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Commission institutes application fee, delineates historic boundaries

Date: 11/15/2013

By Carley Dangona

carley@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Property owners seeking to make changes to building within the town’s two historic districts will now have to pay a $25 application fee.

At its regular meeting on Nov. 12 in the Town Hall, the HDC unanimously voted to charge a $25 fee with its Certificate of Appropriateness application to cover the costs of the approval process. For the fiscal year 2014, there is no line item creating a budget for the commission. At this point, the HDC is researching its options to acquire some funding so it can pay for items such as stamps and envelopes to contact residents.

“I think it’s appropriate to charge a fee, but it doesn’t have to be an unreasonable fee,” Roberta Page, HDC chair, said.

The HDC that consists of Page, Harold White, vice chair and Helen Calabrese, secretary discussed the immediate tasks of drafting a letter to notify residents that they live within a historic district and an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, which must be filed before any projects can commence within the districts to ensure the historical character is preserved.

The first historic district consists of the former church, now Rotary Records that is located at 732 Elm St. It is bounded by Elm Street, East Elm Street and Witch Path. The second is the Broadway Historic District, which encompasses both town commons, and the north side of Park Street.

Eventually, the HDC will create an informational brochure that would include procedures and basic design guidelines suggestions for businesses and residents within the two districts

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Historic Preservation Planner Elizabeth Rairigh clarified the boundaries of the historic districts within the town and is compiling a list of owners and abutters within the districts that the brochure would be sent to once completed.

The HDC also plans to establish more historic districts within the town such as some of the older cemeteries and possibly parts of the Eastern States Exposition, according to Page.

The HDC is also working on a lighting project where residents could purchase a period lamppost to be placed within the historic district. At this time, that proposal is in the early planning stages so no further details are available.

The HDC will meet again on Nov. 19 at 10:30 a.m. in the Merrick Meeting Room on the first floor of the Town Hall, 26 Central St.

The HDC seeks more members. If interested, the commission can be contacted by mail: Historic District Commission, Municipal Office Building, 26 Central St., West Springfield, MA 01089. For more information, visit www.west-springfield.ma.us/Public_Documents/WSpringfieldMA_BComm/HDC.