Sept 1, 2021
As work continues the Clark Tavern next to the Peak House, there’s a lot of public concern expressed in comments on Facebook. Below is a response I will post on Facebook.
Clarification on the Clark Tavern
I’m David Temple, writing about the c.1740 Clark Tavern, next to the Peak House, and I’m writing as the long-time co-chair of the Medfield Historical Commission.
Everyone hoped for better things for the Clark Tavern. But given the events of the past 14 years, the present situation seems the best we could get. (There was one remaining long-shot alternative* that I’ll write about at the end.)
Facts:
The last owner-occupant of the Clark Tavern, Lorraine Laverty, died at age 84 in 2007. It was a time of financial crisis in the U.S.
The tavern in 2007 was in dire need of maintenance.
For six years the unoccupied Clark Tavern languished on the market and continued to deteriorate.
In 2013 the property was bought by the Linnerts, who invested in plans to restore it and use it as a restaurant/bed-and-breakfast type of operation, as it had been for much of its history.
The Linnert plans drew widespread support, which included an on-line petition to the selectmen with over 1,000 signatures. But three neighbors objected and took them to court, raising one objection after another until the Linnerts gave up and sold the property to LCB Senior Living about 2016.
The Clark Tavern continued to deteriorate.
LCB proposed to build, on land behind the tavern, a 24,000-square-foot multi-story treatment center and residence for the elderly suffering from dementia. LCB’s plans drew heavy opposition throughout the town. LCB abandoned the idea and put the Clark tavern back on the market about 2019.
The Clark Tavern continued to deteriorate.
In early 2020 David MacCready – who had done major work making the 1880 Ord block into Avenue restaurant — showed the historical commission and the historic district commission and the Peak House Heritage Center some preliminary plans for a five-unit residential development. He proposed two condos for the to-be-restored tavern and two other new buildings (to be built to look like outbuildings that might have existed there in the 18th century). The plans were generally well received; MacCready, encouraged, moved ahead. He needed permits and a ZBA variance from the town.
Months later MacCready said the tavern was in even worse shape than he originally thought; he could not make the numbers work on the project unless he was allowed to dismantle the tavern and reassemble parts into a replica of the tavern, using new materials where necessary.
He received approval and is proceeding on the project.
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*The Hail Mary would have involved the use of historic tax credits (which BTW may be used at the state hospital project). To qualify for these credits (1) voters would first have had to approve, by a 2/3 majority vote at 2021 town meeting, creating a single-building historic district for the tavern, then (2) a buyer would have to be found. To qualify for historic tax credits, the buyer would be required to rent the two housing units in the tavern for five years after completion. Then (3) the buyer would have to get approval for historic tax credits, submitting plans that meet the Department of the Interior’s stringent requirements. Then construction could begin…after how many more years?
During this long and iffy process, the tavern would continue to deteriorate.