HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-12-15 Historic District Commission MinutesTown of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Historic District Commission
Ph: 781-942-6654 or Fax: 781-942-9071
hdc@ci.reading.ma.us
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Historic District Commission
Date: 2025-12-5 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: General Business
Attendees: Members - Present:
Dt,
Location: Berger Conference Room
Session: Open Session
Version: Final
Members: Everett Blodgett (EB), Ilene Bornstein (IB) Pino D'Orazio (PD), Amelia
Devin Freedman (ADF)
Associate Members: Virginia Adams (VA), Ann Ward (AW)
Members - Not Present: Greg Maganzini
Others Present: Eric Macorri & Exhidio Gjuraj (175 West Street)
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Pino D'Orazio
Topics of Discussion:
PD called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. PD elevated VA to a voting member.
175 West Street
Mr. Macorri and Mr. Gjuraj presented their plans to add an addition to the back end of the
house, including removal of the existing mud room and deck. The HOC discussed the project
and noted that the home is relatively newer and subject to less scrutiny than older houses
within the West Street Historic District.
PD made a motion for a Certificate of Appropriateness. ADF seconded. The Certificate of
Appropriateness will be based on plans dated 12/8/2025 and conditioned upon the submission
of an application to HDC. The motion passed 5-0. PD made a motion to waive the Public
Hearing. ADF seconded. The Public Hearing was waived after a 5-0 vote.
Unitarian Church
PD received an email about a lack of heat in the church. The contractor had informed the
Unitarian Church that the boiler is cracked in several places and proposed the installation of
several heat pump/condensers to provide heat to the church. PD approved the installation of
the heating equipment under the emergency repairs portion of the Bylaw. PD will contact the
church in the new year to request a formal application with mitigation measures to conceal the
new heating equipment.
103 West Street
HDC received an application for the installation of mini -splits that were already installed
PD made a motion for a Certificate of Appropriateness. EB seconded. The Certificate will include
a reminder to the owners that applications must be submitted before projects are started, a
request for shrubbery to block the equipment from the street, and a request to paint duct work
in a like color to the color of the house. The motion passed 5-0.
86 West Street
HDC received an application to repair and replace some posts, sills and siding on the carriage
house. PD had previously approved this because the changes involved routine repair and
replacement with in kind materials.
EB made a motion to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness. PD seconded. The motion passed
5-0. EB made a motion to waive the Public Hearing. PD seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
186 Summer Ave
No updates.
Website Pictures of Houses Within the District
EB gave AW a lot of old pictures. AW will sort through them before providing to the Town
No updates.
Maps of Historic Districts
No updates.
HOC reviewed meeting minutes from the October and November meetings. IB made a motion
to approve both sets of minutes. VA seconded. The minutes were approved after a 5-0 vote.
PD moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:25PM. IB seconded. Meeting adjourned after a 5-0 vote.