Northampton - 10 Hawley St PR MHC cmnt ltr 4.24.23.pdf220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts, 02125
(617) 727-8470 * (617) 727-5128 fax
www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc
April 24, 2023
Sarah LaValley
Assistant Director
Northampton Office of Planning and Sustainability
City Hall
210 Main St, 2nd Fl
Northampton MA 01060
RE: Draft Preservation Restriction Agreement, 10 Hawley Street (aka former St. John Cantius Church),
Northampton, Massachusetts (MHC ID NTH.2069)
Dear Ms. LaValley:
Staff of the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) have reviewed the revised draft preservation
restriction agreement for the above-referenced property received April 7, 2023 in response to the MHC’s
comment letter of February 23, 2023. The following comments are provided under the MHC’s approval
authority for preservation restrictions under M.G.L. Chapter 184, Section 32.
A number of the comments in MHC’s prior letter have not been addressed in the revised draft.
1) Page 2. Seventh Recital. Line 2. Please correct “Premises” to “Building and Premises”.
2) Page 2. Eighth Recital. Line 3. Please correct to “Exhibits A, B, C and D”.
3) Page 2. Ninth Recital. Item 2. Correct “(Exhibit C)” to “(Exhibit B)”.
4) Page 2. Ninth Recital. Item 3. Correct “(Exhibit D)” to “(Exhibit C)”.
5) Page 2. Ninth Recital. Item 4. Correct “(Exhibit E)” to “(Exhibit D)”.
6) Page 3. Paragraph 2. Last line. Correct “Exhibit B” to “Exhibit E”. The Restriction Guidelines
follow all the Baseline Documentation exhibits.
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7) Page 4. Paragraph 6. Lines 3-4. Correct “is the maintenance and preservation of historic
properties” to “is the preservation of buildings or sites of historical significance”. This is the
requirement specified in M.G.L. Chapter 184.
8) Page 6. Paragraph 6. Line 1. Correct “Paragraphs 11 and 17” to “Paragraphs 12 and 17”.
9) Page 12. Northampton Historical Commission Signature Page. Please provide separate notary
signature verifications for each signatory.
10) Page 14. Exhibit A. Please add on a new line following the legal description: “Source:
Hampshire Registry of Deeds, Book 13567, Page 55.”
11) Page 15-16. Exhibit B. Please move the Restriction Guidelines to Exhibit E. Exhibit B should be
titled “Exhibit B - Legal Description of Premises – Plan of Land”. Relocate the plan now
included as Exhibit D to Exhibit B.
12) Page 19. The Baseline Photographs are now Exhibit D. Please revise the title.
13) The Restriction Guidelines follow the Baseline Photographs as Exhibit E.
14) Page numbers were missing from this draft. Please add continuous page numbers at the bottom
center of each page to the entire Agreement, including all the Exhibits.
Please provide the MHC with a complete revised agreement with all exhibits incorporating the above
comments for review. When the agreement is in final form, MHC will provide a pre-signature approval
letter, at which time the agreement may be executed by all parties, and then forwarded to the MHC for its
signature approval prior to recording at the Registry of Deeds.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding the comments included in this letter.
Sincerely,
Michael Steinitz
Michael Steinitz
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Director, Preservation Planning Division
Massachusetts Historical Commission
michael.steinitz@sec.state.ma.us
978-836-2438 (mobile)
Xc (email): Matthew Welter, O’Connell Development Group