[Jennifer Keenan]: Hi everybody, this is the Medford Historical Commission. Today is Monday, August 19th. It's 630. We have a special meeting tonight to vote to lift a demo delay for the property at 38 Pearl Street. So before we get started, let me just read our little official Notice here, pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021, this meeting of the City of Medford Historical Commission will be conducted via remote means. Members of the public who wish to access the meeting may do so by using the Zoom link provided for in the agenda. No in-person attendance or members of the public will be permitted and public participation in any public hearing during this meeting shall be by remote means only. So as I mentioned tonight, we are going to look at 38 Pearl Street and the intention is to vote to lift the demo delay. This was continued from our meeting last week. We did not have a quorum to vote. So apologies to Attorney Desmond and Nelson for that and hiccup last week. We had two members of the commission. I had three members of the commission out and then one of the members that was here. had a conflict and had to recuse themselves so I have all the voting members here tonight and the two that are not able to vote are not here so we should be good to go. So I just wanted to just do a brief recap of kind of where we started and where we got to and I'll kind of turn it over to Doug and Eleni and Peter as the demo delay kind of review board from that and We can kind of review that and then I'll put it out for discussion in a vote to the rest of the board. So, Doug, Peter, Eleni, I will turn it over to you.
[Doug Carr]: All right, Peter, let's put the drawings up so we can look at those. Oh, good. Give me a second here.
[Jennifer Keenan]: And I'm sorry, is this a full demo or is this partial? This is partial. partial. Can you guys see that screen? We can. Yes. Okay.
[Doug Carr]: Can you walk through the massing changes and some of the things we talked about? Yeah.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: So in the previous iteration, this side mass was kind of, more or less an extrusion. There was a slight step back on one side. I don't know where that other facade is, but anyway. And so there were some comments about trying to break up the math a little bit so that the edition read more like an edition, sort of in a New England style. and not as much as an extrusion. And there was some comments that perhaps the addition could look more like an, along with that kind of a, not quite as, not quite as elaborate in its detail. So it's not to compete with the front, the original mass here in the front. What else? This particular facade, even though it's existing, had a lot of blank surface, so we requested they add some fenestration, and they did.
[Doug Carr]: Sorry, I can't hear what he's saying.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: Sorry, I couldn't quite hear you there. Was that you, Doug?
[Jennifer Keenan]: Yeah, somebody was trying to speak and it was really like the internet was kind of struggling. I'm not sure who that was.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: It might've been.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Oh, Doug just dropped off. So let's see if we can get him back. Oh, there.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: Anyway.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Okay.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: Yeah, so this, the other sides, the front, and then the left side. I think we had like a one foot setback before on the left side, and now they kind of added this little connector segment here. And the rear portion of the addition kind of reads like a separate mass.
[Jennifer Keenan]: So we're still keeping the porch on the side here on the corner. I'm just looking at the Google Earth. image from how it is today. So this is staying, this is there today.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: I'd have to have confirmation of that. It's been a while since I looked at that, but I believe so. This part here.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Yeah, so when you're looking at the front of the house, there's this little wrap around porch here. Yeah, and then the addition's gonna come off the rear, off to the side, okay.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: That's my understanding. If any of the development team wants to chime in on that, let us know. I thought all those were good moves. We're maintaining the integrity of the original home, actually improving it, I think. And then the addition looks like an addition. I was pleased with that. Other commissioner comments?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think the applicant really listened to our comments before, and I'm pretty happy with the changes. I don't really have any other comments to add. It just, I think, looks good. And yes, I think maintaining the identity and integrity of the individual building or the original house as a separate entity is important. I think that was accomplished in this updated design. Great.
[Doug Carr]: I concur as well. So I think the subcommittee is pretty much satisfied at this point, I think, Jen, with the responsiveness and the quality of the resubmission. So I think unless other commissioners have any comments, like Ed or yourself, I think we're ready to vote.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Ed, do you have any comments?
[SPEAKER_04]: Not a street I know well, although I live close to it. So I'm going to open. I'm not gonna pass anything further.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Okay, I think it looks great. Thank you to everybody for your hard work on this. Attorney Desmond or Nelson, do you have anything that you'd like to say before we vote?
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: I'm gonna stop the share here.
[SPEAKER_02]: No, I'm fine, Janet, thank you so much.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Okay, Attorney Desmond.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thanks for everything.
[Jennifer Keenan]: You good? I'm good, except for to say thank you for doing this. Yeah, no problem. Happy to help. Okay, so then as it pertains to the matter of 38 Pearl Street to vote to lift the demo delay based on the plans that were presented tonight, I will go around for a roll call vote as I see folks on my screen. Peter.
[8Sqy8gyjolU_SPEAKER_08]: Do we need to make a motion?
[Jennifer Keenan]: Oh yes, I'm sorry. I'll get a formal motion from one of the commissioners.
[Doug Carr]: So moved. Thank you, Peter. Second.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Okay, so as to the motion to vote to lift the demo delay based on the plans presented tonight, I will go around for a roll call vote. Peter?
[SPEAKER_04]: Yes.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Ed?
[SPEAKER_04]: Yes to remove delay.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Elainey? Yes. And Doug?
[SPEAKER_04]: Yes.
[Jennifer Keenan]: and I am a yes as well, five, zero. So thank you so much. Nelson, if you could just upload the plans with your permit, we will draft your letter and I will get that over to you, Attorney Desmond, and you will be on your way.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you, everyone, and have a great evening. Thank you.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, or your week, I guess, it's Monday. Commissioner, is there anything else that we need to talk about since we have
[Doug Carr]: Us here tonight, I sent around the draft letter approving the Riverside Plaza design, which some people were part of that meeting. Some weren't, but I guess I would like to see. I don't know if I received any edits so far. I want to get that letter to the.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Yeah, you know what? I literally just before I signed on to zoom, I was like, oh, I have to do that for dad. Um, Eleni and Peter, just so, you know, we had a presentation from. Amanda Centrala last week about some changes to the Riverside Ave Plaza. We all commented on and Doug has drafted a letter. So I know you weren't there. You're welcome to go back and either watch the recording or take a look at the plans are in our Google Drive under section 106 review. And then we have some comments, and we'll get that letter off to Amanda. I'll try to read that tonight, Doug, and get you comments and see if we can't just wrap that up.
[Doug Carr]: It wasn't the exact graphics that she presented, but they have the renderings in the PDF that I attached to the draft letter. So if you want to, you can find them there, too.
[Jennifer Keenan]: OK, great. Great. Okay, good. Yeah, I don't think I have anything else on my end. Thank you all for doing this in between meeting here. And we will chat and I will motion to end the meeting at 6.41 p.m.
[SPEAKER_04]: Move to adjourn as promptly as possible.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_04]: Second.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Okay. Motion to adjourn. Peter? Yes.
[SPEAKER_04]: Ed? Dinnertime, yes.
[Jennifer Keenan]: Eleni. Yes. And Doug.
[Doug Carr]: Yes, 11 minutes, world record, thank you.
[Jennifer Keenan]: All right, thank you all, have a good night. Bye, have a great evening.
[Doug Carr]: Thank you. Adios.