By CHRIS LINDAHL
@cmlindahl
Daily Hampshire Gazette
SOUTHAMPTON — A provision to delay demolition of historic buildings and funding of open space and historic projects are among the questions set to be decided by Town Meeting voters Tuesday.
The special Town Meeting will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the William E. Norris School cafeteria.
As the first order of business, voters will consider a proposed bylaw that, if approved, would prohibit certain historic buildings from being demolished before alternative options, like preservation, rehabilitation or relocation are considered.
The proposed bylaw, crafted by the Historical Commission, orders 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 wish 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The delay could be rescinded at any time if the building inspector determines that it poses a safety hazard, after negotiations between the Historic Commission and the owner or if the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.
The measure requires a two-thirds vote to become law.
The acceptance of three subdivisions that are currently private roads will be considered in three separate articles. If the articles are approved, Nicholas Lane / Pleasant View Estates, Sara Lane / Deer Run Estates and Old Harvest Road / Western View Estates, will be transferred from private to town ownership.
Community Preservation Act
Voters will consider with separate votes whether to fund five projects from Community Preservation Act accounts.
? $80,000 to the Southampton Youth Athletic Association to help fund the creation of new Little League fields at Conant Park, to be taken from the open space account.
? $22,500 for the installation of hand rails at Town Hall, to be taken from the undesignated account.
? $18,752.89 for the completion of an ongoing improvement project at Labrie Field, to be taken from the undesignated account.
? $6,000 to install a play structure for younger children at Conant Park, to be taken from the open space account.
? $3,200 to pay for costs associated with moving the historical safe from old Town Hall to the new Town Hall, to be taken from the historical preservation account.
The current CPA account balances are $929,773.75 in undesignated, $5,518.19 in historical, $31,251.28 in open space / recreation and $225,113.46 in community housing, according to the special Town Meeting warrant.
Operating stabilization
In separate votes, residents will consider seven fund transfers from the operating stabilization account. The current balance for the account is $246,882.58, according to the warrant.
? $15,000 to the Norris School maintenance account to pay for unexpected costs required after safety inspections. The transfer requires a two-thirds vote to be approved.
? $7,500 to replenish the Larrabee Building expenses account. The account was funded with $12,697 for the current fiscal year, which was not enough to cover HVAC problems, gutter repairs and other problems discovered during annual inspections. The transfer requires a two-thirds vote to be approved.
? $3,500 to replenish the old Town Hall building expenses account. The account was funded with $10,000 for the current fiscal year, most of which has been spent for planned and unplanned building expenses, including the repair of an emergency dispatch generator. The transfer requires a two-thirds vote to be approved.
? $2,500 to reimburse the Finance Committee’s reserve fund. The account in September paid for a $2,500 sharps program. The reimbursement will allow the committee to continue to cover emergency expenses. The transfer requires a two-thirds vote.
? $2,172.97 to Eversource to pay an outstanding street lighting bill from last fiscal year. The transfer requires a 9/10 vote to be approved.
Two other articles under $650 consider paying an outstanding bill and reimbursing the town building inspector for professional licensure.
Other transfers
? The purchase of a $34,800.86 ambulance cardiac monitor for the Fire Department requires a majority vote to be approved. The funds would be taken from the ambulance receipts account. The department is currently leasing to purchase such a monitor.
Other votes will consider paying for the lease costs of a cardiac monitor, transferring funds between previously budgeted line items, correcting a negative balance for workers compensation and transferring funds for Park Commission wages.
The entire special Town Meeting warrant is available online at www.townofsouthampton.org.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at [email protected].
