HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-05-06 Historical Commission MinutesV
Reading Historical Commission
Minutes
May 6, 2003
Attending:
Virginia Adams
Mark Cardono - Secretary
Pat Greichen
Lt. Col. Wilbar Hoxie
Clay Jones
Call to Order: 7:35 PM
Sally Hilgendorff List
Sharlene Reynolds Santo
Roberta Sullivan
Treasurer's Report - Bills received and bills expected.
Minutes of April 4, 2003 - Approved 4-0-0
717 Pearl Street Barn - Wilbar Hoxie spoke with the owner, Anthony Pelusi. The
owner plans on selling the property.
Clay Jones stepped out of room, Virginia Adams acting as Chairperson.
456 Haverhill Street - Building Inspector received a demolition permit application
from the owner, Dean Whitehouse, on April 25, 2003. The demolition application
is for the removal of the barn and the back extension of the original house. A
letter from Colonial Restorations states the current condition of the barn:
Roberta made a motion that the barn and original extension of the
property at 456 Haverhill Street is historically significant and listed on the
Reading Historical Commission's Historical and Architectural Inventory and is
subject to the Demolition Delay Bylaw, Section 5.13.3.3. Discussion; if the vote
is positive, the property will be subjected to a hearing within 21 days. Wilbar
Hoxie seconded the motion. Vote: 3-0-0.
Public hearing must be held by May 27, 2003. The hearing is scheduled
for May 27, 2003. A notice will be put in the paper 14 days prior to the hearing,
and the owner will be notified 7 days prior to the hearing.
Clay Jones returns as Chairperson.
572 Haverhill Street - The house is for sale. The Commission toured and
documented the house on Friday, May 2, 2003. Clay wrote up the discoveries.
To Do: Arrange for more documentation. Should the Commission have the
owner, Bruce Anderson, add a preservation restriction to the deed? Should the
Commission hire an outside consultant to look at the house and determine when
it was built? If so, which budget will the money come from? Clay found loug
poles in the original walk in fireplace. One of the loug poles was burned off.
Roberta made a motion to set aside no more than $400 from the Historical
Commission Preservation Trust Fund to hire consultants, under usage guideline
3, for 572 Haverhill Street, for the purpose of providing documentation to the
town archives. Wilbar Hoxie seconded the motion. Vote: 4-0-0
Start with consultants Larry Sorli and Richard Irons. Need to arrange time with
the owner to measure the property, and to have the consultants review the
property.
320 Haverhill Street - The Commission received a copy of a letter from the Fire
Department stating that the whole driveway needs to be widened. Clay will
contact Chris Reilly to request the Commission be informed of historic structures'
issues.
717 Pearl Street Barn - The owner, Tony Pelusi, is planning to sell the property.
Clay requested that the owner put preservation restrictions on the deed. The
owner was positive, but he would like to review the paperwork.
767 Main Street - The property is for sale. The commission needs to find out if
the owners will add deed restrictions.
10-12 Pierce Street, Pierce Organ Factory -The Commission will nominate it to
the 10 Most in Danger Historic Properties list to Preservation on Massachusetts.
Library - Review to be emailed to Peter Hechenbleikner and Kim Lynn:
1) Do not put book drop in place of the stairs closest to School Street, and
consider placing it in the northeast corner of the Library.
2) All moving equipment to have vibration isolators to avoid damage to the
building.
3) Store any removed windows in the attic.
4) The work should be reversible and be compatible to the historic architecture.
Office Space - Roberta informed the Commission that we have an office in the
Community Development Room. According to Maureen Knight, The Commission
will get a cubicle. Discussion on using/keeping the office space. All phone and
demolition notifications will be funneled through Maureen Knight. Clay will email
Peter Hechenbleikner on keeping the office space.
David O'Sullivan - Would like the Commission to suggest names for a housing
project on Salem Street near the RMV.
Archstone - May ask for names for the project on West Street.
Slide show of moved houses - May 22, 2003 - Virginia suggested refreshments
and a cake celebrating the Commission's 25 year Anniversary.
Miscellaneous - Virginia and Roberta saw a PowerPoint presentation on moved
houses in Andover. Andover is working on moved houses and land zoning
issues.
Professor from the University of Connecticut wrote a book on stonewalls and will
make a presentation in Stowe, MA on May 10, 2003 at 4:00 PM.
Clay provided photographs of the Ryan House on High Street to be entered into
the archives.
Gladys Jones did the write up on the houses in the Friends of the Library House
Tour.
When Clay owned the cape style house on Summer Street, he had SPNEA come
in and document it.
Hearing May 27, 2003
Next Regular Meeting June 6, 2003.
Need to fill the open seat on the Commission. Clay will give recommendations to
Peter Hechenbleikner.
Clay has abook on Elm Trees.
Mark brought in the enlargement, of the Library's turrets, from an old photograph.
Adjourned 9:38 PM
Sharlene Reynolds Santo
7m: Jones, Clayton [Jonesc@csmonitor.com] NACAD
jit: Friday, May 09, 2003 2.43 PM
ro: Jess Braillier (E-mail); Everett Blodgett (E-mail); Sharlene Reynolds-Santos (E-mail);
'sallyhoyt@hotmail.com'; 'mossywood@juno.com'; Jones, Clayton
Subject: West St. committee
May 9, 2003
To: Sally Hoyt, Gail Wood, Sharlene Reynolds Santo, Everett Blodgett, Jess Brailler
From: Clay Jones
Hi, folks. Thanks for the great start to the "ADWSLHDSC" otherwise to be known as the West
Street historic district study committee, or "Let's-save-West-Street Gang of Seven."
Here are some follow-up items:
1. Swearing in: For those of you who haven't been sworn in yet at the Town Hall clerk's
office, please do so soon.
2. Chris Skelly: The helper from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Chris Skelly,
can't make it to our next meeting on May 19, but let's still meet on that day anyway. I
hope to meet with Chris over lunch for a preliminary download of his experience and tips.
And he has some dates in June when he can meet us all.
3. Other towns: I did discover, by googling, that Provincetown is just finishing up this
--rocess, and that they have modeled their bylaw after Foxborough's, which the Mass.
`5torical Commission recommends. So, if you can, I suggest reading through the various
__-hks at this Provincetown site: www.provincetowngov.org/historic/histhistfaq.htm
Other good sites:
www.ci.newton.ma.us/planning
www.cordnet.org/hdc (Concord)
www.ci.lexington.ma.us
Other towns that have some information on the web: Dennis, Dartmouth, Sharon, Barnstable.
4. Documents to come: I will mail out the MHC's draft guidebook on Local Historic
Districts (a final edition will be out this summer). And I think Sharlene was going to
prepare copies, and perhaps even mail, the inventory sheets on the historic houses on West
Street, along with the colored map.
5. A reminder of the committee positions:
Chairman: Clay Jones
Vice chairman: Everett Blodgett
Secretary: Sharlene Reynolds Santo
6. If you haven't yet inputted all our email addresses, you can cut-and-paste the
addresses off this message's header field.
7. Here are some other West Street residents (and others) who have shown an interest in
this work:
Peter Casolar, 150 West. 944 9696
a,lliam Cooper, 228 West 944 0557
)rginia Ryan 87 West 944 3946
veorge and Susan Theophanis 86 West 944 5611
Andrew Richards and Renee Sidelinker 232 West 942 1316
John and Polly Harris 79 West 944 7243
I
Bryan and Patrice Irwin 302 Woburn St. 944 9865
David Kruh 3 Westcroft Road 944 2106
Mary and Ed Fuller/son John Fuller 4 County Road 944 5151
Two people eager to help us but not living near West: Maureen Arkelian and Katrin Wynn.
8. If you've read this far, could you please hit your Reply button, and just let me know
you received and read this? And I welcome any thoughts or follow-up actions.
Yours in preservation,
Clay Jones
483 Franklin St.
h- 944 8169
w- 617 450 2304
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