[MassHistPres] Need help saving bldg in LHD

[Michael Smith]

Robert,

We had a similar problem here in Belmont several years ago.  Our Town
Complex of three historic buildings was in need of renovation.  A Building
Study Committee determined that the historic Homer Building, a former school
building of the Queen Anne style, was a building not worth saving.  They
built a case, with their architect, that the existing building could not
satisfy their programmatic needs and that it would be more expensive to
renovate than build new.  

The Historic District Commission launched a town-wide campaign to save the
building.  Using our own human resources (we don't have a budget), we showed
how the building could satisfy the program and, in fact, how it would be no
more costly to renovate than build new.  At the heart of our argument was
the importance of saving a town treasure.  

Eventually, after much debate, the Selectmen, hoping to avoid a fight in
town over funding the project, and recognizing the merits of our persuation,
voted to save the building and instructed the Building Committee to go back
with their architect to the drawing board and include the HDC in the design
review process.

The project is now complete and the Homer Building has been magnificently
restored.  Come to Belmont and see one of the finest town complexes in the
Commonwealth.

The lesson, perhaps, for you folks in Sharon, is that we put in a lot of
hard work to accomplish our goal.  Activism is needed.

Best Wishes. 

Michael Smith
Belmont Historic District Commission



-----Original Message-----
From: Robtsyoung at aol.com [mailto:Robtsyoung at aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 10:33 AM
To: Masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Need help saving bldg in LHD


Colleagues,
 
The Sharon Historical Commission seeks help (and advice).  We have a  
(potentially) spectacular Colonial Revival building sitting in the center of
town 
that has been abandoned by the school department and then subsequent boards
of 
selectmen since 1981.  In 2004 Town Meeting, in an effort to both save  the 
building from further decay and to encourage the Selectmen to take action,
we 
overwhelmingly supported an Article to create a new Local Historic District

which included this building, known as The Charles R. Wilber School (Wilber

School), a Queen Anne style former school now being used as units of low
income  
family housing, and a public park.
 
At issue is the Wilber School. Originally built in 1921 and with a 1927  
addition which won national recognition for the best architechture of a
public  
building in the nation, it has been used as a high school, and intermediate

school, a middle school and an elementary school.  It was also the sight of
many 
public forums and meetings it is in the heart of our community.  Each  year 
that passes the building has been subjected to external and internal  decay.

It was sold and bought back in the early 1990's in a failed attempt  to
build 
assisted living, and only recently has the community committed to  voting to

spend monies to "button up" the building and/or abate hazardous  materials.
 
Within months of our triumph in creating the LHD the Selectmen appointed
the 
Wilber Reutilization Committee to explore opportunities as to what could be

done with the building.  Though this committed group worked very hard for  
nearly two years, they stopped all plans a couple of months ago when a
report  
which they ordered to be done by the Standing Building Committee came back
from  
an architechtural firm.  Giving three scenarios with three costs in  
ascending order:  A)  abatement and stabilization; B) abatement and
demolition; C) 
abatement and partial demolition shoring up the significant  facade facing
S. 
Main Street and the firm suggesting that the better alternative  is complete

demolition, the Wilber Reutilization Committee voted 10 to 1 to  inform the 
Selectmen that they favored demolition of the Wilber School.
 
In the three weeks that have ensued the Mass. Historical Commission has  
advised us that the building should not be demolished due to its protection
under 
the Historic Districts Act and our Commission voted no to  demolition.  Four

or five other town boards also favor demolition and the  Town Counsel has 
written to Selectmen saying that while the Historic District  Commission
DOES have 
authority over the building, it can be overridden if the  Building Inspector

feels that, due to public safety, the building should be  demolished.  The 
building has been secured (though there is no protective  fence around it)
for at 
least 20 years.
 
MHC, even in the face of the legal opinion by Town Counsel, maintains that  
demolition should not be an option.  We have opinions from other architects

saying that the building can be restored, we have spoken with developers who

have indicated interest in bidding on an RFP (though none has been sent out
by  
the Wilber Reutilization Committee, they have agreed to do so to see if
there  
really is any interest).  My problem is that Town Meeting is in one  week.  
In a Special TM there is an Article requesting that the voters  allocate the

funds for abatement and demolition and the Finance Committee  recommendation
(to 
be made at TM), while in favor, is hinged upon a legal opion  from Town 
Counsel and a report from the Building Inspector - and you already  know
where that 
is going.
 
Any suggestions as to the best way to handle this?  Does anyone know  of 
legal consel that would be willing to work with us pro bono?  We have an
annual 
budget of $650.  
 
Robert Young
Acting Chair
Sharon Historical Commission and Historic District  Commission
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