By CHRIS LINDAHL
@cmlindahl
Daily Hampshire Gazette
SOUTHAMPTON — Special Town Meeting voters Tuesday approved a bylaw that will delay demolition of historic buildings and approved money for several recreation projects and costs associated with moving a century-old safe.
More than 85 people attended the two-hour meeting, which considered 22 articles.
Generating the most debate was a provision that prohibits certain historic buildings from being demolished before alternative options, such as preservation, rehabilitation or relocation, are considered.
The bylaw, crafted by the Historical Commission, requires that no demolition permit be immediately issued for any building that is 100 years or older or listed on the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Inventory System.
Should the owner of a building that falls into those categories want to demolish it, the Historical Commission would determine whether the building is of historic significance.
In that case, a public hearing would be held and the board would determine whether the building should be preserved. If it is determined to be worth preserving, demolition would be delayed for one year to allow alternative options to be considered.
The delay could be rescinded at any time if the building inspector determines that it poses a safety hazard, after negotiations between the Historic Commission and the owner, or if the commission votes to allow a building’s demolition. If no alternative options are agreed on within a year, the demolition would be allowed.
From 1987 to 2011, consultants hired by the town worked to identify historic properties that might be of significance. Applications for each of those properties were submitted to the state to be considered for inclusion on the cultural resource inventory, Historical Commission Chairman Robert Kozub said.
Adopting a demolition delay bylaw has been investigated since the mid-1990s, he added.
“We in Southampton have lost some significant buildings because we have not had this sort of law,” Kozub said. He cited as an example the Grange building, with its Tiffany stained-glass windows, that was demolished.
Select Board Member Charles J. Kaniecki expressed concern about the language of the bylaw, saying “we’re taking an advisory board and making them into a regulatory board.”
He was concerned with a clause allowing the commission to adopt rules and regulations necessary to administer the terms of the law.
Kozub and commission member Don Warren disagreed with Kaniecki’s interpretation. Kozub pointed out that the bylaw as written had been approved by town counsel.
“It allows us to negotiate within the parameters of the bylaw, but it doesn’t allow us to change the parameters,” Warren said.
Kaniecki made a motion to strike that language, which was voted down.
Barry Sussman, of 9 Golden Circle, said the proposal was an “open-ended ticket” for controlling private property. He suggested that his currently 15-year-old house in 85 years would become subject to the bylaw.
“It’s just an ordinary house,” he said. “Somebody is going to tell me what I can and cannot do with it.”
Sussman’s motion to table the proposal failed to secure the necessary two-thirds vote, with 33 in favor and 54 opposed.
Kozub said that ordinary houses will not automatically be considered significant once they turn 100 years old.
The article was passed by majority voice vote.
Community Preservation Act
Voters also approved using Community Preservation Act money for five projects.
The Southampton Youth Athletic Association will receive up to $80,000 to help fund new Little League fields at Conant Park.
The project will include converting a T-ball field into a 60-foot baseball diamond suitable for older Little Leaguers and a new fence, backstop, dugouts and scoreboard.
Handrails will be installed at the walkway between Town Hall and the senior center by the end of this year after voters approved $22,500 for the project.
A project at Labrie Field was funded with $18,752.89, which represents the amount owed to a contractor for work that was already completed, according to Town Accountant Vicki Moro.
Installation of a play structure for younger children at Conant Park will be paid for with $6,000.
The Southampton Congregational Church donated the structure, and the town money represents the costs of the foundation and surrounding fencing, according to Parks Commission Chairman Mark Reed.
A safe built by the E.C. Morris Co. of Boston around 1895 will be moved from the old Town Hall (now the police station) to the new Town Hall using $3,200 approved by voters.
Warren said the safe is in “excellent mechanical condition” and features original artwork on its sides and front and inner doors. It will provide Town Hall with desperately needed space for records storage, he added.
Streets
Voters approved accepting as public streets two roads in subdivisions that had been private — Nicholas Lane in Pleasant View Estates and Sara Lane in Deer Run Estates.
Gail Santoro of 83 Pleasant St. spoke against accepting Nicholas Lane. She said she disagreed with the town paying for the maintenance of roads with few houses on them, which she likened to “private driveways.”
“Many of us have long driveways — mine’s 150 feet — nobody plows for me,” she said. “We all know we don’t have money. I don’t see why we should take on maintenance of plowing for, in this case, 10 people.”
Her motion to table the article failed to secure the needed two-thirds vote.
The article to accept Old Harvest Road in Western View Estates as a public way was passed over at the advice of Highway Department Superintendent Randall Kemp.
According to Planning Board Chairman Paul Diemand, the street’s final inspection “was not up to the specifications and the liking” of Kemp. He wants to see how the street fares over the winter before giving a favorable recommendation for its approval as a public way, Diemand added.
Voters unanimously approved the purchase of a $34,800.86 cardiac monitor for one of the Fire Department’s ambulances.
And 11 articles that took care of financial housekeeping were also approved.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at [email protected].
