The commission reviewed a bronze plaque describing the Boston & Worcester railway granite abutments and discussed how to mount the heavy plaque at the Parkerville Road South site. Kevin Miller said the plaque sat in storage because the manufacturer had produced a back mount designed for stone mounting, which would require drilling into a historic abutment or reworking the plaque for a pole mount.

Why it matters: the plaque marks a local transportation history feature; commissioners want it publicly installed but wish to avoid drilling into historic stone and to limit costs to the commission’s small budget.

Vendor estimate and options: Miller reported Franklin/Franklin-area sign vendor (contacted through prior National Register work) suggested welding back brackets and refinishing the plaque. Miller recited vendor line items discussed at the meeting: welding/pad work quoted at $150; refinishing of the plaque back quoted in the meeting as $3,365 (transcribed numbers were fragmented), a 10% surcharge figure was cited ($48.57), a square mount post and bracket quoted at $182, and shipping/handling quoted at $150. Miller summarized the vendor total for a new plaque and post at about $1,237 if the commission ordered a replacement plaque and post from the vendor. Because those numbers were significant for the commission, Miller asked members to seek a lower-cost local welding or metalworking solution, including outreach to Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School welding/sheet-metal shop and other local metalworkers.

Decision vs. discussion: commissioners agreed to pursue local metalworking contacts before authorizing high vendor costs. Kelly O'Brien offered to contact Assabet Valley programs and to collect weight and measurements for local shops to assess a lower-cost mounting solution.

Next steps: Kelly to provide photos, measurements and weight; Miller and staff to pursue local vendors and report back. The item remains open until the commission secures a feasible mounting plan and cost estimate.