Local historic district meeting held

The Local Historic District Study Committee held their second information meeting on Nov. 15 at the Town Hall.

Study Committee members stated it was their goal to recommend a process that was as simple as possible, as short as possible and that enabled commission members to work with homeowners to achieve sensible solutions.

The Committee is recommending reviewing only additions and demolitions in the proposed district, it might be possible to tie in the Local Historic District's application with the applications already required in town for the building of additions or for the demolition of buildings.

Robert Clark of Petersham, a resident of the Petersham Historic District Commission, spoke about living in a historic district and about his role as chairman of his town's Local Historic District.

He also answered several questions posed by the fifteen residents at this meeting.

Clark described the application process in his town, explaining that the state guidelines for a local historic district require a very tight response time - 14 days from the time an application is received - to make a decision. He added that Petersham was the fifth town in Massachusetts to vote on having a local historic district - in the 1960s - and stated that the feeling in town residents remain favorable towards it. And there have been homeowners who have requested to have their homes added to the district and those changes have passed at town meeting.

After the holidays the Committee will create survey to send to all town residents with informational materials. The Committee has already sent information to residents in the proposed district and those results were discussed at the meeting.

The Committee will also hold another informational meeting this winter to help in the effort to get as much feedback as possible from residents, so that the recommended district guidelines will reflect as many of those opinions as possible.

If anyone would like more information please contact the chairman Shane Brogan at (978) 874-1402 or BROGIE27@ msn. com.

- Submitted to The Journal