Historical Commission Meeting Minutes - May 18, 2022

Historical Commission Member Attendees: (8 – Quorum)

• Paul Stephens – Chair
• Lorraine Tindaro – Vice Chair
• Mark Evans – Secretary
• Dawn Coughlan

• Cathy Callaghan
• Leah Jennings
• Patti DeFroscia
• Tom Parr

Historical Commission Members Absent (0):
Historical Commission Guests (1):

• Mike Bedrick

OPENING:
The meeting was called to order by Chair Stephens at 7:07 PM, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Sec. Evans announced that the meeting was being recorded.
Secretary Evans continued with Member Roll Call and introduction of guests.
Chair Stephens asked if there were any comments/corrections on the minutes of the April 20, 2022 meeting. There were none.
Chair Stephens asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the February Meeting
Moved by Mark E
Second by Tom P
Vote called by Paul S
Motion passed 8-0
 
 
OLD BUSINESS:

1. SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS
   1. SPACKMAN FARM - Mark E reported that the 2022 Township Paving Program has been approved and includes the driveway and parking area at Spackman Farm. Grass Pavers will be used to ease maintenance, and the project is expected to be complete by the end of summer. He suggested we consider partnering with Parks and Rec for a candlelight and hot cocoa holiday event at Spackman. Perhaps get the house lit from outside. Paul S confirmed all would be on the exterior. Mike B suggested that we do it as soon as the driveway is open. Paul S and Tom P said we should wait and try to connect with P&R. Paul thought we should meet with P&R ahead of time to look at potential issues, rope off the porch, etc. Mark added we should get some security cameras going ASAP. Tom P asked who would provide cameras. Paul S said it’s the township. Once we meet with P&R we can meet with township to be sure we can address safety issues. Mark will contact P&R and report back at next meeting.
      
   2. MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA – Mike and Lorraine
      1. Mike and Lorraine reported that they had no updates and were waiting on the Spackman Barn roof photos.
      2. Mark said he reached out to confirm the township has acquired the drone before/after images but Abbey but is out of the office through 5/20. He asked for approval to send the article (updated to include news of the grass paver project) and photos out as soon as we have the images. The distribution list includes TOWN LIVELY, CCHPN NEWSLETTER, DAILY LOCAL, THE PATCH. He asked what publications he missed. Tom Parr suggested VISTA online and said it’s definitely worth pursuing. Mike B added Coatesville Times and said he would reach out to them. Chair Stephens asked for a motion to approve the distribution of the Spackman Farm article (updated to include news of the grass paver project) and photos to the select publications out as soon as we have the images. Moved by Lorraine T, Second by Tom P, Vote called by Paul S, Motion passed 8-0
         
      3. Mark added that the CCHPN Newsletter accepts paid adverts for its Spring and Fall issues. We missed the spring and are up against the deadline for the Fall issue. The cost for a ¼ page B/W ad is $100. He believes this would be a wise use of part of our annual budget. Mark asked who among us has the skills to create the ad? Dawn C strongly suggested Abbey Swan and will reach out to her as soon as Abbey returns from vacation. Mark added that if the first ad does well, we might consider making this an annual campaign, there’s a Fall & Spring 2-ad discount rate of $185. Lorraine said it was a good idea and not much money. Dawn suggested we use a photo of the barn, and the schoolhouse. Paul S thought it’s better to have a purpose and not just “Hey, we’re here”.Chair Stephens asked for motion to approve using $100 of our 2022 budget to run an ad in the Fall issue of the CCHPN Newsletter if we can make the deadline. Moved by Mark E, Second by Lorraine T, Vote called by Paul S, Motion passed 8-0​
         
   3. HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
      1. HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE
         1. Mark reported that the initial review of our proposed ordinance will be on Thursday May 26th. He added that this was the last chance for this commission to comment on the proposed ordinance and resource document before the review. Paul S said that his reviewed the doc and aside from pending comments in red, it looked like what we had wanted to achieve. Dawn asked if the meeting was public, Mark said he thought it was not. Mark asked for any comments, there were none. Paul S confirmed that there would be no vote on the 26th, only discussion. Mark confirmed it was the beginning of the process. Paul asked if we needed to fill in the blanks where there was red text. Mark said he thought the read was info not settled on yet in the new zoning, and what had to be provided by the township/solicitor.
            1. Mark shared his screen so all could see 155-608-5C. He highlighted the proposed language on pre-application meetings. Mike B asked if it would be with Hx Com? Paul said it would be with us and shouldn’t cause delays.
            2. 155-608-8-C is not settled on yet (zoning), landscaping and buffering was taken out by Township - Mike B asked if this was included in general zoning. 
            3. Cathy C asked when the public will get to review and comment on the Zoning Update. If it’s a zoning meeting or BOC. Mark said BOC and that we’re not trying to stop people from doing things to their homes, we’re trying to stop developers from destroying Hx resources. Paul S said it still comes down to the zoning officer, Mark said he thought it was going to end up landing on the BOC.
            4. Paul S reiterated that we didn’t create this out of whole cloth, that we pulled ideas from existing ordinances and it’s a pretty good compromise between protecting the community and protecting property rights
            5. Paul asked about the properties on the resource list, if we could look at them. Mark said that if someone would put them into google maps it would be of great help. He said we got a list of over 1,000 from the county and banged it up against our list, removed their Class 3, 4 and 5. Mike asked what our Class 3 were. Paul S said we weren’t going to have a class 3. Dawn asked Patty if she’d reviewed it since she was involved in the original process. She hadn’t but will. Paul thought we had a good working list, and the things that we should stick with what we already list as Class 1 and 2. What’s on the county list might not be needed. We have to do a good job of educating people of what all this means for them. We need to be clear that we’re not trying to push these on the list without input from the property owners.
            6. Paul asked if some of them were archeological sites and not buildings? Patty said the Hatfield Teahouse has been demolished. It went through the BOC and no one ever let the Hx Com know it was a historic resource. Might not have stopped the demo but could have inventoried it for pictures and history. Tom Parr said the county list had the Lloyd Bridge Pump Station. Pal S said he always notices the shed on North Caln and wonders if it’s one of the resources on the county list.
            7. Mike B asked if there were provisions for adding anything to list in the future. Paul and Mark confirmed there is language to that effect.
            8. Cathy C asked if we’re getting rid of the historic overlay. Mark and Paul said the overlay provided no real protections, but real protections will be being extended to the entire township. She said that if we had that earlier we could have saved Lloyd Farm.
               
2. EDGES’ MILL HISTORIC DISTRICT UPDATE
   
   1. Cathy reported she’d spoke with Elizabeth R and April Frantz and they’re using the original paperwork sent in on her home and create for the other homes to try to help us get this done. Dawn said it’s great they’re keeping up the conversation and added that Micky M had done a tremendous amount of work on the area, did all the research and typed it all up so the documentation is there. Mark E added that we spent $350 for PA Share to expedite this, that we need someone to take the reins and get it all organized.   
3. MAY 15TH HISTORICAL TOURS
   1. Leah and Cathy reported it was a wonderful day. The place looked beautiful. Leah said there were around 12 at the Schoolhouse. Dawn said there were 21 at the Meetinghouse. Dawn added that Dot Johnson donated a small rolltop child’s desk for the schoolhouse. Next tour date is June 5th. Dawn added we should start throwing dates around for the Spackman Farm P&R effort before everyone’s calendars get too jammed. Paul S said as soon as we have confirmation from P&R we can start that. Paul thought a Saturday night might work best; we should get a list of what’s already booked. Paul asked for volunteers for June 5th. Leah suggested we turn the dehumidifier off when in building during summer months, as long as we turn it back on. It gets unbearably hot. A small fan also helps. 
   2. Lorraine and Mike volunteered to do June 5th tours
4. PA SHARE
   1. Mark had nothing to report.
5. LLOYD FARM PRESENTATION
   1. Mark said “all hope is lost” is not true. That the PennDOT plans could help us. Paul asked if we’d heard back about the mantle, etc. Dawn has not and will follow up. He shared a PPT he created for Lloyd Farm. He emphasized that one of the special features is that it’s not in the middle of nowhere, it is right in the public eye. Tom P asked if I the PPT could be shares with us, and if he could come to any meetings.
   2. Mark E proposed that we form a new sub-committee, The Lloyd Farm Sub-Committee and that Tom Parr head that up.  Chair Stephens asked for a motion to form a new Sub-Committee, The Lloyd Farm Sub-Committee and that Tom Parr head that up, Moved by Mark E, Second by Cathy C, Vote called by Paul S, Motion passed 8-0
   3. Mark asked if Dianne Cram could do a condition assessment on Lloyd Farm/Lloyd Manor. Paul said he will reach out to her and that it can be more than a windshield look if the property owner agrees.
   4. Cathy C thought it would be good for us to obtain as many records as we can. Tom Parr said that in 1984 there was a chance to put it on the National Register but the archdiocese didn’t want to do it. Mark displayed the preliminary state DOE form. Tom will dig deep and follow up. He said every year for the last 40 years there have been crops growing, and he wants to protect it. Paul S will tell Dianne we’re looking for permission to get in.  
   5. Mike B shared a work of warning:  the PennDOT plans might not inhibit the developer plans, only make them change their placement.

 
NEW BUSINESS:

1. ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER JOINING
   1. Tabled from 12/15/21 Meeting
   2. Paul S said we have reupped our CCHPN membership. Mark asked that everyone send him their full contact info to him even if they think he has it.
2. FINANCE UPDATE – Mark reported we were granted a $1200 Budget for this year, and had expended the following amounts:
   1. $350 for PA SHARE 1 year license
   2. $100 for CCHPN Annual Membership
   3. $10.59 for a new Guestbook for the Old Schoolhouse
   4. The CCHPN Annual Membership of $100 was paid 5/18/22, leaving us with a remaining balance of $739.41
   5. Mark reported that he CCHPN Volunteer Dinner will be held at 5:30 on Wednesday June 22nd at Thornbury Farm, 1256 Thornbury Road, West Chester. He asked if we should we consider using some of our 2022 budget to send a representative or two @ $15/ticket? Paul S suggested that $15 wasn’t much OOP individually, so we should reserve our budget funds. Mark asked if everyone was amenable to rescheduling our June meeting to Wednesday June 29th? All agreed to reschedule. Mark will contact Kristen and Abbey to reschedule.
3. 4801 HORSESHOE PIKE
   
   1. Resident had expressed interest on FB but did not show up at the meeting. Tabled
4. PARTNERING WITH OTHER HX COMS
   
   1. Interest expressed on FB, but no one show up at the meeting. Tabled
      

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS:

1. Tom Parr inquired on where we are on CLG? Paul S instructed Mark to put it on the agenda for the June meeting.
2. Mark reported that the Buchanan House is in great danger. The current owner, who formerly used this historically significant resource as the Craft House restaurant is now operating a Crypto-mining enterprise out of its basement. So much heat is generated by the computers that large fans are being run off generators and could be a fire hazard. Leah asked for more explanation of what crypto mining is. Paul S described the amount of energy required and the amount of heat created by the process, which makes it dangerous.  
3. Mark shared that Parkesburg will be celebrating their Sesquicentennial on May 20, 21, and 22, and details were available at Parkesburg.org
4. Mark shared a Q 1 - Q 2 PPT update on our goals
   1. Draft and Present HPO - COMPLETE 
   2. Identify Historical Resources – COMPLETE
   3. Register for PA-SHARE – COMPLETE
   4. Edges Mill Historic District – NOT COMPLETED
   5. CLG – IN PROCESS
5. Mark shared a DRAFT of Q 3 goals
   1. Township Passage of HPO
   2. Increased Membership
   3. Get our Hx Com in Local News
   4. Completion of Edges Mill documentation for PA-SHARE Submission
   5. Lloyd Farm Campaign

ADJOURNMENT
Chair Stephens asked for a motion to adjourn
Moved by Cathy C
Second by Dawn C
Vote called by Paul S
Motion passed 8-0
 
Meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM