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Lexington Historical Commission
Meeting Minutes
November 16, 2022
Meeting Conducted by Remote Participation
Commissioners Present: Susan Bennett, Chair, Diane Pursley, Marilyn Fenollosa, Wendall Kalsow, David
Kelland.
Commissioner Absent:
Associate Commissioners Present: Robert Rotberg.
Staff Present: Siqing Pan, Department Assistant
Chair Susan Bennett called the November 16th, 2022 Historic Commission meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
AGENDA ITEM #1 (7:00pm): Vote to approve CPC funds for town records
APPLICANT (S) PRESENT: Alethea Yates, Town Archivist
ABUTTER(S) PRESENT:
DOCUMENT(S): 3 large volumes including collections of maps, plans, engineering drawings, other assorted
graphical documents. Date range 1850-1912.
SUMMARY:
Alethea Yates, Town Clerk, introduced these documents and requested the Board approve them as historic resources
eligible for CPC funding.
HC COMMENTS:
Ms. Fenollosa clarified that the Historical Commission’s role is to find whether the documents are historic
resources. The role of the CPC is to vote on 11/17/2022 whether or not to recommend to Town Meeting that the
conservation of these items be funded. Town Meeting will ultimate decide whether to approve the funding
requested.
Ms. Bennett inquired whether the $35,000 funding requests includes digitization and where the books will be
conserved. Ms. Yates stated that all work has been done through the Northeast Document Conservation Center in
Andover. We have 5-year contract with them now.
Ms. Pursley inquired whether the digitized documents will be publicly available. Ms. Yates stated all digitized
documents will be publicly available via Public Records Portal, except confidential files.
Mr. Rotberg inquired how many more Town records remain to be conserved. Ms. Yates stated it is hard to predict
because there hasn’t been a full survey for those documents. Mr. Rotberg recommended there should be a 10-year-
plan for digitizing documents.
MOTION:
Mr. Kalsow made a motion to approve the three books of documents as described from 1850 to 1912 including
oversize plans, maps and other graphical drawings be determined as significant historic resources in the
history of archeology architecture culture of Lexington. Mr. Rotberg seconded.
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Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Kalsow – Yes
Mr. Kelland – Yes
Mr. Rotberg – Yes
Ms. Pursley – Yes
Ms. Fenollosa – Yes
Ms. Bennett – Yes
Motion carried 6 to 0
AGENDA ITEM #2 (7:05pm): Vote to approve Preservation Restriction for 75 Outlook Dr.
APPLICANT (S) PRESENT:
ABUTTER(S) PRESENT:
DOCUMENT(S): Preservation Restriction Agreement between The Town of Lexington and Alpha Echo 75
Outlook LLC
SUMMARY:
Ms. Fenollosa briefly introduced the Preservation Restriction Agreement for 75 Outlook Dr.
HC COMMENTS:
Mr. Kalsow commented on page 6, 7 (b) of the agreement, which references the Secretary’s Standards, should be
clarified because there are 4 different standards. Ms. Fenollosa stated the language was dictated by MHC.
Mr. Rotberg stated that the Commission at this point can only vote to approve or disapprove the agreement, not
seek to modify it. Ms. Fenollosa stated it is correct. HC is the grantee of the preservation restriction, so if the owner
“grantor” wants to modify the exterior of the property, they need to come back to the HC for permission to do so.
And theoretically, we should be checking on at least one-year basis to make sure the owner complies with the terms
of the agreement to keep the house compliant with the agreement.
MOTION:
Mr. Rotberg made a motion to approve the preservation restriction agreement between ALPHA ECHO 75
OUTLOOK LLC as grantor and Town of Lexington acting by and through its Historic Commission as
grantee substantially in the form presented at the November 16th, 2022 meeting of the Historical Commission
and to authorize the Chair of the Historical Commission to execute and accept the said preservation
restriction agreement on behalf of the Historical Commission. Ms. Pursley seconded.
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Kelland – Yes
Mr. Rotberg – Yes
Mr. Kalsow – Yes
Ms. Pursley – Yes
Ms. Fenollosa – Yes
Ms. Bennett – Yes.
Motion carried 6 to 0.
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AGENDA ITEM #3 (7:10pm): Approval of meeting minutes
The Board will review the meeting minutes in December’s meeting.
AGENDA ITEM #4 (7:15pm): Adjourn
The Board made a motion to adjourn at 7:40pm. Motion carried. All in favor.