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Committee to revisit demolition-delay ordinance after public support for stronger protections
Summary
Committee members and public commenters urged strengthening Bridgewater’s demolition-delay ordinance. The committee voted to continue the discussion at the next meeting and asked staff to supply the current ordinance and HDC materials for review.
Public commenters and committee members flagged the town’s demolition-delay ordinance as too short to protect historic structures. James Wolf, a downtown resident, pointed to the 2022 master plan and said Bridgewater’s current two-month delay “has never actually been successfully used,” and urged extending the delay to create incentives for preservation. Janet Hansen also told the committee she was “for it” when asked if demolition-delay provisions should ensure no rush to demolish historic buildings.
Committee members agreed to continue the discussion with the demolition-delay ordinance on the next agenda and asked staff to provide copies of the existing ordinance and related Historic District Commission (HDC) rules so the committee can consider specific edits, including length of delay and HDC involvement. The motion to continue the discussion passed with unanimous assent.
