ORLEANS – A public hearing will be held Wednesday evening by the Orleans Board of Selectmen to get input from residents on a proposal to remove the town from the Old Kings Highway Regional Historic District.
Board of Selectmen Chairman David Dunford said selectmen voted for the article for multiple reasons, including the difficulty of filling open spots on the town’s Old Kings Highway committee.
“I believe the impetus from the committee was that they were going to be most likely losing a couple members of the committee in short order,” said Dunford. “And there has always been some difficulty in finding volunteers to fill the committee spots.”
Dunford said the number of applications for renovations or changes to buildings in the district continues to decrease.
Leaving the historic district could also save the town some money, according to Dunford.
“Often times, Orleans has been asked to share some costs that other towns incur through legal challenges to some other towns committee decisions,” said Dunford.
The hearing will begin at 6:45 p.m. in the Nauset Room in Orleans Town Hall on Wednesday.
Orleans town meeting is scheduled for May 11.
The district, established in 1973, encompasses the area north of Route 6 from Sandwich to Orleans and is the largest historical district in the country.
