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Commission and Preservation Society launch outreach for Highlands historic-district expansion
Summary
The Preservation Society and the Fall River Historical Commission are distributing mailers, a survey (QR code), and deploying consultants from the Public Archaeology Lab to document the proposed Highlands expansion; the commission will wait for survey responses before finalizing the expanded boundary.
The Fall River Historical Commission and the Preservation Society of Fall River are moving forward with public outreach for a proposed expansion of the Highlands local historic district.
Alexander (Alex) Silva, president of the Preservation Society, told the commission that the society will mail a short letter to owners in the target area announcing the process, directing recipients to a Google survey (QR code) and noting consultant fieldwork this summer by the Public Archaeology Lab (PAL) of Pawtucket. Silva said the mailer will briefly recap the district’s 10‑year history, explain local-district protections and design guidelines, and include the QR code linking to a survey and frequently asked questions.
Staff reported that the commission’s survey had generated only a small number of responses to date and set a June 30 response target for initial outreach results; commissioners agreed it would be premature to narrow the proposed boundary until more responses arrived. The next steps are to mail the preservation society’s letter to the full targeted list, collect survey responses, and then refine the expansion map before PAL begins field documentation and the commission moves toward formal expansion steps later this year.
Commissioners discussed technical points such as whether the expansion should run to property corners or mid-street; staff noted the state now allows corner-based boundaries for expansions and that mapping details will be finalized as survey returns clarify support. Commission members asked staff and the Preservation Society to coordinate the mailing and to provide results to the commission for review at a later meeting.
