LANCASTER – This should be about getting feedback on the ADA-accessible ramp to the pavilion from the Historical Commission and other stakeholders before it became a permanent addition to Town Green.
But once again it was a question of whether the pavilion should even be on Town Green.
Heather Lennon, chairwoman of the Lancaster Historical Commission (LHC), said the board had been “firmly behind” the move of the pavilion since 2018.
City administrator Orlando Pacheco said he spoke with Lennon about plans for the handicap ramp but that she doesn’t like it and the location of the pavilion is the most important factor.
However, Pacheco was only responsible for sharing the design with Lennon and the LHC; with only changes to the handrails, the plan has already been approved by the city’s disability commission, the building commissioner, and reviewed by the center for living and working.
The pavilion was used for the filming of “The Society” in town and the production company gave the town its structure.
Lennon said the ramp plan was designed by a boy scout and was not complete as it did not have a walkway to access the town green, which would further change the nature of the space.
But Pacheco stated that the walkway would be a temporary ADA-accessible mat that can be rolled out when it needs to be used.
Lennon said she wanted each selectman to address exactly why they weren’t ready to consider moving the “prop,” as she called the pavilion, to Thayer Field behind the town buildings. She said she wanted only temporary structures to be allowed on the Town Green, with the green being declared as open space.
She said Lancaster would lose most of its open space in the next hundred years and that the pavilion was “disrespectful” and a “slap in the face” to the Thayer family.
Selectmen’s board of directors refused to respond on several occasions, with Selectman telling Jason Allison he would not put the board in place to reschedule.
Even if the pavilion is not moved, the LHC has to work with the city on the selection of the ramp material.
The accessible ramp is to be installed on the pavilion with immediate effect.
In other stores
• The measure. Historical Commission has declared Eastwood Cemetery on the National Register. According to Lennon, this is the beginning of a “long, arduous process” to actually get listed as a Historic Site on the National Register.
• Lancaster has received a $ 35,300 Green Communities grant for a remote, centralized energy management system in the Prescott building and $ 5,000 for the fire department electric vehicle approved at the last town hall meeting.
• With funds from the CARES Act, two electronic signs were purchased. Initially, only COVID messaging will be allowed, but after the pandemic it will be for general communal use.
• A grant has been requested from the Department of Environmental Protection for air quality sensors. They would be on Route 110/70 as well as other locations yet to be determined. Pacheco said they were little blue devices hanging in the air.
• Selectmen decided that Capital Group should prepay for a peer review of its traffic study to allay North Lancaster residents’ concerns, help them understand the 537-page report, and get a second opinion on the validity of the Study. The review costs $ 5,200.
Phil Eugene, a member of the Economic Development Committee who worked with Capital Group, suggested installing an air sensor on McGovern Boulevard that would provide a reference point for pre and post development traffic.
• A resident of 0 Hardy Street wishes to purchase the property owned by the city.
Lancaster is required to put it up for auction. The property is not considered to be buildable, but that does not mean a primary residential structure; it could have a secondary structure like a garage. It will be listed on GovDeals with a minimum bid of $ 35,000 and all interested parties will be notified.
There is a total of 1,000 acres of land owned by the city and the sale goes to the city’s general fund.
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