Historical Commission Hears Proposals for CPA Funding

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Historical Commission (10/24/20)

The meeting was held as a Zoom webinar and was recorded.

Participating: Jane Wald, (Chair), Jan Marquardt, Pat Auth, Jane Sheffler, Hetty Startup, Robin Fordham. Staff: Nate Malloy and Ben Breger

The demolition of wood sheds at 37 Bay Road and a former ranch-style kennel and veterinarian’s office on Market Hill Road, all in questionable condition, were allowed without public hearings because the structures were deemed not to have historical significance. The property on Bay Road, the former residence of Seymour and Alice Epstein, will become the home base of Kestrel Land Trust. 

The kennel was at the former home of veterinarian Fred Ruder.

The Commission heard presentations for projects submitted for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds under the Historic Preservation category. At least ten percent of the CPA budget each year must be allocated to housing, conservation, and historic preservation with discretionary use of the remaining 70 percent. This year, the required minimum support is about $100,000 for each of the three categories. CPA money can also (but is not required to) be used for recreation projects, which are not subject to the 10 percent minimum contribution.

Meg Gage and Janet Keller on behalf of the District One Neighborhood Association (DONA) (residents of the former Precincts 1 and 3) applied for $51,500 to create a community archeology project to engage the North Amherst community in local history. They propose an interpretive trail through the Town-owned conservation land along the Mill River describing remaining foundations and other artifacts of the once bustling mills there. Local historian Faye Kaynor had left many notes about the history of these mill sites to Pete Westover (former Director of Conservation for the Town). DONA is seeking funds to hire a local archeologist to coordinate the project, which will involve North Amherst residents, and high school and college students, to prepare podcasts that will be available via QR codes on cell phones and will be coordinated with explanatory signs at each site.

Representatives of Goodwin Memorial AME Zion Church discussed their need of $24,240 for insulation and repairs to the chimney and roof (the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings). This request is not deemed a conflict between church and state because preserving the historic building is not considered promoting religion. In addition, other historic buildings that are used for religious purposes have been awarded CPA money in the past. The Commission advised adding a $6,000 contingency fee to the request, given the increased costs of labor and materials due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeremiah LaPlante, Facilities Director for the Town, presented several Town projects. The steps in front of Town hall need to be labeled and removed so that their foundation can be rebuilt and they can be replaced in their original location. The steps have functioned well for about 130 years, but now need restoration. LaPlante said the Town has put aside some funds, some of which was used to restore the original oak front doors, but not enough for this $265,000 project to restore the steps. The south steps used as an emergency exit also require work, but they are a lower priority since they are not used by the public, he said.

The cost of the project, LaPlante said, includes the need to hire a mason who is knowledgeable about how to shore up the steps and replace the original granite stones. People with these skills are hard to find, he said. 

LaPlante also discussed work totalling $408,000 to repair the slate roofs at the North Amherst School building, Town Hall, and Munson Library; the copper gutters on the Munson Library also need replacement. Slate roofs last between 70 and 125 years depending on the slate and “these roofs don’t owe us anything” LaPlante said, adding that two of them are well over 125 years old.

In other news, the Town is about to sign a contract for signs for the Writer’s Walk, in progress for close to fifteen years. Robin Fordham’s term as Historical Commission Representative on CPAC was renewed, and Jan Marquardt’s term as representative to  the Design Review Board was also renewed.

The Commission will meet again on October 26 at 6:30 p.m. (after the Local Historic District Commission, which begins at 4 p.m.) to hear requests for CPA Historical Preservation funds for the North Common and the foundation of the North Amherst Library, as well as to discuss the Commission’s report on these projects to CPAC.