Westport News

Present
Member: Jim Collins, Wendy Goldberg, Janet Jones, Ted Kinnari, Jane Loos, Donna Lubell,
Geraldine Millham
Alternate: Sean Leach, Christine Vezetinski

Absent
Member: none
Alternate: Anne (Pete) Baker, Norma Judson,

Others in attendance:
Kathleen Fair 26 Palmer St., Dartmouth, MA
Betty Slade 2037 Main Road, WPT

Chair Wendy Goldberg (WG) opened the meeting at 7:00 pm in the basement meeting area at Town Hall. WG named Alternate Sean Leach (SL) to act as the seventh voting member, until the arrival of Jim Collins (JC).

A. General Business
1. Minutes of September 6, 2011 Meeting. Jane Loos (JL) explained that the draft minutes had been circulated via email to all members/alternates. Geraldine Millham (GM), Chris Vezetinski (CV), and WG offered corrections and revisions. GM moved and Donna Lubell (DL) seconded a motion to approve the draft minutes as revised. The vote was unanimous in favor.

2. Treasurer’s Report. GM presented the Treasurer’s reports for end-August and as of October 3, 2011 (Attachments 1A and 1B respectively). The balances as of October 3, 2011 were:
(a) WHC expense account had a balance of $725. Revenue balance is $0.
(b) WHC Trust Account balance of $9,805.23. The Wolf Pit School Trust balance is
$6,480.24.
(c) The Town Farm expense account balance is $1,026, which does not include the amount
of funds encumbered from FY2011. The Town Farm Trust balance is $11,333.63.

JL moved and Janet Jones (JJ) seconded a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report. The motion was approved unanimously.

3. Mail.
(a) WG read to the meeting her letter of September 9, 2011 to Ralph Sousa, Building Inspector, concerning WHC’s decisions taken at its September 6, 2011 meeting, regarding the demolition request for the house at 98 Horseneck Road (Attachment 2).

4. Thank you for Betty Slade. WG read to the meeting her letter of October 3, 2011 acknowledging and thanking Betty Slade for her contributions to WHC and the Town of Westport (Attachment 3).

5. Update of Historical Inventory. Kathleen Fair and Betty Slade reported on the first phase of work to update the Historical Inventory, which is funded in part by the CPA. Ms. Fair is the consultant hired using CPA funds; she is an historian and formerly the head of the Dartmouth Historical Commission. Ms. Fair reported that her first year of work resulted in over 40 additional historic properties being submitted to the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC). MHC praised these reports for their comprehensive information and careful documentation. Ms. Fair also advised that the current CPA funding should carry her through the next 2 years of work, but that the full updating of the inventory will take many years to accomplish. Ms. Slade thanked Ms. Fair for contributing much more time than what is billed to the CPA, with the balance being done by Ms. Fair pro bono.

6. JL inquired if the updating is also covering the interior of the historic buildings. Unlike the regulations for the Westport Point Historic District which give WHC oversight only over the exterior of houses visible from public ways, the Inventory is intended to include properties in the entire town that contribute to the historical, social, economic and architectural history of the Town. In some cases, these historic houses retain wonderful construction details and built-ins that tell about the time and techniques of their construction. GM clarified that what we are talking about here are not “movable possessions” like furniture or pictures, but rather visible summer beams, corner cupboards, interior shutters, splayed window frames, etc. Ms. Fair and Ms. Slade indicated that they would attempt to include information on the interiors only if the property owner invites them to do so.

7. Status Reports on Projects Outside the Westport Point Historic District.
(a) CPA-funded Projects for Historic Preservation. Betty Slade, former CPC member, presented a table showing CPA-funded projects from 2002-2011 (Attachment 4). The table shows the total of CPA funds (both the Town’s contribution and the State match), but does not include private funding associated with those projects, which in many cases is quite substantial and exceeds CPA funds. CPA funds provided for historic preservation and rehabilitation projects amounted to about $1.4 million, or about 31% of the total of about $4.5 million. The historic preservation and rehabilitation projects were split roughly 50-50 between Town-owned assets and privately owned sites. Betty Slade clarified that when CPA funding for historic preservation and rehabilitation is provided to privately owned sites, it is done so with a specific public purpose to be attained or assured as documented in the CPA grant documents.

(b) Oscar Palmer Farm. JJ, WHC representative on CPC, reported that CPC had approved going ahead with the masonry contract, and that the roofing contract had been held up pending clarifications concerning the type of bidding process required when the owner is not a public entity. JJ expected this matter to be resolved before the October 13, 2011 CPC meeting.

(c) Cadman-White-Handy House. GM reported that she had been consulted concerning the proposed sign to be placed at the corner of Hix Bridge and Drift Roads. It was agreed that the sign would be made of wood and painted.

(d) Town Farm. GM reported that the subcommittee needed to meet asap to review drawings and specifications prepared by the Trustees’ architect. Ted Kinnari (TC) and Jim Collins (JC) agreed to meet with GM after the close of the WHC meeting.

8. Storm Windows. JC reported that he had been researching storm windows for use on his own historic house and that he had found a type of storm window that WHC should know about. This storm window is much more attractive than the triple track aluminum storms often used at the Point. This storm window is made of aluminum, with square foci, and can be manufactured to match custom colors through a powder-coating finishing process. The supplier is Custom Window of Warwick, RI. WG thanked JC for sharing the information, and noted that, while WHC does not have purview over the choice of storm windows in the local historic district, WHC would advise owners about such an option.

9. Westport Historical Society. Betty Slade reminded that the Westport Historical Society will meet on October 20, 2011, and will present its Annual History Award to GM.

The Meeting was adjourned at 8:34pm. The next meeting will be November 7, 2011 at 7pm.

Draft prepared by JL, approved November 7, 2011

Attachments:
1. A and B- Treasurer’s reports, August 31, 2011 and October 3, 2011
2. WG letter re 98 Horseneck Road
3. WG letter to Betty Slade
4. Table summarizing CPA funded projects (2002 – 2011)