209Park

October Decisions

/ medfordhistoricalcommission

75 Clewley Road

The home at 75 Clewley Road was voted preferably preserved in a 3-2 vote, with supporters of preservation citing the Craftsman detail, scale and size of the home as elements that contributed to the character of the West Medford neighborhood.

Thanks to the Medford residents who attended to voice their opinions, in this case, in favor of preservation.

Residents who spoke in favor of preserving the home at 75 Clewley Road felt strongly and saw the redevelopment of the property as part of a larger trend in Medford, where redevelopment is taking place without consideration of residents’ needs or wants, and without a master plan, and with the financial interests of developers, not residents, first and foremost.

When a building is found to be “preferably preserved” an 18-month delay of demolition is imposed, to give the applicant time to consider sale, renovation, reuse, relocation and other alternatives to demolition. However, the demolition delay may be lifted before the 18-month period, if a plan is developed that addresses the concerns of the public and the commission. The applicant is always invited to return to the Commission’s upcoming public meetings to present plans and alternatives and to discuss the preservation concerns that their neighbors and the commission have.

29 Summer Street

The building at 29 Summer Street – now a two-family home – was unanimously voted historically significant, based on the age of the building and its association with the Hall family of Medford. These two factors, among others, led our architectural historians to recommend it’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. There is the possibility that this building was once the Union Street School, an early public building built a few blocks east of the present location, on Union Street, in what our architectural historians call Medford Square South, the mixed commercial and residential neighborhood that developed south of the river in the mid 1800s.

At our November Meeting we will decide whether this building is also preferably preserved.

290 Salem Street and 209 Park Street

Finally, the commercial building at 290 Salem Street and the carriage house at 209 Park Street were both found to be not historically significant – the vote on the commercial building was unanimous, the vote on the carriage house was 3-2.

29 Summer Street, Medford

October 2021 Agenda

/ medfordhistoricalcommission
October 2021 AgendaDownload

We will be making a number of demolition decisions this month: first on the agenda, the Historical Commission will be determining whether the home at 75 Clewley Road is preferably preserved. We will also be voting on whether properties at 29 Summer Street, 209 Park Street and 290 Salem Street are historically significant. And we will be reviewing applications for demolition for properties at Third Street and Manning Street.

Historically Significant – 75 Clewley Road, West Medford

/ medfordhistoricalcommission

75 Clewley Road, West Medford

At last night’s monthly, public historical commission meeting the commission unanimously decided that the home at 75 Clewley Road was historically significant – based on its scale, age and Craftsman architectural detail, and its contribution to the character of its West Medford neighborhood.

Next month’s public meeting will include a vote on whether or not 75 Clewley Road is preferably preserved. An official announcement of this will be publicized later this month.

When a building is found to be “preferably preserved” an 18-month delay of demolition is imposed, to give the applicant time to consider sale, renovation, reuse, relocation and other alternatives to demolition. However, the demolition delay may be lifted before the 18-month period, if a plan is developed that addresses the concerns of the public and the commission. The applicant is always invited to return to the Commission’s upcoming public meetings to present plans and alternatives and to discuss the preservation concerns that their neighbors and the commission have.

84 Cotting Street, Hillside

A similar house at 84 Cotting Street, in Hillside, split the vote and was found to be NOT historically significant.

90 Alexander Avenue, South Medford

Finally, a house of similar age that had suffered a fire and been substantially rebuilt, at 90 Alexander Avenue in South Medford, was found by unanimous vote to be NOT historically significant.

Representatives for the owners, architects and/or developers of these properties were present – and identified – at our Zoom meeting. More information on all of these properties can be found in the Forms B here.

29 Summer Street, Medford Square South*

209 Park Street & 290 Salem Street, Haines Square

The commission also received complete applications for demolition permission for properties at 29 Summer Street, in Medford Square South, and for buildings on two neighboring parcels in Haines Square – a carriage house at 209 Park Street and a one-story commercial building at 290 Salem Street. Votes on the historical significance of these properties will take place at next month’s public meeting.

75 Clewley Road – Historically Significant