Thurs., March 20th Holyoke Senior Center

Public hearing for the proposed Polish Heritage Local Historic District

Sponsored by the Fairfield Avenue Local Historic District Commission

  1. Greetings - (there is no vote today!!) The Fairfield Commissioners are Co-Chair Matt Chenier, Sandy Parent, Beth Strycharz, James Sutter, Peter Papineau, Wendy Weiss
  1. THE FAIRFIELD AVENUE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION IS COMPOSED OF 7 VOLUNTEERS, HOLYOKE RESIDENTS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING FAIRFIELD AVENUE – AN HISTORIC STREET. AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, THE FAIRFIELD COMMISSION STEPS AWAY AND THE NEWLY APPOINTED POLISH HERTIAGE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION IS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND CONFIRMED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
  1. We would like to welcome all of you including the media, the City Council (names) and interested citizens to the 4th Public hearing regarding the Polish Heritage District
  2. This process was initiated by Mayor Pluta in 2011 and has continued under Mayor Alex Morse.

SOME RULES FOR THIS MEETING

  1. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
  2. PLEASE make YOUR STATEMENTS WITH CIVILITY AND RESPECT TO ALL
  3. 3 MINUTES- YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE TIMED-3 MINUTES AND RECORDED…Please note that in making you points, try not to repeat comments from before, stay focused and make a new point please don’t repeat the same points….
  1. THE COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER YOUR COMMENTS IN THE ‘FINAL’ REPORT.
  2. THE REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND POSTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE:
  3. /DEPARTMENT/HISTORICAL
  1. WE WILL BEGIN WITH SUPPORTER OF THE DISTRICT,
  2. THOSE OPPOSED AND A CLOSING STATMENT

BUTBEFORE WE BEGIN:

  1. The Fairfield Commission has:
  1. Canvassed Lyman Street area for historical significance,
  1. Mailed and compiled questionnaires
  1. Obtained historical proof of buildings and activities proposed for the district
  1. Contacted EACH PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DISTRICT
  1. CONSULTED WITH MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
  1. THE PRELIMINARY REPORT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
  1. CONSULTED WITH THE HOLYOKE PLANNING BOARD, REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
  1. SOUGHT FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THE DISTRICT
  1. HELD OVER 4 PUBLIC HEARINGS INCLUDING OVER 40 MEETING WITHIN THE PAST 3 YEARS…. AS PART OF THE FAIRFIELD DISTRICT
  1. HERE IS A STACK OF SUPPORT LETTERS
  1. HERE IS THE BINDER OF THE PROPOSED DISTRICT
  1. HERE IS THE PROPOSED MAP ---- OVER THERE
  1. HERE IS STACK OF ARTICLES ABOUT THE DISTRICT BACK TO 2011
  1. HERE IS Mass. General law on Historic districts CHAP. 40C
  1. HERE IS THE TIMELINE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND MEDIA COVERAGE FROM 2011 TO TODAY
  1. HERE IS SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS…..
  1. ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL AT 240 STATE STREET IS IN THE
  2. LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT SINCE 1972 AND THE NATIONAL REGISTER SINCE 1974

THERE ARE 436 LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THE STATE WITH CHURCHES

  1. THERE ARE 32 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
  1. THIS PROPOSED POLISH HERITAGE DISTRICT MAY BE THE FIRST IN NEW ENGLAND, WE HAVE QUICKLY SCANNED OUT DATA BASES AND WILL RESEARCH THIS PROBABLITY MORE IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS.
  1. THIS FINAL HEARING OF THE FAIRFIELD COMMISSION AROSE BECAUSE THE BISHOP OF SPRINGFIELD, WHO IS THE PROPERTY OWNER OF ALL CATHOLIC CHURCH PROPERTIES IN HOLYOKE AND WESTERN MASS. CLAIMED HE DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE OF HEARING HELD BEFORE THE COUNCIL REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WITH THE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 3, 2013
  1. EVEN THOUGH ATTY SPELMAN ATTENDED THAT HEARING FOR THE BISHOP AS AN ‘OBSERVER” AS HE HAD ON OTHER OCCASIONS, WE THOUGHT TO ADDRESS THIS OBJECTION- So it was decided to hold ANOTHER Public MEETING
  1. THAT’S WHY WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING. THERE IS NO VOTE THIS EVENING….ONLY A PUBLIC HEARING – YOUR COMMENTS ARE BEING RECORDED!
  1. FOR THOSE PARISHIONERS OR MEMBERS OF ANY DIOCESE OR CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS HERE TONIGHT, PLEASE KNOW THAT THE BISHOP HAS RECEIVED ALL NOTICES OF ALL HEARINGS AS THE OWNER OF YOUR BUILDINGS AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
  1. THE BISHOP OF SPRINGFIELD’S CORPORATION, WHICH OWNS ALL CHURCH PROPERTY ACCORDING TO THE HOLYOKE ASSESSOR’S OFFICE.
  1. THE NOTICES MAILED ARE REQUIRED TO BE SENT TO THE BISHOP WHO THEN HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY AND CHOICE TO NOTIFY HIS TENANTS AS THE BISHOP SEES FIT.
  1. WE WISH TO DISCLOSE THAT WE DID NOT CONSULT WITH OTHER INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS ON THE HOLDING OF ANOTHER HEARING, besides the Bishop’s lawyers BUT ARE HOPEFUL THE rest of the owners WILL UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT THIS PROCESS TO BE FULLY TRANSPARENT AND 100% LEGALLY PROPER FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS AND FOR EVERYONE PARTICIPATION.
  1. THE FAIRFIELD COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY LIBERAL ON CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO BUILDING ON FAIRFIELD AVENUE. SIMPLE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS LIKE WINDOW REPAIRS, SMALL ROOF REPAIRS, LANDSCAPING ARE NOT REVIEWED BY THE COMMISSION. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT HOMEOWNERS ON FAIRFIELD AVENUE THAT HAVE HAD WORK COMPLETED ON THEIR HOMES.
  1. ANY LARGE PROJECT THAT REQUIRES A BUILDING PERMIT MUST BE APPROVED BY THE NEW POLISH HERITAGE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION AND MUST FOLLOW THE REGULAR STATE CODES AND REGULATIONS.
  1. THE NEW POLISH HERITAGE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION WILL WORK WITH THE OWNERS TO MEET THE CITY ORDINANCES. THE BUILDING INSPECTOR CAN NOT APPROVE A PERMIT UNLESS IT IS APPROVED BY THE DISTRICT COMMISSION.
  1. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES, WHICH SOMETIMES THE PUBLIC MISUNDERSTANDS.
  1. The Polish Heritage Local Historic District can bring back development and much needed taxes to the city. The City Councilors, the Mayor and the Planning Board are looking for ways to reenergize the downtown and ‘connect, construct and create ‘ new development.
  1. A local historic district is control on the local - street level, home by home, owner by owner. The commission makes up the guidelines, the city appoints and approved the commission. The Commission make the decisions not a big corporation or outside entity.
  1. THE COMMISSION IS VERY INTERESTED IN THE MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS, AND INCLUSION IN A DISTRICT MAKES STATE AND FEDERAL LOANS AND GRANTS AVAILABLE------NOT ORDINARILY AVAILABLE TO REGULAR NEIGHBORHOODS.
  1. THE COMMISSION’S PRIMARY MOTIVATION IS THAT THE POLISH HERITAGE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AS PROPOSED OR AS AMENDED FROM THIS MEETING IMPROVE THE NEIGHBORHOODS BY THIS PROCESS FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY OF HOLYOKE.
  1. Its not about a select group, its not about religion. It’s about OUR CITY!!

YOU WILL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THIS DURING THE HEARING:

  1. THERE ARE 32 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
  1. ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL AT 240 STATE STREET IS IN THE
  2. LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT SINCE 1972 AND NATIONAL REGISTER SINCE 1974

FIRST, SUPPORTS FOR THE POLISH HERITAGE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT

  1. CLOSING STATEMENTS:
  1. Thank you for coming down this evening and commenting on the Proposed Polish Heritage Local Historic District.

SOME DISINFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

  1. THIS PROCESS WAS NOT STARTED OVER:
  2. IT’S A CONTINUATION ….
  1. WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE ANGRY AND HAVE A LOTS OF QUESTIONS
  2. PERHAPS WE CAN ADDRESS SOME :
  1. THERE IS NO VOTE THIS EVENING===WE ARE ONLY RECORDING YOUR COMMENTS
  1. COMPLETELY IGNORED: The owners of the property were notified on all the Fairfield Commissions public hearings.
  2. You, PARENTS, have NOT been ignored by THIS Commission. That’s the one of the reasons for this meeting. ………
  1. TOO COSTLY: A FINANCIAL BURDEN ON H.CROSS:

your regular maintenance on the Church and the school complex IS NOTUNDER review.

  1. COST OF THE SCAFFOLDING ON A STRUCTURALLY SOUND BUILDING- YES, THAT’S COSTLY
  2. COST OF SECURITY IN A FALSELY CLOSED BUILDING–YES, THAT’S COSTLY

71. What about the cost of keeping the church closed and paying taxes on the property when it could be open for one service and return to tax-exempt status. YES, THAT’S COSTLY

  1. LEGAL OPTIONS: - THAT’S COSTLY

The Diocese has lost 2 federal court decisions—

A. appeals period to US Supreme Court have passed and they

have no case...also

B. lost case against Friends of Mater Dolorosa in Hampden

Superior Court over the steeple and allegations of trespassing.....

  1. Real Estate values- there are advantages to being in an Historic District because most home owners want to maintain their property and they are protected by the Local District Commission
  1. THAT THE FIX IS IN ?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT….NOT SURE???

CITY COUNCIL HAS THE FINAL VOTE - ITS ABOUT THE CITY

WHAT ABOUT THE LETTERS IN THE CHURCH BULLETINS AND MD PARENT LETTER WITH MISINFORMATION…..

  1. STRUCTURAL ENGINEER REPORT: Mr. Mitchell was inside the tower to evaluate the structural integrity of the church. (CONTRARY TO MARK DUPONT’S STATEMENT) SEE MR. MITCHELL’S REPORT AND PICTURES
  1. PLAYSCAPE: LANDSCAPE: landscape is not reviewed
  1. DID YOU KNOW THAT

THERE ARE 436 LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THE STATE WITH CHURCHES

THERE ARE 32 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL AT 240 STATE STREET IS IN THE

  1. LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT SINCE 1972 AND NATIONAL REGISTER SINCE 1974

NOT ONE PARENT

NOT ONE TEACHER

NOT ONE PARISHIONER FROM HOLY CROSS HAS ADDRESSED THE COMMISSION WITH QUESTIONS------EXCEPT IN DESPERATION IN FRONT OF THE DEC. 3, 2013, ORDINANCE COMMITTEE LAST DECEMBER….. LINDA REX AND FR. ALBERT HAVE OUR CONTACT INFORMATION…. WERE THEY TOLD NOT TO TALK TO US??

WE HAVE RECEIVED ONLY 1 LETTER FROM THE DIOCESE, IN 3 YEARS?

DATED DEC. 19, 2013

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