With the assistance of two consultants, the Marion Historic District Study Committee created a working list of over 250 Marion properties covering three and potentially five historic districts.
So reported Will Tifft to the Marion Select Board during its January 3 public meeting at the Town House.
One of several residents appointed to the committee by the Select Board, Tifft said the committee has conducted surveys on the Wharf village (including Cottage, Water and parts of Pleasant Streets based on an 1855 surveyed map.) An informational presentation displaying the suggested district with a 40-page preliminary proposal for the consumption of area citizens packed out the Music Hall.
Tifft explained to the Select Board on January 3 that the request to study the prospects for such a district came with the promises not to spend any town money and to conduct the study “in a reasonable amount of time.
“Our feeling was that we could get this done in time for the next Town Meeting,” he said, qualifying that with the suspicion that it might take longer and should not be a hurried process.
The year-old effort, Tifft said, was to produce a decision that would benefit residents inside and outside the district.
As Town Administrator Geoff Gorman explained, the committee is working with a consultant and with Marion’s legal advisors to create an historic district, using adequate exemptions to ensure that members in the town’s proposed district are made comfortable with the action.
Tifft said the committee is considering two options: creating a district using MGL 40A as a zoning bylaw and using the Zoning Board of Appeals or using MGL 40C (the chapter used to create the study group) as a general bylaw and using a yet-to-be-formed Historic Commission.
The primary difference between these two options is that MGL 40C and a historic commission has a much more restrictive exemption list, and there’s no legal support for local changes.
Delays in correspondence at the state level are leveraging a decision that some would rather be made slowly anyway.
As the committee has sought guidance from the attorney general regarding the legalities involved, the delay makes it clear to Tifft that it would be impossible to meet the state’s 60-day review schedule and the town’s review in time to make the annual Town Meeting.
Tifft said he was representing the committee’s request to take more time with an eye on a special fall Town Meeting. Tifft told the Select Board that all committee members are willing to continue volunteering their time in order to further educate the public about the district.
Select Board member Randy Parker asked Tifft to explain what “Historic District Light” means. Further, board member Norm Hills asked Tifft if the committee can provide any documentation explaining the difference between the two approaches.
Tifft offered a verbal explanation, saying that an “historic district light” offers property owners many more exemptions so that they can do things on their own property that would otherwise not be allowed under a more traditional, stricter historic district.
He said one of the more common comments is the concern that people don’t want to be told what color they can paint their front door. “Light” would allow homeowners more flexibility even as it concerns design features.
Parker applauded the committee for its thorough process and issued a motion that the committee be granted an extended time to continue to pursue the facts that would enable a more complete presentation to the board.
Tifft suggested that much of the committee’s ability to follow suit depends on the state government.
Select Board Chairman Toby Burr said something of this importance should be decided by voters at a spring (Annual) Town Meeting. “If we don’t make this spring town meeting, we should go to next spring town meeting,” he said.
The board agreed to extend the commissioning of the committee to spring 2025.
Gorman told the board he would provide the members information on the case of Hancock Village LLC versus the Town of Brookline.
In other action, the Select Board voted to approve the Annual Report to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC.) It voted to approve a one-day liquor license for ICJ Corporation for an event to be held Thursday, January 18, at the Music Hall from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, along with a Water/Sewer commitment for $1,425.67 (quarterly billing December 14, 2023.)
The board met on January 4 solely to approve a one-day liquor license for a private event held Friday at the Music Hall and took part in Tuesday’s tour of the Mattapoisett Fire Station and the Tri-Town Select Board meeting that followed.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, at 6:00 pm at the Town House Annex Building accessible off Main Street.
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo