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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-03-30 Historical Commission MinutesMarch 30, 1999 RHC Minutes of Meeting on March 25, 1999 Submitted by Roberta Sullivan Members present: Virginia Adams Chr Clay Jones, Member Wilbar Hoxie, Member Louise Sandberg, Member Sec Roberta Sullivan, Member Treas David O'Sullivan, Assoc. Mark Cardono, Assoc. This was special meeting held in the Senior Center which the RHC hosted a joint meeting of Historic Commissions from neighboring towns. Stoneham, North Reading & Wilmington sent representatives. Chris Skelly from Mass Historical came as the speaker. It was a first attempt at such a meeting and was well received. Many local concerns and accomplishments were shared. Stoneham commission member, Betty Whalen, said two historic homes in that town are currently threatened with demolition. In North Reading, officials are worried about encroachment on the Historic District around the town common. While Wilmington's commission is juggling an issue over How to keep funding an historic tavern. A short Business meeting was called to order at 10:20 to review the latest plan of Route 28 redesign and encroachment on the Common caused by the construction of new traffic signalization. The latest version impacts the Common as well as the property north of Salem St abutting the Church & Cemetery. It has three lanes on the west side on Rt. 28 at the intersection of Salem which become one lane through the Square. This also requires a bigger radius of the curved as Salem meets Main St., therefore cutting in to the Common green area with a greater impact. This plan was reviewed and no decision was reached. We asked David to talked to Frank Romeo about the new plan and how it came about and what explain the alternatives. The RHC will have a joint meeting on March 30, 1999 with the Downtown Steering Comm. To further discuss this issue. Adjourned at 10:59 Minutes of the Reading Historical Commission meeting, March 30,1999 Berger Room, Town Hall Attending: Virginia Adams, Col. Wilbur Hoxie, Roberta Sullivan, Clayton Jones The meeting convened at 7:36 p.m. Also attending were members of the Downtown Steering' Committee and two consultants from BETA Engineering and Gates, Leighton, and Associates. Frank Romeo of BETA presented a Plan B for the Salem St./Rt. 129 intersection under the Downtown Improvement scheme. Plan A has already received Selectmen approval. Plan B was based on an RHC suggestion to have only three lanes, with one moving south, on Rt. 28 in the upper Common area. This would avoid the taking of six feet on the eastern Common as laid out in Plan A. The; consultants said Plan B requires three southbound lanes on Rt. 28 above Rt. 129 because of heavy morning traffic flow. Some 800 cars go south at peak times, with 150 turning right and 125 turning left. Without the three lanes, traffic would be backed up on Rt. 28 south. This plan requires taking up to six feet of walk and grass along the north side by the Old South Church and Laurel Hill Cemetery, for up to 90 meters. Also, Edgerly & Bessom Funeral's corner may be cut into. And it requires taking 25-30 feet off the comer of the northeast corner of the main common to allow trucks to turn right/south onto Rt. 28 from eastbound Rt. 129. Under plan A, about 18 feet of common would be taken. Plan B would have an adverse impact on traffic jams within the downtown area, including gridlock, Frank said. "We have to maintain a certain level of service. When you slow down cars too much, there is a frustration factor, and people don't care what's on either side of them," he said. Any design should promote continuity and consistency of roads through the common area. To pursue Plan B further would require impact studies and surveys, including impact studies on property owners north of the Common. Virginia Adams and Col. Hoxie said reducing traffic and traffic speed might be in the Town's interests. Frank Romeo also said the sidewalks along the Common on Rt. 28 could be moved or eliminated, based on pedestriantraffic flows. This would lessen the impact on the Common under Plan A, since the only taking of land would be the sidewalks, assuming the Selectmen approve it. Virginia asked if a RHC endorsement of Plan A could come with conditions that would allow for trade-offs to improve the Common. Frank agreed, and said any plan will need to come back for RHC review as well as Mass. Historical Commission review under 4-F rules. Col. Hoxie made a motion to endorse Plan B, subject to Mass. Highway Dept. approving lane widths of 10.8 feet maximum. Roberta seconded. After discussion,. the motion was withdrawn. To allow other RHC members to participate in the discussion and decision, Roberta Sullivan moved to have a RHC vote on the two plans at the next meeting on April 6. Jones seconded. Approved 4-0. The state Department of Environmental Engineering is issuing Historic Landscape grants soon, and the consultants will see if Reading can win money to landscape the Common under this Downtown projects, the consultants said. (end of minutes by Clayton Jones, who left the meeting).