Norwood commission moves to solicit preservation quotes for Saint Gabriel’s Chapel, Highland Cemetery nomination

The Norwood Historical Commission instructed town staff to prepare a draft scope of work and solicit quotes from preservation consultants to complete a National Register of Historic Places nomination for Saint Gabriel’s Chapel and Highland Cemetery. The commission discussed procurement rules for the work and voted to proceed with staff assistance.

Commissioners said the project has a long local history and that earlier research and preparatory work already exists. Members told staff the solicitation should emphasize firms with a proven record of successful cemetery nominations to the National Register, because cemetery nominations require specialized expertise that differs from residential or building nominations.

Jason Adams, the town procurement officer, advised that under Massachusetts Chapter 30B procurement rules, projects under $50,000 require soliciting quotes from qualified vendors and selecting on price if the vendors meet technical requirements; above $50,000 would trigger a formal bid process. The commission discussed a recent vendor who had submitted a cost estimate previously and had experience preparing cemetery nominations; commissioners asked staff to reach back out to that consultant and to solicit other proposals so the town meets procurement requirements.

Commission members also requested that the draft scope explicitly list the existing materials and prior application documents the consultant should review and that the scope specify the number of iterations expected during review with the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) and, if necessary, National Park Service review.

The motion to ask Jason Adams and staff to prepare the scope and solicit quotes was seconded and approved by the commission.