North College Hill council amends and adopts resolution to remediate asbestos and mold at 1500 Galbraith Road

The North College Hill City Council unanimously amended and then adopted Resolution 3-2025 at a special meeting to authorize asbestos and mold abatement and measures to stabilize the city-owned building at 1500 Galbraith Road.

The amended resolution, presented by the law director and approved by a 6-0 roll call, removes earlier language council members and residents said could be read as authorizing immediate renovation. Councilmember Wilson moved to amend the resolution; Councilmember Gaston seconded the amendment. After the amendment passed, Wilson moved to adopt the resolution and Councilmember Alexander seconded. The final adoption passed by voice roll call: Gaston — yes; Chichester — yes; Alexander — yes; Wilson — yes; Davis — yes; Underwood — yes (6-0).

Why it matters: The change narrows the council action to environmental abatement and stabilization steps before any decisions about design, financing or renovation. Residents and local organizations had urged clarity so the vote would not be read as authorization to begin full renovation work without further council review.

Public comment and council discussion

Several residents and local organization leaders spoke during public comment. Linda Stagman, a Waltham resident who attended the previous meeting, said the phrase “renovate” in the resolution and on the agenda caused the misunderstanding: “the resolution said renovate. And I think that's where council was like the buzzword that we were not looking for authorization to renovate at this time. We're looking to remediate.”

Cathy Keratin (address given in the record) asked whether the redacted language meant the council would not vote on design, financing or remodeling at this meeting. A city official confirmed that the strikethrough portions were removed and that italicized language had been added.

Andrea Brooks asked whether the phrase “for future adaptive reuse” left open options. Councilmember Underwood (serving as chair for this meeting) replied, "...no matter what, the asbestos has to be remediated. Whether it's torn down, whether it's left up, whatever, it's less expensive for us as a city to do the asbestos and the mold together. So my understanding is... that is what's going to occur." (Transcript language preserved as spoken.)

Representatives of the North College Hill Historical Society raised concerns about items stored inside the building. Linda Tennis, president of the NCH Historical Society, said the group still cannot access its storage room and asked whether volunteers could retrieve items. City Administrator Duxton said it would not be safe for residents to enter the building and that administration would arrange for professionals to pull items outside on a warm day so the auxiliaries and groups could review and preserve them before remediation work proceeds. Duxton told the meeting, “it would not be safe for you all to enter the building,” and described a plan to have professionals remove and set aside items for the auxiliaries (women’s American Legion, DAV and the historical society) before remediation.

Council intent and next steps

Councilmember Gaston, speaking during discussion, said the amended language is intended as a first step and that "there will be another piece, I'm sure, of legislation that's gonna come out to say we're gonna move forward with that." The amendment adopted at the meeting narrows the council’s immediate authorization to abatement and stabilization (as reflected in the language added by the law director). The record does not specify contractors, budgets, schedules, or funding sources; those details were not in the version of the resolution adopted at the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to amend Resolution 3-2025 (as presented by the law director): mover — Councilmember Wilson; second — Councilmember Gaston; roll-call vote — Gaston: yes; Chichester: yes; Alexander: yes; Wilson: yes; Davis: yes; Underwood: yes; outcome: passed, 6-0.

- Motion to adopt Resolution 3-2025 (amended): mover — Councilmember Wilson; second — Councilmember Alexander; roll-call vote — Gaston: yes; Chichester: yes; Alexander: yes; Wilson: yes; Davis: yes; Underwood: yes; outcome: passed, 6-0.

Other formal actions recorded at the meeting (procedural)

- Nomination and vote to appoint Miss Underwood as president pro tem for the meeting: motion by Davis; second by Wilson; outcome: approved, 6-0.

- Motion to excuse Councilmember Graver and Councilmember Zorbb/Zork (name appears in the record with variant spellings): mover — Councilmember Alexander; second — Councilmember Gaston; outcome: approved, 6-0.

- Motion to accept the agenda as presented: mover — Councilmember Wilson; second — Councilmember Alexander; outcome: approved, 6-0.

- Motion to adjourn: mover — Councilmember Gaston; second — Councilmember Chichester; outcome: approved, 6-0.

What the record does not specify

The adopted resolution as recorded in the meeting text does not specify a project budget, a contractor, a schedule, or final decisions about renovation or reuse; those matters appear reserved for later council action. The record also does not specify the exact text of every deleted or added clause beyond speakers’ descriptions and the law director’s presented amendment.

Closing

Councilmembers said the administration will proceed with abatement and stabilization steps described in the amended resolution, and residents were told administration will coordinate a professional-led retrieval of historical materials before remediation begins. Further legislation and decisions about design, financing or renovation were presented to the public as likely to follow later.