Warwick, MA

2026-01-13 Meetinghouse Committee Minutes

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AGENDA AS POSTED:

Initial organization

            Choose chair and clerk, etc.

First meeting anticipated subjects include

            Review of Spencer Group Assessment

            Update on water and septic

            Near term facilities grant opportunities / deadlines

Items unanticipated at time of posting. 

Meeting schedule: Set next meeting date

Adjourn

Meeting at Warwick Town Hall January 13, 2026 6:30pm

Attending: Andrea Woods, David Young, Dave Beach, John Gagliani, George Day in person
Claudia Lewis and Jack Cadwell, Remote
Jim McRae, Absent

Agenda unchanged from what was posted

  1. George Day volunteered for Chair position for one year only. Andrea Woods volunteered for Secretary/Clerk. No other positions designated at this time. DY will take care of ethics disclosures for multiple positions we might hold.
  2. Hear and discuss:

Review of Spencer Group Assessment

  1. The Assessment was generally considered very well done, very helpful, and of good quality.
  2. It was noted that the report would be easier for participants to print if it was formatted to one page per sheet rather than booklet. DY will print a couple and make one available to Arline Lincoln, as requested. DY will contact Spencer on sending in a different format if it cannot be altered with Town’s Adobe software.
  3. DY noted that additional information and clarifications (such as the Parsonage property information that is slightly “off”) can be added at the end as a town-submitted addendum.
  4. JG suggested the following priority list for the Committee’s work based on this Assessment
    1. Assessment – completed (Spencer Report)
    2. Stabilization of Building including Roof and Sill work. Roof exploration: repair/replace Slate or Metal Roof option
    3. Decide on Restoration only or Maintenance or both
    4. Explore Uses of the building
    5. Create Separate Committee for Fundraising (“Friends of the Meetinghouse”)
    6. Research ADA Requirements and Implement
    7. Update Electrical
    8. Fire Escapes/Fire suppression options
    9. Staircase to basement
  5. Other suggestions of priority items:
    1. Pocket Park for Wawbeek Rock on Hastings Pond Rd property
    2. Meeting fire code so that the doors open OUT or storm doors are installed. DB thought he might be able to work with Clyde Perkins on this project.
    3. Tree Work (has already been scheduled to be completed by Cody Gibbons and Josh Kirley)
    4. Outdoor space, possible opening up the area where the stable used to be and the CETA installed nature trails from the 1970’s
    5. Creating a historical society repository for some items to give the building immediate “purpose”
    6. Completing the listing of the Tracker (Pipe) Organ in national listing which CL has already started

Update on Water and Septic

  1. Water/Septic (AW and DY have contacted Don Matthews for quote and options, steering away from making it a Public Water Supply which triggers complications)

Near term facilities grant opportunities / deadlines

  1. AW reports that FY27 “One Stop Grants” from the Commonwealth have not been opened. Last year the process opened on January 24. Deadline in March. DY urges us to steer clear of Economic Development Grants. Also suggests we use the $100,000 gifted to the town with the properties be used as leverage for other fundraising and grants. Grants discussion tabled until we have a better sense of priority projects and ways they could be funded.

3. Next Steps – Assignments

  1. Ballpark estimates for Slate Repair and Flashing – JG to reach out to Spencer Group to see what they might offer for estimating services. Also Jim McRae may be able to help us get estimates for the Structural/Sill repairs designated as High Priority. Utilizing as many Owner-Operator businesses as possible to reduce costs of MA Prevailing Wage would be desirable.
  2. Jack will give us some direction on Window work (his audio wasn’t working, see Addendum from his Email provided on 1-15-26 to AW)
  3. AW to work with CL on completing the Organ historic listing with help from GD with documentation.
  4. CL to create a Doodle Poll to determine next meeting date and time.
  1. Next meeting Not Set
  1. Meeting adjourned at 8:12pm

Respectfully submitted,

Andrea Woods, Clerk

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ADDENDUM FROM JACK CADWELL IN EMAIL

I am so glad that the consultant’s report was done, and I think it will be a great help going forward. The plan I was thinking about is what I normally see for jobs like this, which is architect’s plans. Adding bathrooms, stairs, ADA compliant egress and space, structural repairs, fire codes, and usability are need to be coordinated in space and time. The new Stretch Code might be a factor in everything. A drawing can force people to make decisions, and agree as a group.

For the storms, I’m going to look at Aluminum, because that’s normal for historic restoration and preservation. I can make wooden ones, but it’s a waste of money. They don’t work as well, or last. There will not be a conflict of interest, because I don’t sell aluminum storms. I just buy them a lot.

I am concerned about energy code issues for the building. Personally, I do not want to air seal and insulate the building, to meet the code that the Town voted for last year. I think insulating the building with what we know how to do now can cause condensation, mold, and rot. I worked on New Salem Academy over a few years, and it ended up being condemned for mold problems.

I’m working on a house in Petersham built in 1820. I have been working there for seven years. We certified the building as historic in order to be exempt from building and energy codes. At the same time, the restrictions imposed by being an historic structure apply to the exterior only, and generally restrict the owner from changing the use of the building drastically. An historic preservation designation might pay back in building code and energy code exemptions. It might not, too.

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