Historical Commission

Chicopee Historical Commission Voting Record and Minutes The Historical Commission of the City of Chicopee public hearing for Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 4:00 PM, in the RiverMills Senior Center, First Floor, Classroom 30, 5 West Main St., Chicopee, MA 01020 and via Zoom. Meeting was called to order at 4:03 PM, by Raymond Hoess-Brooks. Historical Commission attendance: Member Present Absent Excused Ray Hoess-Brooks X Chair Louise Osetek X Vice Chair Linda Menard-Mruk X Clerk Kathryn Gawron X Ronald Chimelis X Vacant Vacant Planning Staff attendance: Member Present Absent Excused Lee Pouliot, X Director James Dawson, X Development Manager Patrick Collins X Nick Kiser X Item 1: (Tabled from February 11, 2025) Change of Meeting start time to 5:30 PM – At the December 10, 2024 meeting, Raymond Hoess-Brooks proposed a change to the meeting start time to 5:30 PM to accommodate potential new Commission Members work schedules. On February 11, 2025, Mr. Hoess-Brooks noted a possible conflict with a 5:30 PM meeting start time. Notes: After discussing the issue, the Commission voted to change the meeting start time to 5:30 PM moving forward. Since the new time will be after hours of the City Hall normal business hours, the meeting location will move to the Planning and Conservation office. Motion to change the Historical Commission meeting start time to 5:30 PM and meeting location to the Planning and Conservation Office moving forward, was made by Kathryn Gawron and seconded by Linda Menard-Mruk. Vote was 5-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Raymond Hoess-Brooks X Linda Menard-Mruk X Louise Osetek X Kathryn Gawron X Ronald Chimelis X Item 2: Update on the status of the relocation of the granite stones on the front lawn of the RiverMills Senior Center. Dave Rice, Head of the Facilities Department in City Hall and Sherry Manyak, Executive Director of the Council on Aging will provide an update and plan for the stone locations. Notes: David Rice and Sherry Manyak presented a site plan to the Commission that illustrated where the granite stones currently in front of the RiverMills Senior Center would be relocated. A plaque will be installed near one of the prominent relocated stones in front of the building. The plaque will provide an explanation of the historic importance of the stones. Other stones will be strategically located around the property to be used as benches. Any unused stones will be returned to the granite storage pile on the Uniroyal property owned by the City. The Commission voted to approve the plan for the relocation of the stones. Raymond Hoess- Brooks requested any gravel used around the stones should match the color of the stones. Motion to approve the plan to relocate the granite stones currently on the front lawn of the RiverMills Senior Center was made by Ronald Chimelis and seconded by Louise Osetek. Vote was 5-0 to approve. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Raymond Hoess-Brooks X Linda Menard-Mruk X Louise Osetek X Kathryn Gawron X Ronald Chimelis X Item 3: Minutes from February 11, 2025 Notes: One typo was discovered in the minutes. Staff will correct the error prior to filing the minutes with the City Clerk. Motion to approve the minutes with the noted correction was made by Louise Osetek and seconded by Ronald Chimelis. Vote was 5-0 to approve with the noted correction. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Raymond Hoess-Brooks X Linda Menard-Mruk X Louise Osetek X Kathryn Gawron X Ronald Chimelis X Item 4: Discussion/New Business • Staff informed the Commission that new member Joseph Stadnicki has been appointed to the Commission by the Mayor. Raymond Hoess-Brooks inquired if Lisa Hagar had also been appointed. At the time of the meeting Staff did not have information on Lisa Hagar’s appointment. Mr. Hoess-Brooks requested to be included in the interview process when new Commission members are being considered. • Raymond Hoess-Brooks shared a letter from the Mass. Historic Commission regarding the VOC Belcher School Apartment Project and the 22 Grove Street Project. No action by the Commission was required at this time. • The Commission requested Lee Pouliot attend the Commission’s May 13, 2025 meeting to provide updates on City Projects that involve the Historical Commission. • Ronald Chimelis to discuss doing a “History of Chicopee” presentation to the Schools. Item 5: Adjournment – Next regularly scheduled meeting is April 8, 2025. Motion to adjourn was made by Louise Osetek and seconded by Ronald Chimelis. Vote was 5-0 to adjourn. Member Approve Deny Table Abstain Raymond Hoess-Brooks X Linda Menard-Mruk X Louise Osetek X Kathryn Gawron X Ronald Chimelis X Meeting adjourned at 4:30 PM.