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Historic commission moves to pursue local historic-district study for church campus
Summary
At its June 18 meeting the Springfield City Historic Commission discussed nominating a church campus for a local historic district after a Massachusetts Historical Commission survey identified the buildings as eligible for the National Register; commissioners agreed to circulate a draft ordinance rewrite, collect public comment and convene a study committee.
The Springfield City Historic Commission on June 18 discussed advancing a local historic-district nomination for a nearby church campus after staff review of a Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) survey found portions of the campus eligible for the National Register.
Commissioners said the commission can initiate a study and nomination but cannot itself create a district; the city council must pass an ordinance to establish a local historic district. Staff said the packet included MHC material indicating the school and related buildings had been recommended in a previous survey and recommended further study rather than immediate demolition or removal.
Why it matters: a local historic-district designation would add legal protections and public hearings before demolition or incompatible alteration, potentially preserving buildings that commissioners and residents described as important to the city’s historic narrative.
After members raised procedural questions about owner notification and committee makeup, staff summarized the next steps the commission agreed to take: circulate a draft historic-commission ordinance rewrite to commissioners, accept written public comments, convene a study committee (a three-to-seven member group in state guidance), and schedule public meetings to consider the proposal. Staff told the commission it would distribute the ordinance draft the week after the meeting and scheduled a meeting to review the draft; commissioners set the next regular commission meeting for July 16 to review compiled comments and the new-construction guidelines.
Commissioners emphasized public notice and owner input at multiple stages. Commission members and staff clarified that owners will receive notice and will have a chance to testify at hearings before the city council if the commission nominates a district, and that the council, not the commission, would make the final decision. Staff also noted that city council approval typically involves two public hearings and may refer the measure to committee.
The commission did not vote to create a district at the June 18 meeting; rather, members authorized staff to circulate the draft ordinance, collect comments and schedule a follow-up meeting so the commission can decide whether to formally nominate a study area to the city council.
Next steps: staff will send the proposed ordinance language to commissioners, solicit and compile public comment, and the commission will meet in the coming weeks to consider whether to form a study committee and forward a nomination to the city council for final action.
