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HDC Minutes 1 25 17CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES COMMITTEE /COMMISSION: Historic District Commission SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: January 25, 2017 LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street MEMBERS PRESENT: William Finch — Chair, Suzanne LaMont — Vice Chair, Wendy Pearl, and Martin Lian NOT PRESENT James Younger OTHERS PRESENT: Allison Crosbie, Greg Howard RECORDER: Travis Lovett Finch calls the meeting to order at 7:15 pm. Determination of Historic Significance — 271 Essex Street Finch said he was in the house several years ago. He said it is an early house, but probably not quite as pure as the owner would like to think. It's thought to be a 17"' century home. Pearl said they will apply for CPA funds to repair the roof and windows. Finch said he would assume the windows are 19 century. Pearl asked if the property was on the historic register. Finch said we don't have to debate the historical significance of the property because it is eligible for the historic register. Pearl motions to declare that the property at 271 Essex Street to be historically significant. Lamont seconds the motion. The motion carries 4 -0. Briscoe Middle School Crosbie said there is a letter drafted to preserve the Briscoe Middle School property. Lamont asked whether it was worth noting that the school is on the historic register as it could increase value to potential developers. Finch said the property would be eligible for tax credits. Pearl said the property was also a high school for 80 years. The McKay School was similarly preserved through the RFP process, Pearl said. Pearl said she wants to protect the character of the school. Finch said the committee was in favor of keeping Beverly City Hall as a city hall and renovating the police station by either tearing it down or building an annex. "I think a city center needs to be a city center," Finch said. Recreational Trails Grant Pearl said the grant would support kiosk and signage improvements along the trails. DCR would be providing a grant, Crosbie said. Pearl has to recuse herself since she works for DCR. Crosbie said they are writing a letter of support. Finch doesn't want to see signs the size of billboards, but he likes the concept of people using the trails. Lian motions to offer a letter of support to the application. LaMont seconds the motion. The motion carries 3 -0, with Pearl abstaining. Election of Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson Pearl nominates Finch as chair. LaMont seconds the motion. The motion carries 4 -0. Lian nominates LaMont as vice chair. Pearl seconds the motion. Motion carries 4 -0. Meeting minutes Pearl motions to approve the minutes from December 14, 2016. Lian seconds the motion. The motion carries 4 -0. New /Other Business Greg Howard is a volunteer working to protect and promote Independence Park. He said he would love to have the Historic District Commission's support in promoting Beverly's history. Howard wants volunteers to focus on the historic value of the park. He would like to see a monument with the text of the Declaration of Independence at the park. Howard said he has strong feelings that it should be more of a claim to Beverly's fame. LaMont said Beverly could do a better job of publicizing its revolutionary history. Finch said Verizon wants to upgrade the transmission tower at North Shore Community Baptist Church (at the corner of Hale St. and Hart St.) They want to replace the tower's wooden panels with materials that would provide better transmission for cell phone signals. This looks like a church that was built in the 1920's, Finch said. The records say it is a colonial revival of 1844 Pearl said. Finch said there's also a tower in the First Baptist Church. Their issue is that the wood doesn't provide good transmission. The steeple of the First Baptist Church is fiberglass, Finch said. Pearl asks why they can't put the transmitter into the cupola where there are fiberglass louvers. Pearl wants the front of the siding of the church to be retained. Crosbie will ask the Verizon staff. Finch said there are firms that are hired to do this work. Pearl said there were several updates on pre- applications for the Community Preservation Committee. Representatives from Beverly Golf and Tennis Club are seeking $90,000 to replace their heating system. Representatives from the Cabot Theatre are seeking $100,000 to replace the HVAC system. Representatives from GAR Hall are seeking $289,000 to replace the whole fagade. Wes Slate is seeking $50,000 to preserve archival records. Representatives from Lynch Park are seeking $100,000 to renovate the carriage house. Pearl said grants were not restricted to municipal or public properties. Pearl said they did not receive a pre - application on behalf of the Powder House. Next Meetine and Adiournment Pearl motions to adjourn the meeting. Lian seconds the motion. The motion carries 4 -0. The meeting adjourns at 8:15 p.m. The next Historic District Commission Meeting will be held on February 22, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in Beverly City Hall.