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2026-09-17 - Historical Commission

Summary

This page summarizes the posted agenda, not what happened. The Commission was set to meet at 5:30 PM at 25 Meade Street. New business opened with a retroactive Certificate of Non-Applicability for repairing the front stairs of 6 Massachusetts Avenue (built 1751 and National Register listed). Old business carried over the 1 Westminster Street garage roof and 244 Pleasant Street. New demolition delay waivers covered 8 Lucian Street (insulation and venting), 172 Shrewsbury Street (an addition and new doors and windows at the former Jewett-Gamage Auto and Wagon Works) and a retroactive storefront alteration at 705 Main Street, plus a Certificate of Appropriateness for 114 Austin Street in the Crown Hill district. Other business included a request for a determination of local historical significance for the Burncoat Street walls and a WBDC update on the Saint-Gobain/GreenTech Park memorandum of agreement; minutes for July 23, August 6 and September 3 were up for approval.

Summary written from the posted agenda only; no minutes or transcript yet.

Issues discussed: 1 Westminster Street Garage Roof, 244 Pleasant Street (Pleasant Wall LLC)

Agenda

Historical Commission Meeting Agenda, September 17, 2026, 5:30 PM, Worcester Inspectional Services, 2nd Floor, Room 109, 25 Meade Street (Zoom and phone participation available; free on-site parking not available). Members: Erika Helnarski (Chair), Ana Santos Restivo (Vice-Chair), Vanessa Andre (Clerk), Jeffrey Burnett, Kristen Gutierrez Livoti, Daniel Forster (Alternate), Michael Baker (Alternate). Upcoming meetings: October 1, October 15, October 29, November 12, December 3, December 17, 2026.

Call to Order - 5:30 pm

New Business - Certificate of Non-Applicability

  1. 6 Massachusetts Avenue (20-013-00005) - CNA-26-13. Petitioner: George W. Tetler III. Built 1751; MACRIS listed, State Register of Historic Places, National Register (district), Massachusetts Avenue Local Historic District, formerly the Second Worcester County Courthouse. Repair and reset front stairs (retroactive).

Old Business - Building Demolition Delay Waiver

  1. 1 Westminster Street (01-013-00003) - BDDW-26-17. Petitioner: Brian Major. Built ca. 1924; located in the MACRIS-listed Grant Square Historic District. Replace garage roof.

Old Business - Certificate of Appropriateness

  1. 244 Pleasant Street (03-026-08+15) - COA-26-24. Petitioner: Matheus Fagundes o/b/o Pleasant Wall, LLC. Built 1894; MACRIS listed, SRHP, Crown Hill LHD, formerly The Newbury. Retroactive: installation of signage; removal of unapproved rolldown security grate; installation of unapproved door handles; installation of unapproved storefront windows.

New Business - Building Demolition Delay Waiver

  1. 8 Lucian Street (08-017-00016) - BDDW-26-22. Petitioner: Arianna Davidson o/b/o Dana Dao. Built 1913; MACRIS listed. Insulation and venting.
  2. 172 Shrewsbury Street (06-015-15+19) - BDDW-26-26. Petitioner: Mark Borenstein o/b/o Parkside Holdings, Inc. Built 1910; MACRIS listed, formerly Jewett-Gamage Auto and Wagon Works. Construct addition; replace doors and windows.
  3. 705 Main Street (03-008-00002) - BDDW-26-27. Petitioner: Jeremiah Gallant o/b/o New Era Property, LLC. Built 1914; MACRIS listed, formerly The Charlton. Alter storefront (retroactive); install a new door.

New Business - Certificate of Appropriateness

  1. 114 Austin Street (03-024-00002) - COA-26-29. Petitioner: Joshua Lee Smith o/b/o Beyond Construction, LLC. Parcel in the Crown Hill Local Historic District. Changes to M/E/P scope.

Other Business

  • A. Request for Determination of Local Historical Significance for Burncoat Street Walls and associated hardscaping.
  • B. Policies & procedures.
  • C. WBDC update on Saint-Gobain/GreenTech Park MOA.

Approval of Minutes

July 23, 2026; August 6, 2026; September 3, 2026

Adjourn

Transcript

Transcript pending: YouTube captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Worcester playbook).