Edward Marks advisory committee reports progress and asks board to extend charter

Barbara Weyand, chair of the Edward Marks Building Advisory Committee, updated the Select Board on the committee’s six‑plus years of preservation work and current plans to move exterior restoration into a bid and construction phase. Weyand recounted the building’s long history, explained the preservation‑restriction terms tied to Mass. Historical Commission funding that require reversible work, and said the committee plans to use DHK (design/project management) to prepare bidding documents and manage construction.

Weyand said municipal ownership limits some funding sources — the building is not eligible for many foundation grants — and that the committee intends to seek CPA and Mass. Historical Commission funds. She highlighted recent interior work that allowed the town’s Health & Human Services department to be housed there, noted modest volunteer and professional contributions from committee members and contractors, and asked the board to extend the committee’s authorization so it can finalize specifications and submit a CPC application before the August deadline.

Board members thanked the committee for long‑running stewardship and said the extension and any transfer of title to a nonprofit would be considered on a future agenda. Several members asked about fencing, historical interpretation for passersby, and how to present the site’s history; Weyand described plans for an exterior display and an ADA‑compliant approach.

The board agreed to address the committee extension at a future meeting and praised the project’s progress.