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Select Board raises design concerns for Town Common utility box wraps; committee plans high-resolution presentation
Summary
Designs for Town Common utility box wraps were approved by the Historic Commission but met with Select Board reservations about image resolution and the concept of integrating art into the garden. The Revitalization Trust Fund plans to present physical high-resolution panels and seek clearer guidance.
The Revitalization Trust Fund said Feb. 27 that the Town Common utility box wrap design, previously approved by the Historic Commission, drew reservations from the Select Board over image resolution and the overall concept.
Paul (Revitalization Trust Fund committee member) told the group that the Historic Commission favored a design that integrates imagery with the Common’s gardens so the boxes appear as part of the landscape rather than focal art pieces. “They were also very clear that they didn’t want any kind of design that was going to be the focal point of the Common,” Paul said.
Select Board members, however, raised concerns after viewing the designs as PDF images, telling committee staff that details and sharpness did not appear sufficient and that some members had trouble visualizing how the wraps would integrate with plantings and box placements. Paul said the committee has not had an in-person presentation opportunity with the Select Board and plans to arrange one.
To address the concerns, committee members are preparing to produce one or two full-size, high-resolution panels at SpeedPro that can be placed on site so reviewers can see the intended look at scale. “We may be able to... take it out to the Common, place it onto the boxes so you can see in high resolution exactly what the base would look like,” Paul said.
Committee members also discussed the need for a consistent town arts policy and clearer approval pathways because current design-review bodies focus on building materials and construction rather than art review. JP (Revitalization Trust Fund committee member) volunteered to work with staff on a presentation and next steps.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; the committee will seek a Select Board or chair-level review meeting and may return with physical mockups.
