Council awards contract to update Westminster Historic District National Register nomination

The Westminster mayor and common council on June 9 voted to award RFP 2515 to EAC Archaeology Inc. for $59,501.44 to re-inventory and update the Westminster Historic District National Register nomination.

City staff told the council the project scope includes a re-inventory of the district and expanded research on the railroad, Civil War history (including Corbett's Charge), and the city’s historic ethnic neighborhoods. The Maryland Historical Trust awarded a $30,000 grant to match the city’s $30,000 contribution for the work, staff said.

Director of Community Planning and Development Depot said the updated nomination will be assembled in an ArcGIS database that the public can access and that the database is intended to provide a “quick understanding” of a property’s history and historic-district value. Depot said the database is informational and “won’t impact anything” in terms of new regulatory standards; it will help staff and the Historic District Commission when reviewing projects and demolition requests.

Councilman Dave Huff and Councilman Greg Pecoraro said they support the work and noted the updated inventory will assist property owners seeking state and federal historic tax credits. Pecoraro asked how the database would affect planning and development; Depot replied it is primarily an informational tool to support review, grant writing and demolition reviews, and that photographic and archaeological records could be added later.

Pecoraro moved to award the contract to EAC Archaeology Inc.; Huff seconded. The council voted in favor; the motion carried.

City staff said three bids were received: EAC Archaeology Inc. at $59,501.44; RK&K at $111,478.92; and Marcel Day at $114,270.81. Maryland Historical Trust staff reviewed the bids and found them acceptable.

Procurement and grant staff who prepared the application, including Melissa Thorne and the Historic District Commission chair, were credited with securing the matching grant. The council noted that the city budgeted $30,000 to match the grant and that the project remains within the anticipated funding.

The council did not place additional regulatory steps on properties as part of this award; Depot said any implementation beyond the database (such as code changes or new protections) would be a separate, future process.