CPC receives first construction update on Wellesley Historical Center renovation

WELLESLEY — November 13, 2024 — Wellesley CPC hears Historical Center construction is moving after three-month permit delay. Presenter Taylor told the Community Preservation Committee on Wednesday that the project's building permit was issued Sept. 19 only after the town reclassified the work from residential to commercial, forcing a Design Review Board hearing and changing the standards for plumbing, electrical and HVAC. CPA-funded work now in progress includes the ADA ramp with eight-foot footings, a basement "Be Dry" waterproofing wall and a new HVAC system running slightly ahead of schedule. Chair Stephen Murphy said a planned Nov. 12 Select Board appearance on the North 40 was postponed, with the board reviewing the parcel's deed restrictions Nov. 19, and that the two sides are "as close as they've ever been." Member Mark Wolfson said the Morses Pond Bathhouse project, awaiting a Weston & Sampson estimate, is "not anywhere near" a pickleball decision.