Jason Kendall, the applicant for the historic fire truck restoration project, asked the Community Preservation Committee to keep his application open and to withdraw the specific Article from the upcoming town meeting so he can rework the submission and return in the fall.

Kendall said he planned to “pull the article for this town meeting and leave the application open in hopes of coming back in the fall,” citing concerns raised at a recent Select Board review and the need to revise quotes and materials. He also described confusion about whether the historical commission had taken the vote required for the project’s advance review; committee members confirmed no new official vote had been recorded and that a January 2024 vote on related documents did not substitute for the required historic-resources finding.

Committee members discussed steps to avoid a procedural disservice to the applicant, including asking the Historical Commission to schedule a short meeting (the commission’s next regular meeting was noted as April 3) or to hold a brief Zoom vote so the record is complete before any town-floor action. Several members encouraged outreach to the historical commission and to the Select Board to ensure the application is revised and accompanied by the necessary commission vote.

The committee then moved to keep the application open with the expectation the applicant will submit a revised application for review; the motion to keep the historic fire truck restoration application open passed on a roll-call vote with Kristen LaVault, Grant, Brett, Claire and Lisa Braccio recorded as voting yes.

Members said they support giving the applicant an opportunity to revise and educate the public—suggested steps included showing the truck at summer events and additional fundraising or outreach events. The committee also apologised for an oversight in scheduling historical commission review and committed to improved coordination on those process steps going forward.