Month: June 2019

Demo Application: 109 Forest St

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At our June public meeting, the Medford Historical Commission received an application to demolish the house at 109 Forest St, a brick home built between 1900-1910 on one of Medford’s main streets.

Forest
Image via Kristy Avino, and the many lively Facebook discussion about the house.

The Form B for 109 Forest St PDF File is already on file with the Historical Commission and gives a detailed architectural description of the “exceptionally well-preserved” Colonial Revival home; the Historical Commission generally relies on information from the Form B to decide whether or not a building is “historically significant.” Information on neighboring Forest St houses is available through MACRIS, the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System.

At the same meeting, the Commission found the house at 17 Florence Ave, in the Heights, to be “not historically significant” and so a permit for demolition will be granted for that property. Minutes of the meeting will be posted when they are available.

June Agenda

/ medfordhistoricalcommission

June Agenda is available, meeting is Monday, June 10, 7 PM, City Hall.

For those interested in the fate of 109 Forest St, the upcoming meeting is for accepting the demolition application ONLY.

According to our Demolition Review Process, (1) a demo application is accepted at a regular public meeting. (2) At the next month’s public mtg, a determination is made regarding the building’s “historical significance” and then, (3) in the month following that, the MedHC takes public comment and decides whether or not it is in the interests of the city to preserve the building. If a building is found to be “preferably preserved” a delay of 18 months is enacted.

These are *all* public meetings, and we encourage everyone interested in learning more about the process to attend. But public comment is – generally – most useful at the meetings at which MedHC determines whether or not buildings are “preferably preserved.” All of our meeting dates for 2019 are listed here, but we usually meet the second Monday of the month, at City Hall, 7 PM.

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