Historical Commission to revise local-significance review after CPA/MACRIS clarification

At the end of the May 22 meeting staff reported an administrative clarification that will change how the Worcester Historical Commission determines local historic significance for CPA and related reviews.

Michelle Johnstone told commissioners the commission cannot simply rely on the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) as a shortcut for local determinations. "Coming in hot this afternoon, we learned that we need to change, like, our whole review process," Johnstone said. She explained that for certain properties the commission must record why a resource is locally significant and in which statutory category, rather than relying on MACRIS as a de facto determination.

Johnstone and commissioners noted the discovery affected items already understood to be locally significant — for example, the Goddard House and several museum and clerk's office records that had not gone through a formal local-determination step. Staff said the city's CPA pilot round surfaced the issue and that the commission will need a streamlined procedure because several applications were imminent.

Commissioners discussed ideas to streamline determinations, including using a 50-year minimum age for certain documentary resources and creating a set of predefined resource categories drawn from the legislation to allow blanket motions for specific categories. Staff said they would return with proposed category lists and recommended procedure changes at the next meeting so the commission can process the incoming applications without undue delay.

No formal vote was taken; staff flagged the item for fuller discussion at the next meeting.