10.18.2022 Historical Commission

good evening everyone and welcome to tonight's hearing of the historical commission um the date is Tuesday October 18 2022.

it is six o'clock P.M um pursuant to the open meeting law any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible um may I get a real call please uh Connie Seoul Rick name Sandy

Joyce Joyce roderick's present and Jason Bouchard and Iraqi present um we are missing um uh Elizabeth and who could not come here tonight and uh Kristen Cantera Oliveira who also could not come tonight we have um uh one open two open seats One open seat

all right um all right moving on um item three a is the minutes from August 30th um I make a motion to accept I'll suck in that motion all right I have a promotion and a second um all in favor hi okay house approval of the minutes I second that okay we have uh Connie I'm sorry Rick made a motion Connie I'm seconded for the approval of the minutes from August 30th all right

um next uh set as an input easy peasy um all right next uh we had a few notices of intent to demolish a structure um the first is 12 Saudi Pond Avenue um and I checked on the registry with the register the property is not listed um and see um next was 876 Wood Street demolition of the existing house and the subdivision of the lot that's over near Notre Dame cemetery

um and again that property was not listed on the register and the last one that I received was 4682 North Main Street and again the property was not listed on the registry oh um let's see um next for item six we had a number of correspondences uh from the mass historical commission the first is 6a regarding the Ashworth Brothers company Mill it's a rehabilitation update was there any questions on on that at all

I didn't have a name okay

um okay any any other questions on that one the Ashworth Brothers company Mill the next one 6B is in regards to the force block that was accepted onto the national National register of historic places the Massachusetts historical commission held their meeting and um that was accepted ends which is good so very exciting uh let's see I was contacted um from Carrie regarding 383 Joseph Street for solar panels but

the as I mentioned the property is not in the 40c district um and there's no restrictions or anything like that on the property so um 6D is uh from the mass historical commission and Ryan LLC regarding the Third Street commercial Corridor um they um it's being planned to have that stretch from Bedford Street up to Government Center uh listed as a national registered District um and it looks like it's been going I

think we've I feel like we've briefly reviewed that we have in the past it's a long process but but the notes were pretty pretty detailed as to all the different questions there was a one indication of um the Allen's Allen and Slade company building the architect they felt was initially Joseph darling but they discovered through their research that it was in fact not Joseph darling it was

another local architect so but the um which was all great because that that area is getting some much needed attention so I'm pretty sure um 6E is from the mass historical commission um they have opened up uh applications or applications for the survey and planning grant funding um so that's uh for different cities and towns and non-profits they can apply for the grant funding to do surveys like the form B's um

and uh any assistance regarding the creation of the historic district any updates to the form bees um so I believe the funding or the application process ends in order to set on there it's I believe it is it's for fiscal year 2023.

um the okay um the guy of the applications due by Monday November 14th so that's something for getting formed it's always good um I received a phone call actually two phone calls uh from um two members from the National Alliance for mental illness uh Bristol County uh regarding 229 Highland Avenue um it was discussed to add a previous city council hearing um the property is and it's a little complicated the

property is in the hands of the Fall River housing authority and they are looking to transfer the property to South Coast to help uh for the expense or for a proposed expansion of Charlton emergency the emergency department um it I don't they didn't indicate if it was a parking lot from what I understand it's the expansion of the actual building um and probably I would imagine some parking um and

there's some complications with the property because in order for South Coast to receive it Fall River housing needs to find a suitable replacement um I actually I uh I believe it was counselor the Liberties she brought up that the fact that the house is listed on the registry of significant structures which is that's excellent and I believe the Housing Authority was unaware that there was a listing

um that it was and also a contributing structure to the highlands National registered District um so the phone call I I essentially had to clarify they felt that it was the historical commission that was making a call and delaying the process which I said it's not the only time that we would delay is once South Coast after they've acquired the house they go to pull demolition permit that we have a six-month

demolition delay that's the only delay that there will be and it's it will delay the housing authority on finding a suitable replacement structure um I believe I listen to that a meeting in Housing Authority can hold that money and escrow right so it does not have to be expended as long as it's used for about the health illness facility at a future date right so I think those hurdles are all open

through and it's up to South Coast now to make the move the next some cracked yeah yep um and that property has been taken for at least 10 years long term a long time um and I remember I think was actually the preservation Society listed it as a on their 2019 most endangered as very pretty woodwork on the inside but that's the interior um but anyways it's you know it'll be

too bad to see a house like that go and hopefully that we can work with South Coast or whomever um to for an alternative for an alternative the hospital has passed history a long time ago of moving houses so it can be done yes all right uh next up old business um item 7A we had um no major updates to 572 High Street um that's the the Deaconess home they're looking to replace windows

um approximately 25 Windows uh potentially more with vinyl um the only I did receive an email though from Maureen Philbin they are moving forward with um the Grant process with the CPA it's very good um I think they missed that window unfortunately so the next application cycle goes through I think in June um but I don't know that's what she was informed by from Kathy Sandy Dennis yeah

so but they are proceeding with that good supplemental process oh September one what's up is the deadline oh um I think she was a little confused as to which forms to send in first um she had both an application for funding eligibility and then there was an application for just eligibility and I think that was the first one that she needed to send in so which she obviously qualifies the houses in the 40c there

are non-profits on the national register so all those boxes to check on um but at least they're don't move forward with that process okay yeah so we'll continue to watch that um 7B update on 100 Weaver Street that's the proposal to demolish the existing building and the construction of a 160 foot tall residential building that's currently on the agenda for the zoning board of appeals for this Thursday October 20th um

I don't have any aside from it being on their agenda and they will hear it hopefully they'll hear it it's been continued is it twice now so hopefully and they have the letter from our commission and our concerns on that Rick are you attending the zba uh probably not probably not on that one our Letter's already uh in their hands it's been read once I'm sure it'll be looked at again so

I did not have any plans on being unless the board thinks it's necessary then they have our letter um so that's what's in the record right it's already been read to them and I wouldn't be surprised it was that the um the North End neighborhood association uh is that what I would I would imagine that neighbors would be there voicing their opposition towards the project I would hope

that sounds like they should have enough there um the next item also with a zoning board is 761 Highland Avenue and that's the conversion of the former nursing home into nine units that's also on the agenda for this coming Thursday we didn't see any letter in opposition towards that but I don't know if we had so now because I don't think we have um jurisdiction you know jurisdiction because mainly the the

exterior is not protected and also they're not demolishing property and the only it concerns that I think are is parking really so they're going to add on to the house if they need to for fire egress but again we don't really have jurisdiction on that it is in the National owner District um so moving on to new business 8A uh Chris perano um sent me an email requesting um any information that we want to add on

to the historical commissions page on the city's website they're redoing the website which is not easy to navigate at all um so do we have any ideas what we could yeah I was expecting that we had we would have the guidelines posted on the website and he says there's a new website there's a new redesigned website so it's a chance to get the guidelines there but when I finished with the guidelines

I'll wait we're not we can still add on correct we can still add on um I'm not sure what the process will be uh but if we have any alterations to the page anything we need to add we can always just send I don't know if it's Chris or whomever will be in charge of that we can send the updates um so has the as the package been sent

to him at this point not yet not yet okay um the design guidelines I think are in the final stages of approval is that what you mean well we've approved a good portion of them so I'm wondering at this point have we supported Chris what those guidelines at this point um I think we're getting no because we're getting them as a package okay I believe and what is when is it due I think well I shouldn't

say that one is we when are we expecting that I think the final has just been submitted oh well yep I'll mentioned that um I didn't grab the email yeah I'm sorry um so I would like to send all the guidelines to for the website in one package so instead of as we prove to send but um I want to try to get an updated for the local for the 40c

um and I think I can do I don't know who's in charge of their GIS maps um I have to say the on the city's website they're um GIS maps are pretty pretty good um and they've been updated I think in May um so they use all the tax assessors information but it's I think that'll it's very it looks professionally done so it should be easy to square off the

40c and have that on there because the current map that we have is hard to see and it has the addresses listed in so let's see um and I'd like to add the names of the houses if possible um I'm supposed to receive the um the registry the city's registry from Kristen uh she said she had a few updates that she had to do on it um but once I have that that will be

also listed on on there um which I'm wondering if that might be a discussion if that needs to be redone at all if it's I don't know there's a lot of blank boxes I don't know if that's something that we can look at in the future but um just a stream maybe not streamline it would just make it a little easier to to read maybe put um because the the key

uh with all the color coded boxes is at the very bottom which is 20 Pages if we were to at least just ship that to the front um so they have a nice people looking at it um a better idea um and any other anything else that we should add to the historical commission's website we basically have free reign the point yes we can add later it's pretty thoroughly yeah we can add later

so I can um obviously the ordinance will be on there on the updated ordinance because currently the city has the old ordinance before the uh the two of those merch Merchant okay um all right uh anything else on that one on the website um next item 8B we have a candidate for the historical commission uh Tanya Demello and I did send over in the packet her um resume currently yes

she has a background in history um and has done work with a number of different historical societies and foreign there any questions on application on her candidacy and she's involved with the preservation Society I believe she yeah she's the paying member okay

but she has background in history of an education but it could be she has a bachelor's in history which is good and she's done volunteer work yep that's which is excellent I see the especially the research which is that comes in handy um that looks like she worked for a month for the Old Colony but on the Cranston Historical Society it looks like about three years but she has an interest in joining the

the commission that's that's good right there and familiar with the city and historical the essence the city has right um I can forward this over to um does anyone know this young woman personally but um the process is I think this will come through city council so I would have to forward it to um also a Camaro um he's the city council president for recommendation I believe is that who it

is the president yeah and uh Council of Liberty step down as council president right I thought it was um I thought it was a female emotion would it if if no one's met this young lady would it be in order for us to ask her just to attend a meeting Chit Chat prior to and then we can take a vote on we get a little more information a little more in-depth information

so what kind of a fit it might be is that some appropriate yeah we do have guidelines of who who should be sitting on the commission so we have to make sure we have uh I think we're missing an architect I think I don't know if it's a requirement or a recommendation that we have a recommendation think it's a requirement so that would be good to have um okay well we can bring

Mr Mello to meet with us well she looks like a good candidate absolutely um yeah all right we're excited we'll do that

um all right and so the anything for open discussion um I did receive the uh the next set of guidelines uh yesterday from Dominique regarding commercial structures so I will be forwarding that to you tonight um so that will be on the next meeting she uh she has her final edits I think her photo she's adding photos I skimmed right through a glance at the commercial storage it looks great so far

I mean she has the egg she has photos in that one which is great um and uh I believe that section was extra that she did for us yes yes it wasn't part of the original plan no I think yeah we we had asked her to do that we asked her to do it and she was willing and that's that's great because we have you know that we have the the historical structures downtown that mm-hmm yeah

they need some guidance and um that would be great so I'll forward the email with those and she should be she should be wrapping up soon um so that meeting um we have until March the end of March to do virtual hearings the governor had extended that motion for virtual hearings uh up until March 30th of 2023.

so as long as we we can get Dominican and get the guidelines finished are we going to try to do that we'll try it on Matt's meeting okay and uh that should be there um the other item and so in the packet that was put on with the agenda online um and unfortunately I did not add it I forgot to add it to the agenda but um they'll likely come before us at the

next meeting anyways is regarding a um the brick chimney stack over on Pleasant Street uh with the Durfee Union Mills I did have a phone call with Glenn Hathaway uh the other day regarding it so I did inform him of the process that they need to come before us he is indicating that the chimney stack is structurally compromised that it's a safety hazard on the verge of falling or at least collapsing in

um so I did inform inform him though that you have a process of reviewing that because it is individually listed on the national register I have a I have a list of them questions and and regarding this but if we don't have it on the agenda but they are coming at the next meeting so we can present at that point I will um remind Glenn to reach out to the

building owners to get them to have them present um because uh you have to with any intent to demolish especially because it's on the national register uh and it's very interesting when the um all the mills in the city when they were surveyed by the um for the national register every build every structure is individually listed which is fantastic it's not just a blanket um so items like the smokestack and you

look at the smokes Smoke Stack that what was the mill on West Street that caught fire um I think so and because it was on the right on the national register you there is a process for them to take that down and they ended up not taking it down still there kind of blending in with the landscape right now yeah um but it looks good and again that was another stack that had to come down it

was the two reading it was going to fall and it's structured it is structurally soft structurally sound yes so okay um so that they should be here for the next meeting um but that's in the last day or so that's all I any updates um that I had anything else that anything else that any anyone has

um I may have a motion to adjourn um it is 6 27. sure I'll make a motion to adjourn I'll second that motion all right I have a motion and a second to adjourn uh all in favor aye aye all right 6 27.