[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6389825,"mediaKeyId","2112932-8a185b1d6755776cb01f3a9e246fdf97","parentId",2112932,"title","Needham Historical Commission: local historic district bylaw sent to Attorney General; residents on Warren Street express interest; stretch energy code raises
","audioSeconds",667,"startMs",493000,"endMs",1160000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112932-8a185b1d6755776cb01f3a9e246fdf97&start=493&end=1160","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112932-8a185b1d6755776cb01f3a9e246fdf97/thumbnail_493000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6389825/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-Historical-Commission-local-historic-district-bylaw-sent-to-Attorney-General-residents-on-Warren-Street-express-interest-stretch-energy-code-raises-br","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389825-2e91ea7e553a418193c251d08a65fe7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166181&Signature=ClPh3th5G-CODOD0RVU5-7oTnrhc8tO~KkvFVaGOCFdcYTVuKeQCXqQ1teduhdOEgxbeXQhzKpnqLCPS0hZAGuZYe-JglbYud7tZgj7pUUPlpv5f2mnkG~866UF4BReZcmL6Di4~go-tpa-Ab~mCUCqZmNOPEd5FBtIh0fHRzS1YFEXe5F3OoOr426YwkinjEPWk1HX0cY6VhcB1JeF3Kee7Gxzm9IZ3SZ0V2QL0589ExJdYGUB4HR~8007O2qIS2Y4MBrdY2VLxB2-07WtgyOVUigCTR1ukyaUN3WO8aNBKx6zfPdMOxU7PN1VT~-ThdnLeC-2opZvoBVy0UAJicg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Needham, MA","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Needham Historical Commission on Jan. 6, 2025 heard updates that the town’s proposed local historic district bylaw is still under review by the Massachusetts Attorney General and discussed next steps for outreach, procedural meetings and broader preservation issues including the state’s stretch energy code.

Commission staff reported that the Attorney General’s office flagged procedural questions for town counsel and the town clerk related to whether the map and the local historic district study committee’s final report were effectively provided to town meeting members. Staff said the map was included in the warrant and the report was posted publicly and linked in FAQs provided to town meeting members; town counsel and the town clerk are working with the AG’s office to explain the publication process.

Commission members said they do not view the AG review as a content objection but as a procedural clarification. Members suggested the Massachusetts Historical Commission could be a helpful resource in addressing procedural questions; the commission confirmed that Jen Daugherty, the commission’s contact at the Massachusetts Historical Commission, is scheduled to speak at the Historical Commission’s February meeting about both the local historic district bylaw and the demolition-delay bylaw.

Separately, several homeowners on Warren Street have contacted commission members about forming a Warren Street local historic district. Staff said they had provided those residents with the bylaw summary and a flowchart of the process and advised next steps would include a neighborhood meeting, the possible creation of a study committee and ultimately a warrant article to town meeting should the petition move forward.

The commission discussed scheduling a meeting with Building Commissioner Joe Prondak so commissioners and the building department could clarify how demolition-delay and other permit processes are administered; the building commissioner has standing commitments on Mondays and Thursdays, so commissioners proposed either a small non-quorum meeting at his convenience or moving a commission meeting to a Tuesday in May when town meeting scheduling might allow attendance. Members emphasized the goal would be a generic process discussion, not discussion of a specific demolition application.

Commissioners also reviewed inventory and database-management matters. Staff said they had sent the commission an Excel spreadsheet and a folder of B-form property records via WeTransfer; the spreadsheet indexes roughly 125 B-form house records (with two B-forms noted as missing in the discussion) and includes cemetery (C-form) and public-property (D-form) records. Staff demonstrated how to sort the spreadsheet and cautioned about two-level sorts when alphanumeric form numbers are involved.

The group discussed the difference between a demolition-delay bylaw and a local historic district. Commissioners noted that a demolition-delay bylaw imposes a temporary moratorium on demolition (commonly six months in Needham’s ordinance) intended to allow negotiation and study, while a local historic district, once created, vests approval authority for demolition and visible exterior changes to an appointed historic district commission; the local district is therefore a more powerful, longer-term preservation tool.

Members also raised how proposed changes to the state stretch energy code could affect older houses. Several commissioners said draft language under consideration at the state level appears intended to clarify historic exemptions for certain historic structures; commissioners noted that a clearer exemption could reduce pressure to demolish older houses when full compliance would require extensive structural changes. Commissioners said they'll continue to track the issue and that the distinction between “truly historic” properties and other older houses will be significant for how exemptions are applied.

Commissioners asked staff to continue outreach to Warren Street residents, to seek a meeting with the building commissioner to discuss process, and to circulate the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s model bylaws and the town’s current materials ahead of the February meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Needham: Historical Commission 01/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Needham Historical Commission on Jan. 6, 2025 heard updates that the town’s proposed local historic district bylaw is still under review by the Massachusetts Attorney General and discussed next steps for outreach, procedural meetings and broader preservation issues including the state’s stretch energy code.","taxTitle","Town of Needham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",54445,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389826,"Needham Historical Commission affirms Needham History Center collections as town resources to support CPC funding request",757,1193000,1950000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2112932-8a185b1d6755776cb01f3a9e246fdf97&start=1193&end=1950","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2112932-8a185b1d6755776cb01f3a9e246fdf97/thumbnail_1193000.jpg","/articles/6389826/Town-of-Needham/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Needham-Historical-Commission-affirms-Needham-History-Center-collections-as-town-resources-to-support-CPC-funding-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389826-3759f44c9d7417ef8ab462ed18746557/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166181&Signature=mLI0Usx9f7cYDMXItI80jnBdTcOV2ibqyuT17nBuloGhDdHq9iSQnd8nqVjjxePTXO1504m1k3EcafKwYNCL2PTkBJB48SnXGd9xGiQRkytMPrG8CU4GZ-xUnJMoNs4sEdKBRksHx2YvSwls1kvNQIqWWgeSg4bQumFmNRHYhzSOb3LoHCObFzCrv8bA3vwRUKvuGbaz3fr2G8Ocyb1w7VaqfiHdDwiwlVz297xPDs4mDqh4t9Jqy~ZkQ-oP8iAFsKy664VRC2LThb4UxNcgsnhi4ngJqzIipqFiH2pmkIwBSe-vV1V-ropJCpkZ6Kat90kUbgz-Sd6Km~dtKN4CMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On Jan. 6, 2025, the Needham Historical Commission voted that the artifacts and assets of the Needham History Center and Museum are resources of historical, cultural and/or archaeological significance to the Town of Needham, a formal step requested by the Community Preservation Committee ahead of a funding decision.

The designation is intended to clear the commission-level requirement for the Center’s CPC application for new archival shelving and dehumidification equipment. Commission members said the proposed work would move the Center’s storage toward Department of the Interior preservation standards by improving access, monitoring and long-term care of collections.

Commission chair Gloria (name used in meeting) announced she was the petitioner for the CPC request and recused herself from the vote. The meeting was turned over to Vice Chair Leah (who presided as acting chair for this agenda item) while Gloria left the room. A commission member described the request as primarily for heavy-duty shelving sized to archival boxes and for dehumidification to meet environmental-control standards; another presenter said the project would replace inadequate donated shelving and free aisles that are currently blocked by boxes.

During the discussion, presenters explained the storage problem in detail: textile boxes used for fragile items are 30 inches wide, current surplus library shelving only holds two such boxes per shelf, and the proposed U-Line heavy-duty shelving would allow eight to 12 boxes per shelf and five shelf levels, substantially increasing usable capacity. Commissioners also noted the need for stable shelving to prevent framed items from slumping and to allow routine inspection for pests and deterioration.

Commissioners clarified that the motion before them was a statement of the collections’ historical significance for CPC purposes; the CPC would subsequently review cost estimates and product selection. The motion as recorded in the meeting agenda and read aloud was: “The artifacts and assets of the Needham History Center and Museum are resources of historical, cultural, and or archaeological significance to the history of the Town of Needham.” The mover and seconder were not clearly identified on the recorded transcript; the motion was seconded during the meeting and then put to a roll-call vote.

Roll-call votes recorded on the audio were all in support: Mark (yes), Matt (yes), Jeff (yes), Devahar (yes), Joe (yes) and the acting chair (yes). The motion passed unanimously among members voting.

Commissioners said they expect the CPC to evaluate the project’s cost estimates and to consider whether proposed shelving and environmental controls meet preservation standards; the exact dollar amount requested to CPC was discussed as part of the Center’s application but was not specified in the commission’s discussion. The commission noted that items already boxed into archival containers increase space needs and that the proposed shelving would improve public access to collections.

The commission asked the History Center to provide CPC with product details and cost estimates; members representing CPC said the commission’s role here is to confirm that the artifacts qualify as resources for CPC preservation funds, not to adjudicate procurement choices. The commission placed no conditions on the designation beyond the standard requirement that the items be historic, cultural or archaeological resources.

The vote clears a procedural hurdle for the Needham History Center’s CPC preservation request; the CPC will make the final funding decision according to its own schedule and criteria.","The commission voted that the Needham History Center's artifacts qualify as historical/cultural resources, clearing a required step for Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funding for storage and preservation upgrades; petitioner recused and the motion passed by roll call.","actionData","errors"]

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Needham Historical Commission: local historic district bylaw sent to Attorney General; residents on Warren Street express interest; stretch energy code raises <br>

Needham Historical Commission affirms Needham History Center collections as town resources to support CPC funding request