Historical commission backs letter of support for VFW hall roof; members remove ‘emergency’ language

The Fall River Historical Commission voted May 20 to prepare a letter supporting a Community Preservation Act funding application from VFW Post 486 for roof replacement at its hall in the Granite Mills complex, but the commission decided not to label that support as an "emergency."

Ronald Paul Tripp, identifying himself as a VFW representative, described years of patching and volunteer repairs and said the post has raised about $34,000 toward a full replacement. "We have that tucked away," Tripp said. He told commissioners a contractor’s previous quote to replace the front portion of the roof was about $54,000 and that a more recent full-build quote was approximately $62,000 for material and labor.

Commissioner Rick Mancini moved that the commission provide a letter of support but remove the words "emergency" or "immediate" from the commission’s language; Commissioner Connie Soule seconded the motion. Mancini explained that the CPA application cycle opens in September and awards are typically allocated after City Council approval in January or February, and he suggested the commission defer emergency determinations to the CPC. "I just don't feel that, at least myself, on the historic commission ... that we should be calling it an emergency," Mancini said.

After discussion, the commission approved the motion by roll call (Soule, Mancini, Joyce Roderick, Jason Bouchard and another commissioner voting yes) and asked Tripp to submit the application materials to CPC staff. Tripp said he would email the commission and CPC staff and that the VFW would appear before CPC as needed.

The letter of support will be framed as general support for CPA funding for roof replacement and will leave determinations about emergency funding to the Community Preservation Committee and City Council.