion:
PD called the meeting to order at 6:33PM.
Preparation/dry run for January 8 meetina on demolition delay
A draft of the presentation prepared by ADF and CK was posted to the RHC Google drive for
review and comment prior to the meeting.
ADF expressed frustration with the misleading, AI -generated demolition delay data that was
cited in a letter announcing the January 8 meeting intent to owners of structures on
Reading's Historical and Architectural Inventory. ADF did extensive research into the
demolition delay periods in the 351 towns in Massachusetts and Reading's 24 Peer
Communities. The presentation for the January 8 meeting reflects the correct data.
PD explained the purpose of this evening's meeting to CB. AMN offered to work with the
RHC on Its presentation of the Demo Delay Bylaw to Town Meeting, as well as to conduct
survey support following the January 8 meeting.
The draft presentation was reviewed and edited. PD developed speaker notes for the
presentation on January 8 from the group discussion including: Reading has approximately
10,000 structures; There is no provision in the Bylaw for a homeowner to remove a
property from the inventory; The Reading Historical and Architectural Inventory is list -based
rather than data based; The inventory was originally developed in 1982 with the aid of a
consultant, and now homeowners request that their homes be added to the Inventory; and,
It should be noted that the HOC has separate designations and control over properties.
CB left the meeting at 7:40PM, and AMN left at 7:42PM.
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472 Summer Ave.
The property has been sold and an incomplete Demolition Delay application has been
received. The "clock" does not start on the Demolition Delay bylaw timeframes until PD
determines that the application is complete.
Future Agenda Items
Historical documents from C. Parshley
PD made a motion to adjourn at 8:02PM, seconded by ADF, Vote 5 - 0.
Documents and exhibits used at meeting
Demolition Delay PowerPoint presentation
Next Meeting: January 8, 2025, 6:30PM, Reading Public Library.
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