Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New owner urges town action to mark Monument Square as historic, proposes tax incentive (RSA 79‑E)
Summary
A downtown property owner told the Board of Selectmen that 11 buildings around Monument Square are on the state and national historic registers and proposed placards and consideration of RSA 79‑E, a community revitalization tax incentive to encourage proper rehabilitation.
Kristine (Christy) Pancho, who said she recently purchased 115 Main Street, told the board April 1 she discovered the Monument Square Historic District is listed on state and national registers but that many residents and property owners are unaware of the designation.
Pancho said she had contacted building owners and the historical society, and proposed short‑term steps such as placing state placards on the 11 identified buildings and longer‑term measures including educational displays and creation of a local committee to steward the district. She said the state database (EMA) and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance were her sources for the registry information.
Pancho also urged the town to consider adopting RSA 79‑E, the community revitalization tax incentive, which she described as a locally adopted program that provides a tax incentive or deferment for owners who rehabilitate registered historic properties. The board and staff discussed that RSA 79‑E is optional, that restrictions on property changes would only apply if the town adopted them, and that adopting the incentive could be coordinated with planning and the master plan.
Town staff recommended further fact‑finding: identify interested property owners, research whether the historic district is mapped in zoning or the master plan, explore funding for placards and signs, and consider forming a committee or using the historical society with clearer stewardship to ensure continuity. The board supported staff following up and asked the town administrator to work with planning and to compile names of owners willing to participate.
